Winter 2010 Newsletter

News

HOME STAR Gets A Boost from PSD

PSD CEO Greg Thomas has been working in Washington, DC with industry leaders to advise the Senate and Federal agencies on energy software standards and energy savings quality assurance to help shape the proposed HOME STAR program.

HOME STAR is expected to create 168,000 high‐quality building jobs over the next two years, as Americans take advantage of direct rebates being offered to homeowners who invest in qualifying home energy efficiency improvements.

As a member of the home performance coalition Efficiency First, PSD works to share its knowledge and expertise, providing program details to lawmakers. Greg is a board member of Efficiency First and was also recently elected to the RESNET Board of Directors, representing energy rating providers.

For more information on what you can do to help make HOME STAR a reality, please visit Efficiency First
Or learn more about how Performance Systems is preparing building professionals for the launch of the HOME STAR program

Software

Upcoming Release: TREAT 3.1

The TREAT team would like to extend their thanks and gratitude to all the TREAT users who agreed to beta test TREAT 3.1.

Thanks to all of their help, we will soon be announcing the general release of TREAT 3.1!
Changes since TREAT 3.0 include:

• Improved installation & registration process
• Integration with the new TREAT website & helpdesk
• Compatibility with Windows VISTA and 7 (32 and 64-bit operating systems)
• Enhanced QA data in XML export
• Dramatically expanded weather sites using TMY3 Data
• New additions to surface libraries

Visit TREATSoftware.com to find out more!

Green Energy Compass now has the ability to extract energy savings from both TREAT and REM/Rate export files. We continue to improve Green Energy Compass based on feedback from our users. New features for Green Energy Compass include

• Support for wood and coal as fuel types
• New peer comparison criteria for age of house and “Just My Buildings”
• Additional building fields for heating /air-conditioning and other building characteristics.

A pilot program with BPI is defining a national standard for an offline Test-out form that can be completed in the customer's home and then uploaded to Green Energy Compass. The nature of the form allows programs to access the information without requiring re-typing the information. Coming soon are new reports that integrate data from Green Energy Compass and TREAT or REM/Rate models for a comprehensive view of your home performance jobs.
See what you've been missing!

Building Performance Compass now offers integrated benchmarking for both commercial and multifamily buildings. This includes

• sampling of tenant level meters and tracking apartment type details
• extensive tracking of building data and usage
• the ability to upload and track program specific documents at the building and tenant unit level

The building comparison report offers a quick assessment of which buildings are performing poorly based on various energy factors, allowing decisions to be made about which buildings will benefit the most from retrofitting.

The fast-feedback report allows users to import energy data from TREAT and other DOE 2.2 modeling tools (such as eQuest), enabling comparison of predicted to actual saving as early as one month after work is completed. Fast-feedback allows for quick identification and correction of any issues with installation or equipment usage to maximize savings.

Consulting

The Engineering/Consulting Services team has been busy performing commercial and multifamily audits as part of NYSERDA’s PON 0004 Program. This ARRA funded program provided 5 million dollars in assistance to property owner across New York.

The results of the PON 0004 audits can be used to apply for additional ARRA funding for construction to be released later this year.

For more information on the NYSERDA program or PSD qualifications, please contact:

Don Wells, Energy Project Consultant for Energy Engineering Services
(607) 277-6240 x255 or email EES@PSDConsulting.com

Training

The country is preparing for HOME STAR ("Cash for Caulkers"), and Performance Systems Academy is ready to support you!

Check out our upcoming training sessions!

We've trained hundreds of BPI-certified contractors and RESNET Raters over the last two years, and we have a growing network of Training Providers that are delivering our Building Analyst training nationwide. Because of the collaborative relationships we have with our Training Providers, this curriculum has undergone significant improvements over the past year:

• Improved design and layout, including picture and graphic upgrades
• Curriculum improvements
  • Classroom material has been condensed for a more streamlined, concise presentation
  • BPI standards highlighted throughout modules
  • New “Resources” section which includes fact sheets and conversion factors
  • New “Handouts” section which includes new checklists and discussion-starters
  • New online ordering system allows you to order Student Manuals with the click of a button
• Instructor Guidebook improvements
  • Detailed Lesson Plans for field activities
  • Daily Quizzes (corresponding to each module in the curriculum)
  • Course Preparation Guide (advance package for BA students)
  • Updated Building Assessment Forms

Now offering enhanced support services for our Training Providers:

• Two-way Video-conferencing: Plug our trainers into your classrooms to augment your trainer’s delivery. All you need is a projector tied to a web-cam with high-speed internet access. Students and trainers can see each other and interact, allowing our trainers to respond to the toughest questions in real-time, and fill in any knowledge-gaps your trainers might have.
• Mentoring for Trainers: Follow-up sessions that connect your trainers to our experts can provide the support needed to enhance your trainer’s delivery and improve pass-rates.
• Host a Training: You do the marketing and set up the class, we send the trainers, and you can make a profit for each week of training you offer. Our top-notch trainers and curriculum give you instant credibility.

New curricula available for licensing in 2010

• BPI Building Envelope Professional: $2,300 first year ($1000 annual renewal fee) or $750 per use
• Weatherization Training (Air Sealing & Insulation): $2,300 ($1000 annual renewal) or $750 per use
• COMING SOON: BPI Heating Professional and AC/Heat Pump

Visit GreenJobsAcademy.com to learn more about our enhanced support services for our Training Providers and new curricula for 2010.

HERS Rater Providership

Performance Systems Raters Expand into Green Energy Compass.

The PSD HERS Providership continues to grow and change with its Raters. In 2010, Performance Systems Raters will be offering its Raters access to Green Energy Compass with exclusively designed features for HERS Raters.

Raters will have one-stop access to their Rater account and building data, including file management for each of their projects.

Integration with Compass allows Raters take advantage of energy tracking and benchmarking, pre-post retrofit assessment, and graphic rich customer reports.

Providers interested in exploring what Compass for Raters can bring to their Providership should contact us at homerater@psdconsulting.com