Home Star Retrofit Rebate Program

Home Star is proposed new legislation to create jobs by providing strong short-term incentives for energy efficiency improvements in residential buildings.  This initiative establishes a $6 Billion rebate program to encourage immediate investment in whole-home energy efficiency retrofits and other improvements.  Home Star provides two types of consumer incentives:  Silver Star and Gold Star.

Silver Star provides near-term incentives for specific energy savings investments; homeowners receive between $1,000 and $1,500 for each measure installed in the home.

Gold Star offers incentives to households that choose to conduct a comprehensive energy audit and, then, implement a variety of recommended measures designed to maximize energy savings.  Consumers receive $3,000 for savings of 20% plus an additional $1,000 incentive for each additional 5% energy savings.

Contractors, implementing the Gold Star program, must be Building Performance Institute (BPI) accredited.

Home Performance with Energy Star (HPwES)

Home Performance with Energy Star, a national program administered by United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and implement locally, offers whole-house improvements to increase the energy performance and comfort level of existing homes while also helping to protect the environment.  Thirty-five states, including Illinois, are in various stages of implementing the program locally.

In Illinois, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) has been charged with developing and implementing HPwES in partnership with Illinois DCEO, U.S. EPA, and other stakeholders throughout Illinois.  Electric and natural gas utilities in Illinois are a critical stakeholder group; many have established a range of important residential energy efficiency programs

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BPI Building Analyst and BPI Envelope Professional are required certifications for contractors and energy auditors.

For more information email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (312.558.1685)

Bulletin No. 2 to be released on September 6, 2010:  Becoming a BPI Accredited Contractor

Note:  Information based on Home Star Coalition and National SAVE Energy Coalition websites and other public sources.

BPI Building Analyst Professional:  Certification Training

Utilivate, a leading energy management services firm headquartered in Downtown Chicago, uses a "Whole-House" approach to home performance, weatherization, and retrofit training - - Home PWR^TM - - through its proven Three-Step Program:

Step 1:  BPI Building Analyst Professional workshop provides "hands-on", highly-interactive instruction.  Dynamic, expert presenters have literally years of experience in building performance, energy management, and home retrofits.

Step 2:  Comprehensive field training is performed in actual homes with high-tech instruments; including, one-on-one coaching and small group instruction.

Step 3:  Participants are prepared to challenge the BPI Building Analyst written and field exam. 

The workshop enables a "fast track" path to Building Analyst Professional certification and prepares participants to beat and "leap frog" competitors.  Further, the credentials earned allow participants to join a select list of preferred, certified contractors able to perform on federal Home Performance with Energy Star® or "Cash for Caulkers" incentive programs and Illinois , county, municipal, and utility residential energy efficiency programs.

 Who should attend?

• Home contractors interested in expanding into the rapidly growing home performance and weatherization field
• Entrepreneurs, in other industries, looking to diversify into GREEN markets
• Unemployed or underemployed individuals seeking job security or entrepreneurship in this fastest growing GREEN-collar job sector
• Individuals with a passion for the environment; and, contributing to the United States achieving energy independence
• Course is designed for individuals with all levels of experience and background

The program fee of $1587 covers the BPI Building Analyst Professional workshop, reference/resource notebook, lunch, field training, and online written exam.  Field exam requires separate registration and an additional fee of $547.  Participants must successfully pass both online written and field exams to earn certification.

Secure your spot in the rapidly expanding GREEN economy.  

This program is open to only 16 individuals or companies; and, will fill up quickly.

Payment plan options are available:  https://www.utilivate.com/Home-PWR_PaymentPlan

Reserve your seat today!

For more information or to register by phone:

Call:  312.558.1685

Register online:

A geothermal heat pump system, run by the stored solar energy found in the abundant groundwater below the Mansion House, along with a sophisticated energy control system, now make the hotel one of the greenest hotels in Massachusetts, according to a press statement released this week by Susan Goldstein, the owner with her husband, Sherm, of the Vineyard Haven business.

Mansion House's cooling system now uses geothermal heat pumps to remove heat from the hotel and store it deep underground for use in heating the hotel during the winter. The new energy control system carefully controls where this green heating and cooling is used to maximize energy efficiency and maintain guest comfort.

All of these advances result in a marked decrease in energy usage and pollution by the hotel, Ms. Goldstein reports. They also limit fossil fuel use, energy waste and carbon dioxide production.

Until recently roughly 16,000 gallons of groundwater a day ran under the Mansion House untapped, a nuisance to be pumped away instead of used as a valuable source of "stored solar energy". The recently completed geothermal heat pump system uses this energy source for cooling the guest rooms and common spaces. The heat removed from the hotel by the heat pumps is sent to the groundwater running under the hotel. This heat energy and water is ultimately redistributed back into the water table where it is stored.

A proposed second phase to this geothermal project will expand the system to harvest this heat energy using the heat pumps. Year-round, all of the hotel's domestic hot water and pool heating will come from the "stored solar energy" in the groundwater. In addition, a planned roof top garden, irrigated by the groundwater before it returns to the water table, will supply fresh produce to Zephrus Restaurant.

In the fall of 2007, Martha's Vineyard-based green contractor Nelson Mechanical Design (NMD) met with the owners of the Mansion House, to discuss energy efficiency possibilities at the hotel. Jay McMann, the hotel plant engineer, had attended a geothermal open house that NMD held. Mr. McMann, who also is the principal of a small company that delivers fuel to the hotel, saw that NMD could be of benefit to the Mansion House.

Sherm Goldstein asked NMD to do a study of the Mansion House's energy use and to create a roadmap of how to make the hotel greener. A careful study of the heating, cooling, and hot water systems led to the development of several key projects discussed in an energy proposal that would make the hotel the greenest in Massachusetts – including a geothermal heating and cooling system, a comprehensive control system (DDC or direct digital control), and the use of ground water to heat the pool and domestic hot water.

In 2009, the Goldsteins brought RISE (administering the Cape Light Compact rebate programs) to the Mansion House to work on lighting retrofits. It became apparent that a partnership between RISE and NMD could work to make the Mansion House green vision a reality.

Several projects were proposed and ultimately two were formalized and funded for installation at the Mansion House in 2010. They are the DDC system installation to control and monitor all guest rooms and common spaces, and a geothermal ground water system to retrofit the heating and cooling system. RISE and NMD provided engineering and technical data to support the project applications, and the Cape Light Compact administered their rebate funding program to pay for a significant percentage of the work.

Mansion House Inn, Health Club & Spa will host a reception and presentation on its new geothermal heating and cooling systems, including a questions and answers session with Brian Nelson and Jay McMann, at the Mansion House Inn in Vineyard Haven, Monday, August 23, from 5 to 6 pm.