Home Performance Advocacy
The Home Performance Coalition is a leading advocate for residential energy efficiency programs in Washington, D.C. and the states. We are closely engaged with key decision makers in the Administration, Congress and state agencies and commissions to educate them on the importance of home performance, the obstacles facing the home performance industry, and the policies that can break down barriers and advance home performance at the federal, state and local levels. HPC’s advocacy activities include the following policy areas:
Budget Requests and Appropriations
HPC works closely with Administration officials as well as House and Senate appropriators to ensure that key home performance agencies, programs, and initiatives are provided with the funds they need to advance home performance across the country. For example, Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) funding provides cost-effective energy savings to low income American families and communities. It also provides additional health and safety benefits and supports construction jobs. HPC educates decision makers and stakeholders of these and other benefits of DOE programs, including:
- Residential Building Integration
- Weatherization Assistance Program
- State Energy Program
- Energy Productivity Innovation Challenge
HPC also plays a key role in educating policymakers about the importance of these programs to the home performance community at the state and local level through the submission of congressional testimony each fiscal year to describe state and local support for energy efficiency program funding.
Weatherization
The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) helps low income families save hundreds of dollars on their bills every year by making their homes more energy efficient. HPC fights to keep WAP authorized and fully funded. WAP not only saves precious income for low income families, but also improves the health and well-being of low income residents, especially those most vulnerable, such as children and the elderly.
HPC also plays a key role in convening members of the home performance and weatherization communities to develop best practices for working together to ensure private sector engagement and common guidelines and training for WAP contractors. HPC serves as a liaison between the home performance contractor and low income communities, facilitating ongoing dialogue, collaboration, and policy development to advance shared goals.
Legislation
Home Performance Incentives
Providing incentives for home performance retrofits remains an important driver for home performance market growth. Performance-based incentives are technology neutral, align financial investment with the public good achieved, push industry and markets to innovate, and keep pace with changes in technology and market adoption. Whether in the form of a rebate or tax credit, an incentive for a home performance retrofits encourages contractors and homeowners to choose the best energy performing solutions for an individual home to save money, create jobs, and protect the environment. Learn more.
PACE
Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) is a unique financing tool that allows local governments to help homeowners afford home energy efficiency projects. Through the PACE financing mechanism, homeowners make energy efficiency improvements to their home at no upfront cost and pay back the cost over time through their property tax bill. Learn more.
Data Access
HPC has been working to advance the dialogue about the role of smart grid and home energy management technologies in home performance. As smart grid technology advances to gather data that can be used to meter and measure energy efficiency, new methodologies emerge to support policy to advance home performance. Learn more.
Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2016
The Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2016 represents the first real chance of enacting comprehensive energy reform since 2007. The bill includes an entire title on energy efficiency, which includes reauthorization of the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and the State Energy Program (SEP), updated building codes, additional assistance to states in the development and implementation of building codes, and a number of other measures to increase energy efficiency across a variety of sectors. Learn more.
SAVE Act
Energy efficiency is often invisible and thus difficult to value in a home sales transaction. Including expected energy costs in the determination of home value and affordability would greatly improve the accuracy of mortgage underwriting and accelerate the supply and demand for energy efficient homes. Learn more.