Energy Star Homes America

What's New At RESNET - June 2003

Joint Management Committee's Evaluation of Successful ENERGY STAR Programs Posted on RESNET's Web Site

The Joint Management Committee (JMC) is a consortium of electric and gas utility companies who sponsor an ENERGY STAR Homes Program in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and portions of New Hampshire. As part of the evaluation and redesign of the program, the JMC contracted with the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) to conduct an exploratory study of other successful programs in targeted states around the country. In this study, RESNET completed an analysis of home energy rating/ENERGY STAR programs in the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, Ohio, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.

The JMC evaluation included the following information on each program:

+ A description of the state's housing market.

+ The penetration of ENERGY STAR Homes in each state's housing market.

+ The rating program's features, including program's history, sponsors, funding sources, organizational structure, value-added services offered, incentives offered and program services.

The key findings of the evaluation are:

-- The most successful ENERGY STAR Home programs benefitted from initial market invention.

-- Outside of Alaska, the greatest market penetration of ENERGY STAR labeled homes is in the Southwest. When comparing the success of the ENERGY STAR programs in New England and the Southwest, one must be aware of the regional differences. These differences include both the housing market characteristics and climate.

-- In the states targeted by this study, the largest number of ENERGY STAR Homes labeled, outside of Alaska and Indiana, were labeled through the sampling of ratings.

The document is posted at http://www.natresnet.org/herseems/joint_management.htm

"Housing Scene" Spotlights Energy Mortgages

On May 4, 2003, in newspapers across the nation, the syndicated column "Housing Scene" featured the new Fannie Mae energy mortgage product. The column titled "Energy loans may spike with online Oks" reports that, "Like laundry detergent, energy-efficient mortgages ... have been reconstituted. The heretofore woefully inefficient loans can now be approved electronically, as can most other loans. And in some cases, you can borrow up to 100% of what you are spending to buy an already energy efficient house or to bring an inefficient one up today's standards." The column reports that energy mortgages recognize that energy efficient houses cost less to operate so that consumers can afford more on their mortgages. It also explains what energy ratings are and how they fit into the loan process. Robert Sahadi, Fannie Mae vice president for housing impact is quoted, "EEM's have gone mainstream. There's no longer any excuse not to do this."

The column points out that one barrier to wide use of energy mortgages is the fact that only a handful of lenders nationwide have signed up to offer the product. It reported that Fannie Mae is hoping that the anticipated slowdown in refinancing will interest lenders in the product. "We're working to getting more lenders to offer the product," Michelle Desiderio, a senior product developer was quoted. "It's difficult to get lenders' attention, especially when they are flush with business. But the timing is right to really push the product." The list of lenders that offer the Fannie Mae EEM product is posted at www.efanniemae.com/hcd/pdfs/eem_lender_list.pdf

The "Housing Scene" is written by Lew Sichelman and distributed nationally by United Feature Syndicate.

2004 RESNET Conference Information Posted

The RESNET Conference is the premier national forum on home energy ratings, residential energy efficiency financing, and building performance business development. The 2004 RESNET Conference will take place on March 1 - 3, 2004 in San Diego, California. Make plans now for three days of networking, learning, sharing, and enjoying beautiful San Diego.

RESNET has posted a web site on the 2004 RESNET Conference. The site currently includes hotel reservation information, conference logistics and the 2004 RESNET Conference Planning Committee. Visit the site at http://www.natresnet.org/conference/default.htm

Photos of Housing Failures That Could Be Prevented by Rating Posted on RESNET's Web Site

Certified raters, who perform an on-site detailed analysis of a home, provide non-biased information by using a uniform set of guidelines to examine all aspects of home energy efficiency. Independent raters are also able to make recommendations to the builder to assure compliance with guidelines.

Independent verification provides significant benefits for builders, including:

Fewer "call backs". Independent verification provides a higher level of certainty that the builder will not be called back due to unrealized energy cost savings , it also offers an additional independent inspection after construction to ensure appropriate installation of energy saving materials and equipment.
Quality assurance. Independent home energy savings verification offers quality assurance to both the homeowner and the builder. Both can be assured of the energy savings that will be realized due to the investment.
Marketing credibility. Providing consumers documentation, from a non-biased, independent inspector will result in increasing builder's credibility in their marketing efforts.

All too often poor installation practices cause housing failures. This costs the builders money in call backs and litigaion. It also costs the consumer in excessive energy bills and comfort problems. In most cases these problems could have been avoided through a visual and diagnostic inspection by a certified rater. RESNET has posted examples of common housing failures that can have been caught through a third-party inspection. The photos are organized into the following catagories:

Ice Daming
Improperly Installed Insulation
Water Problems in Basements
Improper Ducts
Mold

The page can be viewed at http://www.natresnet.org/photos/default.htm

If you have examples that you would like to post on the site, e-mail the photo and a couple of sentence description to info@natresnet.org.

Updates to RESNET's Web Site:

June Member News

+ Energy Efficiencies Passes Houser - Increases Chance of Enactment of Residential Energy Tax Incentives This Year

+ Alliance to Save Energy posts Analysis of Energy Bills Under Consideration in Congress

+ As Federal Funding Decreases, States Provide Leadership in Energy Efficiency

+ NAHB Reports thar Market Driven Programs Boost Energy Efficient Homes

+ Proposed Changes to IECC to be Subject of Special Session at National Workshop on State Building Energy Codes

+ Engineered for Life, A Business Opportunity for Raters

+ HVAC Technician Help Wanted

+ Solar Electric Light Fund

+ Next Generation 2004 Home

+ Mold. Moisture & Remediation Workshop

+ HVAC ComfortTech 2003

+ Multifamily Buildings 2003

+ Conference Proceedings of Indoor Air 2002 Available

+ Call for Papers: Performance of Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings IV

+ 2003 Platts Global Energy Awards

+ Demand Response Programs Report

+ The Outlook for Fuel Cells to 2010

View these news features at http://www.natresnet.org/news/mn2003-06.htm

New Accredited Rating Providers

+ Energy Efficient Homes Midwest (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri)

+ The Nelrod Company (Guam, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Puerto RicoSouth Carolina, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, Wisconsin)

View these updates at http://www.natresnet.org/accred/registry.htm

Renewed Accredited Rating Providers

+ Wisconsin Home Performance

View this update at http://www.natresnet.org/accred/registry.htm

New Accredited BOP Providers

+ Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative

View this update at http://www.natresnet.org/bop/accredited.htm

New Accredited Rater Training Providers

+ California Home Energy Efficiency Rating System

View this update at http://www.natresnet.org/accred/training.htm

New Accredited Rating Software Programs

+ CHEERS

+ EnergyCheckup

+ Micropas

+ TREAT

View these updates at http://www.natresnet.org/accred/software.htm

New RESNET Members

+ Performance Energy Rating Systems, L.L.C.

+ Sustainable Environmental Services

View these new members listings at http://www.natresnet.org/dir/members/default.htm

Directory Of Certified Raters

Updated listings for:

+ Nevada

+ New Mexico

+ Oklahoma

+ North Carolina

+ Washington

View these updates at http://www.natresnet.org/dir/raters/default.htm

NOT A MEMBER OF RESNET?

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RESNET is your information source on the latest developments in the dynamic field of residential energy efficiency financing. Residential energy efficiency and housing industry professionals find RESNET Notes as an indispensable tool for planning and implementing home energy rating, energy mortgage, and market-drive residential energy efficiency programs. Join RESNET today!

You can join RESNET on-line at http://www.natresnet.org/inside/memprem.asp