Obama Plan to Weatherize Buidings & Create Jobs

[John McKenna]

Our Next Free Energy Audit Webinar is Dec 18, 1pm CST

A tidal wave of energy audits and weatherization upgrades are coming! Get ready.

Our Next IR Webinar is Jan 9-19, 2010



Obama Video: (plan to weatherize 1/2 million homes in next year)


Obama Says Energy Efficiency Upgrades Will Boost Jobs (tax cuts coming)


Obama's new plan to create jobs, save energy: Call it cash for caulkers?

Reporting from Washington - Declaring that insulation is "sexy," President Obama today pushed Congress to create a program giving homeowners cash incentives to improve their energy efficiency by replacing windows, caulking leaks and modernizing heaters and air conditioners.

He traveled to a Home Depot store in Alexandria, Va., to pitch a job-creation plan some have dubbed "cash for caulkers" -- government incentives given directly to consumers to spur economic activity, similar to the popular "cash for clunkers" rebates that spurred a surge in auto sales last summer. Obama also held a roundtable at the store that included the chief executive of insulation-maker Owens Corning and a 23-year-old local contractor.

"I know the idea may not be very glamorous, although I get really excited about it. We were at the roundtable and somebody said, 'Insulation's not sexy.' I disagree," Obama told an audience that included Home Depot Chief Executive Frank Blake and workers from the Laborers' International Union of North America. "Here's what's sexy about it: saving money."

He said homes built in the first half of the 20th century use about 50% more energy than those built today. Much of the energy is wasted through leaky roofs and windows. Making homes more energy efficient not only will help the environment, but also will help homeowners save money and boost the economy.

"If you saw 20-dollar bills just sort of floating through the window up into the atmosphere, you'd try to figure out how you were going to keep that," Obama said. "But that's exactly what's happening because of the lack of efficiency in our buildings.

"So what we want to do is create incentives that stimulate consumer spending, because folks buy materials from home-improvement stores like this one, which then buys them from manufacturers," he said. "It spurs hiring because local contractors and construction workers do the installation. It saves consumers money, perhaps hundreds of dollars off their utility bills each year. And it reduces our energy consumption in the process."

Such a program is among several "strategic surgical steps" Obama is pushing to help create jobs as the unemployment rate remains at 10% despite a return to economic growth after the deep recession. Obama sketched those ideas in a speech last week and added more detail to the "cash for caulkers" concept today.

Congress must create such a plan, as it did with "cash for clunkers." Obama said that Owens Corning has seen an increase in exports of insulation to Australia after that country created a weatherization incentive program.

Obama joked that his trip to Home Depot would allow him to do some holiday shopping, such as "a few million energy-efficient light bulbs" for Energy Secretary Steven Chu and "something that will prevent leaks" for White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. But it was insulation that he focused on, saying incentives for consumers to buy it and other home weatherization material would be a "win-win" for the economy and the environment.

"We are going to generate so much business for you, Frank," he told the Home Depot chief executive. "We are going to generate so much work for you guys, from LIUNA. We're going to create . . . so many business opportunities for contractors here that over the course of the next several years, people are going to see this, I think, as an extraordinary opportunity, and it's going to help America turn the corner when it comes to energy use.

"I'm excited about it. I hope you are, too," Obama concluded. "See, I told you insulation is sexy."

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,4079415.story

[John McKenna]

Inspector Outlet.com Has Offered a Special Deal on IR Cameras For Our Students. Contact me for details. 936-546-2435

[Peter C. Russell]

Before anyone goes off half cocked about making a ton of money doing energy audits with thermal imaging you had better do your homework first.

This is a very difficult field to make money in and remember, most all audits are done in house by state employee's. The private sector has yet to catch on and probably won't unless oil goes above 100.00 per barrel.

[Marcel R. Cyr]

John, I just signed up for that energy webinar, and not sure how that works, do you just download the information I was given, and then watch it on Inachi somewhere or what.
Little confused with these webinars.

Thanks.

[ldapkus]

Originally Posted by prussell

Before anyone goes off half cocked about making a ton of money doing energy audits with thermal imaging you had better do your homework first.

This is a very difficult field to make money in and remember, most all audits are done in house by state employee's. The private sector has yet to catch on and probably won't unless oil goes above 100.00 per barrel.

Yeah but don't you have to have an IR camera,specialized training, blower door etc?? Seems like quite a bit of $$$$ to invest and hope someone will pay $300-$400 for an initial audit.

[Peter C. Russell]

Originally Posted by ldapkus

Yeah but don't you have to have an IR camera,specialized training, blower door etc?? Seems like quite a bit of $$$$ to invest and hope someone will pay $300-$400 for an initial audit.

Yes, it's a huge investment and not only that you will need to get certified at the state level, get your DNS number and register with the government.

Not counting my IR training, I've been at this for a solid year and am finally getting work but as a contractor not an inspector.

As far as contracting it's been a worth while investment. I don't see it for inspectors though.

If you want a full time job with the state or a large firm it may not be bad either as they will pick up the tab for training and equipment.

[rspermo]

I make money doing Energy Star Certifications for new construction but not very much doing energy audits (price of electricity in San Antonio is $.075/kw hr).

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Posted yesterday here from the Governor;

http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/...v=Article-2006

Now to figure out a way to get a piece of the pie.

[rbibler]

In the San Francisco/Bay area we have solar companies doing free IR/energy audit jobs to sell there product along with another company that install a reflective product in the attics and they provide free IR energy audit jobs.

I'm going to stick with what I do...

These company are after the work to install of there products. They use cheap cameras with no training.
Its funny to see there 1/2hr T.V. show on Saturday. The guy sets at a table and has his cheap little red camera in his hand waving it around. His camera has an attached lens cover that is flying around the front of his camera as he is talking. Kinda looks like a kids paddle board with a red ball on a string... WHAT A JOKE...

And so the public is taken along for a ride.

It would be fun to go behind them after they have installed there products and do a real energy audit on the home.

Best

Ron

[John McKenna]

Originally Posted by prussell

Before anyone goes off half cocked about making a ton of money doing energy audits with thermal imaging you had better do your homework first.

This is a very difficult field to make money in and remember, most all audits are done in house by state employee's. The private sector has yet to catch on and probably won't unless oil goes above 100.00 per barrel.

Our energy audit class if free. Can't hurt to consider your options.
I know of many who are making money doing energy audits.

[John McKenna]

Originally Posted by mcyr

John, I just signed up for that energy webinar, and not sure how that works, do you just download the information I was given, and then watch it on Inachi somewhere or what.
Little confused with these webinars.

Thanks.

Download the class files before class.... and then...

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JOIN SESSION BY INTERNET (windows or mac)

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Register at this link and follow instructions...

Click To Register For Energy Audit Class

An email will be sent back to you instantly.

1- Click on link in email to prepare your system.

2- Click on link in email to join the meeting session.

3- The Session Program will now open up.

4- Choose "Internet Audio" (when promted).

You can now listen to the webinar and text chat.



For more info see our website at
http://energyauditclass.com

[John McKenna]

Originally Posted by ldapkus

Yeah but don't you have to have an IR camera,specialized training, blower door etc?? Seems like quite a bit of $$$$ to invest and hope someone will pay $300-$400 for an initial audit.

A tiny percentage of the energy audit market is for ENERGY STAR
rating on NEW CONSTRUCTION. This must be done with a blower
door (no IR camera required).

The largest part of the energy audit market is done by those who
are just helping people save money on their utility bills. It can
be done without a blower door (some feel blower doors can suck
in pollutants and mold).

An IR camera helps you find things that a visual energy audit
cannot see. Many feel it does a superior job.

Come to our free energy audit webinar and hear both sides.

http://energyauditclass.com

[Peter C. Russell]

Originally Posted by jmckenna1

A tiny percentage of the energy audit market is for ENERGY STAR
rating on NEW CONSTRUCTION. This must be done with a blower
door (no IR camera required).

The largest part of the energy audit market is done by those who
are just helping people save money on their utility bills. It can
be done without a blower door (some feel blower doors can suck
in pollutants and mold).

An IR camera helps you find things that a visual energy audit
cannot see. Many feel it does a superior job.

Come to our free energy audit webinar and hear both sides.

http://energyauditclass.com

John, you started this thread with " Obama Plan to Weatherize Buildings & Create Jobs"

If anyone expects to do energy audits that are federally or state funded you will need to own and be certified to use a blower door. Most widely accepted certification right now is BPI.

I have already seen clients from my construction company request blower door testing, right now I offer a free energy audit if they hire my company to do the work scope.

As I said before, you won't get the average homeowner to sign up for an energy audit unless they get something free, like rebates from the government, then if it does have a government rebate attached to it you will have to document the air leakage numbers, pre and post with a blower door.

I've been doing heat loss surveys with IR since 2007 and the only time I got busy is when oil was predicted to go to 4.50 per gallon. Now I'm finding that organizations like Leeds, NAHB, BPI, RESNET and a couple of others are all on the weatherization bandwagon and are marketing hard to the consumer about the benefits of an energy audit, so my point is the word is going to get to the consumer about what a real energy audit is, one that shows definitive numbers pre and post.

Here in NH there is a bill going before the house to license energy auditor's. This bill if passed will follow the state and federal guidelines for an audit which includes blower door testing.

I'm not saying that you can't make money at this but you had better have a very strong construction background and be willing to invest in the equipment and training, right now that's BPI.

And finally, let's not even talk about the possibility of Home Depot and Lowe's getting involved and by the looks of the president's news conference yesterday they will be smack dab in the middle of this which will most likely put the little guy like me right out of business

[rbibler]

I'm sad to say but if any money ever gets to any home owners for weatherization its going to be sometime down the road. This president and his office and congress set up a program the help people refinance there homes and I think the count was about 10.000 home owners have got there loans re-done... Thats a joke we have Millions and Millions of home owners that needed help and the help was all twisted up in B.S. and red-tape...

Don't get to excited about what they say look at what they do...

Not Much! sorry to say...

Best

Ron

[ldapkus]

You guys are absolutely right. This will go nowhere fast, you need big money to get started and you need a BPI or similar certification, not an online certification from someone the Gov't does not recognize. I do energy loss audits with IR only but that's a total different ballgame. No Treat reports, blower door etc., just an IR scan to show areas of energy loss. And that only happens during a few cold winter months here in Illinois. We've got one member from Florida selling his blower door in the classified section......HELLO. Peter has been jumping through the hoops to get this far. Before anyone goes out and blows thousands of $$$$$$$ on equipment you better contact Peter and get the straight facts.