Efficiency First

August 30, 2010 Getting Gold Star Ready: Roadmap to Accreditation with Building Performance Institute for Rocky Mountain Region Home Improvement Contractors When: Tuesday, August 31, 2010; 10:00 a.m. (Mountain) Who: This is a regional presentation especially for Rocky Mountain Region area home performance contractors, but open to anyone nationwide. Hosted by Building Performance Institute with [...]

August 26, 2010 For More Information: Contact Jared Asch 415-728-9775 Washington, DC — Today Efficiency First, founded 18 months ago, is proud to announce we are 1,005 members strong. The association is composed of the Home Performance Workforce including contractors, energy auditors, training providers and nonprofit entities and other companies who have come together to [...]

Congratulations to the three new Efficiency First Board Members Efficiency First has 17 national board members, learn more about them and the staff please visit us visit us at www.efficiencyfirst.org/contact Brain Bovio, Bovio Advanced Comfort and Energy Solutions — Sicklerville, NJ Jonathan Cohen, Imagine Energy, LLC — Portland, OR Peter Van Buren, TerraLogos Energy Group [...]

Vice President Biden Releases Report on Recovery Act Impact on Innovation August 24, 2010 Vice President Joe Biden today unveiled a new report, “The Recovery Act: Transforming the American Economy through Innovation,” which finds that the Recovery Act’s $100 billion investment in innovation is not only transforming the economy and creating new jobs, but helping [...]

Efficiency First’s Best Practice Working Group Monthly Digest – August 2010 What our nine Best Practice working groups have been working on: Business Models Developing two white papers i.      In-home protocol on how to up-sell ii.      Guidelines for effective business practices – How to run a business 201/301 Finance and Incentives Submitted PACE memo for [...]

U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, who represents Iowa’s first Congressional District, spent some time last week talking to his constituents about the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act now pending in Congress. In a public appearance at a Lowe’s home improvement store in Dubuque, Braley told supporters that the bill would allow homeowners to “make informed choices [...]

Have you ever tried to look up home performance terms Online? Efficiency First’s Best Practice Committee on marketing is working to define these terms and post them on Wikipedia. Our Marketing Team is also working to create a tri-fold and standard Web language for contractors & auditors to use for customers. The goal, one piece [...]

Do you know Efficiency First has several working groups to serve the needs of our members. These groups are composed of contractors, auditors, trainers, program managers and others just like you – experts in each area. http://www.efficiencyfirst.org/take-action/best-practices/ Finance & Incentives Marketing Workforce Development Business Models and Contractor Tools Software & Technology Multi-Family Homes Low Income [...]

The Environmental Energy Technologies Division of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif., has issued a PACE Status Update that clearly analyzes the current regulatory impasse regarding property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing. Most PACE programs halted abruptly this summer following a July 6 letter from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) that essentially [...]

Do you know about Efficiency First’s research reports? We publish under our research sister organization www.hprcenter.org the Home Performance Resource Center. On it you will find a significant amount of research and guidance put together by Efficiency First staff and members who belong to the working groups. Topics include: Guidance for Home Energy Program Design [...]