WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The lowincome Department of Energys Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) has achieved many notable successes. Claims made earlier today in a report released by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, chaired by Darrell Issa (R-CA), are a rehash of outdated and inaccurate misinformation about the program.

Timothy Warfield, Executive Director of the National Association for State Community Services Programs (NASCSP) issued this statement in response to the report:

The House Oversight Committee was wrong in its characterization of the Weatherization Assistance Program. The program is state-of-the-art and was praised by the Government Accounting Office for influencing the direction of the private sector. While all accusations of inadequate work need to be addressed immediately by local program administrators, we agree with Secretary Chu that these examples cited in the report do not reflect the overall quality and success of the program. These instances are rare exceptions to an otherwise exceptional program.

The Weatherization Assistance Program, which has existed for more than 30 years, has been effective in reaching its goals to make homes of low-income families more energy efficient, safer, and healthier nationwide. As a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding, the Weatherization Assistance Programs network of local providers weatherized approximately 700,000 homes nationwide, more than 100,000 homes than originally projected, resulting in families saving an average of $437 in heating and cooling costs per year at current prices.

Contractors engaged in the weatherization program are highly trained and have access to industry standard curriculum and resources. Weatherization crews use computerized energy audits and advanced diagnostic equipment, such as blower doors, digital combustion analyzers, and infrared cameras, to determine the most cost-effective measures appropriate for each home. To ensure cost effectiveness, crews install only those energy-efficiency measures that are determined by the energy audit to have an energy savings payback greater than the cost to install the measure.

In addition, during this extended period of high unemployment, the Weatherization Assistance Program is the second largest single job-creating program out of approximately 200 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus programs. The most recent results from the fourth quarter of 2011 found that the Weatherization Assistance Program created or retained 13,186 jobs during that period.

NASCSP urges the committee to review the Weatherization Assistance Program in its entirety, including its long history of successes, to give a more balanced depiction of this proven program.

About NASCSP

NASCSP is a professional association whose members are State administrators of the Department of Health and Human Services Community Services Block Grant and the Department of Energys Weatherization Assistance Program.

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Report Paints Inaccurate Picture of State-of-the-Art Weatherization Assistance Program

Ball State is building the nation's largest geothermal heating and cooling system. Image: Wikimedia Commons/Kcflood

MUNCIE, Ind. -- On an unusually warm day on the campus of Ball State University, Jim Lowe is giving a tour of the campus's huge, half-completed geothermal system.

Lowe, the director of engineering, construction and operations for Ball State, peppers his explanation of closed-loop systems, chilling stations and boreholes with banter on college basketball games and the history of the school, founded by the makers of Ball canning jars.

"The irony is, they came here for the natural gas," said Lowe, of the university's founders' arrival to Indiana to take advantage of the fuel for glassmaking. "And now we're using it for renewable energy."

Ball State is building what will be in 2014 the largest district heating and cooling ground-sourced geothermal facility in the United States (ClimateWire, May 29, 2009). Completion of the first phase will allow the university to shut down two of its four coal-fired boilers, cutting carbon emissions in half.

The new system will avoid emitting approximately 75,000 tons of carbon dioxide, as well as 1,400 tons of sulfur dioxide, 240 tons of nitrogen oxide, 200 tons of particulate matter and 80 tons of carbon monoxide. The switch will save Ball State $2 million per year and shelter the university from U.S. EPA's upcoming Boiler MACT regulations for hazardous air pollutants.

Today, the university will announce the unveiling of the second phase of the project with recorded speeches from Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar (R) and a keynote speech by noted renewable energy advocate Amory Lovins, chief scientist at the Rocky Mountain Institute.

Other schools are interested Geothermal systems generate energy thanks to the laws of thermodynamics: Thermal energy -- or heat -- will flow from higher-temperature to lower-temperature objects. In this case, water flows through vertical pipes running underground. In summer, the earth pulls heat out of the water. The resulting chilled water is used in air conditioning systems throughout campus. In the winter, the cold ground creates the opposite effect: It warms water for renewable heat and hot water systems.

The vertical, closed-loop district system -- meaning the warm and cool water it makes does not make contact with naturally occurring groundwater -- will connect nearly 3,600 boreholes, 500-foot narrow vertical wells with loops of pipes surrounded by grout. The boreholes cover 25 to 40 acres, buried under an old soccer field, parking lots and other green fields.

The first phase began in May 2009 and became operational last November. In the second phase, the university will install 780 boreholes of the remaining 1,800 and will build a new energy station with two 2,500-ton heat pump chillers and a hot-water loop around the south portion of campus. Eventually, the system will bring heat to more than 5.5 million square feet.

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How Ball State Will Get Its Heating and Cooling from Underground

ORANGE PARK, Fla. -- Shawn Long says she managed the Orange Park office of Bayside Heating and Cooling since January.

But she abruptly closed the doors last Thursday. She says she stopped getting paid, along with service technicians and other Bayside workers in the area.

She took us back to the office Monday -- her key still works -- and discovered it cleaned out.

"They will reopen. That's their MO. Each office here in Florida has had three or four different addresses where they just close and reopen at new locations," Long said.

She has stacks of paperwork, invoices and work orders dating back to January. Check out the license number that's at the top of all the work orders and invoices from the past few weeks -- CAC1816066. That license belongs to Michael Hubbard of Kissimmee.

Only problem is Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation revoked his license on January 23, which means he's not allowed to operate his A/C business. State investigators determined he wasn't getting permits for the A/C and heating orders.

"I personally asked Michael Hubbard, 'do I need to pull a permit for this install?' And he said no," Long said.

We left several messages with Michael Hubbard and other officials with Bayside Heating and Cooling. No one has called us back.

But others who used to work for Bayside say something is wrong. Larry Hagadorn says he used to schedule repair work, but his last two paychecks were returned due to insufficient funds.

"I started getting suspicious in December of last year when a lot of other employees' paychecks had bounced," he said.

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Workers Say A/C Company Operated without License

GRAND RAPIDS Despite one officials skepticism about the value of geothermal heating and cooling, the city will install the alternative energy systems at two of its fire stations.

The $274,000 project at the Leonard Street and Kalamazoo Avenue stations will be funded mostly by federal stimulus money, with $74,000 coming from the Grand Rapids Fire Department. The geothermal system, which extracts and pumps heat from underground, is expected to reduce energy costs and pay back the city's upfront expense in 7.5 years.

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Still, the payback is much longer when considering the full public investment in the systems.

My job is to be a Grand Rapids (advocate), so if in fact there are federal dollars we need to look at that payback and make an intelligent decision, First Ward City Commissioner Walt Gutowski said. Thats scary, though. You get all this subsidy and its still a 7.5-year payback. Its concerning for me that the technology has so far to go, yet.

They say geothermal is the cats meow, but (from a business perspective) its like buying renewable energy. I dont quite get that one either.

City engineer Mark DeClercq said a 2010 energy audit recommended geothermal systems for five Grand Rapids fire stations: Burton, Franklin, Kalamazoo, Leonard and Plainfield. But the fire department cannot afford to install systems in all five stations, and the stations at 1755 Leonard St. NE and 2541 Kalamazoo Ave. SE are most in need of new systems, he said.

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Allied Mechanical Services, Inc. is the contractor and GMB is the engineer. Gutowski said theres no way Id be supporting it without the federal funding.

That needs to be replaced anyway, said Haris Alibasic, director of the citys energy and sustainability office. Though a geothermal system costs more up front, after 8 years you have electricity almost free on site, he said.

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Geothermal gets cautious buy-in from Grand Rapids commissioner

By Jim Kasuba Twitter: @JKasuba

For decades, naysayers have pointed to their expense, relatively high in comparison to formerly abundant sources of fossil fuels, such as coal and crude oil.

But with those resources dwindling and emerging economies such as China and India competing for limited supplies, fossil fuels are becoming more expensive while several popular green energy technologies are coming down in price.

Cost issues aside, another problem environmentalists have with the burning of fossil fuels is the carbon dioxide they put into the atmosphere, considered to be a major contributor to global warming.

The Energy Information Administration estimated that in 2007 primary sources of energy in the world consisted of petroleum, 36 percent; coal, 27.4 percent; and natural gas, 23 percent. That equates to a total of 86.4 percent of the worlds energy being produced with fossil fuels.

Non-fossil sources include hydroelectric, nuclear, geothermal, solar, tide, wind, wood and waste. However, not all of those are considered renewable energy sources.

Although renewable energy sources constitute only a small fraction of energy being produced in this country, those numbers are on the rise.

Because state law mandates providers of electric service to establish renewable energy and energy optimization programs, its not a question of whether renewable energy should be utilized, but rather a question of which ones to use.

Public Act 295 of 2008 is a law that affects virtually every state resident.

The law requires providers to produce 10 percent of its power by 2015 with renewable sources. It further stipulates that the providers start generating or supplying the green power this year, and gradually phase it in.

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WHAT'S NEXT?: Sources of renewable energy are as old as the sun and wind, but how viable are they?

A new approach on how it cools and heats school gymnasiums has the potential to save the Jackson County School System thousands of dollars from traditional heating and air conditioning systems, according to officials.

The Talmo school would be the first in the district to use such a system instead of standard HVAC units. The proposed system can be typically found in metal warehouses.

Currently, the district uses just fans to cool its school gyms. Some elementary school gyms are warmed by electric heat, while others are heated by gas heat.

Installing a typical HVAC system at NJES would have cost the school system an estimated $90,000, according to a mechanical engineer with Southern A&E the group that handles the districts building projects.

If approved by the BOE next Monday, the project would save the district thousands of dollars because its maintenance crew will install the units at NJES, according to Josh Patton, an employee of the department. The new units could be installed at the school in two to three weeks, he added.

And if that configuration works at NJES, it could be expanded to other school gymnasiums in the district with inadequate cooling such as West Jackson Primary School, Maysville Elementary School, South Jackson Elementary School, Benton Elementary School, West Jackson Intermediate School and West Jackson Middle School.

For those schools, the engineer estimated that installing HVAC units would cost between $65,000 to $120,000 for each school. However, the engineer also said some of the schools may require additional electrical upgrades if HVAC units were installed, which would be another expense.

The heating and cooling system at NJES is just one of several projects that the Jackson County BOE is considering paying for with Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) revenue.

The board cancelled its regular meeting on Monday because of a school holiday and instead will vote on the proposals during another meeting scheduled for Monday, March 19, at 6 p.m.

One item that the BOE is considering is $300,000 in SPLOST revenue to buy remote response systems for SmartBoards in every school.

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BOE considering new cooling system for gym

Echewing worry over the Mayan apocalypse, many New Jersey residents are taking matters into their own hands, saving money and reducing their carbon foot prints, so there wont be anything like an environmental apocalypse.

Families, businesses, and institutions have been adopting cheaper and greener energy systems. Indeed, Wikipedia reports that New Jersey is second nationally in total number of homes and businesses that have solar panels installed.

Here are two brief stories of residents who have made the switch. The stories of business and institutions that have changed over will follow in the next column.

Hedy DiSimoni, a Princeton planning analyst for a manufacturer, wanted to renovate the house she and her two daughters live in. One of her reasons for doing so was to lower her energy bills by making the house tighter and possibly by changing energy systems.

Having heard of the possible benefits of solar power, she began calling contractors who install the panels. She wanted to hear not only their overall price but what services they included, such as applying for approval to the state and township and yearly maintenance. She notes that it is important not only to shop around for the right installer but also to make sure the installer uses the best solar panels.

(One SREC certificate is earned for every 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity generated, and those certificates can be sold directly or through an intermediary back to electricity suppliers, primarily utility companies. The selling price varies widely depending on demand and supply.)

Interest-free loans for this upgrade are also available from the NJ Clean Energy Program, with payback due in 10 years. She pointed out that the township will continue to inspect her system two to three times a year, primarily the metering, while her installer will continue to provide yearly maintenance.

Her goal in installing the solar panels has been reached; she has substantially reduced her electricity bill, and the SRECs offer further income to offset the remaining cost.

William Wolfe, a Princeton architect who has designed or co-designed many local residential, commercial and institutional buildings, including his own handsome borough home, first became intrigued by solar heating as a Princeton University undergraduate taking a drawing course that investigated the effects of sun and shadow on buildings.

Passive solar heating and the shading of windows by overhangs were two of those effects that he eventually incorporated in his designs. He went on to earn his masters in architecture at the university, then worked for a local design firm before forming his own partnership.

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SOLUTIONS: Residential solar heating is catching on

Water heaters can chew up significant energy dollars. In fact, behind heating and cooling your home, the water heater is likely the second biggest energy hog in your home. However, you can lower the amount you spend onheating water by employing three easy tips to lower the demand year-round:

When you lower your water heaters energy demands, youll start seeing the savings immediately.Geisel Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing can help you with these energy-reducing projects. We service Medina, Lorain and Cuyahoga counties in the Greater Cleveland area. Please contact us for more information.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about water heatersand other HVAC topics,download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Geisel Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing services Western Cleveland. Visitour website to see our special offers and get started today! For those Do it Yourselfers who would rather take control of your own indoor comfort, you can shopour online store for replacement parts, products and accessories!

This is a sponsored post. The content above is not directly affiliated with The Gazette, or it's parent and sister entities.

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Water Heaters Eating Up Your Energy Budget? 3 Tips To Reduce Spending

LORAIN Up to 70 trees on Oberlin Avenue are scheduled to be removed to install water lines as part of a road improvement project.

A doomed tree is seen along Oberlin Avenue in Lorain. (CT photo by Evan Goodenow.)

Before the trees are removed, city officials want to hear what citizens think the trees should be replaced with. Public input is being sought when Downtown Review Board members meet 6 p.m. Thursday at City Hall.

Were going to wait to see what the public thinks before going in that direction, Mayor Chase Ritenauer said Monday. The other issue, too, is, when removed and when the water lines are there, what goes back there?

Ritenauer said a city ordinance forbids bushes or shrubs being planted where the trees are removed. He said city officials need to determine how literal the ordinance is.

Lorraine Ritchey, co-chairwoman of the Charleston Village Society, a neighborhood improvement group, said she understands the removal is necessary, but said it will damage the streets image with visitors.

Economically and aesthetically its a loss, she said. I understand we have to have water lines and sewers (but) its just sad.

Renee Dore, Charlestons other co-chairwoman, said she recalls FirstEnergy Corp., removing 14 trees in her 2nd Street neighborhood in 2007 to make way for power lines.

I was just absolutely devastated, she said. My street has never been the same.

Dore said FirstEnergy initially planned to cut 19 trees but negotiated with neighbors to reduce the number. Dore said she is upset the city hasnt discussed the removal more with residents.

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Up to 70 Oberlin Avenue trees to be removed

Homeowners who invest in a geothermal heating and cooling system receive savings not only at the time of installation but well into the future. The system reduces energy consumption, lowers utility bills and increases home resale values.

How it works

A geothermal home comfort system taps into the abundant source of free solar heat energy stored in the earth and uses a series of pipes (called an earth loop) buried in the ground to move that heat into the home during cold weather and remove it during warm weather. This same heat energy can be used for a radiant floor system or domestic hot water heating.

Lower taxes

Homeowners who install a geothermal system before Dec. 31, 2016, can take advantage of a federal renewable energy tax credit that offers a tax incentive of 30 percent of the installed cost of the system. In addition, the credit is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2009, and can be used in combination with utility rebates and other tax incentives, where available, to make geothermal systems more affordable than ever.

Improved economy

Once installed, the system significantly reduces energy consumption, saving homeowners as much as 70 percent on their heating and cooling bills throughout the year. Because geothermal systems use the free renewable supply of energy found in the backyard, the use of geothermal reduces U.S. dependency on foreign oil while encouraging energy production in the United States and helping to create jobs in renewable industries.

Less pollution

Meanwhile, homeowners can reduce their carbon footprints. Thats because geothermal systems do not emit carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide or other greenhouse gases that are considered major contributors to environmental air pollution.

More money and time

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Tap into solar heat energy