Posts Tagged ‘energy efficiency’
So what is the Homestar Retrofit program about?
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
In a nutshell, the Homestar Energy Efficiency Retrofit Program is jobs bill that is designed to encourage the average American family to invest in energy saving home improvements.
The bill is designed to help combat the high unemployment currently found in the construction sector of the economy and help to jumpstart the demand for energy efficiency products and installation services. The bill passed the House of Representatives in May by a wide margin and was introduced to the Senate on May 27th. The bill has broad support on both sides of the aisle and why wouldn’t it? It will create jobs, its benefits are immediate and the money goes right back into consumers pockets. The program is designed to save energy, money, and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
Penned with the nickname “Cash for Caulkers” the program is divided into two sections: Silver Star and Gold Star. We will outline the benefits of each level below.
Silver Star has rebates up to $1,000 – $1,500. Consumers looking to have simple upgrades performed in their homes would be eligible for 50% rebates up to $1,000 – $1,500 for doing any of a straightforward set of upgrades. These upgrades could include: insulation, duct sealing, water heaters, HVAC units, windows, roofing and doors.
Gold Star has rebates up to $3,000. Consumers intersted in more comprehensive retrofits would be eligible for a $3,000 rebate for a whole home energy audit and subsequent retrofit tailored to achieve a 20% energy savings in their homes. Additional rebates could be achieved for energy savings in excess of 20%, and the Gold Star program would build on the existing home retrofit programs like the EPA’s ‘Home Performance with Energy Star’.
Consumers would be eligible for direct HOME STAR rebates at the point of sale. As the White House explains, “A broad array of vendors, from small independent building material dealers, large national home improvement chains, energy efficiency installation professionals and utility energy efficiency programs (including rural utilities) would market the rebates, provide them directly to consumers and then be reimbursed by the federal government.” Rebates will apply to materials, labor, and other installation-related costs.
Oversight would include certified installers and field auditors to go back and check after work is completed. Financing will be coming from State and local governments to provide options to those families looking to make energy investments in their homes.
For now, we wait for final passage and next steps…
If you would like to read more, stop by Efficiency First. If you would like some ideas on how to make your home more efficient stop by the About Us page of our site and contact one of our Certified Ecobrokers®.
Tags: energy efficiency, Gold Star, homestar, retrofit, Silver Star
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Energy Efficiency Session
Monday, May 3rd, 2010
This past weekend, Sarah and I hosted an Energy Efficiency Info Session for our neighbors. Our home-owners association had suggested that we do this since we had re-insulated our house last year and have seen good results. We thought the idea was great and we were impressed that they would like to create a forum for neighbors to get together, enjoy catching up, and learning what they can do to make their homes more energy efficient.
So we met in our garage, a little embarrassing since it was a disaster, but we were reassured that we weren’t the only ones!
John Anderson from Insulation Solutions and Danny Gough from Energy Solutions were on hand to discuss the benefits of energy efficiency, why we chose to foam insulate our house, and what happens at an energy audit. We also had six neighbors in attendance that had some really great questions like:
What happens if there is a leak in my roof?
How does foam impact the life of my roof if there is no air circulation?
After insulation, does the foam shrink and create openings for air to penetrate?
All are very valid questions and concerns to consider before making the decision to use foam insulation. Because once it is up…it isn’t coming down! But also it is a significant investment, one that you want to be certain is not going to cost more in the long run…which is completely understandable. But once questions like these are answered and you see an installation, it is easy to become a believer.
We eventually migrated to the upstairs, where Danny spoke about energy audits. He also gave a demonstration of a blower door and talked about duct-blasters and infrared guns. All high-tech, really cool toys that help to determine how much air is leaking in your house. More information on energy audits can be found on the Energy Star website.
After that we moved on to the attic…and if it is anything like yours…it is not very exciting. But there we were, ten of us sitting in my attic, surrounded by foam…87 degrees outside…and a cool 75-76 degrees in the attic. After all the discussion and questions, it is easy to see how effective this type of insulation is in an environment such as your attic. Not only has it made our house more comfortable, we have also saved about 25-30% on our energy bills. And our payback is estimated at 6-7 years…at today’s energy prices.
So at the end of our time, I think we made a couple of believers in the group and if nothing else fueled a fire to try to do some things to improve their homes indoor environment.
If you would like to learn more on energy efficiency for your own home. Please don’t hesitate to call John or Danny…and certainly Sarah or I (336-245-4294).
Tags: energy, energy audit, energy efficiency, energy star, foam insulation
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