Delivering Whole House Solutions Federal Efforts

1 | Building Technologies Program eere.energy.gov1 eere.energy.gov

Delivering Whole House SolutionsFederal Efforts

Ely Jacobsohn

Building Technologies Program

U.S. Department of Energy

September 21, 2010

2 | Building Technologies Program eere.energy.gov

Source: McKinsey, Unlocking Energy Efficiency in the U.S. Economy, 2009

U.S. spends $1.1 Trillion per year on energy

EFFICIENCY IS A RESOURCE.EFFICIENCY IS A RESOURCE.

If the U.S. became 20% more efficient, it would:

Save more than $200 billion annually

Improving EfficiencyImproving Efficiency


GOAL

To retrofit 1.3 million homes by 2013

Federal Perspective on Whole House Retrofits


127 million U.S. households

Imagine retrofitting

5-10 million homes each year

Source: U.S. Census

IMAGINE… Efficient HomesIMAGINE… Efficient Homes


Federal Perspective on Whole House Retrofit

May, 2009: Vice President Biden called on the Council of Environmental Quality to develop a plan for Federal action to lay the architecture for a self-sustaining home energy efficiency retrofit industry.

Recovery Through Retrofit


• Recovery Through Retrofit (RTR) agencies developing:– A national home energy

performance measure– An energy performance label for

homes– National workforce certification &

standards guidelines– Support for state revolving loan

funds, improved access to EE through mortgage products

Overview


Consumer InformationConsumers do not have access to straightforward and reliable

information.

Worker Certification& Training

Consumers need access to clearly identifiable skilled

workers

Worker Certification& Training

Consumers need access to clearly identifiable skilled

workers

FinancingHomeowners need access to

financing to pursue investments in EE

New Delivery ModelsNeed residential retrofit

programs with faster uptake / lower transaction costs

New Delivery ModelsNeed residential retrofit

programs with faster uptake / lower transaction costs

Innovation / Market Segment FocusNeed to address new

technology, low income, multifamily, etc,

Motivate Homeowners and Improve Supply of High Quality Services & Access to Financing

Residential Retrofits: Addressing Market BarriersResidential Retrofits: Addressing Market Barriers


• National Home Energy Score– Asset based home assessment– Voluntary

• Provides– Score based on a number of house characteristics– Recommendations for home improvements– Estimate of savings from cost-effective improvements– Recommendation to get further detail from certified home auditor

• Offered by qualified assessor• Administered by partnering organization(s)• Supported by

– Web site information– Registry to store score information about homes for public

viewing• Available for piloting this Fall

Consumer InformationConsumer Information

Recommendation of the Vice President’s Middle

Class Task Force


Home Performance Measures for Existing Homes


Key Elements• WORK

• Standard Work Specifications: Enable programs to strengthen field guides /manuals

• Technical standards reference guide: Catalogue of standards developed by industry or third-party organizations

• WORKFORCE• Job Task Analyses: Assist training providers with

course content and curricula for» Energy Auditor, Installer/Technician, Crew Chief, and

Quality Assurance Professional/Inspector • Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: A foundation upon

which to base worker credentials; increase workforce mobility up career ladders and across career lattices

Next Steps• Public comment Fall, 2010• Deploy through WAP and other grantees (eg “Better

Buildings”)

• Lay foundation for robust worker certification and training program accreditation

• Build confidence with consumers and EE finance community that retrofit work delivers expected benefits

Workforce Development: Voluntary National Home Retrofit GuidelinesWorkforce Development: Voluntary National Home Retrofit Guidelines


Class Task Force


• No comprehensive set of standards for entire range of whole-home energy retrofit interventions

• BPI Technical Standards and WAP Field Guides = Assortment of technical standards, core competencies, work protocols, and best practices

• WAP community, home performance industry, consumers, lenders, manufacturers, and retrofit program administrators all looking for consistent national standards

• Time for Federal leadership and industry partnership

Why National Guidelines?


National Residential Retrofit Guidelines - WORK

Standard Work

Specifications*

Work Protocols

Best Practices

Technical Standards*

Developed By

Companies, retrofit crews, or individuals

Retrofit program administrators or

individual companies

Technicians and retrofit industry representatives (including building

trades, manufacturers, and building scientists)

Industry or third-party standards development

organizations—for example, ASHRAE, ASTM, and BPI

Description

Techniques, methods, or processes believed to be the most efficient and effective way of meeting the Standard Work Specifications

Sets of guidelines or rules that govern work procedures and often invoke Technical Standards

Define the performance requirements for high quality work and minimum conditions needed to achieve desired outcomes

Define safety, materials, installation, and application standards relevant to residential retrofits

* National Residential Retrofit GuidelinesDraft Deliberative, For Discussion Purposes Only, Not for Citation


National Residential Retrofit Guidelines - WORKFORCE

Job Task Analysis*

Essential KSAs*

Certification

Developed By

Accredited PersonnelCertification Entities

Retrofit technicians, trainers, and program officials with

professional psychometricians

Retrofit technicians, trainers, and program officials

with professionalpsychometricians

Description

Evaluation/assessment ofskill standards in accordancewith ANSI 17024 Standard forPersonnel Certification (or equivalent)

Minimum knowledge, skills, andabilities that workers shouldpossess to perform highquality work

Identifies and inventories a job’s critical tasks

* National Residential Retrofit GuidelinesDraft Deliberative, For Discussion Purposes Only, Not for Citation


• Assisting grantees in development of various financing options– Unsecured revolving loan funds; – Loan loss reserves– FHA Financing demonstration program– On-bill utility financing

• Providing TA – Guidance– Best practices

• ~ $600 million of DOE-administered Recovery Act funding supporting financing programs.– Revolving loan funds established in ~35 states– Estimated to be matched by $1.5 billion in state or private sector

funds

FinancingFinancing


Class Task Force


Vision: Create self-sustaining market for building energy efficiency retrofits

Grants

• 35 local and state governments (reaching more than 50 communities)

• 3-year awards from $1.5 million to $40 million and $486 million total

• Innovative models for single / multifamily building retrofits; and low income, small business, commercial, farms, and historic buildings

Progress

• Kicked off in July 2010

• Communities developing implementation plans

• Technical assistance being provided, emphasis on financing solutions

Projected Results

• 200,000+ buildings retrofitted (majority residential)

• Retrofits of at least 15% energy savings; some >30%

• Data collection to determine effective technologies, measures, approaches

New Delivery ModelsNew Delivery Models


• Outreach Approaches:– Neighborhood sweeps– Door-to-door– Community organizations

(churches, foundations)– Major events– Web-based approaches– One stop shops– Labeling systems– Retail store partnerships– Grass-roots campaigns– Community colleges &

universities

BetterBuildings Program Elements


MA

Los Angeles

Chicago

Phoenix

Kansas City

Portland

Seattle

Austin

San Antonio

Greensboro, NC

Philadelphia, PA Camden, NJ

Lowell, MA

Maryland

KYCincinnati

Denver, Boulder, Garfield Co.

Berlin, Plymouth, Nashua NH

Omaha

Madison, Milwaukee, Racine, WI

Indianapolis

PR

NY

ME

CA

OR

MO

Grand Rapids, Detroit, SE MI

San Francisco

MI

New Orleans

AtlantaDecatur

Jacksonville, FL

Huntsville, ALU.S. Virgin Islands

Charleston, SC

OHToledo

Carrboro and Chapel Hill, NC

Charlottesville, VA

Hampton Roads, VA

San Diego

LincolnEagle Co.

West Rutland, VT

Bedford, NY

Santa Barbara

FayetteCounty

St. Lucie County

Riley Co.University Park, MD

Bainbridge Island

Connecticut Innovations

Charlotte, NC

Better Buildings Communities Served

= Round 1

= SEEA = Statewide Program

= Round 2


WAP Recovery Act Update ($5.2 B)– 30,000+ homes weatherized per month; 200,000+ homes through August 2010– On target for 300,000 homes by 12/10; nearly 600,000 homes by 3/31/12– Ramping up Quality Assurance

WAP Innovation Grants ($30M)– Pilots to increase the leverage/effectiveness of Federal funding thru traditional

and/or nontraditional weatherization providers.– 16 Selections for 2-year projects – address financing programs for multi-family

properties, workforce development, new technologies and behavior interventions, and incorporating Green and Healthy Homes approaches

– Will leverage $96 million (3.2x) and weatherize over 19,000 homes– Wilkes-Barre, PA received a grant for $2.4M to evaluate whether in-home

metering equipment in weatherized homes will encourage consumer conservation thereby increasing residents’ energy savings.

Sustainable Energy Resource Grants ($90M)– Available from WAP Recovery Act based on EISA 2007 formula– Adds “renewable and domestic energy technologies” not currently covered– Funded 27 states, 100 local agencies for technologies including: solar hot water and

PV, high-efficiency hot water, residential wind, cool roofs, and in-home devices.

Supporting Low-Income FamiliesSupporting Low-Income Families


• U.S. home improvement market is mired in a severe downturn • A variety of factors driving re-modeling down

– Existing home sales, a primary driver of home improvement spending, were off 30% from their peak

– Depressed homes prices resulting in lower equity– Increase in mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures

• Not enough robust data on energy efficiency savings

- Hard to convince financing organizations and utility regulators

• Difficult to engage the consumer

- Market appeal for EE

Three trends that could serve as growth drivers– Growth in immigrant homeowners – Need to upgrade aging rental stock – Increasing consumer interest in green remodeling

Challenges to Overcome


In partnership with industry and state and local governments, the federal government is:

• Providing access to energy information for consumers• Developing retrofit industry guidelines to improve the

workforce • Facilitating consumer access to financing• Developing and testing new program models to deliver

retrofits to consumers• Targeting segments of the population with the most

effective and innovative technologies and strategies

Recap


Ely Jacobsohn

Building Technologies Program, U.S. Dept of Energy

[email protected]

202-287-1333

www.eere.doe.gov

Questions?

Documents

Delivering Whole House Solutions Federal Efforts