A Department of Energy-funded program is providing free online education and training on the safety and installation of solar, energy storage, electric vehicle supply equipment, and high-performance buildings (a group of technologies collectively called, “distributed energy resources,” or DERs). The EMPOWERED program, this initiative offers videos, guides, CEU-bearing courses, and more on two websites: CleanEnergyTraining.org and CleanEnergyClearinghouse.org. The EMPOWERED resources …
ICAST Experts Weigh In: What We Can Learn from Other Countries About Scaling Heat Pump Technology
Jeff Hargis | ICAST Senior Technical Project Manager Mr. Hargis supports the organization by leveraging his expertise in energy efficiency, distributed energy resources, and project management to help drive ICAST’s green retrofit projects. Heat pumps for space and water heating are receiving growing attention in the U.S. as a means of cutting greenhouse gas emissions and reducing utility costs. More …
Taking Advantage of Federal Funds to Preserve and Construct Affordable Housing – Lessons Learned from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
If you follow ICAST’s blog, you know we have been hard at work leveraging opportunities created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to scale green solutions in underserved communities. For example, as previously reported, the BIL provided $3.2B for the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) on top of the $1.6B standard WAP …
TBL Fund Experts Weigh In: Driving Energy Retrofits in Multifamily Affordable Housing
Lee Alexander | Finance Manager Mr. Alexander supports TBL Fund by developing and executing corporate strategic initiatives relating to risk and compliance to facilitate growth and to drive process improvements and operational efficiencies. A blog published through the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Better Buildings Solution Center discussed the value of leveraging financing and renovation events to drive low-income multifamily housing …
Case Study: Energy Retrofits in New Mexico
Case Study: Energy Retrofits in New Mexico By Mark Fogarty / NH&RA Issue: April 2023 Solar Panels Come with Home Improvements Residents at three public housing authority properties for Santa Fe County in New Mexico are happy to see solar panels installed on the roofs of their projects, as the arrays also come with 16 additional upgrades for the tenants. The …
Green Retrofits Signal the Future in Cities’ Push Towards Decarbonization
Green Retrofits Signal the Future in Cities’ Push Towards Decarbonization By Abram Mamet / NH&RA April 2023 Green Retrofitting in Practice Well-considered and meaningfully executed retrofits have become increasingly important as communities across the country seek out effective climate resilience strategies. States like Massachusetts, New York, Illinois and Pennsylvania are at the forefront of that movement, having each enacted legislation or …
March 2023 Policy Blog
Kristen Cheriegate | ICAST Policy Analyst ******************* U.S. Department of Energy Launches Community Power Accelerator Prize The Community Power Accelerator Prize is a $10 million prize competition designed to expand the ecosystem of community solar project developers by providing funding, resources, tools, and training to new and established developers. Eligible entities include U.S. community solar developers, including new developers, co-developers …
Pursuing Green Projects: How Multifamily Affordable Housing Can Benefit from the IRA and BIL
Pursuing Green Projects: How Multifamily Affordable Housing Can Benefit from the IRA and BIL by Ravi Malhotra National Housing & Rehabilitation Association, February 2023 The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) dramatically expand opportunities for multifamily affordable housing to pursue green projects via cash rebates, tax credits and other incentives. The IRA is by far the largest investment in …
February 2023 Policy Blog
Kristen Cheriegate | ICAST Policy Analyst ******************* White House Unveils New and Updated Tenant Protections On January 25, the Biden-Harris Administration announced new actions to increase fairness in the rental market and further principles of fair housing. The announcement includes, but is not limited to, the following items: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) …
January 2023 Policy Blog
Kristen Cheriegate | ICAST Policy Analyst ******************* Biden-Harris Administration Announces $45 Million to Support Resilient and Efficient Building Energy Codes Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) has announced $45M in competitive grants to help states and partnering organizations implement updated building energy codes and reduce energy bills. According to U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer …