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ND expects another $12.5 million for low-income home weatherization

BISMARCK (AP) — North Dakota is in line for another $12.5 million in federal stimulus money to weatherize low-income homes.

Federal Energy Secretary Steven Chu says North Dakota has completed weatherization work on more than 900 homes, or about one-third of the homes planned for the work with the initial $12.5 million. He says that makes the state eligible for the second half of the grant.

The state's congressional delegation says the assistance program is important because home heating during a North Dakota winter can take a big bite out of a family's budget.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. Courtesy The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead

 

  Home Star Advances as Part of New Senate Bill

(Window & Door, August 4, 2010) 

Already passed by the House of Representatives, Home Star legislation advanced in the Senate last week as part of the Clean Energy Jobs and Oil Company Accountability Act. Introduced by Majority Leader Sen. Henry Reid (D-Nev.), the bill represents a stripped-down energy bill with additional elements designed to address the Gulf oil spill. 

Senate Democrats hoped it could be passed before Congress's August recess. Yesterday, however, they found they could not muster a filibuster-proof majority.  Now, they are looking to bring the legislation back in September.

Applauding inclusion of Home Star in the bill, the Alliance to Save Energy says the program, which offers rebates to homeowners who make energy efficiency home improvements, could create as many as 168,000 American construction jobs over the next two years.

Like the House version of Home Star passed in May, the Senate bill would provide rebates to homeowners who retrofit their homes with energy-efficient equipment and materials, including windows, doors and skylights, as well as insulation, heating and cooling equipment and other products. The legislation would create two rebate programs. The first, Silver Star, is targeted at specific improvements, and would offer rebates of up to $3,000 per home. The second, Gold Star, would offer up to $8,000 per home for whole-house reductions in energy use.

Under the Silver Star program, eligle improvements include:

Noteworthy in those requirements are the use of the .30/.30 criteria established for window tax credits under the American Recovery and Restoration Act, as is the case in the House version of Home Star. 

"Home Star is good policy, but even better practicality in its ability to deliver a triple win for America—it creates clean energy jobs for our nation's skilled construction workers and at U.S. manufacturing facilities, it benefits homeowners through comfort and energy efficient improvements to their homes, and it helps the environment through long-term energy efficiency gains," said Larry Laseter, president of WellHome, representing the Home Star Coalition at a press conference with Senate leadership.  "I'm honored to represent the more than 2,600 members of the Home Star Coalition and the millions of families across America that will benefit from this important bi-partisan legislation."

"I am a second-generation insulation contractor with branch operations in Arizona, Nevada and California," added Jeff Banker of Banker Insulation in Phoenix, Ariz., and president of the Insulation Contractors Association of America, also represented at the conference. "Passage of the Home Star legislation would enable our family-owned business to hire contractors in all of our locations. I urge the Senate to please help small businesses across America by passing Home Star."

When initially introduced in the Senate, Home Star enjoyed bi-partisan support with more than 30 co-sponsors.  It also has the support of a broad range of business and environmental groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club.

The fate of the current Home Star bill remains unclear. Sen. Reid had hoped the legislation could get through the Senate quickly, but decided against bringing it forward for a vote yesterday after it failed to get Republican support and was also opposed by some Democrats from oil states. Senate Democrats are now looking at further compromise efforts and bringing the legislation forward again in September.

 

  REHAU Becomes Official Partner of ENERGY STAR

REHAU Becomes Official Partner of ENERGY STAR

REHAU is officially listed as a partner of ENERGY STAR for windows and doors since the beginning of June. Being an ENERGY STAR partner allows us to differentiate ourselves from the competition as a leader in energy-efficient solutions and as a company who cares about the environment.

 

  Clarifying Lead Rules

(6/29/10 - DWM Magazine) When the EPA issued a memo recently stating it would not enforce the lead certification requirement until later this year it created some confusion. So to clarify, if you’re already certified as certified renovator you still have to follow lead-safe work practices. However, if you are not trained as a certified renovator, the agency will not take enforcement action for violations of the RRP Rule’s firm certification requirement until October 1, 2010. Additionally, EPA will not enforce the rule against individual renovation workers if the person has applied to enroll in, or has enrolled in a certified renovator class to train contractors in practices necessary for compliance with the final rules, before or on September 30, 2010. Renovators must complete the training by December 31, 2010.

Many who read DWM’s story on this subject voiced their concerns on our site. You can read all the comments HERE. Basically many feel they are at a disadvantage for being proactive and going through the training while others took a wait-and-see attitude, which, in the end, bought them some time.

All throughout this process companies have talked about the huge effect this will have on the door and window industry. Our newsletter includes two stories this week of lumberyards around for more than 30 years and 100 years that had to close their doors. These closures weren’t related to the lead requirements, as they seemed to be related to the economy and housing conditions, but it just made me hope that this is an unfortunate coincidence and we won’t see more stories of closures in the coming months. Hopefully, things are starting to turn around for those on all sides of the supply chain.

 

  EPA Changes RRP Enforcement Deadline

(June 18,2010 - Remodeling Magazine by Stacey Freed) The EPA today announced changes to the Renovation Repair and Painting Rule's firm certification requirement. The EPA will not take enforcement action for violations of the rule until October 1, 2010.

The announcement also states that EPA won’t enforce against individual renovation workers if that person has applied to enroll in, or has enrolled in, by September 30, 2010, a certified renovator class. Renovators must complete the training by December 31, 2010.

Both remodeling industry associations -- NAHB and NARI – which, along with other associations and organizations in the building industry, have been lobbying for months to have the rule changed applaud the action. “This is what we’ve been asking for since before April 22 [the original deadline] when we went to Congress and walked the halls,” says Dave Merrick, chair of the government affairs committee for NARI national and owner of Merrick Design and Build in Kensington, Md.

“This is really good news,” says Donna Shirey, chair of the NAHB Remodelers and owner of Shirey Contracting, Issaquah, Wash. “It allows contractors and companies to have more time to be certified. And they’re not putting companies in jeopardy because of the lack of trainers—which has been an issue. Some states have no trainers at all.”

However, remodelers need to observe caution. While the wording appears positive on the surface, attorney DS Berenson, whose Washington, D.C.-area firm Johanson Berenson serves many in the building industry, worries that this may lead to unnecessary risk exposure. "There’s a conudrum now. A contractor is still suppsed to test and do lead safe work practices but doesn’t have the registration to do that," Berenson says. "Now he or she is ’m libel for doing lead safe practices even though he or she is not licensed to do lead safe practices. It opens you up to liaibilty exposure from the EPA, the homeowner and the 1-800-sue-your-lawyer."

EPA's announcement can be downloaded by clicking here. For more information on compliance with the RRP, click here

 

  Minnkota Windows Qualify for Federal Tax Credit

Fargo, ND - After the most recent round of tests have been completed, Minnkota Windows' Single Hung and Single Slider windows now qualify for the Federal Tax Credit criteria under the bill passed in 2010.

Previously, no test data was available on these products for the LoE 366 glass.  This new data confirms these windows now meet the .30/.30 for the credit.

Click here to see the full list of qualifying windows under the Federal Tax Credit requirements as they pertain to Minnkota Windows.

 

  Minnkota Windows Completes Offering of Exterior Finishes

6/1/10 - Fargo, ND: Minnkota Windows is excited to announce the addition of Double Hung, Double Slider and Triple Slider to the product line of exterior coated finishes.  Previously, Minnkota Windows offered Casement, Awning, Picture Window and Patio Doors in five exterior colors.  This completes a full product line of Brown, Dakota Sand, Mocha, Forest Green and Bronze.

 

  Clear Advantage Screen Now Standard on Minnkota Windows

Click here for more information on the new standard for Minnkota Windows' screens.

 

  House Passes Homestar Legislation

(May 7, 2010 - DWM Magazine) The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act yesterday. The Home Star program described in the bill will provide temporary rebates for energy-efficient doors and windows and other energy-saving items.

During the first year after the legislation passes, the Silver Star program would award rebates to homeowners for the following actions:

- A window replacement that replaces at least eight exterior windows or skylights, or 75 percent of the exterior windows and skylights in a home, whichever is less, with windows or skylights that are certified by the National Fenestration Rating Council and comply with criteria applicable to the windows and skylights in the tax credit program (included in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, section 25 (c)); and

- A door replacement that replaces at least one exterior door with doors that comply with criteria applicable to doors under section 25(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

Rebates also would be provided for storm windows meeting certain conditions. (CLICK HERE for full text of legislation.)

The rebate would be $1,000 per measure for windows, and $125 per door for the installation of a maximum of two ENERGY STAR® doors per home. The maximum amount of rebates provided for a home is set at $3,000 or 50 percent of the total cost of the installed measures—whichever is less. Likewise, the legislation notes that if the net value to the homeowner of the rebates is less than the amount of the rebates—the actual net value would be the maximum amount of the rebate.

In addition, under the Gold Star Home Energy Retrofit Program, rebates would be awarded to reimburse participating accredited contractors and vendors for retrofit work that achieves whole home energy savings,

“The Home Star Energy Retrofit Act is a common sense bill that will create jobs, save consumers money, and strengthen our economy,” said President Obama in a statement issued late yesterday. “I commend the House on passing this bill, and I particularly want to thank Congressman Peter Welch of Vermont for all of his hard work on this issue … This rebate program will not only put people back to work, it will lower costs for homeowners who choose to improve their home with products like energy-efficient windows, water heaters and air conditioners. And it will also save consumers money on energy bills down the road.”

The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association also issued a statement applauding the passage of the legislation this morning.

“The building material industry has experienced significant job loss during the housing and economic crisis of the past few years. Retailers of building materials alone have lost over 140,000 jobs since 2006,” says NLBMDA President Michael O’Brien. “Incentives for improving home energy efficiency, such as those that would be created by the Home Star program, are powerful tools to drive consumer purchases that in turn drive the restoration of jobs across the building supply chain.

The bill, which passed the House with a vote of 246-161 yesterday, still must go to the Senate for review prior to final passage.

 

  1 1/2" Retro Brickmould Now Available

5/3/10: Fargo, ND - Minnkota Windows is proud to announce the introduction of the long-awaited 1 1/2" Retro Brickmould (BM).  The 1 1/2" Retro BM is a great addition to the existing family of exterior brickmoulds and joins the 2" Retro, Standard 1 1/2", 2" BM and 2" BM with sloped sill.

This new offering has the same functionality and sleek design as the 2" Retro BM giving the maintenance-free aspect of PVC along with the look of mitred wood.  It will also allow more opportunities to use a 2 1/4" casing versus choosing a wider casing around the interior of the window frame.

The removable cap allows for trouble-free fastening of the window to exterior of the home and eliminates the need for custom wrapping exterior at installation.  This also allows for installation adjacent to existing siding for remodeling applications without disturbing the existing exterior of the home.

 

  Lead Paint Rules Take Effect With No Opt-Out Provisions

(April 22, 2010: Window & Door Magazine) With the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule going into effect today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the elimination of the "opt-out" provision. It also announced plans to add "dust wipe" testing requirements and its " intention to regulate renovations on the exteriors of public and commercial buildings." The announcement with this information appeared on the Lead in the News page of the EPA Web site in the morning. It was removed later and did not return by close of business. Calls to the EPA press office asking for an explanation were not returned. The fact that the announcement that appeared on the EPA site was taken down could be the result of a procedural issue and "may not mean anything," states David Walker, vice president of the Window & Door Dealers Alliance. "The announcement could, however, have also featured material misrepresentations. That gives us some hope." Mary Beth Husey, executive vice president of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, sent out a letter at the end of the day noting the "curious incident" as well. "We will continue to monitor the EPA and keep you informed of all developments," she noted. "Please comply with all requirements of the rule; effective today, the rule is the law," Husey stated as well. "This is just another example of how poorly the EPA has communicated this message to our industry," comments Ty Schwartz, vice president of sales and marketing at Gorell Windows & Doors, on the situation with EPA posting the announcement and then withdrawing it. With the elimination of the "opt-out" provision in the final rule, "renovation firms will no longer be exempted from the training and work practice requirements of the RRP rule by obtaining certification from the owner of a residence that no child under age six or pregnant woman resides in the home and the home is not a child-occupied facility," the EPA statement said. Although the announcement comes today, the end of the opt-out provision would not go into effect until 60 days after publication in the federal register, where it has not yet appeared. "To strengthen the 2008 RRP rule," EPA also proposed requiring renovation firms to perform dust wipe testing after certain renovations and provide the results of the testing to the owners and occupants of the building. Further details are not yet available, but the EPA site stated that "for a subset of the dustiest renovations, renovation firms would have to demonstrate, through dust wipe testing, that the dust lead levels remaining after the renovation are below the regulatory hazard standards." The agency also said it will take comments on the "dust wipe testing" proposal for 60 days and expects to finalize the rule by July 2011. Finally, EPA issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to announce EPA's intention to regulate renovations on the exteriors of public and commercial buildings. The advance notice also announced EPA's investigation into lead-based paint hazards that may be created by renovations on the interior of these public and commercial buildings. If EPA determines that lead-based paint hazards are created by interior renovations, EPA will propose regulations to address the hazards.

 

  Remodeling Growth: It's Back!

(4/21/10) by Leah Thayer, Remodeling Magazine: For the first time since 2006, home improvement spending is on the upswing. Annual growth will be nearly 5% in 2010, and all signs suggest that the positive trend will continue in 2011, according to the latest Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA), released today by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. The news comes as some relief to industry observers. “Like everyone else, we’ve been waiting for the market to turn,” says Kermit Baker, director of the Harvard program. “The only modest surprise is how steep the uptick is,” particularly as the fourth quarter “takes us into positive territory” and growth continues in 2011. Conducted quarterly, the LIRA is comprised of eight data points that affect home improvement spending. These include shipments of building materials (Census Bureau), the Pending Home Sales Index (National Association of Realtors), the Remodeling Market Index (future business expectations, National Association of Home Builders), and the 30-year Treasury Bond yield (Federal Reserve Board). Of all these indicators, the leading mover for the latest LIRA is pending home sales, which Baker says are “moving very strongly.” The Remodeling Market Index provides a significant lift as well, especially since it was “very depressed for such a long period.” Baker also cites low interest rates, but notes that these are beginning to climb again. Major problems in the housing industry remain, Baker says, especially the massive inventory of homes for sale. The potential upside of this for remodelers is that “many of these homes will need to be fixed up before they can be sold.” He also points to continued volatility in the materials market, such as metals and lumber. “The market has been weak for so long that it probably shuttered a lot [of materials production], and it takes a while to get the capacity back up,” Baker says. “If demand comes on faster than manufacturers expect, there could be another round of materials inflation. That would be quite ironic.” --Leah Thayer is a senior editor of REMODELING.

 

  Senate Bill Brings Back Energy Star Criteria for Tax Credits

March 15, 2010 - Government The Window and Door Manufacturers Association is applauding the passage of legislation by the U.S. Senate last week that would replace the .30/.30 standard to qualify for a $1,500 tax credit with the 2010 Energy Star standards for windows, doors and skylights. The legislation, sponsored by Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), had wide bipartisan Senate support as well as broad support from the manufacturing, retail, small business, and window, door and skylight industry, WDMA reports. "WDMA commends the Senate, and Senators Rockefeller and Grassley in particular, for passing this important amendment, which will allow American manufacturers to create more jobs, and as a result, provide a much-needed economic boost for the entire housing industry and help to solidify the emerging, yet tenuous, recovery," said WDMA Chairman Steve Tourek, senior vice president of Marvin Windows & Doors. "This is welcome news for low- and middle-income consumers who will have not only more options for energy-efficient windows, but also, these consumers will be able to choose windows that are appropriate to their region of the country. Simply put, more energy-efficient products produced by more manufacturers available to more consumers is a win-win-win for the American economy." The change to the tax credit criteria does not have universal industry support, however. According to a blog in The Hill, Andersen Windows opposes the change. The company argues that with only months left before the tax credits expire at the end of 2010, a change in the requirements would simply create confusion in the market at this point, it is reported. The Senate-passed amendment now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration. This legislation would apply only to purchases made in 2010 after it is signed into law, WDMA reports. In addition, there would be a three-month phase in where both products would qualify. The legislation to change the tax credit criteria to 2010 Energy Star was included as an amendment to the Senate's tax extenders bill. Meanwhile, the draft Home Star bill introduced for discussion in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committe includes the .30/.30 criteria.

 

  New Exterior Colors for 2010!

1/20/10: The introduction of Bronze, Forest Green and Mocha joins Brown and Dakota Sand as our newest exterior color finishes. These new colors are available on our casement, awning, picture window and patio door lines. The five new exterior color finishes carry a 15 year warranty which, like the rest of the Minnkota Windows Limited Lifetime Warranty, is the best in the industry. See a Minnkota Windows representative near you for actual color samples.