Ten states and communities have been chosen as the sites for a new federal Department of Energy program that “scores” homes on an energy rating scale of 1 to 10. Appraisers, brokers and others in the real estate industry will be closely watching these projects – especially if it adversely affects the price of existing homes compared to new, energy-efficient ones.
More information on-line here.
The sites are Charlottesville, Va.; Allegheny County, Pa.; Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard, Mass.; Minnesota; Omaha and Lincoln, Neb.; Indiana; Portland, Ore.; South Carolina; Texas; and Eagle County, Colo.
The federal initiative is one of the outcomes of Vice President Joe Biden’s “Recovery Through Retrofit” program that seeks to improve the energy efficiency of the nation’s housing while providing new green jobs for the construction industry. Other components include an FHA-insured financing program so homeowners can pay for the improvements, training requirements, and a series of recommended best practices for energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality.
The pilots end in late spring 2011. Later in the year, DOE expects to launch the Home Energy Score nationally, based on the findings from the initial programs. NAHB plans to closely monitor the program and submit comments on all its component parts. See more details in the story running in the Nov. 15 issue of Nation’s Building News.
For more information, please contact Calli Barker Schmidt at 800-368-5242, ext. 8132.
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