Cozy Home Performance prepares for new Mass Save program option
The long awaited evolution of the Mass Save program is almost here. In July, Massachusetts rate payers will be able to access Mass Save subsidized energy assessments and rebates for eligible energy efficiency improvements using qualified home performance contractors.
Cozy Home Performance has participated in two pilot programs delivering Mass Save home performance services from Nov. 2010 to March 2010. The results have been great! We eagerly await this new program development to deliver rebates to our clients to enable them to achieve ‘deeper’ energy savings and tangible home performance improvements.
All Massachusetts non-low income utility company customers who are not served by municipality owned power companies are eligible for Mass Save services once per year. Historically, several large companies provided all Mass Save sponsored energy audits and sub-contracted out the insulation work. Starting in July there will be an option to utilize qualified smaller companies for both home energy assessment and installation services.
What is Home Performance ?
I like to think of home performance as integrated system dynamics for the home environment in regard to health, comfort, building durability, and energy efficiency. The home environment is a complex system. Building and design practices during the era of cheap oil, never had to fully consider the impacts of doing a sub-standard job. Poorly installed insulation? “Just crank the heat.” Chute vents compressed and failed? “No-one will see, it’s the granite counter tops they care about.” Poor building practices coupled with ill-informed building owners- “I want air-leaks so my house can breath!”- make for a situation where sub-par building practices are the norm. Building practices are driven by profit and during the housing boom, by the real-estate market.
Poor building practices are still rampant. We sometimes stumble upon contemporary houses as leaky as 18th century farmhouses. As the thermal envelope (the building air/vapor/insulation boundary) becomes more efficient and continuous, the need for proper ventilation and healthy indoor living environment becomes more important. Like all complex systems, adjusting one component has greater impact on the other components. This complexity requires a high level of awareness, knowledge, and proven protocols to properly improve the building. Hence the rise of the home performance industry following BPI protocols.
The assessment and retrofit processes, integrated.
Along with this greater complexity comes a greater opportunity to save energy. If a home is approached using principals of building science as the foundation for improvements, a more comprehensive job can be done and great results can be attained- results that noticeably transform the indoor living environment to benefit the occupants. A tangible example is ice damming. Fixing ice damming can often take extensive air-sealing, ventilation redesign, and insulation improvements. Understanding how air moves through the house is important to properly fixing ice damming issues. During the energy assessment process, the root cause of the problem can be identified. Subsequently the remediation, or retrofit, is properly informed- not based on spreadsheet estimating/fixed pricing forms and cookie cutter generic approaches.
In July 2011, Mass Save does Home Performance.
In July after much anticipation, Mass Save, the MA rate-payer funded utility sponsored energy efficiency programs, will be including qualified home performance contractors in the program. Cozy Home is currently registering home owners who would like to leverage Mass Save rebates to achieve significant energy savings and home performance improvements. We can provide a ‘no-cost energy assessment, utility rebates (up to about $2,500 for eligible measures), and qualify homeowners for 0% financing, up to $25k (for eligible measures, to 7 years, must qualify with lender too).
For Western MA building owners who want to significantly improve the performance of their buildings, there is no better time to go through the Mass Save program. Give us a call and if it’s not a good fit, we will give you the number to the appropriate ‘lead vendor’ to receive a standard home energy assessment to still access all the great rebates.
If you drive a hybrid or are considering investing in renewable energy, you should contact a home performance contractor first. Improving the performance of your home will benefit your life, not just your home.
Contact Cozy Home Performance today to learn more.
