LIPA Lauds Brookhaven’s Move to Require E-Star Homes
Will Provide $25,000 Grant to Train Inspectors
Will Do Same for Other LI Munis That Set E-Star Home Requirement
Brookhaven Town Hall – Brookhaven, N.Y. – June 28, 2006 – The Long
Island Power Authority (LIPA) today announced that it would provide a $25,000
incentive grant to any Long Island town or municipality that adopts a mandatory
Energy Star homes requirement in their building codes similar to what Brookhaven
Town is about to do.
LIPA Chairman Richard M. Kessel applauded the Town of Brookhaven’s initiative
to require that new homes built within the town meet New York Energy Star
Labeled Homes criteria, and the broad range of environmental, industry and
business groups that have joined to support the effort. Brookhaven would be the
first town on Long Island to adopt such a measure. Mr. Kessel said he hoped all
towns and villages would adopt a similar measure within one year.
The Energy Star Homes program, developed by the New York State Energy
Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and available on Long Island
through LIPA, encourages home builders to implement the highest standards in
energy efficiency measures, and build homes that use up to 30 percent less
energy compared to conventionally built homes, which provides significant
savings to homeowners on their energy bills over the short and long term.
A local law advanced by Supervisor Brian X. Foley and Councilwoman Connie
Kepert that is being considered by the Town Board would require home builders to
construct new homes in the town to Energy Star standards.
In an effort to assist Brookhaven Town with developing a cadre of trained
specialists who will be needed for this energy efficiency effort that will save
the owners of E-Star-rated homes thousands of dollars in energy costs, Mr.
Kessel announced that LIPA would provide the Town with a $25,000 grant to help
train the raters/inspectors that will be needed to ensure that the new homes
meet the E-Star home standards, as well as local builders. All other Long Island
towns and villages would be eligible for a similar grant if they adopt similar
local laws within 12 months.
Mr. Kessel also commended the Long Island Builders Institute (LIBI) for
cooperating with Brookhaven’s effort and said that LIPA would provide a $25,000
Clean Energy Initiative grant to LIBI to help educate and encourage developers
to construct Energy Star homes once six towns around Long Island have adopted
the Energy Star program as part of their code.
“The best way to secure long-term energy savings in the homes built on Long
Island is to build energy efficiency designs and techniques into their
construction at the outset ,” said Mr. Kessel. “By adopting New York Energy Star
labeled home standards as the minimum criteria for new homes, Brookhaven is
leading the way. Now it’s time for everyone to do the same thing.
“If Long Island is truly committed to reducing our dependence on fossil
fuels, other towns and villages on Long Island should follow Brookhaven’s lead
by adopting New York Energy Star Labeled Homes standards for new home
construction,” said Mr. Kessel. “LIPA will provide training grants to any other
town or village on Long Island that adopts an Energy Star homes program similar
to the one being considered by Brookhaven, as a way to encourage long-term
energy efficiency island-wide.”
“Energy Star building standards are a potential part of the solution to one
of the most serious threats facing our country’s reliance on oil, the pollution
that dependence causes, and the enormous cost of fossil fuels, which will only
increase,” said Supervisor Foley. “Energy Star could save homeowners a great
deal of money in energy costs and could cut pollution dramatically. Adopting
these new building standards could improve national security by reducing our
reliance on foreign oil and decrease pressure on dwindling oil reserves
worldwide. Reducing pollution from power plants will also improve human health.
“More importantly, right here in Brookhaven, we need to find ways to cut
energy costs and make home ownership more affordable for both our young people
and our senior citizens,” said Supervisor Foley. These Energy Star standards
could save homeowners a great deal of money by cutting energy costs long term,
and that will help keep families in Brookhaven.”
“I sponsored this resolution because making Energy Star mandatory insures
that new homes will meet energy code requirements, conserve on the consumption
of fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gases, and make Brookhaven a more affordable
place to live,” said Councilwoman Connie Kepert.
A driving force behind Brookhaven’s effort to adopt Energy Star homes
standards, Neal Lewis, Executive Director of the L.I. Neighborhood Network said:
“The Neighborhood Network is calling upon all Long Island communities to set the
highest energy efficiency standards and utilize the best available technologies
for all newly constructed homes, by adopting the Energy Star requirements as an
integral part of their building codes. No Certificate of Occupancy (C.O.) should
be issued by any town on Long Island for a new home unless a registered Home
Energy Rater first certifies that the home complies with the Energy Star Label.
“With growing concerns over how burning fossil fuels for energy is
accelerating global warming, it is simply no longer acceptable to continue to
build houses that unnecessarily waste energy,” Mr. Lewis said. We have mailed
letters to towns across Long Island and have received a favorable response from
several towns interested in following Brookhaven’s lead. Our goal it to get
every town on Long Island to adopt this new energy efficiency standard for homes
and to thereby set a bold new model for nationwide action.”
“The Long Island Builders Institute encourages ‘green homes’ and Brookhaven’s
Energy Star program,” said Robert A. Wieboldt, LIBI’s executive vice president.
“And we welcome LIPA’s grant to train inspectors, a critical part of the
program. Long Island’s builders hope Brookhaven, and all other towns that adopt
this program, allow for sufficient time to train inspectors and crafts people in
the Energy Star program’s requirements.”
The Long Island Association (LIA), according to vice president Mitchell Pally,
strongly supports Brookhaven’s Energy Star Homes proposal and offered comments
at a recent public hearing on the measure urging its adoption.
The New York ENERGY STAR Labeled Homes program is voluntary and works in
close partnership with participating builders to increase the energy efficiency,
safety, and quality of homes in New York State. Built to higher design standards
with closer attention to construction details, New York ENERGY STAR Labeled
Homes incorporate proven building science practices and new technologies to
strengthen insulation and air sealing properties, lower electrical consumption,
and improve indoor air quality through proper ventilation strategies. Each home
must pass an evaluation by a participating certified Home Energy Rater. This
evaluation includes a plan review, computer-based energy analysis, and a number
of diagnostic tests to verify the home’s performance. |
