The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a one million dollar grant to the Building Performance Institute (BPI) to advance the development of a national infrastructure of certified technicians and accredited contractors to deliver whole house energy efficiency improvements. As a result, homeowners will have a better opportunity to identify and hire professionals who have been tested and certified in the skills needed to improve home energy performance.
BPI is located in Malta , NY and has several years experience with certification and accreditation in the state of New York . BPI also has a long history and relationship with the Weatherization Assistance Program in several states and has provided certifications to many Weatherization professionals. Much of the criteria used by BPI in their certification process are based on building science techniques that have been pioneered by the Weatherization Program.
This grant to BPI will expand its efforts of technician testing, set additional standards for whole-house diagnostics for heating and cooling systems and the building envelope, and will enhance its quality assurance requirements. BPI will review its current standards with a nationally recognized group of building science experts and increase capacity through the development of an affiliate network.
This certification and accreditation process not only provides the homeowner and consumer with an effective measuring tool in determining who to hire to improve home energy issues but it also creates a professional standard within the home energy performance industry. This standard creates opportunities for professional growth, appropriate wages, and professional benchmarks that will better define and greatly improve the building science industry. Learn more about BPI at www.bpi.org .
AECP was involved with BPI at its inception and served as a proctor in BPI’s first efforts to provide professional certifications to Weatherization staff in New York State . AECP also wrote a letter of support in BPI’s successful efforts to receive this grant.
“FATHER” OF WEATHERIZATION PASSES
Richard Saul, a long time low-income advocate, developer of federal anti-poverty programs, and conceiver of the Weatherization Assistance Program in 1973, died at his home in Washington D.C. on December 20. He was 77 years old. Mr. Saul was a lawyer who spent many years developing anti-poverty programs for the federal government through his work at the Office of Economic Opportunity, the Community Services Administration, and the Office of Economic Opportunity’s Community Action Program. He had direct involvement in the development of the Weatherization Program, VISTA , Community Action, community credit unions, consumer cooperatives, and job creation and economic development within the low-income community.
NAHB CREATES NEW GUIDELINES FOR GREEN BUILDING
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has developed voluntary guidelines for building green and affordable housing. The guidelines will help all builders build energy-efficient and environmentally friendly homes that are affordable and able to be built in any climate condition. The guidelines offer solutions for:
- Lot design and preparation
- Energy and water efficiency
- Indoor air quality
- Home owner maintenance
- Global impact
- Site planning and land development
The guidelines were developed in a consensus process involving more than 60 stakeholders that included architects, manufacturers, home- builders, environmentalists, government agencies, suppliers, and trade associations.
A not-for profit educational initiative, the Green Building Initiative, has also been developed out of this effort and will provide market research and promotional support for green building programs. Check this out at www.thegbi.org
ENERGY TIP
If your house has lots of windows, particularly on the east and west sides, you can save money by shading the glass with awnings, solar screens, or shutters. In the summer, close your drapes and blinds during the hottest part of the day. During the winter, open drapes and blinds on the sunny side of the house during the day to warm your home. Close them at night to retain heat.