This is an opportunity for you to nominate them for national recognition. To recognize leadership in the rating industry, RESNET has established the Rating Industry Achievement Awards.

There are three categories in which you can nominate yourself or another organization:

RESNET Market Transformation Award

This award will be presented to the organization/rater that has made the most significant contribution to penetrating their housing market with rating services while maintaining the quality of the services. Applicants must clearly document the significance of the impact of their program in the defined housing market. The criteria for the award is the organization’s quantifiable impact on the defined housing market, the significance of the housing market, support of national programs such as ENERGY STAR or Builders Challenge, and the transferability of the effort.

RESNET Industry Innovation Award

This award will be presented to the organization that has developed and implemented the most innovative program or policy. Applicants must clearly document why the program, idea, effort and its impact is unique. The criteria for the award would be originality, creativity, and impact on the rating industry.

RESNET Program Leadership Award

This award will recognize the outstanding contribution of that a residential energy efficiency initiative has made to the rating industry. Programs such as Building America, ENERGY STAR, Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, or a government agency lending institution or local, regional or national level would qualify for this category.

The RESNET Rating Industry Achievement Awards will be awarded by the RESNET Board of Directors and presented at the 2011 RESNET Building Performance Conference.

To download a detailed description of each award and instructions on how to submit an application/nomination form, go to http://www.resnet.us/about/awards.

Applications/nominations are due to RESNET on November 26, 2010.

You can support the 2011 RESNET Conference through the following options:

• RESNET Conference Champion–RESNET Conference Champion is the premier conference sponsorship at $10,000. This category offers
  premier recognition in all conference materials including your organization’s name on the cover page of the registration brochure and
  the conference program. This recognition also includes a complimentary conference exhibit booth and up to five complimentary conference
  registrations.
• Reception Sponsor – Reception sponsorships are $8,000 and offer premier recognition at the Monday night reception and include
  highlighting in the conference program and three complimentary conference registrations. (Limited to one sponsorship)
• Conference Sponsor – Conference sponsorships are $7,000 and offer recognition in all conference materials, including your organization’s
  name on the cover page of the registration brochure and the conference program. Sponsorships also include a complimentary conference exhibit booth and two complimentary conference registrations.
• Beer Fest Sponsor- Beer Fest sponsorships are $5,000 and offer exclusive recognition via company logo on cups for the Tuesday night event and includes highlighting in the conference program and two complimentary conference registrations (Limited to one sponsorship).
• Conference Patron – Conference patrons are $3,500 and offer extra recognition above that of a conference supporter, including highlighting
  in the conference program, a complimentary conference exhibit booth, and one complimentary conference registration.
• Afternoon Break Sponsor- Afternoon break sponsorships are $1,500 and offer exclusive recognition during afternoon breaks and includes
  highlighting in the conference program and one complimentary conference registration. (Limited to three sponsorships)
• Conference Supporter – Conference supporters are $1,000 and offer recognition in all conference materials and one complimentary
  conference registration.
• Conference Exhibitor – Conference exhibitors are $800 and offer a conference exhibit booth and one complimentary conference registration.

The RESNET Conference presents an exciting opportunity to boost the movement toward market-driven residential energy efficiency initiatives.
Your company can play a key leadership role in this effort. We hope that you will show this leadership by being a 2011 RESNET Conference sponsor.

Because RESNET is a 501 C-3 non-profit organization recognized by the I.R.S., contributions to RESNET may be tax deductable. Check with your accountant.

To become a 2011 RESNET supporter, please complete the online form posted on the 2011 RESNET Conference web site at https://archive.resnet.us/conference/registration/default.aspx?ConferenceID=3&RegistrationTypeID=2

The Hilton in the WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort offers Disney’s EXTRA MAGIC HOURS and is located directly across from Downtown Disney in Lake Buena Vista, FL. Hotel guests will enjoy exceptional facilities at the Disney hotel, AAA’s longest-running three Diamond Resort in Central Florida. Our official Walt Disney World hotel is only steps away from some of the most popular amenities and attractions, including:

• Extra Magic Hours – Each day one of the theme parks is open an hour early or stays open up to three extra hours in the evening.
• Complimentary shuttle service to Disney® theme parks
  • Disney’s Magic Kingdom
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios
  • Disney’s Epcot
  • Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
  • Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park
  • Downtown Disney Marketplace
  • Downtown Disney Westside

RESNET has been able to arrange a special conference rate of $179.00 per night.

Plan to bring your family and make a family holiday around the 2011 RESNET Conference. Remember, rooms at last year’s conference sold out, so make your hotel reservations today by clicking on http://archive.resnet.us/conference/2011/hotel.htm

Please remember that January 28, 2011 is the deadline for the “early bird” discount to register for the RESNET Conference. Submit your conference registration online today by clicking on http://archive.resnet.us/conference/2011/registration.htm

MLS is already in Alaska, Florida, Vermont and Washington have taken the leadership in including information on the home being sold energy performance.  The Appraisal Institute is trying to make this a national trend.  The institute has launched a resource that will help real estate appraisers provide more reliable valuations on homes with energy efficient features. The Green Multiple Listing Services Tool Kit provides guidance for enhancing MLS data, to empower appraisers to make well-supported comparisons, analyses and adjustments.

To download the Green MLS Tool Kit, click on http://www.greenthemls.org/

The Appraisal Institute also recently published a book, An Introduction to Green Homes, to help appraisers estimate values for popular “green” home features. It provides an overview of the programs, organizations, and products fueling the current surge in environmentally responsible building and remodeling.

RESNET has adopted new procedures for documenting attendance of conference sessions. The conference program will contain a space by each session for documenting attendance at pre-conference and conference sessions. At the end of the session, raters wanting credit for the session must have the moderator or a session presenter stamp the session on the program.

Raters must submit the conference program to their rating provider in order to receive the conference credits. RESNET will not keep documentation of rater attendance at conference sessions.

Each breakout session will be 1.5 credit hours and the general session will be 3 credit hours. Attendance of the conference from February 28-March 2, including all breakout sessions and the general session, will 18 total credit hours. Pre-conference sessions also provide professional development credit hours, but courses vary in length/credit.

The pre-conference sessions offers an exciting array of training opportunities including:

• Building Performance Marketing Symposium
• Manual-J for HERS Raters
• Advanced REM/Rate Training
• USGBC LEED for Homes Green Rater Certification Training
• 2009 IECC International Energy Conservation Code Fundamentals
• RESNET Green Rater Training
• BPI Residential Building Envelope Accessible Areas Air Leakage Control Installer Certification
• WaterSense Provider Training
• Using Infrared Technology All Year
• Evaluating Hot Water Distribution System Efficiency
• Credentialing Retrofit Energy Calculations
• Evaluating the Performance of Drain Water Heat Recovery
• HERS 101

For the description of the 2011 RESNET pre-conference sessions, click on http://archive.resnet.us/conference/2011/pre-conference.htm

For its core conference, the 2011 RESNET Building Performance Conference will be offering sixty two breakout sessions. The sessions will address the following areas:

• Business Development
• Latest Updates on Version 3 of ENERGY STAR for Homes
• Tapping the Existing Homes Market
• Infrared Imaging
• Performance Testing
• Energy Building Codes
• Financing Energy Improvements
• COMNET
• Green Building
• High Performance Products
• Federal and State Programs/Incentives
• Partnering with the Real Estate Industry
• Working Home Appraisers
• Providing Quality Assurance
• Training and Education
• Data and Software
• International Initiatives

To view the 2011 RESNET Conference breakout sessions, click on http://archive.resnet.us/conference/2011/2011_RESNET_Building_Performance_Core_Conference_Sessions.pdf

A special feature of the 2011 RESNET Building Performance Conference will be a Retrofit Track that is being coordinated by BPI, Affordable Comfort and Home Performance with ENERGY STAR.

With such a rich offering of training and education sessions, the 2011 RESNET Conference is a not-to-be-missed event. For more information click on http://archive.resnet.us/conference/default.htm

The RESNET Technical Committee has proposed an amendment to RESNET standards to implement the recommendations of the report.

The amendment is undergoing an ANSI compliant public review and comment process.  Interested parties are encouraged to comment on the proposed amendment.  Public comments on the proposed amendment will be accepted until November 26, 2010. To download the proposed amendment and submit your comments, click on http://www1.resnet.us/comments/amendments/2010-10

Comments are posted real time and you will be able to review comments that were submitted.

After the comment period, the appropriate RESNET committee will consider and document each of the comments submitted and make appropriate changes. The revised proposed amendments then will be submitted to the RESNET Standards Committee who will review the public comment process then recommend to the RESNET Board for adoption.

You should have received information by e-mail on how to vote in this year’s election.  If you are an active RESNET member and have not received voting information please e-mail me as soon as possible the following information

• Your Name
• Your Organization’s Name
• The category of membership you belong to

The deadline for voting is December 11, 2010.

RESNET has posted the bios and statements of the candidates that are seeking election to the RESNET Board of Directors.  You can download it at http://www.resnet.us/about/candidatebios

The priorities adopted by the RESNET Board for RESNET in 2011 are:

• Tap the Retrofit Market
• Position RESNET as an Organization to Take Advantage of the Opportunities and Meet the Challenges of the Future
• Make RESNET Standards Compliant with American National Standard Institute (ANSI) Protocols
• Enhance Quality Assurance Oversight of Rating a Building’s Energy Performance
• Expand RESNET Members Business Opportunities
• COMNET Recognized as the Commercial Building Energy Performance Rating Standard
• Foster Strategic Partnerships with the Private Sector
• Advocate for Federal Energy, Climate Change and Tax Incentive Legislation
• Influence Initiatives on Building Energy Performance Labeling, Energy Efficient Mortgages and Creative Financing
• Adopt Comprehensive Retrofit Energy Audit Software Standard
• Adopt Standard on Performance Testing
• Implement the RESNET National Building Registry
• Assist the Environmental Protection Agency in Implementing Version 3 of the ENERGY STAR for Homes Program
• Position Building Performance for the Emerging Global Carbon

To view the details on RESNET’s 2011 priorities, click on http://www.resnet.us/about/priorities11.pdf

The major components of the MOU include: working with RESNET to develop Comprehensive EnergySmart Contractor Teams that would link HVAC contractors, insulation contractors and energy raters to undertake comprehensive home energy efficiency upgrades.

RESNET Executive Director Steve Baden commented, “It is exciting to develop new partnerships with contractors to help improve efficiency performance in the homes market.  With the current uncertainties in Washington, it is timely to develop new private-sector alliances.”

For information on BIBCA, click on http://www.bibca.org/

RESNET is partnering with the Interplay Energy to develop an interactive 3-D Simulation for raters and auditors seeking to attain their combustion safety certification.  The simulation test will be developed in collaboration with members from RESNET’s Technical Committee and the Training and Education Committee.

“Simulation offers a powerful solution for testing certification. Written exams fall short on testing ‘real world’ understanding.  Field tests often suffer from inconsistency and high costs.  Simulation testing, however, is highly controllable, consistent, cost-effective and measures ‘real world’ understanding,” said Doug Donovan, CEO of Interplay Energy.  “RESNET recognizes that this technology will allow them to meet the growing needs of the green collar workforce.”

The simulation test and certification will be available through RESNET training providers starting in February, 2011.

“We believe life-like simulation is a much more effective method to test combustion safety understanding.  It is clear that Interplay has a solution that can help us accelerate our position in the marketplace,” Steve Baden, Executive Director of RESNET added.

The opportunity to have major legislation passed in the lame duck session is very limited.  The key items that Congress must face are approving a budget for the federal government and addressing the expiring Bush Administration tax cuts.  With increased Republic power in January, it is also not clear which incentives Republicans would have for enacting major legislation before the new Congress.

A move, however, is expected to enact at least some energy related legislation before the next Congress.  The key initiatives being discussed includes:

• Energy Tax Incentives – The homeowners tax credit for improving the energy efficiency of homes is set to expire on December 31, 2010 and the new energy efficient homes tax credit expired on December 31, 2009.  There will be a move to extend these two credits as part of a proposed $100 billion tax package that could include research and development on clean energy technologies and ethanol.
• Renewable Electricity Standard – Would mandate that 15% of the nation’s electricity generation come from renewable sources by 2021. Energy efficiency could meet a portion of this requirement.
• “Oil Spill Bill”: Legislation created in response to the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which would likely improve safety requirements, place a fee on companies for inspections, increase penalties, and improve the oil well permitting process.
• Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles Tax Incentives and Grants: Tax incentives for the purchase and manufacture of natural gas vehicles, grants for refueling stations, and $100 million to the Department of Energy to accelerate deployment of plug-in electric vehicles.

It does not appear likely that Congress will act on the Home Star rebate program.

“The initiatives announced today are putting the Recovery Through Retrofit report’s recommendations into action – giving American families the tools they need to invest in home energy upgrades,” said Vice President Biden.  “Together, these programs will grow the home retrofit industry and help middle class families save money and energy.”

The initiative has the following elements:

• New Home Energy Score survey for existing homes – http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/homeenergyscore/index.html
• New FHA PowerSaver loan program to finance energy upgrades through the mortgage loan – http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2010/HUDNo.10-251
• New Workforce Guidelines for home energy upgrades – http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wip/retrofit_guidelines.html

RESNET will be working closely with the U.S. Department of Energy and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to ensure that the new efforts expand and not duplicate on successful existing efforts.