Issue 8 Volume 5

August 2007

Changes to ENERGY STAR Advanced Lighting Package

Since its inception in 2003, thanks to the efforts of ENERGY STAR residential new construction Partners and other homebuilders, the ENERGY STAR Advanced Lighting Package (ALP) has been installed or is committed to be installed in nearly 5,000 homes around the United States. The Package has served as a marketing tool to help home buyers choose high quality energy efficient lighting while making a positive, lasting environmental impact. Incorporated as the baseline for energy efficient lighting in numerous home construction programs, the ALP is now referenced in the National Association of Home Builders’ Green Home Building Guidelines and the U.S. Green
Building Council’s LEED for Homes rating system, and has been praised by many builders as a way to distinguish themselves and their homes in the marketplace.

As the Package has continued to gain traction in the residential new construction market, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has received feedback about the formula used to determine qualification for the ALP designation. At the same time, field assessments of new residential construction have suggested that many lighting packages installed are in fact qualified to be designated ENERGY STAR ALPs, but confusion about the ALP criteria has kept builders from pursuing the designation. Based on this, EPA believes that a simplified ALP definition would be a valuable and welcome change for our Partners, making it easier for builders to incorporate the ALP in their marketing strategies, while improving the reporting of ALP installations.

Effective September 1, 2007 the Advanced Lighting Package designation can be applied to packages comprised of more than 60% ENERGY STAR qualified hard-wired fixtures, inclusive of outdoor fixtures, without consideration for where the fixtures are installed. Partners and other homebuilders will no longer need to determine which fixtures are installed in High-Use Rooms, Medium or Low-Use Rooms, or Outdoors. Analyses have shown that this change in definition will produce equal or greater energy savings over the original ALP definition, while providing stronger messaging opportunities for builders. For example, builders will now be able to tell potential homebuyers that more than half of the lighting installed in ALP-equipped homes meets the energy efficiency and quality requirements of ENERGY STAR. Depending on the size of the home, with one or two additional qualified fixtures installed beyond the 60% requirement, the message can be strengthened to say that more than two-thirds of the lighting is ENERGY STAR qualified.

EPA recognizes that because the old ALP definition has been incorporated into various program requirements, promotional literature, training materials and the like, it will take time for Partners, homebuilders and other interested parties to transition to the new definition. For this reason, EPA is proposing that for a period of one year, ending September 1, 2008, both old and new definitions will be allowable for ALP designation of lighting packages.

The ENERGY STAR Advanced Lighting Package Eligibility Criteria is available for your review and reference.  Visit the Energy Star Web site to determine qualified fixtures and ceiling fans.



CitiMortgage Promotes Energy Efficient Mortgages and Offers Savings on Closing Costs

CitiMortgage recently announced a new program to promote its Energy Efficient Mortgages with a $1,000 special credit on closing costs for these types of loans through the end of the year. This 'green' offering from CitiMortgage will be offered for fixed-rate first mortgages with 10 to 30 year terms. The Energy Efficient Mortgage makes underwriting allowances by permitting the savings from the cost of energy improvements and/or residential energy efficiency tax credit to be added to the borrower's qualifying "other income" for loan approval.

"At CitiMortgage, we are always looking for innovative ways to provide additional value for our customers," said Bill Beckmann, President and COO of CitiMortgage. "We believe customers who want to live in more energy efficient homes will appreciate these loans and the special $1,000 closing credit offer. It's a good program for customers; it's good for the environment; and it's good for Citi in our efforts to support conservation and other 'green' endeavors," Mr. Beckmann added.

As part of its ongoing commitment to communities, Citi is aiming to help make a beneficial difference in the environment. This year, the company announced it will direct $50 billion over the next 10 years to address global climate change through investments, financings and related activities to support the commercialization and growth of alternative energy and clean technology among the clients and markets it serves, as well as within its own businesses and operations.

For the Energy Efficient Mortgage, a third-party must verify that the property, whether newly constructed or already existing, is energy efficient. An Energy Rater accredited by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), must make the determination that the property is energy efficient. The property must be rated as "energy efficient" under RESNET's Mortgage Industry National Accreditation Procedures for Home Energy Rating Systems. These loans will be available through CitiMortgage's retail channel and to Citi employees. Additionally, consumers may inquire about these loans through CitiMortgage's partners, which include Citibank Financial Centers and Citi Smith Barney.

Editors note: GWS understands this to mean a HERS index of less than 85 in the south (80 in the north).

Also, the borrower's contribution to the down payment, closing costs and/or prepaid items may be funded by energy efficiency rebates from a government agency, utility or manufacturer. These mortgages are available for construction loans, property purchase or rate refinance loans.

For more information about energy efficiency accreditation, please visit www.natresnet.org or www.gwssi.com. For more information about the loan offers, please go to www.citimortgage.com or call 1-800-Mortgage.



Kelly Parker, P.E.
President: GWS and RESNET

An Overview of Heat Pumps

If your home is totally electric then air source heat pumps are used 85% of the time in residential homes. They use indoor and outdoor coils, which are made of copper tubes and aluminum fins to aid in heat transfer. In the summer, the compressor compresses the refrigerant and the refrigerant brings the cool refrigerant indoors to the coil to circulate with indoor air. During cold weather months this cycle is reversed and when the temperature drops below the balance point (typically 35-40 degrees), the heat pump is not capable of heating the home completely. At that time, back-up heat is needed and is typically an electric resistance coil.
   
Geothermal heat pumps are typically one-and-a-half to two times more efficient than air-source heat pumps, but cost 50% to 70% more to buy and install. They collect heat from the earth with a sealed loop (best practice) piping system with coolant circulating to and from the heat pump. In the heating cycle, heat is removed from the coolant and the coolant is returned to the ground to collect more heat.
   
The efficiency of heat pumps is expressed by a term called Coefficient of Performance, which is calculated by the amount of electricity used compared to BTU output and typical ranges are from 3.0 to 3.5.

If you are trying to achieve a HERS index of 85 or lower and have a total electric house you generally have to use a heat pump. Resistance heaters used as a primary heat source are not an efficient method of heating.

For more information, contact GWS at 1-888-488-0206 or visit www.gwssi.com.

Sunbelt Builders Show

2007 Sunbelt Builders Show
September 27-29, 2007
Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center
Grapevine, TX (DFW Metroplex)

www.sunbeltbuildersshow.com

25th Anniversary
Excellence in Building Conference & Expo
October 9-11, 2007
Crowne Plaza St. Paul Riverfront - St. Paul, MN

25 Years in the Making! Be a part of the celebration. Register today for the best discounts.

.Please visit http://www.eeba.org/conference/index.html for more information.

Energy Efficiency Global Forum
and Exposition
November 11-14, 2007
Washington, D.C. Convention Center

The Alliance to Save Energy's inaugural conference will serve as the premier gathering and showcase for the energy-efficiency industry. EE Global will attract industry professionals, academics and policy makers from around the world to promote the efficient use of energy through a curriculum aimed at sharing best practices and unifying the public and private sectors. Please visit www.eeglobalforum.com for more information.

This newsletter has been brought to you by GWS, Energy Star Partner for 2006

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Did You KNOW...?
GWS can help you with the changes in ENERGY STAR.
To learn more, please visit: www.gwssi.com
or call 888-488-0206
or visit:
 energystarhomesamerica.com

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