Building Certification matters

Customers should use building Certified professionals when retrofits and upgrades are being considered.

More than 20 years ago a group of building tradesmen and weatherization program professionals had a vision for independent, third party verification of worker skills in the weatherization industry. The Building Performance Institute was born from this vision, and, together with scores of pioneering true believers volunteering hundreds of hours of their time, BPI has developed the standards and credentials that set the bar for quality in home performance contracting.

In 1993 BPI was founded to create the industry's first ever Building Performance Field Manual, as a project under New York's NYSTAR program. Within two years BPI had established a "test house" in Glen Falls, New York, to test candidates' skills and training in a real life setting. In 1996 BPI officially incorporated and issued its first certifications for Weatherization Assistance Program auditors and installation personnel. Ever since, BPI has played a pivotal role in the advancement of the weatherization and home performance industry, setting the standards not only for the diagnosis and installation of energy efficiency measures, but for the health and safety protocols critical to house-as-a-system retrofit work.

BPI's 20th anniversary this year is an extraordinary milestone. Today, BPI certified professionals hold over 42,000 active certifications working in all 50 states, U.S. territories and seven foreign countries. Nearly 600 BPI accredited contracting companies perform work according to BPI's third party Quality Assurance Program. And more than 150 energy efficiency programs nationwide specify BPI credentials to ensure quality.

These achievements are possible due to the heroic efforts of so many impassioned contractors, trainers, program managers and others, whose dedication and perseverance has made it possible to accomplish what could only have been described as a dream in the early 90s.

I am certified as a Building Alalyst with BPI and this certification has enhanced my career.

www.williamsairtechnologies.com

2012 / 2013 tax credit extended

Consumer Tax Credit Extended
 We know home performance can be a tough sell. But thanks to Congress' last-minute deal to avert the "fiscal cliff," a $500 tax credit for your customers will make it just a bit easier for you to make your own deal. Take a moment to educate your customers on the importance of these upgrades, and the limited time in which they have to redeem the tax credit. This is an opportunity for you to grow your relationship with your customers, and for your customers to save money on improvements that will make their homes safer and more comfortable places to live. 

The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 passed by Congress on January 3, 2013, provides extensions of energy tax credit provisions that benefit homeowners seeking energy-efficiency improvements. Under section 25C, homeowners can claim a $500 maximum tax credit to cover material costs of energy-efficient upgrades to existing homes for all taxable years. The credit is only redeemable if the upgrades are in place by the end of 2013. 

If a taxpayer has claimed $500 or more of this tax credit in any year prior to 2013, they may not claim any additional credit. For those that remain eligible, the tax credit can be applied to any of the following upgrades:
Insulation - Additional insulation to walls, ceilings, or other part of the building envelope that meets the 2009 IECC (& supplements) specifications.
Windows - 10% of material cost, up to $200 for replacement windows and skylights, and exterior doors that meet EnergyStar requirements.
Windows must be equal to or below a 0.30 U factor and a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) of 0.30. Storm windows that meet the IECC in combination with their paired external window are eligible (taking into account the applicable climate zone). Storm doors paired with U-factor rated wood doors are eligible provided they do not exceed the default U-factor requirement for the combination. See the 2009 IECC for details.
Window Films -The product must meet the requirements of a "qualifying insulation system" and be manufacturer certified.
Home Sealing - Sealing cracks in the building shell and ducts to reduce infiltration and heat loss in a manner consistent with the 2009 IECC.
Electric Heat Pump - Must yield an energy factor of at least 2.0 in the standard Department of Energy test procedure,
Natural Gas & Propane Furnaces - Credit of up to $150 for furnaces that meet an Annual Fuel Use Efficiency (AFUE) 95 or higher. Oil furnaces and gas, oil and propane boilers must meet an AFUE of 90 or better.
Central air Conditioning Units and Air-Source Heat Pumps - Credit of up to $300 for units that meet the highest tier standards set by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) as of February 17, 2009, which in most cases requires a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) of 16.
Natural Gas, Propane, or Oil Water Heaters - Must have an energy factor of at least 0.82 or thermal efficiency of at least 90 percent.
Biomass Fuel Property - A stove that burns biomass fuel to heat a dwelling unit located in the United States and used as a principal residence by the taxpayer; or to heat water for said dwelling unit, and must have a thermal efficiency rating of at least 75 percent.

Chill water verses Conventional DX air-conditioning.

Chill water Cooling verses Direct Expansion (conventional AC)

1/4/2013

A chilled-water applied system uses chilled water to transport heat energy between the air side, chillers and the outdoors. These systems are more commonly found in large HVAC installations, given their efficiency advantages.

The components of the chiller (evaporator, compressor, an air- or water-cooled condenser, and expansion device) are often manufactured, assembled, and tested as a complete package within the factory. These packaged systems can reduce field labor, speed installation and improve reliability.

Alternatively, the components of the refrigeration loop may be selected separately. While chilled water systems are rarely installed as separate components, some air cooled chillers offer the flexibility of separating the components for installation in different locations. This allows the system design engineer to position the components where they best serve the space, acoustic, and maintenance requirements of the building owner.

Another benefit of a chilled-water applied system is refrigerant containment. Having the refrigeration equipment installed in a central location minimizes the potential for refrigerant leaks, simplifies refrigerant handling practices, and typically makes it easier to contain a leak if one does occur.

Factors affecting the decision to select Direct Expansion V Chilled Water Applied systems include:

1. Installed Cost
2. Energy consumption
3. Space requirements
4. Freeze prevention
5. Precision
6. Building height, size, shape
7. System cooling and heating capacity
8. Centralized maintenance
9. Stability of control
10. Individual tenant billing

Williams Air Technologies LLC offers a comprehensive design and energy analysis to help you consider all factors in selecting the correct type of system for your project.

Visit our website at www.williamsairtechnologies.com.

Small business can reduce unemployment.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO REDUCE UNEMPLOYMENT BY USING UNEMPLOYMENT DOLLARS?

Is it possible to significantly reduce America's unemployment along with unemployment benefits at little or no addition to deficit or burden to the tax payer? I think so and it is not as difficult as our experts make it to be.

And since am not even close to being an expert I am going to out line my case in very simple terms.

First a working database of all small business that were in operation continuously for 5 years prior to 2008 should be compiled.

Next a database of all unemployed from 2008 to 2012 showing demographics, experience and qualifications should also be complied. I know someone id going to say that the information already exist. This information should be precise and reliable.

Then everyone that is being paid unemployment should be matched against data the employment database. Matches from this database should then be compared to the small business database.

Now small business must be reclassified for this to work. A small business should be classified as employing 200 persons or less.

Unemployment monies paid to the unemployed candidate should be made available to the small business to aid with the employment cost of the unemployed. Also small businesses in need of managerial expertise would be able to shop the database,

Projected savings with the program should be used on a revolving basic to further assist these small business with growth and development.

The unemployed worker could continue to shop for other employment or remain with the company if growth potential exists. The small business should be given two years to solidify its position and should be able to show encouraging growth potential during that period.

Lets face it; these individuals possess great skills, qualifications and or experience. They are already being paid all be it at a reduced rate. In many cases their involvement could change the profile of small companies making competitive and able to appreciate their market share in their line of of work. Some of these workers will not be returning to their past positions and risk accepting jobs at reduced rates. Many might be in search of new careers.

I believe using monies already budgeted for unemployment to aid small businesses and increase employment and personal self esteem would benefit the country greatly.

We have to put people back to work and we cannot continue to do it on a charitable basis. There are thousands of middle age workers being retrained without the prospect for finding employment in the near future. There are many business on the verge of going under due to not being able to meet labor costs and employ the numbers necessary to turn the corner and become profitable. Institutions like SBA are a night mare to deal with. Many companies have had their credit destroyed because of the economic situation of the country.

Unemployment benifit can reduce unemployment

Customers have lots to loose when they employ unlicensed HVAC contractors.

HOME OWNERS HAVE ONLY THEMSELVES TO BLAME FOR PROBLEMS ARISING AS A RESULT OF THEY EMPLOYING UNLICENSED CONTRACTORS TO DO HVAC REPAIRS.

Home owners should not employ unlicensed HVAC contractors to undertake paid HVAC work at their homes and businesses. Besides being a safety issued unlicensed contractors do not carry insurance and cannot honor warranties. Their work may be cheaper because they carry no responsibilities. Insurance companies will not cover defects or home incidents that resulted after work was undertaken by unlicensed contractors. It is not worth the risk to personal life, life of animals and property to have unlicensed contractors undertake HVAC work. Also unlicensed contractors are usually unstable and are unable to be reached to undertake repairs.

The Texas the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Enforcement Division carries out “stings” across the state to catch unlicensed businesses offering to perform air conditioning services. It is against the law to perform air conditioning (A/C) service or maintenance without a license.
The following individuals were caught in TDLR “stings” during the first quarter of 2012:
Costco Wholesale Corporation                                                                                                       Houston
Anthony Pena                                                                                                                                     Houston Austin’s Affordable A/C & Heating (Marc T. Wyatt)                                                                       
 Houston
Precision Air Conditioning & Heating Services (Juan Gonzalez)                                                Houston Fernando A/C Refrigeration (Gerzoon F. Calderon)  
 Houston
Long’s A/C & Heating Service (Thomas V. Long)                                                                           Houston
Donnie Norris                                                                                                                                       Houston
Phillips Mechanical (Russell Phillips)                                                                                             Houston
Santos Air Conditioning & Heating (Santos Clemente Paiz)                                                         Houston
TanGar Enterprises (Garnett D. Dubose)                                                                                        Houston
Men on a Mission (Delmer W. Hunter)                                                                                               Houston
Renaissance Building and Design (Brian Thomas Tow)                                                              Houston

EPAn EPA certification is needed for certain home painting jobs.

EPA LAUNCHES NEW LEAD CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT

By Peter Landau, Editor, Indoor Comfort News

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that renovation, repair and

painting of pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities for compensation must now be

conducted using safe practices to protect children and pregnant women from exposure to

lead-based paint.

EPA proposed the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP), which require

contractors to be trained and certified in lead-safe work practices, in 2006. In 2008, EPA

finalized the rule and set April 22, 2010 as the implementation date. To date, EPA has

certified 204 training providers who have conducted more than 6,900 courses, training an

estimated 160,000 people in the construction and remodeling industries to use lead-safe

work practices.

According to the Federal Register, the opt-out provision that currently exempts a firm

from the training and work-practice requirements of the rule where the firm obtains a

certification from the owner of a residence he or she occupies that no child under age six

or pregnant women resides in the home and the home is not a child-occupied facility is

removed effective July 6, 2010.

Federal law requires that individuals receive certain information before renovating six

square feet or more of painted surfaces in a room for interior projects or more than twenty

square feet of painted surfaces for exterior projects or window replacement or demolition

in housing, child care facilities and schools built before 1978.

 Contractors who perform renovation, repairs and painting jobs in pre-1978

housing and child-occupied facilities for compensation must, before beginning

work, provide owners, tenants and child-care facilities with a copy of EPA’s lead

hazard information pamphlet “Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard

Information for Families, Child Care Providers and Schools,” dated April 10,

2010, before starting work. It is available here:

www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovaterightbrochure.pdf. The brochure is expected to

be amended sometime in July.

 Child care facilities, including preschools and kindergarten classrooms, and the

families of children under six years of age that attend those facilities; renovators

must provide a copy of this pamphlet to child care facilities and general

renovation information to families whose children attend those facilities.

Certification is a two-stage process, beginning with individual certification that requires

one member of the contracting firm take an accredited eight-hour training course, pass an

exam and be entered into an EPA Headquarters database in Washington, D.C. The

individual will get a photo identification card and a Certificate

Homes owners should be vigilant and ensure contractors are certified prior to they undertaking home painting jobs. If your home was constructed before 1978 the possibility exists that lead paint was used. Lead has been proven to be hazadorous especially to children.

Jules Williams.

Building Analyst.