The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reacted to President Obama’s proposals for increasing the nation’s energy security by reiterating its top five energy conservation legislative priorities. “Architects make design decisions every day that have significant impact on the energy that buildings use both during their construction and throughout their life cycles, ” said AIA 2011
Obama Administration’s New “Recovery Through Retrofit” Program to be Featured at the 2011 RESNET Building Performance Conference
On November 9, 2010, Vice President Joe Biden announced the new Recovery Through Retrofit Program. The program has the following key features: New Home Energy Score survey for existing homes New FHA PowerSaver loan program to finance energy upgrades through the mortgage loan New Workforce Guidelines for home energy upgrades The 2011 RESNET Building Performance
ENERGY STAR New Homes Version 2.5 Delayed to April 2011
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that ENERGY STAR New Homes Version 2.5 has been delayed until April 1, 2011. Single family homes that are permitted before April 1, 2011 can continue to be qualified under the current v2 guidelines until July 1, 2011 (previously, this applied only to single family homes permitted
Congress Extends Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit
After hard work by RESNET and its strategic allies, Congress has extended the $2,000 federal tax credit for builders who build energy efficient homes. The extension will last from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2011. The extension was part of a sweeping tax package negotiated by the White House and Republican Congressional leaders. President
Reminder: November 26, 2010 Deadline for Submitting Comment on Proposed Amendment on Lighting, Appliance and Miscellaneous Energy Usage Profiles
RESNET home energy ratings considers all energy uses of a home including lighting, appliances and plug loads of miscellaneous energy uses such as clothes washers and dryers. A comprehensive DOE-funded study of miscellaneous loads in residential buildings conducted by the Florida Solar Energy Center and National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that these loads are significantly
Energy Legislation Outlook in “Lame Duck” Session of Congress
Congress has convened for a “lame duck” post election session. The lame duck session represents the last chance for Democrats to enact legislation before the new Congress goes into session with the Republican majority in the House and reduced Democratic Senators. The opportunity to have major legislation passed in the lame duck session is very
HUD to Pilot New PowerSaver Loan Program
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a new pilot program that will offer credit-worthy borrowers low cost loans to make energy saving improvements to their homes. Backed by the Federal Housing Administration, the new “PowerSaver” loans will offer homeowners up to $25,000 to make energy-efficient improvements of their choice, including the installation
