by Philip Proefrock

Photo by Cat Sidh under Creative Commons 2.0 license

Greener living often starts with the things you don’t do, rather than the things that you do. With home energy, the cheapest watts are those you don’t have to pay for (what Amory Lovins calls “negawatts“). It is far better (and cheaper) to invest in efficiency than to “slap on some solar panels” to run things.

Likewise, buildings and materials have “embodied energy” in the materials and effort that went into their original fabrication. This is why renovating an existing building has significant benefits over tearing down and building new, even if the new building would be more efficient than the existing one.

But, there are some new laws coming into effect that look like they may have a negative effect on renovation and remodeling projects. Rules from the EPA (PDF) on the handling of lead paint in existing buildings take effect this April, and remodeling contractors will need to ensure that they follow new procedures, which may increase cost on some renovation projects. And the new California green building code has prompted discussion about the valuation of existing buildings in green construction.

The new CALGREEN code (PDF), which takes effect January 1, 2011, is a statewide addition to the building code that joins other systems such as Green Globes and LEED that are used to evaluate the greenness of a building. But some groups feel that renovating existing buildings is being overlooked.

Preserving an old building should get more points than it does, says Linda Dishman, executive director of the Los Angeles Conservancy.

“If you save a historic building, you can get up to three points,” Dishman says. “But if you use recycled carpet, you get one point. Is saving a whole building really the same as recycled carpet?”

The new code does not mandate the renovation of existing buildings, but there may be cases where a developer would not find enough benefit in retrofitting an existing building, and would choose instead to demolish it in order to build new. But renovation may still make good economic sense over the added costs of demolition and new construction.

New laws dealing with lead paint exposure also may cause general impacts on renovation projects. For homes, apartments, and other facilities that may be occupied by children built before 1978, special measures need to be followed to ensure that lead dust and debris does not cause additional exposure hazards.

The new measures are prescriptive practices to be followed to minimize lead contamination during the process of renovation, including steps the contractor must take to seal areas of work, protect furniture and surfaces in areas that may be exposed to lead dust and debris, and cleaning and collecting waste in a thorough and responsible manner. At Treehugger, Lloyd Alter raised some concerns about the backlash from the new rules.

Seriously, I spend a lot of time proselytizing that renovation creates labour intensive green jobs that can put a lot of unskilled people back to work. Now, on April 22, they become highly skilled and regulated jobs that require special tools, expensive bug suits, goggles and double gloves. People will just tear the things down instead.

As I understand the requirements (and, to be clear, I am not a certified remodeler), if the materials and surfaces involved in the renovation have been tested and are determined to be free of lead, then the lead-based paint renovation, repair, and painting requirements do not apply. But if lead is present, then it is prudent to deal with it in a responsible manner. The new practices will help to protect workers, as well as children under 6, who are particularly susceptible to the effects of lead poisoning. While the added steps and the certifications contractors must obtain may represent some additional costs, lead containment is a reasonable expectation for a safe renovation. And homeowners may experience a benefit of less impact on the rest of the house from the improved containment procedures.

In some instances, the cost and labor involved in extensive remodeling of buildings with large amounts of lead paint may become cost prohibitive. Hopefully, creative approaches to renovation can keep existing buildings from the wrecking ball.

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via The White House

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Larry Laseter, president of Efficiency First Capitol Circle member Masco Home Services, joined Barack Obama in Savannah, Ga., on Tuesday as the President delivered a speech outlining details of the proposed HOME STAR efficiency retrofit program. Here is a video released by the White House that shows a brief behind-the-scenes conversation between Larry Laseter and President Obama:

“We’re in the business of doing this now, and just like the GOLD STAR program, we actually guarantee their first year of energy savings” Laseter told the President. “That’s the beauty of this, is we know these technologies are proven, and with this bill, it will jump-start thousands of jobs.”

via Efficiency First

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Builder groups in Indiana and Minnesota offer two different models for success for states with lagging efforts.
By: John Caulfield via EcoHome

After a slow start, the Indiana Builders Association in recent weeks has been “ramping up” its program to weatherize low-income housing and, in the process, create remodeling jobs. Builder-members participating in this effort are now weatherizing about 150 homes per week, and sometime this summer the HBA expects to meet its goal of weatherizing 3,300 units, says CEO Rick Wajda.

Indiana awarded the association $21 million of the $130 million the state received from what the federal government allocated for weatherization from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. However, through Feb. 16, Indiana had completed just less than 5%—974 out of 19,736—of the housing units it plans to weatherize under this grant. And that’s nowhere near the worst performance among all states, according to a progress report on the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program, which went into effect a year ago.

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DETROIT, March 2 /PRNewswire/ — The Michigan Public Service Commission today approved Detroit Edison’s first Engineer, Procure and Construct contract for the utility’s SolarCurrents renewable energy program.

The regulatory approval paves the way for Detroit Edison to start its own commercial solar projects at various locations throughout its Southeastern Michigan service area. [Note: Check our your solar potential and financing options at http://www.joolze.com/]

The $18-million, one-year contract was awarded to Nova Consultants Inc. of Novi. The contract directs Nova to analyze the feasibility, design, installation and start-up of up to 3 megawatts of photovoltaic (PV) solar systems to be installed on Detroit Edison-owned, as well as customer-owned facilities.

“This contract will provide a number of new energy opportunities for our larger customers, as well as economic development benefits for the region as a whole,” said Trevor Lauer, DTE Energy vice president, Retail Marketing. “We’re interested in installing solar photovoltaic systems at businesses, educational institutions and non-profit organizations.”

Nova Consultants is a full-service engineering, environmental and energy services company founded in 1992.  The minority-owned company has projects throughout North America in the automotive, utility and educational markets, among others. Nova will work with Michigan firms to complete the installation of the solar systems.

Detroit Edison is an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a subsidiary of DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE), a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Information about DTE Energy is available at www.dteenergy.com.

SOURCE Detroit Edison

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Vice President Biden Unveils Report Focused on Expanding Green Jobs And Energy Savings For Middle Class Families

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Vice President Biden unveiled Recovery Through Retrofit, a report that builds on the foundation laid in the Recovery Act to expand green job opportunities and boost energy savings by making homes more energy efficient.  Joining the Vice President today were Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality; Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy; Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor; Shaun Donovan, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; and Karen Mills, Administrator of the Small Business Administration.

At a Middle Class Task Force meeting earlier this year, the Vice President asked the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to develop a proposal for Federal action to lay the groundwork for a self-sustaining home energy efficiency retrofit industry. In response, CEQ facilitated a broad interagency process with the Office of the Vice President, eleven Departments and Agencies and six White House Offices to develop recommendations for how to use existing authority and funding to accomplish this goal.  These recommendations are described in detail in the Recovery Through Retrofit Report.

“Recovery Through Retrofit is a blueprint that will create good green jobs – jobs that can’t be outsourced, and jobs that will be the cornerstones of a 21st-Century economy,” said Vice President Biden. “And, thanks to the Recovery Act’s unprecedented investments in energy efficiency, we are making it easier for American families to retrofit their homes – helping them save money while reducing carbon emissions and creating a healthier environment for our families.”

“This report builds on the foundation laid in the Recovery Act to expand green job and business opportunities for the middle class while ensuring that the energy efficiency market will thrive for years to come,” said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “An aggressive program to retrofit American homes and businesses will create more work, more savings, and better health for middle class Americans.”

Existing techniques and technologies in energy efficiency retrofitting can reduce energy use by up to 40 percent per home and lower total associated greenhouse gas emissions by up to 160 million metric tons annually.  Retrofitting existing homes also has the potential to cut home energy bills by $21 billion annually.  Yet, despite the real energy cost savings and environmental benefits associated with improving home energy efficiency, a series of barriers have prevented a self-sustaining retrofit market from forming.  These barriers include a lack of access to information, financing and skilled workers.

The recommendations and actions in this Report have been carefully designed to help overcome these barriers and to leverage Recovery Act funding to help ensure that the energy efficiency market will thrive long after the Recovery Act money is fully spent.

Some recommendations in the report include:

• Provide American Homeowners with Straightforward and Reliable Home Energy Retrofit Information: Consumers need consistent, accessible, and trusted information that provides a reliable benchmark of energy efficiency and sound estimates of the costs and benefits of home energy retrofits.
• Reduce High Upfront Costs, Making Energy Retrofits More Accessible: Access to retrofit financing should be more transparent, more accessible, repayable over a longer time period, and more consumer-friendly.
• Establish National Workforce Certifications and Training Standards: A uniform set of national standards to qualify energy efficiency and retrofit workers and industry training providers will establish the foundation of consumer confidence that work will be completed correctly and produce the expected energy savings and benefits.  Such standards should incorporate healthy and environmentally friendly housing principles, as outlined in the report titled, the Surgeon General’s Call to Action To Promote Healthy Homes (2009).  Proper certification and training standards will ensure that retrofitted homes are healthy homes.  Consistent high-level national standards will spur the utilization of qualified training providers that offer career-track programs for people of all skill levels, promote and expand green jobs opportunities and facilitate the mobilization of a national home retrofit workforce.

To read the full report and recommendations, please go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/Recovery_Through_Retrofit_Final_Report.pdf

“As Secretary of Labor I’m working to help build the clean energy economy of tomorrow by investing in our workers today,” said Secretary Solis “Training for green jobs can empower workers to climb the career ladder, sustain a family and provide a secure retirement. Through Recovery through Retrofit, we’re committing to meet the needs of workers, employers and homeowners, so we can shape our clean energy future into one that supports working families and is inclusive of the diversity of our nation.”

“I am proud to join my colleagues today in announcing Recovery through Retrofit,” said Secretary Donovan. “It will allow us to work closely together to remove barriers to creating more energy efficient homes for American families.  This initiative will not only lead to cost savings for homeowners and reduce negative environmental impact, but will also be a powerful vehicle for economic recovery by creating quality middle class jobs and lasting neighborhood benefits. This is another demonstration of HUD’s commitment to creating jobs for the new economy in high growth industries by encouraging and investing in “green” building and energy retrofits.”

“This initiative will not only result in considerable cost savings for homeowners on their energy bills, but also put resources in the hands of green sector small businesses who will in turn create good-paying jobs in communities across the country,” said SBA Administrator Mills.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, who was unable to attend this event due to travel added, “This is the Recovery Act at work.  Communities will benefit from good jobs, families will benefit from lower energy bills, and we will all benefit from reduced air pollution and a growing green economy. Our Energy Star program can help families cut up to 30% off their energy bills — saving the average household more than $700 a year through efficiency investments.  EPA is proud to be working with all of our partners to help people save money when they need it the most, and build a new foundation for prosperity through a growing green economy.”

The Department of Energy today also announced $454 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for energy efficiency efforts nationwide.
The Department is now accepting applications for a new $390 million “Retrofit Ramp-Up” program that will deploy innovative approaches to energy efficiency building retrofits. These Recovery Act funds will help create new partnerships to deliver energy bill savings to entire neighborhoods and towns.  Bringing energy retrofits to whole neighborhoods at a time will simplify the process for homeowners and significantly reduce costs. When applied on a national scale, the program could save billions of dollars annually in utility bills for households and businesses and create thousands of jobs across the country. In addition, the Energy Department announced $64 million in energy efficiency funding for cities, counties, and Indian tribes.

“The Retrofit Ramp-Up initiative is designed to slice through the barriers identified in this report – inconvenience, lack of information, and lack of financing – and to make energy efficiency easy and accessible to all,” said Secretary Chu.  “We want to make our communities more energy efficient, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood — eventually expanding to entire cities and states.  We can literally bring energy efficiency to the doorsteps of the American people.”

Separately, the Department of Energy will accept state proposals to use State Energy Grant or Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant funds for Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) pilots.  This is an innovative model which allows communities to provide financing to homeowners to install renewable energy systems and retrofit buildings that can be paid off over time on their property tax bills.  Today, the White House is announcing a “Policy Framework for PACE Financing Programs” developed through an interagency process to ensure that effective homeowner and lender safeguards are included in PACE programs.

To read the framework, please go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/PACE_Principles.pdf

To ensure implementation of the Recovery Through Retrofit Report’s recommendations, CEQ will continue to convene an interagency Energy Retrofit Working Group which will be co-chaired by the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Agriculture.

The group will track the progress of the Report’s recommendations, develop additional strategies to support expansion of the retrofit market, including recommendations for rental housing, and operate as the single point of contact for the implementation of this effort.   Within thirty days, the group will submit an implementation plan to the Vice President.  Moreover, the group will report to the Vice President regularly on its progress toward implementing each of the recommendations identified in the Report.

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by Jennifer Eschelbach, EnHouse – GreenovationTV Contributing Writer

Cheap is not always . . . cheap.  And when it comes to appliances “saving” a few bucks on an energy hog can really cost you.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, home appliances account for 17% of a typical household’s energy consumption. Replacing appliances can be a daunting task, especially considering the cost associated with replacement.

There are two costs to consider when purchasing appliances: the purchase price and the operating cost. The purchase price is how much you pay to take the appliance home, and can be thought of as a kind of down payment. The operating cost is the monthly dues to your utilities company that allow for continued use of your appliance.

Once you have decided to purchase a new appliance take time to consider both the purchase price and operating cost. Look for appliances with the Energy Star label. Energy Star products meet strict energy efficiency standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Additionally, the Federal government requires that most appliances display the bright yellow and black EnergyGuide label.

The EnergyGuide label will not tell you which appliance is the most efficient. However, it will provide information on the annual energy consumption and the operating costs, allowing you to compare for yourself.

Remember, buying a cheaper model may seem like it will save you on the front end in your purchase cost but will cost you in the long run on your operating cost. Follow these tips to ensure the wisest investment of your money:

1. Look for the Energy Star logo and read the EnergyGuide label and compare that appliance to the energy use of other models you are considering.

2. Estimate the difference in energy costs.

3. Consider both the purchase price and estimated energy usage when deciding which brand and model to buy.

4. Ask questions of your sales person and local utilities companies as there may be cash rebates, low-interest loans or other incentive programs in your area for energy-efficient product purchases. Find out if you can qualify.

By making informed and well thought-out appliance purchases you can reduce the amount of energy your appliances consume and save yourself money in the long run.

Jennifer Eschelbach is a GreenovationTV Contributing Writer and in charge of outreach for the The Environmental House Energy & Green Building Resource Center (EnHouse) in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  The EnHouse is a comprehensive resource and touring facility dedicated to furthering the causes of green building, energy efficiency and renewable energy. Jennifer is currently working on her second bachelors degree from Eastern Michigan University in Urban and Regional Planning.  She loves the smell of energy efficiency in the morning.

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From McKinsey.com

In this report, McKinsey & Company offers a detailed analysis of the magnitude of the efficiency potential in non-transportation uses of energy, a thorough assessment of the barriers that impede the capture of greater efficiency, and an outline of the practical solutions available to unlock the potential.

The research shows that the U.S. economy has the potential to reduce annual non-transportation energy consumption by roughly 23 percent by 2020, eliminating more than $1.2 trillion in waste – well beyond the $520 billion upfront investment (not including program costs) that would be required. The reduction in energy use would also result in the abatement of 1.1 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions annually – the equivalent of taking the entire U.S. fleet of passenger vehicles and light trucks off the roads.

Such energy savings will be possible, however, only if the United States can overcome significant sets of barriers. These barriers are widespread and persistent, and will require an integrated set of solutions to overcome them – including information and education, incentives and financing, codes and standards, and deployment resources well beyond current levels.

In addition to the above central conclusion, five observations will be relevant to a national debate about how best to pursue energy efficiency opportunities of the magnitude identified and within the timeframe considered in this report. Specifically, an overarching strategy would need to:

	Recognize energy efficiency as an important energy resource that can help meet future energy needs while the nation concurrently develops new no- and low-carbon energy sources
	Formulate and launch at both national and regional levels an integrated portfolio of proven, piloted, and emerging approaches to unlock the full potential of energy efficiency
	Identify methods to provide the significant upfront funding required by any plan to capture energy efficiency
	Forge greater alignment between utilities, regulators, government agencies, manufacturers, and energy consumers
	Foster innovation in the development and deployment of next-generation energy efficiency technologies to ensure ongoing productivity gains.

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During the Greenovation Evaluation of Dr. Anna Marie’s home, the Greenalysis Team finds virtually zero insulation, an ultra-wasteful toilet, an inefficient oil furnace, a 36 year old water tank, and more wallet busters than you can shake a Benjamin at.

About 58 million homes in the U.S. have no insulation at all.  Yet, it’s one of the easiest ways that you can save energy and lower your monthly bills. The team recommends a new castor oil based spray foam insulation in all of the walls and the attic.

Unbelievably, the original gas water heater from 1973 is still working. Lowering your water heater to 120 degrees can lower your energy use by 5 – 10%. Insulating your tank with an inexpensive tank wrap can help keep the water hot when not in use. Dr. Anna Marie has decided to install a new Rheem solar hot water heater to reduce her carbon footprint even further and ensure a comfortable flow of hot water.

Dr. Anna Marie bought the home with its original oil furnace. After recycling the old tank, she’ll be installing a state-of-the-art geothermal heat pump to heat and cool the home year round for a fraction of the energy of a traditional furnance and a/c. It’s a great choice made even more affordable by the new 30% tax credit from the federal government. The EPA calls geothermal the most efficient home comfort system available.

Anna Marie’s old-old school toilet uses about 5 gallons per flush!! She’s wasting over 8,000 gallons of water per year. She’ll be installng a new high-efficiency toilet with a dual flush sytem – half flush and full flush. The half flush will use only .8 gallons and will be almost impossible to clog. The complete list of recommended improvements for Dr. Anna Marie’s home can be found on her website www.TerraVerdeTV.com and more information can be found on how you can improve your home at www.Greenovation.TV

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DOE delivered more than $448 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to 13 states last week, allowing those states to dramatically expand their weatherization assistance programs. The programs improve the energy efficiency of the homes of low-income families, helping the residents lower their energy bills. DOE awarded the funds to Alabama, Idaho, Maine, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, and the states may spend up to 20% of the funds to hire and train new workers. The new spending will help the states achieve their collective goal of weatherizing 125,000 homes, creating new green jobs while helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The new funds represent 40% of the total weatherization funds available to those states under the Recovery Act and follow the award of 10% of the funds in March to support planning and ramp-up activities. The second half of the weatherization funds will be released when the states meet the reporting, oversight, and accountability milestones required by the Recovery Act. Details on the funds awarded each states, as well as the weatherization goals set by each state, can be found in the DOE press release.

See also the Web site for DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program.

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Click here to download your FREE Federal Tax Incentive Decoder from GreenAndSave.  Also, check out the simplified Greenovation Tax Credit Guide.

The GreenAndSave team of experts read and de-coded the 400 page American Recovery and Reinvestment Act so that you wouldn’t have to. We made it simple for you to easily take advantage of these government incentives.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) signed into law by President Obama in February of 2009 has created some tremendous opportunities for homeowners. This Green De-Coder will help you uncover information regarding whatever energy efficiency improvement tactics you want to pursue, including:

* Reducing utility costs…
* Producing power…
* Financing options…
* Buying your first home…
* Buying a new car…
* Resources for state incentives…

Click here to download your FREE copy.

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