Related: Pelsoi Says Stimuloot a Success
She must have a deep throat.
"‘Cash for Caulkers’; Firms that do energy audits could benefit from new federal funds" by Scott Kirsner, Globe Columnist | December 13, 2009
.... Significantly reduce the carbon “footprint’’ of her small Roslindale home.
You know what you can do with your pfffffffffting agenda!!!!
This kind of “Extreme Energy Makeover: Home Edition’’ could become much more common in 2010 in Massachusetts and across the country, if a new federal stimulus program called Home Star, intended to encourage energy-saving home improvements, wins approval in Washington. (Home Star has also been dubbed “Cash for Caulkers,’’ to echo the name of the program that helped goose car sales last summer.)
Nothing like imitating failure. This government does that so well!
Founded last year, Boston-based Next Step could be one beneficiary of the stimulus, since the start-up has developed a streamlined, no-hassles approach to conducting a home energy audit, and then making some small-but-critical fixes before its crew departs. But it will also help hundreds of small businesses and sole proprietorships around New England that do assessments of a home’s energy use as well as install new insulation, replace old furnaces, and repair roofs and attics that leak hot air. And interestingly, Steve Cowell, the founder of a 25-year-old Westborough nonprofit, Conservation Services Group, has been working directly with the White House to shape the specifics of how the Home Star program could work.
Yeah, we call it a SELF-SERVING CONFLICT-of-INTEREST 'round these h're parts!!!
Many homeowners may not realize that they can get a free or deeply discounted audit of their home, courtesy of Mass SAVE, a public-private partnership intended to encourage energy conservation, or programs such as Renew Boston, which earlier this year received $6.5 million of federal stimulus funding, and which paid for the audit and upgrade work at Mendez’s home last week....
Stay the F*** out of my house unless you want to eat some lead!
An audit typically examines a home’s construction, heating system, insulation, showerheads, light bulbs, and how well doors are sealed, with the goal of making recommendations about the changes that are likely to have the biggest impact on the homeowner’s utility bills. More sophisticated audits install a special “blower door’’ apparatus in an exterior door frame to suck air out of the house at a regular rate, and then rely on an infrared camera to see where cracks or areas of inadequate insulation are allowing colder outside air in.
First of all, why would there be colder air with global warmi.... okay, never mind, the whole thing reminds me of something I once saw.
Many energy auditors stop at the analysis stage, feeling that selling insulation services or fluorescent light bulbs as well might make them seem biased to persuade homeowners to spend more than necessary. Flemming Lund, the Sudbury-based owner of Infrared Diagnostics LLC, is in that camp.
“I’m not there to sell you new windows, but I can recommend some contractors to do things, and I can also give you advice about which things you can do yourself with a trip to Home Depot,’’ says Lund, who charges an average of $425 for a home energy audit. ($400 to $500 is typical for an audit that doesn’t include any upgrading work.)
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The stimulus funding being considered in Washington could set aside $9 billion for homeowners’ energy efficiency projects. Cowell has estimated that the money could create 235,000 new jobs and nudge 450,000 homeowners to commit to making energy improvements.
Heard those promises all before as you pushed your globalist agenda! GO AWAY!!!
Buying more efficient appliances would trigger a payment from the government of 50 percent of the purchase price, and other cash would flow to those who reduced their home’s total energy usage. (An interesting question: Will the coming congressional debate over the new program spur homeowners to put off improvements until it is rolled out, hoping for better reimbursements in the future?) “Home energy use,’’ Chapin notes, “is 21 percent of the climate problem.’’
PFFFFFFFFFFTTTTT!!!!
Of course, billions of dollars of stimulus would both create new “green collar jobs’’ in the energy efficiency industry, and also a bit of a gold rush mentality.
Like PIGS to the TROUGH, 'eh?
Lund, who got into the business five years ago after working as a home inspector, says it’s important that anyone marketing themselves as an auditor be certified by the Building Performance Institute. He also says audits before and after energy efficiency work is done will be important, so that you can objectively determine whether the work has actually made a difference.
Adam Parker, president of Conservation Services Group, says quality assurance ought to be a big component of any government spending program. Anticipating the coming frenzy in the energy efficiency sector, Parker says: “We’ve been doing this for 25 years now, and it kind of feels like we’re this band that has been around forever playing great music, and all of a sudden everyone discovers you. There’s a danger that energy efficiency becomes the flavor of the year in 2010, and I’m hoping that doesn’t happen - I hope it has some real legs.’’
In any event, you are going to be on your knees, American taxpayers!
One way or another, take your pick.
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