Energy upgrades are getting a boost from the federal government
Yesterday, the federal government released information on two new energy efficiency programs that should present opportunity for local green building professionals. Here is a brief snapshot of each program:
Home Energy Score
The Obama Administration publicized the Home Energy Score program as a means to uniformly rate home performance. This program enlists “qualified assessors” to perform residential energy audits and assess a scaled score that resembles that of a MPG rating on a vehicle. They believe this will help homeowners understand how much energy they are using.
In brief, the new score provides homeowners with an opportunity to request a home energy score before a renovation. The assessor scores each home on a 1 to 10 scale – 10 being the best performance. In conjunction with the program, assessors will provide a list of recommended energy efficiency upgrades.
The program is in a pilot stage and will be tested in various locations across the US. The initial testing locations include Portland, OR, but area contractors can request a pilot program for their area by contacting the DOE here.
How to become an assessor? Those who are already BPI or RESNET certified can simply send a copy of their certification to the DOE and sit for a brief online examination. There is more information on this process on their website.
Details of the program are available now at HomeEnergyScore.gov, which includes an interactive graphic explaining the score scale.
HUD’s FHA PowerSaver Program
Our good friend, Shari Shapiro, wrote a great summary of a new HUD pilot program that provides loans for energy upgrades. The FHA PowerSaver program will offer at least $25 Million to homeowners who seek to make efficiency upgrades to their homes.
According to Shari, HUD will use FHA-approved lenders to insure these loans. Some of the upgrades that will qualify include, “the installation of insulation, duct sealing, doors and windows, HVAC systems, water heaters, solar panels, and geothermal systems.”
Read more about this program over at Shari’s blog. Her post includes a discussion of how this program might differ from the failed PACE program, which failed to gain ground because of disputes with banks over priority of the loans.
Both of these programs offer unique opportunity for those consumers looking to upgrade, and those green building professionals seeking to put their skills to good use.
