Recovery Through Retrofit
To save energy, create jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cities, counties, and states across the country are increasing their efforts to raise the energy efficiency of the residential, commercial, and public buildings in their communities. The federal government has prioritized investment in building energy efficiency. In October 2009 Vice President Biden unveiled Recovery Through Retrofit, a report summarizing weatherization initiatives that could be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) to stimulate the home energy efficiency and retrofit markets.
The Recovery Through Retrofit report identifies several barriers for green building investments: access to information, financing, and skilled workers. To address these barriers, the report makes several recommendations intended to leverage Recovery Act funding to ensure that the energy efficiency market will remain viable after the expiration of the three to five year period of Recovery Act funding.
Market Barrier 1: Consumers need reliable home retrofitting information to make informed decisions.
Solution 1: The federal government must provide straightforward and credible information to American homeowners on the costs and benefits of home energy retrofits
- Develop an energy performance label for homes
- Develop a standardized home energy performance measure
Market Barrier 2: The costs of home retrofit projects are beyond the average homeowner’s budget.
Solution 2: The federal government must make it easy for homeowners to identify and access home energy retrofit financing tools and products
- Support municipal energy financing
- Improve energy efficient mortgages
- Expand state revolving loan funds
Market Barrier 3: More skilled workers and green entrepreneurs are needed to successfully expand efficiency retrofit programs on a national-scale
Solution 3: The federal government must mobilize a skilled national energy retrofit workforce and expand good, green job opportunities for all American workers
- Develop consistent workforce certifications and training standards
According to the Recovery Through Retrofit report, the Council on Environmental Quality will assemble an Energy Retrofit Working Group tasked with implementing and tracking the recommendations and proposed actions outlined in the report. Moreover, the Recovery Through Retrofit report states that federal agencies will partner with cities and counties to develop best practices for encouraging the implementation of energy efficiency programs that address each identified market barrier. Sustainability Officers can work with federal agencies to tackle the issues faced by their local energy retrofit market.
The practice of protecting a building and its interior from the elements, particularly from sunlight, precipitation, and wind, and of modifying a building to reduce energy consumption and optimize energy efficiency. Also known as weatherproofing.Any change to an existing facility, such as the adjustment, connection, or disconnection of equipment.Energy efficiency is the process of using less energy to produce the same or increased functions. Often used mistakenly as a synonym for ENERGY CONSERVATION. Greenhouse gases are a part of the Earth's atmosphere and are both naturally occurring and the result of human chemical processes. The most common greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and chlorofluourocarbons. These gases trap heat and thus contribute to the warming of the planet. See also CFCS and GREENHOUSE EFFECT.The ability or potential of a physical body to do work. The most common forms of energy are heat, light, mechanical (moving parts), and electrical.
