In March 2010, GAO released a report about its experiences submitting 20 made-up products to Energy Star for certification, highlighting weaknesses in the program, which relies primarily on self-policing by manufacturers to maintain the label’s integrity. These products ranged from the truly ridiculous—a gas-powered alarm clock—to those that seemed believable, but all included fake data that showed performance better than anything currently on the market. According to the report, “GAO found that for our bogus products, certification controls were ineffective primarily because Energy Star does not verify energy-savings data reported by manufacturers.” The program did require confirmation of test results for two products, which were then rejected.

The agencies that oversee the Energy Star program—the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—responded quickly to the findings, changing the program’s policies and the way it approves products. By April 10, 2010, the agencies had stopped approvals of new products through Energy Star’s self-certification and automated-qualification programs (which did not require staff member reviews). The Energy Star program now requires staff review of all products, as well as testing results backed up by reports from independent laboratories.

DOE and EPA began testing products that have already been certified, starting with the most common appliances such as refrigerators, washers, dishwashers, and water heaters. The agencies have also taken action against 35 manufacturers whose products carried the Energy Star label but did not meet Energy Star standards. Among these was LG Electronics, which had 21 refrigerators carrying the label—some sold under the Sears/Kenmore name—that failed to meet Energy Star standards. LG removed the Energy Star labels from those products and signed a memorandum of understanding with testing and certification firms Underwriters Laboratories, Intertek, and CSA International to have all of its products tested to ensure Energy Star compliance.

Energy Star is also strengthening the standards it uses for its homes label. New guidelines for the homes program, which go into effect in January 2011, will require that Energy Star homes exceed the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code by 20%. New requirements include enhanced air sealing and envelope insulation, higher-efficiency heating and cooling systems, and moisture control in the envelope.

Forty years after the first Earth Day, the world is in greater peril than ever. While climate change is the greatest challenge of our time, it also presents the greatest opportunity – an unprecedented opportunity to build a healthy, prosperous, clean energy economy now and for the future.

Earth Day 2010 can be a turning point to advance climate policy, energy efficiency, renewable energy and green jobs. Earth Day Network is galvanizing millions who make personal commitments to sustainability. Earth Day 2010 is a pivotal opportunity for individuals, corporations and governments to join together and create a global green economy. Join the more than one billion people in 190 countries that are taking action for Earth Day.

Who might be interested in Deconstruction Services?

• Those interested in deconstruction for environmental or cost-savings reasons include:
• Present homeowners seeking to expand their current residence
• Purchasers of a property that wish it cleared so they can build a new house on the site
• Builders bidding on a contract with a homeowner to perform a remodeling project or new construction and seeking a competitive advantage by lowering their hauling and disposal costs and providing the owner with a tax benefit
• Speculative builders seeking to lower their hauling and disposal costs, and perhaps earn a tax benefit, for the take-down of a structure on property they intend to erect a new residence

What are the benefits of Deconstruction?

• Makes available used building materials at greatly reduced prices to homeowners, re-modelers, landlords, and rental management companies
• Recycles unusable building materials into mulch, aggregate fill, and reusable metal
• Reduces need for construction & demolition landfill space
• Saves natural resources and embodied energy contained within the reclaimed materials
• Reduces greenhouse gas emission
• Creates new, stable jobs in an growing “green collar” industry
• Produces revenues for nonprofit retail warehouses to use on behalf of their missions
• Generates substantial tax deductions for the property owner
• Performs a structure’s take-down in a manner that is both more environmentally friendly and cost-competitive with traditional demolition

1. Upgrade the mechanical systems

An old furnace or boiler is often the worst energy user in an old house. Many houses built prior to 1920 still have old coal-fired boilers that were converted to gas or oil. These units are workhorses, but use a lot of energy. A new furnace or boiler can save energy dollars right away. Replacing window air conditioners, which we did in all these houses, with a central system also can save energy right away, as long as the ductwork has been placed in the conditioned space. Solar water heating is a good option to add here if you can afford it, but at the very least, upgrade the efficiency of hot water production by coupling the tank to the boiler.

2. Bring the basement and crawlspace inside the house

Warm, dry basements and crawlspaces can extend living and storage space. Wet basements are the source of high humidity levels and discomfort in the summertime in old houses. They also can be the source of mold growth that gets distributed around the house. Spray foam is a fast, effective way to bring these areas into the conditioned space while sealing the leaks between foundation and floor framing.

3. Super-insulate and air-seal the roof

If air leaks in at the bottom of the house, it leaks out at the top, which makes a house cold and drafty in winter. A poorly insulated roof also can make a house hot in summer. Air-sealing is a by-product of good insulating, so it’s really a one-step process. Using spray foam under a roof also can eliminate the need for roof venting, which is tricky in complicated roofs.

4. Replace the windows

With the bottom and top of the house sealed and insulated, the next opportunity is the walls. And old windows are like big holes in the walls. Old windows often leak both air and water into the house while functioning poorly. They might not open and close properly, and can be obscured with storm windows and screens that diminish the amount of light that can enter. Properly installed, Energy Star (or better) windows seal the holes in the walls to keep out water and weather extremes.

5. Insulate the walls

Filling empty wall cavities with cellulose is a cheap, easy, effective way to warm up an old house. Blowing cellulose into existing wall cavities is an art, to be sure, but there are many contractors who have been doing it for years. In fact, there are now inexpensive ways to check with infrared cameras to make sure that all voids have been filled without disturbing the existing plaster or sheathing on outside walls. Because siding or shingles on old houses might also have worn out, we take the opportunity to install foam sheathing on the outside of the house before re-siding.*

6. Buy Energy Star Appliances

A new Energy Star refrigerator will use 15% less energy than a standard model. Replacing old light fixtures with pin-based compact fluorescent fixtures ensures your electric bill will stay lower (up to 30%).

7. Add a renewable-energy source

Once your energy consumption has been reduced significantly, it becomes reasonable to produce your own energy with systems such as photovoltaic, wind power, or hydro, if you happen to have a stream nearby. Until you slash the energy usage, though, it’s not worth the investment in renewable power sources. Conservation is still the cheapest game in town.

*Note to item 5: Go back to Step 1 and reduce the size of the mechanical systems. An airtight house with insulation on all six sides of the cube and good windows provides predictable performance, so the mechanical contractor won’t have to guess at the quality of the enclosure. Downsized mechanical equipment can defray the cost of steps 2-5.