Recently in Energy Star Category

Insulation is one of the highest payback improvements you can make to a building -- at both new construction and remodeling time. Radiant barriers are a new approach with additional heat resistant benefits.

Heat Transfer

Conduction

Direct heat flow through a solid object like a roof, wall or ceiling.

Convection

Heat movement through air that occurs when air is warmed. Warm air expands, becomes less dense and rises.

Radiation

Movement of heat rays across air spaces from one warm object to another less-warm object. Wood stoves give off radiant heat, for example.

We hear about radiant barriers in applications such as the heat shielding ceramic tiles on NASA shuttles. And the aluminum foil used on baked potatoes. Those are "radiant barriers" that keep heat in... or out.

Heating air is expensive! Cooling air is also expensive -- so it makes sense that if you don't have to condition air as much, you'll save on your utility bills.

Insulation and radiant barriers are used in buildings to keep heat in during the winter...and keep heat out during hot periods and seasons. But most buildings weren't optimized for energy efficiency in both hot and cold temperatures.

Radiant Barriers for Buildings

The bright aluminum surface of radiant barrier products provides insulation properties in two ways:

• The reflective surface reflects long wave radiant heat that strikes it -- up to 97% of all radiant heat.
• Close contact, but non-touching, allows reradiation to happen, and when you reduce the amount of heat that "gets through" the radiant barrier, you will have less convection taking place.

Read more about radiant barrier effectiveness.

GOAL:  6 million new green-collar jobs.

Efficiency First is a nonprofit trade association that unites

• Home Performance contractors,
• residential energy consultants,
• building product manufacturers
• and other key members of America's growing green-collar workforce

Efficiency First advocates using the federal Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program as a standard model for efficiency retrofitting, including third-party verification. National contractor and auditor certification and accreditation should be mandated through RESNET (Residential Energy Services Network), BPI (Building Performance Institute) or other qualified accreditation agencies who conduct independent, third-party quality assurance on the work performed.

Together they intend to escalate the fight against global warming. Efficiency First was founded in 2009 to represent its members in public policy discussions at the state and national levels, to promote the benefits of Home Performance retrofitting, and to help our industry grow to meet unprecedented demand for quality home retrofitting services.

Our mission is to collaborate with legislators, government agencies and professional organizations in the advancement of a performance-based market for energy efficiency that will enable rapid growth in our industry while maintaining profitability and quality of service.

"Our goal is to see a steady run rate of
10 million home retrofits per year by 2020."

According to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, residential buildings alone generate over 20 percent of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel consumption in the United States.

Because the vast majority of America's 128 million homes do not operate anywhere near peak efficiency, large-scale retrofitting of existing residential buildings will play a key role in achieving significant greenhouse gas reductions, while lowering residential energy bills, improving indoor air quality and thermal comfort, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and creating millions of new jobs for American workers.

The home retrofitting industry can achieve a 25% or greater decrease in non-renewable energy consumption by America's housing sector, leading to a 5% decrease in the country's overall carbon emissions - equivalent to taking half of all current passenger cars off the road.

The industry will employ at least 1.25 million American workers directly, and with the inclusion of manufacturing and other supporting industries, will generate up 6 million new green-collar jobs.

David Rodgers, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency , appeared before Congress to discuss the potential for increased energy efficiency in new and existing buildings to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Public Education and Outreach for Market Penetration

The Department of Energy is also focusing on broad public education and outreach in order to facilitate widespread market penetration of energy efficient technologies

Public campaigns, such as the "Change a Light, Change the World" campaign, have been used to drive public awareness. Each fall the Department, in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, encourages consumers to change out old incandescent bulbs for new compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) that have earned the ENERGY STAR seal of approval. The "Change a Light, Change the World campaign" is now in its seventh year.

DOE Outreach Partnership with Walt Disney

In order to further encourage consumer adoption of energy efficient technologies like compact fluorescent lamps, DOE has embarked upon an innovative partnership with the Walt Disney Corporation. DOE announced in 2007 that it had teamed up with Disney in a nationwide campaign to promote energy efficiency through a TV spot based on the Disney Pixar film "Ratatouille." The 30-second animated spot features the characters from the movie, and urges viewers to make the switch from incandescent bulbs to ENERGY STAR compact fluorescent lights. The spot, showcased nationwide during primetime viewing hours, reached more than 117 million households between June 15 and August 15, 2007, through networks including HGTV, Food Network, and DIY.

DOE Campaign to Target 8 to 12 Year Old Children

Also, we are working on a campaign to be launched late this summer targeting 8 to 12 years old on they can  learn to become more energy efficient.

DOE Military Base Campaign

Another campaign, launched this past Earth Day, challenges military bases nationwide to replace their incandescent light bulbs with CFLs in on-base housing. The joint DOE and Department of Defense campaign, called "Operation Change Out," will help bases across the country increase energy efficiency, save money on utility bills and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

DOE Influences Policymakers, Industry and Consumers

Through these and other campaigns, the Department is committed to motivating policymakers, industry, and consumers to embrace energy efficiency values in their states, cities, and homes.

DOE Building Technologies Program Best Practices Website

The Department's Building Technologies Program website is also a helpful educational resource for the public.

The site details best practice guidelines for realizing 30% energy savings, and is aimed at homeowners, builders, or designers who seek to incorporate energy-efficient building practices into a new or existing home.

The Building Technologies guidelines address each step of the home-building process, based on an integrated or whole building, approach. They cover the planning and financing of a home or renovation project, the design and construction phase, and ongoing maintenance. While many best practice guidelines apply regardless of geography, others are tailored to the challenges of a specific climate zone, a key consideration in creating an energy-efficient home.

SOURCE: 
Testimony of David Rodgers, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency before the Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, United States House of Representatives. Topic: Buildings Energy Efficiency and Greenhouse Gases, July 17, 2008, EERE Energy Efficiency

WAPTAC

The Department of Energy has created a comprehensive Weatherization Assistance Program Briefing Book.

Each State has received one copy of the book.

2008 Weatherization Assistance Program Briefing Book

The Department of Energy has created a comprehensive Weatherization Assistance Program Briefing Book. Each State has received one copy of the book. Click this link to view and print sections of the book.

WAPTAC
www.waptac.org/
This site provides weatherization practitioners and other energy conservation professionals with information related to the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), its on-going operations, and its partnerships with stakeholders.

STRIPES and FedConnect Transition

The Department of Energy is implementing the Strategic Integrated Procurement Enterprise System (STRIPES) during fiscal years 2008 and 2009. To do business with DOE, all current and potential acquisition and financial assistance awardees must now register with FedConnect portal.

To learn more, please refer to the online memo or reference the official how to guide for using FedConnect.

DOE announced on March 12, 2009 that it will invest nearly $8 billion in state and local weatherization and energy efficiency efforts as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The stimulus funds will be divided between the Weatherization Assistance Program, which will receive nearly $5 billion, and the State Energy Program, which will receive up to $3 billion.

This will help families save hundreds of dollars every year on their energy bills, while creating approximately 87,000 jobs. To jump-start the job creation and weatherization work, DOE is releasing $780 million in the next few days, and will release more as the states demonstrate that they are using the funding effectively.

The State Energy Program funding will be used to provide rebates to consumers for home energy audits or other energy-saving improvements;

• develop renewable energy and alternative fuel projects;
• promote Energy Star products;
• upgrade the energy efficiency of state and local government buildings;
• other innovative state efforts to help families save money on their energy bills.

The weatherization funding will improve the energy efficiency of the homes of low-income families by adding more insulation, sealing leaks, or modernizing heating and air conditioning equipment, at a cost of up to $6,500 per home.

The energy efficiency upgrades will be available for families making up to 200% of the federal poverty level. For a family of four, this translates to about $44,000 per year in the lower 48 states, $55,140 per year in Alaska, and $50,720 per year in Hawaii.