The Weatherization PLUS Newsletter

Top Story

The ACI White Paper: A Blunt Assessment of the Home Performance Industry’s Future

Home performance practitioners’ approach is focused on "making homes healthier, safer, more affordable, durable, comfortable and energy efficient." However, "we need a stronger vision and mission, not just for ACI but for the entire industry." These observations are in the courageous and intelligent white paper, The Home Performance Industry: Road Map to a Sustainable Future, by the leaders of Affordable Comfort Institute (ACI). It certainly does not sugar-coat the present state of the private home performance industry.

The paper points out that many government and utility programs developed to motivate homeowners to purchase energy services, yet "many of these programs are short-term and administratively difficult for contractors and homeowners." Further, where energy efficiency incentives or requirements are absent, home performance market demand is also missing.

It identifies unfinished paths as in "recent efforts by the U.S. Department of Labor to support green job training programs (in which) subsidized workforce education has prepared many Home Performance workers for non-existent jobs."

Taking the position that there isn’t much more time to either "make it or break it," ACI prescribes a new strategic development approach and lays out tough choices among options. All of us connected to the industry and the policies that sustain it should take the time to read and consider the "Blue Sky" five-year strategic plan.

What do you hope for from in the Home Performance arena? How should the nation and the industry move forward now?

Please visit our Facebook page to comment on the paper and to discuss our upcoming posts of some of the major challenges it articulates for workers, entrepreneurs and program leaders.

Weatherization Assistance in 2013

US House and Senate Bills were reported by the respective Appropriations Committees this week. Both fund next year’s DOE program at far less than its pre-ARRA size. Weatherization advocates say that final Congressional decisions will probably come after the elections but before the start of the Weatherization Program Year.

Follow the progress of this legislation at www.ncaf.org. See the chart below to compare historic and current DOE funding to these proposals.

(Download the chart HERE.)

New WAP Guidelines for Disaster Relief and FPG

DOE posted two policy notices last month. They provide additional guidance on two issues: disaster resources with WAP resources and the FPG update. WPN 12-7 (Disaster Planning and Relief) reduces the scope of activities for which agencies are allowed to claim expenses during disaster relief as compared to WPN 08-5.

DOE uses debris removal as an example. Under WPN 08-5 the cost of debris removal for an entire low income area impacted by disaster could be an allowable expense under a grantee’s health and safety or incidental repair cost budget. The new guidance states that this expense should be restricted to only dwelling units that are eligible for weatherization or re-weatherization. DOE now directs local and state agencies to re-examine the disaster relief components in their WAP and in their community disaster response plans and revise them accordingly. States and agencies should also discuss these provisions with their emergency planners to enable them to re-write the WAP provisions in their respective plans.

WPN 12-8 (2012 Poverty Income Guidelines and Definition of Income) replaces the previous year’s Guidance WPN 11-5. The maximum eligible income remains at 200 percent of the poverty guideline (see 10 CFR 440.3). States may still use information generated through LIHEAP applications and HUD rent rolls, for example, to meet income eligibility criteria. The new FPG represents approximately a 1% increase in income.

In This Issue:

» ACI on the Home Performance Industry
» 2013 W.A.P. Appropriations
» Disaster Relief and FPG Guidance 

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Our Project Staff:

Meg Power
Project Manager

Fred Stratton
Project Coordinator

Eli Nesson
Information Manager

EOS is hiring!

Disclaimer: "This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof."

The Weatherization PLUS Newsletter

Top Story

The Future of the Weatherization Program: Resources, Plans and Dreams

Competing and contrary visions of the future of the Department of Energy program emerged in the form of debates on the national stage, even while states and local agencies find ways to manage the last stages of Recovery Act Weatherization.

Future Resources

Funding of $139 million was proposed in the Administration’s Budget for FY 2013. In response, the two national Weatherization organizations proposed alternative, higher figures: $175.4 million by the National Association for State Community Services Programs (NASCSP), the state managers of WAP, and $227.2 million, the 2008 funding level, by the National Community Action Foundation (NCAF) representing local Weatherization organizations. Shortly after, more than five dozen Members of Congress and the Senate signed letters to their respective Appropriations Committees requesting $210 million.

There is no disagreement, however, that the appropriations process in Congress will be very long and may not end until after the November presidential election.

Energy Secretary Chu defended the Administration’s Budget for a reduced 2013 WAP in front of the Senate Energy committee and the Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee. The reductions were challenged by Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-Vermont), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI). See the Senators defend Weatherization funding at these links: Sanders, Collins, Reed.

Past Performance: Secretary Chu Gives ARRA WAP an "A-"

700,000 ARRA Homes and Growing

The Administration strongly defended the performance of the Recovery Act Weatherization Program in the face of a withering report from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Secretary Chu, testifying on March 20, disputed the Committee’s conclusion that, "The Department’s $5 billion Weatherization Assistance Program is a stunning example of wasted billions of taxpayer dollars." See his exchange with Committee Members.

Plans and Dreams

The informal Weatherization PLUS 2015 committee of state, local, private, and federal representatives invited by DOE met in person for the first time March 20 and 21 to brainstorm about the form of the Weatherization Assistance Program in 2015 and beyond. While this process will provide input into the DOE strategic plan, it is also intended for the WAP network to use to map its course. The group may identify the changes in statute, rules, or policy that would be needed to achieve the goals of a 21st century program.

Within a month, participants on the committee will have written material to share with their colleagues; everyone interested will be asked to imagine and to strategize concerning best use of the extraordinary human, technical, fiscal, and community resources that are linked in the modern-day program.

Brainstorms of the Weatherization PLUS Committee, 3/20/12.

A key element of every innovative proposal discussed: new partnerships leveraging more resources.

In This Issue:

» Future of Weatherizaiton
» 700K ARRA-WAP Homes
» Resource: WAP Home Performance Webinar
» Resource: NTER Training Tools
» Opportunity: Multifamily Specifications
» Green Jobs Connection
» American Job Center

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Our Project Staff:

Meg Power
Project Manager

Fred Stratton
Project Coordinator

Eli Nesson
Information Manager

Christina Palazzolo
Project Intern

Disclaimer: "This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof."

The Weatherization PLUS Newsletter

Top Story

Administration Budget Request for 2013 WAP is $139 Million

The details of the President’s Budget and the reasoning behind the figures were released Monday. DOE predicts $135.7 million allocated to grantees will produce about 20,000 homes. The WAP funding requested is the lowest level since the mid 1990’s. (See the funding history.) The last pre-ARRA year, 2008, had $227.2 million, which produced about 92,000. However, the overall budget for all EERE programs is increased more than $500 million compared to this year. The growth is in research in advanced vehicle technology, building science, and a new program for manufacturing process efficiency. In other words, the Administration is firm about emphasizing science that will change the future of energy consumption and de-emphasizing what it calls "deployment", getting the well-established science into homes and businesses.

For more details on the goals and metrics related to DOE  efficiency, extensive descriptions are available here. (Or see the whole Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy sector justification HERE.)

2012 Allocations of Regular Funds Announced and Explained

Last week, DOE announced the distribution of the $65 million appropriated for state grants in PY 2012. Twenty-five of the 58 states/territories have no allocation because of the one-time formula DOE used to take extended ARRA and regular carry-over into account. The formula explanation, the program notice, and the state form letters are posted HERE.

Our Analysis: The formula calculates the percent of funding that would bring a state to (or close to) a level comparable to funding levels prior to the Recovery Act, with consideration of carry-over funding available to States and the funding level provided through FY2012 appropriations. Factors are generally, but not exactly, like those in DOE’s memos from January. There is a greater penalty for carryover of regular funds than for extended ARRA. This mirrors the Congressional concern that precipitated the deep cut. It also penalizes those who followed DOE’s order to “spend ARRA first” but did not also spend out "regular" funds.

There is neither an appeal process nor any reserved pool of funds to settle appeals. However, not all Members of Congress accept this as final. A Senate hearing where Secretary Chu testifies on Feb 16 may see some sharp exchanges. Watch the webcast live or archived.

Major opportunity for funding a leveraging staff and activities

Every state must revise its FY 2011 plan and 29 grantees must also write a 2012 plan. If the network does not have staff dedicated to building new partnerships and advocating for utility contributions to WAP, this is your opportunity to get a budget from the re-worked state plan. See our webinar on how and why.

Home Performance and Job Connections

Slowly but surely, the Workforce Guidelines for Home Energy Upgrades are evolving toward a final system that will offer a competitive advantage to Weatherization workers. Others who have attended quality training programs and demonstrated skilled workmanship will also benefit. WAP-affiliated training centers are already versed in much of the curriculum that will be the benchmark of quality training.

Analysts believe homeowners hesitate to invest in retrofits for lack of worker quality assurance. The creation of a credentialed workforce should take down that barrier [and open more wallets] so that demand grows and employment expands. Today, the home performance industry has no certificate or licensure that is universally recognized. Journeymen in the electrical trades, for instance, have a portable credential allowing them to work in different parts of the country and be recognized for their skill levels.

Using the Workforce Guidelines, each level of successful skill achievement is credentialed and provides a “stackable” advance in a career as laid out in the Job Task Analyses (JTA’s). The public has a “Good Housekeeping” seal of approval for contractors to rely on.

The Building Performance Institute (BPI) was selected by DOE to provide certification of the four worker classifications derived from the JTA’s. Training center accreditation will be established by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREQ). Only IREQ-accredited training centers will confer certifications based on the Workforce Guidelines JTA’s. In theory, workers will be drawn to these accredited centers for the value of their certificates.

[See the sidebar piece about Green Jobs Connection, a partnership with BPI, NCAF, and NASCSP.]

In This Issue:

» 2013 Budget Request
» 2012 Allocations Explained
» NCAF Enterprise Webinar
» Fee-for-Service Survey
» Green Jobs Connection

Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Facebook

Our Project Staff:

Meg Power
Project Manager

Fred Stratton
Project Coordinator

Eli Nesson
Information Manager

Christina Palazzolo
Project Intern

Disclaimer: "This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof."

The Weatherization PLUS Newsletter

Top Story

EOS Awarded New W.A.P. ARRA Grant for Leveraging and Performance Assistance

We’re Seeking New Team Members to Contribute to This Three-Year Project!

We at EOS are happy to announce that we have been awarded a grant from the Department of Energy to deliver the Recovery Act Weatherization Leveraged Partnerships and Performance Assistance Project. The funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) resources will allow EOS to deliver two related projects providing services to the nationwide Weatherization network.

Through the first component – The Weatherization Leveraged Partnerships Project – we will provide the network with training and resources for forming partnerships that tap (or “leverage”) funding from non-federal sources to coordinate with federal funds. This work will expand our decade-long record of building the field of leveraging W.A.P. with non-federal partnerships. Our past work is collected at the Leveraging Resources site at weatherizationplus.org. The second component will be The Local Weatherization ARRA Performance Assistance Project; our team will assist local agencies in finding expertise to support their rapid ARRA-funded expansion of services; we will help share the stories of struggle and success across the W.A.P. network.

EOS is recruiting two full-time staff professionals and a summer intern (please see and share the job descriptions). The Project will also work closely with many state Weatherization Associations by funding specific research and communications activities related to its goals.

See our job openings (and please spread the word!)
Read our full announcement

DOE Announces $29 Million in Recovery Act Awards for Weatherization Training Centers

The Department of Energy announced on June 4 that 34 projects in 27 states have been awarded $29 million in ARRA-funded grants to develop and expand weatherization training centers. This funding will more than triple the number of DOE-funded weatherization training centers nationally, as 26 new centers, many in established W.A.P. organizations, will be established in addition to eight existing centers that will be expanded.

DOE announced: "Using innovative approaches to weatherization training and standardized training curricula, these projects will help prepare weatherization workers, supervisors, and inspectors to maintain a high degree of quality in weatherization projects."

Read the full DOE announcement

In This Issue:

» EOS Awarded ARRA Grant to Help
» Opportunity: SERC Grants for Local W.A.P. Innovation
» DOE: New Funding for Training Centers

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Our Project Staff:
Meg Power – Project Manager
Eli Nesson – Information Manager

Disclaimer: "This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof."

The Weatherization PLUS Newsletter

News

ARRA Weatherization Delivered on the Promise of Jobs (Again). What’s next for the Workforce?

Once again, W.A.P. reported the seventh-largest number of jobs among all ARRA-funded programs; 14,451 FTE jobs were filled in the 2nd quarter of 2011. This probably means more than 20,000 individuals were at work. W.A.P. created more jobs than any other Department of Energy program. However, there had been a few hundred more W.A.P. jobs in the 1st quarter.

Ups and Downs: Many big grantees were still growing. New York added 229 FTEs, Texas added 193 followed by Puerto Rico with 153, and California and Massachusetts with over 90 apiece.

Yet, the end of the ARRA period is very close for other states. Minnesota lost 502 WAP jobs followed by Ohio (231), Illinois (195), Maine (170), and Wisconsin (103). Smaller programs like Idaho, Nevada and Hawaii programs are shedding workers but their W.A.P. workforce is small. Several of these states still have carry-over from 2010 regular funding or leveraged resources; those jobs will not be counted.

Why isn’t the public aware of our success/asking for more Weatherization program resources and jobs? As ARRA funding winds down, few states have a robust homebuilding industry market to employ W.A.P.’s skilled workers. Publicizing the layoffs and closeout with on-camera ceremonies to thank the workers, recommend them and their new skills to the industry and public might help end cynicism about ARRA and get them new work. Letting workers and contractors tell about working for W.A.P. -even better.

Send your ideas about public messaging and creating new job openings and we will publish them in a new online resource section. For ideas about generating new private demand for efficiency services see our Fee-for-Service issue paper. For how-to’s on attracting more utility funding consider the resources from our Utility Partnerships page, and let us know what else would help you.

Federal Financing for Affordable Multifamily Housing Green Retrofits

Many Weatherizers have a new interest in multifamily Weatherization. A variety of federal financial options and loan programs are currently available to not-for-profits, whether your organization is providing weatherization services for green retrofits, constructing new affordable housing, exploring rural renewable energy development, and/or owns affordable multifamily properties. Two EOS papers list some of the resources, familiar and new.

One is an overview of federal funding financing from USDA, HUD and Fannie Mae; the other is a more detailed review of Fannie Mae’s "Green Refinance Plus" initiative.

‘Fess Up! Which One of You Readers Completed ARRA Home #500,000?

Sometime in the past month, some local Weatherization agency inspected and passed a home that was made the ARRA production total one half million homes. Consider the data:

• DOE reports show 484,442 home completed by June 30. (Which is about 110% of the planned target for 6/30)
• Production was running between 24,900 and 27,000 from April through June. Sometime in July, the additional 15,558 homes needed to reach 500,000 were signed off and reported to DOE. Was it your agency’s?

Production is under budget and, at the current pace, many more homes will be weatherized than the 601,000 promised – will yours be the 602,000th? Ideas about claiming the credit due are always welcome. Meanwhile, keep on weatherizing those homes every second of the working day! And congratulations!

Opportunities

Interested in learning more about Sustainable Communities and how your Agency might participate?

If so, check out this webinar TODAY or download it afterwards.

What: Sustainable Communities Grant Program: Making Equity in Housing, Transportation, and Jobs the Heart of Your Region’s Application – Join PolicyLink, HUD, and leading regional planners to discuss best equity practices to drive planning and investments in housing, energy, health, environment, and infrastructure needs.

When: Wednesday August 17, 2:00-3:00 pm EDT

Webinar Registration

Clean Energy Technologies for Communities Webinar

What: A series of Smart Planning Webinars are being sponsored by the Foundation for Future. Presented by: Smart Planning for a Green Future

Brief: Energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies offer communities a host of benefits. Gain a close-up look at the technology options, including those available now or near term and others to plan for in the future.

When: August 18, 2011 2:00 – 4:00 PM EDT

Webinar Registration

In This Issue:

» ARRA-WAP Delivers Again
» Federal Financing for Affordable Multifamily Green Retrofits
» 500,000th ARRA Home
» Webinars: Sustainable Communities Grant Program and Clean Energy Technologies for Communities

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Our Project Staff:

Meg Power
Project Manager

Fred Stratton
Project Coordinator

Nathan Warren
Project Coordinator

Eli Nesson
Information Manager

Christina Palazzolo
Project Intern

Disclaimer: "This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof."