Today, a panel of industry experts met at the Alliance to Save Energy’s 2010 Energy Efficiency Global Forum & Expo (EE Global), to discuss Building STAR, a program of rebates and incentives for building owners to invest in energy efficiency retrofits. The group also took a longer term look at the policies and mechanisms needed to make building retrofits a robust industry over the next 10 years.
One of the main topics of discussion was the unprecedented unemployment rate in the construction and manufacturing industries. Despite the economy showing signs of recovery, unemployment remains very high, with some areas of the country seeing more than six in ten workers out of a job, according to Stan Kolbe, Director of Legislative Affairs at the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA). The need for a fast-acting solution is clear, and Building STAR would start creating jobs immediately: more than 130,000 jobs in 2010, and 57,000 in 2011.
The panel also offered comments on the need to offer simple, easy to understand financing options to building owners, who are often focused on operating their businesses and don’t have time to worry about their energy use. By offering product rebates, Building STAR puts money in building owners’ pockets immediately, and starts saving them money the moment their retrofit project is complete. Panelists gave examples of buildings that had saved 40 to 50 percent on their energy bills, simply by replacing old heating and ventilation systems, or by installing insulation.
Guests were engaged in the discussion via a lively question and answer session, where topics ranged from innovative project financing methods to the need for quality assurance in retrofit projects to the effect of increased energy efficiency on lowering electricity rates.
The panel included:
Duane Desiderio, Real Estate Roundtable
Reid Detchon, Energy Future Coalition
Jeffrey Genzer, National Association of State Energy Officials
Thomas Haun, Insulators Union
Stan Kolbe, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association
Christopher Moyer, National Restaurant Association
For more information on Building STAR,
click here.
