Our nation’s investments in residential energy retrofit and
weatherization programs are at unprecedented high levels. The urgent
need for jobs, energy independence, and conservation is driving
exciting changes in the energy efficiency industry. The Energy
Conservation Training Company is pleased to be participating in the
creation of a new clean energy economy for a better American way.
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Building
Performance Institute Included in 'Cash for Caulkers' Recommendation
from President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board (PERAB) - December 10th, 2009
HOME STAR proposal recommended by PERAB includes standards for home performance contractor accreditation and certification
The
Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI), a nationally recognized
standards development and contractor credentialing organization for
residential energy efficiency retrofit work, is pleased to be included
in President Obama's proposed national weatherization incentive
program, HOME STAR, unveiled in the President's speech on Job Creation
and Economic Growth at The Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.,
yesterday.
A
formal recommendation to the President from PERAB last week cited BPI
as a key contributor to the proposed HOME STAR program by providing
training and accreditation for the development of the new home
performance workforce, as well as third-party quality assurance on the
installed retrofit measures:
"In
addition to creating immediate jobs and economic activity, to provide
long-term sustainability, we must ensure that companies deliver
measurable and reliable results.... Standards for home performance
contractor accreditation and Building Analyst auditor certification
will be implemented by the Building Performance Institute (BPI) and
through a national network of third party providers... Program
standards will be maintained with the help of a robust program of
third-party verification and inspection designed to ensure that
homeowners get what they pay for under HOME STAR. Inspections will be
calibrated to program performance and the adoption by contractors of
front-end quality measures, such as BPI accreditation and use of a
well-trained construction workforce in order to quickly address quality
problems."
Also
dubbed 'Cash for Caulkers,' HOME STAR is designed to encourage
homeowners to weatherize their homes in order to create more than
500,000 new jobs. The proposed program would provide $23 billion
in funding: $18 billion for homeowner incentives, $2 billion for
quality assurance audits on efficiency projects and $3 billion for
retailer incentives and awareness-building activities. The basic
structure of the HOME STAR program was developed by an ad hoc committee
of private sector advisors, with strong participation by Efficiency
First (www.efficiencyfirst.org), a national non-profit trade association that unites the home performance workforce.
"The training, individual certification, company accreditation and
inclusion of a robust quality assurance program aspects of the proposed
national program are fundamental to protecting the dollars that will be
invested in energy efficiency retrofits by both homeowners and the
Federal government," says David Hepinstall, Chairman of the BPI Board
of Directors. "We are proud to be a part of this historic initiative
and embrace the responsibility we are being entrusted with as the
program comes to fruition."
For more information, visit:
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Federal Program Aims to Provide Energy Efficiency Retrofits to 5.9 Million Homes by 2012 - November 25th, 2009
Proposed
HOME STAR program under consideration by the Obama Administration to
offer $23 billion in incentives for home performance projects, create
500,000 jobs
The
Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI), a nationally recognized
standards development and contractor credentialing organization for
residential energy efficiency retrofit work, applauds a proposed
nationwide residential energy efficiency retrofit program called HOME
STAR that was unveiled last week in a New York Times article and
accompanying blog post by David Leonhardt.
Also dubbed 'Cash for Caulkers,' HOME STAR is designed to encourage
homeowners to weatherize their homes in order to create more than
500,000 new jobs. Venture capitalist John Doerr presented the program
at a meeting of President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board (PERAB) on
Nov. 2, 2009. The plan is now under keen consideration by the White
House, according to statements made by Rahm Emanuel, President Obama's
chief of staff, to the New York Times.
"The nationwide unemployment rate is at 10 percent, but the
construction industry is one of the hardest hit at 17 percent. The need
to install energy efficiency improvement tactics on 5.9 million homes
will bring people back to work," says David Hepinstall, BPI's Chairman
of the Board. "Struggling contracting companies can transition their
business model or a portion of their business completely into
weatherization services, including whole-home energy audits and
the development of work scopes for energy retrofit improvements, or
with appropriate training and certification, begin to incorporate some
weatherization improvement measures into their existing areas of
expertise."
The proposed program would provide $23 billion in funding: $18 billion
for homeowner incentives, $2 billion for quality assurance audits on
efficiency projects and $3 billion for retailer incentives and
awareness-building activities.
The HOME STAR program also represents a massive opportunity for
existing home performance professionals. The increased demand for
energy efficiency retrofits that HOME STAR is expected to generate
across the country will help existing home performance contractors
build their businesses and accelerate their return on investment from
their training and certification.
"They'll be leading this initiative because they already have the
skills, knowledge and experience they need to do the work and do it
right," says Hepinstall.
The proposed HOME STAR program also supports the Obama Administration's
environmental goals, complementing the Retrofit for Energy and
Environmental Performance (REEP) program and legislation in the
American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. Homes contribute 21% of
America's total greenhouse gas emissions. Energy efficiency retrofits
can reduce a home's energy consumption by as much as 40%, saving
considerable greenhouse gas emissions. These deep energy savings will
also help to protect American families from volatile energy prices and
supply issues.
"BPI is very pleased with the recommendations in the HOME STAR
proposal, in particular the call for formal training, professional
credentials and a robust quality assurance program to protect both tax
dollar and homeowner investments in the improvements," says BPI CEO
Larry Zarker. "We support this initiative 100 percent and offer our
assistance in helping to bring the program to fruition as quickly as
possible."
For more information on the proposed HOME STAR program, visit:
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"The cheapest, cleanest unit of energy is the one we don’t
use,” Bailey said. “This bill is truly local green jobs,
while confronting climate change.”
The Portland Tribune, Jul 2, 2009
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