As the green jobs movement continues to explore energy-saving solutions, you would be forgiven for misunderstanding certain terms. And you wouldn’t be alone. Some of these terms are broad and difficult to quantify. For example, weatherization--the process of adding insulation and plugging HVAC leaks to save energy--is a concept backed by millions in state and federal energy grants. So rest easy; if environmental concepts confuse you, the
PA Department of Community and Economic Development’s Weatherization office now has a system in place to measure the success or failure of such projects.
Updates to state-wide plans happen all the time but, with alternative energy and green jobs clearly becoming a statewide priority, the DCED is expanding efforts to inform the public of any changes that might affect their lives. On June 23, the department announced that they would be holding a community meeting to lay out changes to the state weatherization plan and take public input and questions.
“Every time we make a change to this plan, we hold a public hearing. It’s a pretty normal thing we do,” says Craig Heim, Executive Director at the
Office of Energy Conservation & Weatherization. “Usually if we are going to see a strong reaction, it will be beyond the public hearings that we have. But there has been a strong reaction to the performance funding.”
Heim refers to a new system his office has developed to create performance-based milestones for weatherization programs based on overall energy savings. Measuring and compiling data for 12 months before weatherization and 12 months after, he says, will give the state a better grasp on the effectiveness of weatherization programs as they look to expand through big business centers and public housing buildings in the next year.
Source: Craig Heim, PA DCEDWriter: John Steele