Summer 2010 Newsletter

News

The Path to Success: How to Prepare Your Business for HOME STAR

After passing the House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 246 – 161 on May 5, HOME STAR legislation is now being considered in the Senate, where it is said to have strong support. A new version of the bill was referred to the Senate Finance Committee on May 25. HOME STAR is designed to roll out quickly by building on state programs and existing industry capacity for retrofits. HOME STAR represents the future of the home performance industry: certified contractors using state-of-the-art, whole house building science to identify problems, present solutions and provide verifiable energy savings. The program supplies tax credits and rebates for qualifying efficiency work to homeowners.

Training: What You'll Need for HOME STAR Jobs

First and foremost, in order to take advantage of the more lucrative pieces of HOME STAR, you’ll need credentials. Gold Star level energy audits and home assessment test-in/test-out procedures must be performed by a BPI Building Analyst certified professional or a RESNET qualified rater. PSD’s Performance Systems Academy provides HERS Energy Rater training (RESNET certification) and comprehensive BPI Building Analyst training, including both classroom and field work, with a 90% pass rate for certification.

Next, at the Academy, you can supplement this minimum level of certification and increase your knowledge of the house as a system: BPI’s Building Envelope Professional certification will give you a deeper understanding of the building envelope and its interaction with other building systems, and the Heating Professional certification offers a concentrated course in heating system science. The highest HOME STAR incentives are available to contractors who invest in a trained and certified workforce.

Software: Essential Tools for HOME STAR Success

Now you’ll need the tools to educate homeowners about how their homes can be greener, how they can take advantage of HOME STAR programs, and how your business can fulfill their energy efficiency needs. Will adding insulation give them the most bang for their buck? Should they invest in a new furnace or appliances? PSD’s software products can answer these questions and more. They are essential tools to help homeowners find the most cost-effective solutions to their energy efficiency challenges.

PSD’s Surveyor, a feature of Green Energy Compass, provides a building assessment and audit report with recommendations and savings predictions for deemed-savings measures. Deemed savings means that the savings are assigned an industry average value based on the type of measure that is installed, not calculated based on the building’s energy performance. Using the Surveyor feature in Green Energy Compass allows you to provide a clear report to your customers showing their energy savings potential and payback -- and can potentially be a selling tool for upgrading a Silver Star client to Gold Star.

PSD’s TREAT is the tool you’ll need when performing Gold Star retrofit audits. TREAT is used to build a thorough model of a home's energy use, allowing you to predict energy savings accurately and confidently. TREAT is unparalleled at modeling existing homes and has the best capability in the field for multi-unit housing. Energy models are required for Gold Star improvements, and the good news for you is that TREAT is pre-approved for HOME STAR applications.

To ensure accountability and protect the investment of homeowners and taxpayer dollars, HOME STAR includes a rigorous quality assurance program once retrofit projects are complete. For Gold Star projects, contractors must submit a job completion checklist and work scope for each project, along with testing data, before the incentive is disbursed. TREAT provides tracking support for use as evidence that your work was done correctly and that the homeowner is realizing predicted, measurable savings.

Under HOME STAR, field quality assurance is conducted within 30 days on a sample of jobs to verify quality installation for both levels. QA inspections can only be performed by BPI Building Analyst Certified Professionals or RESNET qualified raters. Reduced inspection rates will be offered for contractors employing a trained and certified workforce.

PSD can help you take advantage of HOME STAR and build a foundation of quality and value. Now is the time to invest in the training and tools to position your business for the future of home performance industry.

Efficiency First has information on what you can do to help make HOME STAR a reality, and we encourage you to contact your Senator and ask him or her to support HOME STAR.

Performance Systems Development is offering software and training packages to prepare building professionals for the launch of the HOME STAR program.

Software

New Release: TREAT 3.2.1

A new TREAT download is now available. TREAT 3.2.1 contains minor bug fixes and will install over 3.2 with no re-registration.

We’ve received a lot of positive feedback on the enhanced reporting features that allow better communication with customers and clearer presentation.

Did you know?

• New TREAT reports are available for download online. Check out the monthly fuel disaggregation report and the model-to-billing comparison with actual weather. New reports and templates will be posted as they are created.
• You can create and modify your own custom report design.
• You can request a new TREAT report.
• Energy analysis, job costs and schedules can now be included in a single report.
• TREAT is DOE approved for weatherization on ALL buildings, including multifamily.
• TREAT is BESTEST approved and ready for HOME STAR.

Multifamily TREAT software is ideal for residences with more than four dwelling units. The TREAT Multifamily training course offered this summer will show you how to get the most out of this valuable tool.

Visit TREATSoftware.com to find out more!

Programs

Green Energy Compass in Northern Virginia with BPI and EPA

Performance Systems Development and the Building Performance Institute are partnering on the Northern Virginia Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (HPwES) program, the first in the country to be launched without a sponsor.  PSD will provide job tracking and reporting through Green Energy Compass, and BPI will provide quality assurance.

Since 2001, the HPwES program has depended on the participation of local sponsors including utilities, state energy offices and other organizations. Sponsors are responsible for all facets of the program including the recruitment, training, and certification of contractors, marketing to homeowners, quality assurance and reporting. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy estimate that a sponsors’ investment may reach $15 million over a five-year period in order to establish an effective program. HPwES programs are available in several markets throughout the U.S., however finding sponsors with the resources to establish programs in new markets limit the current scope of the program.

The Northern Virginia program represents a new approach – a direct HPwES partnership with home performance contractors. The EPA and DOE will test the logistical and financial feasibility of partnering directly with qualified contractors, and define a set of national standards and protocols for contractors to become an HPwES partner. The pilot will also create a quality assurance infrastructure, thus reducing the administrative costs for utilities, states and municipal governments to sponsor programs.

Consulting

Next Stop: Juneau, Alaska

Chris Balbach and trainees examine an air handling unit on the roof of the Alaska Command building

Shirley Jean Bergman and Chris Balbach recently traveled to four Alaskan municipalities to provide energy efficiency training to facilities managers and other personnel at the Elmendorf Air Force Base and Ft. Richardson. Shirley Jean and Chris taught participants how to calculate energy savings using spreadsheets and eQUEST whole building energy models in commercial buildings. Participants reviewed several of the buildings on the base for hands-on application of what the class learned. Newly trained facility personnel are now qualified to audit their buildings and implement energy conservation measures.

A colorful moose sighting in Anchorage

The Alaska trip is just one of several the group will make. Earlier this year, Performance Systems Development (PSD) was awarded a contract to provide Energy Assessment Training to government personnel at selected federal sites. PSD is one of only three companies in the nation to be selected through a highly competitive solicitation process by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Department of Energy’s primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. The work is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

In 2007, Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), requiring new energy use requirements for federal buildings. Under the law, 25% of selected facilities must be audited for energy efficiency each year. The audits are designed to identify problem areas for each building and to offer recommendations for improvement. Additionally, the EISA requires an overall energy reduction in federal buildings of 3% per year from 2006 to 2015, or 30% by the end of 2015. Performance Systems Development will be training facility personnel to perform energy audits to comply with the EISA.

Later this summer, the PSD team travels to Washington, DC, to work with the Architect of the Capitol’s staff on Senate office buildings and General Services Administration buildings. While Alaska offered its own set of diversions, such as moose and bears, Shirley Jean and Chris have been warned that Washington’s fauna – “inside the beltway” lobbyists – while somewhat less majestic can be equally dangerous.

Training

The country is preparing for HOME STAR, and Performance Systems Academy is ready to support you!

Upcoming Training Courses

• Basic Intro to TREAT Software, Ithaca, NY June 14
• TREAT Advanced Single Family, Ithaca, NY June 15
• TREAT Advanced Multifamily, Ithaca, NY June 16-17
• TREAT Advanced Multifamily, Pierre, SD June 17-18
• HERS RESNET Certification Training, Ithaca, NY June 21-26
• BPI Building Envelope Professional, Ithaca, NY July 12-15
• BPI Building Analyst for Raters, Ithaca, NY July 20-22
• BPI Building Analyst, Ithaca, NY August 2-6

Missed Us At ACI?

Didn’t make it to the 2010 Affordable Comfort, Inc., (ACI) Home Performance Conference in Austin, Texas this past April? You may have missed the opportunity to sample some authentic Texas barbeque, but all is not lost! You can still view slides from the PSD team’s popular educational sessions.