The state is readying a new borrowing program that some municipal governments have shown an interest in tapping to improve energy-efficiency at public buildings.

The Alaska Housing Finance Corp. said the program — an account for governments and the university system to borrow for energy-efficiency remodeling — should open by October. The corporation is collecting public comment through July 7 on regulations behind the plan, a spinoff from a federal stimulus grant that would model broader programs seen around the country.

“We don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” said Bryan Butcher, a spokesman for the housing corporation, citing successful precedent elsewhere. “We think it’s really going to play a substantial role in reducing energy (costs) in the state as well as producing jobs.”

An Anchorage lawmaker says he’ll file a bill offering middle class homeowners — strapped for cash and still reeling from high energy costs — a back door into energy efficiency upgrades.

We reported recently on the lack of follow through by thousands of Alaskans who started a home energy efficiency rebate program, funded by the Legislature and managed by Alaska Housing Finance Corp. Those who start with a baseline efficiency audit have 18 months to fund repairs, schedule an audit of efficiency gains, and apply for up to $10,000 in state reimbursements. That window is running out for many folks.

Rep. Chris Tuck, an Anchorage Democrat, talked with people in his district and discovered some who have been hit pretty hard by the 2009 economic collapse. The families make too much too qualify for a low-income state weatherization program, but are dealing with high credit card debt, receding retirement accounts and investments, and, at times, negative equity in their homes.

Those circumstances can make it pretty tough to pay several thousand dollars up front for efficiency upgrades, even with a state reimbursement likely down the road, Tuck acknowledged.

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Massive initial interest in a state program to help people make their homes more energy efficient could be tapering off, even as some areas of the state face the likelihood of increased home heating costs in coming years.

As of Dec. 16, nearly 19,000 Alaskans have started the multi-step Home Energy Rebate Program funded by Gov. Sarah Palin and the Legislature and managed by the Alaska Housing Finance Corp.

They’ve paid for certified technicians to rate their current home energy efficiency and recommend upgrades that would be eligible for a state refund, up to $10,000. But only about 200 people have followed through with improvements and filed their claims, and the window to do so is closing daily for the flood of folks who jumped at the chance.

If this trend continues during the next several months, the program will end up with a financial cushion of funds set aside for improvements that weren’t cashed in on. But it’s leaving some to wonder: In a state with some of the highest energy costs in the nation, where homeowners stood to benefit significantly — exactly what happened?

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The following workshops will be held from 6-8 pm at the Cold Climate Housing Research Center, 1000 Fairbanks Street, near West Valley High School and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Call 907-457-3454 for directions.

February 1, 2010: Building Science Basics

February 2, 2010: Air Tightness

February 3, 2010: Ice Dams

February 4, 2010: Lighting & Appliances

February 8, 2010: Heating & Hot Water

February 9, 2010: Doors & Windows

February 10, 2010: Insulation

February 11, 2010: Ventilation

A statewide weatherization program with the potential of reducing energy costs in thousands of Alaskan residences will improve some 1,740 homes in 2009 alone, and Alaska Housing Finance Corp. expects to more than quadruple that number by 2011. The goal is to weatherize 4,000 homes in 2010 and 7,500 homes in 2011, said Bryan Butcher, public affairs director for the state agency, whose mission is to provide Alaskans with quality affordable housing.

“We can show there are average savings of 25 percent on energy right now, and we are hoping it goes up,” Butcher said.

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The Alaska Housing Finance Corp. is preparing to divvy out Alaska’s comparatively small share of $300 million in federal stimulus money to cover rebates on energy-efficient appliances.Because Alaska got only about a dollar per person — $658,000 — and officials wanted to make it count, AHFC’s proposal limits eligibility to disabled individuals — those who qualify for Supplemental Security Income, said AHFC public affairs director Bryan Butcher. AHFC estimates there are 10,000 such individuals in Alaska.

People living in rural areas would get more to account for higher shipping costs, he said.

Under the plan, which is awaiting approval by the U.S. Department of Energy, qualified individuals in rural areas could get rebates of $500 on refrigerators and freezers and $300 for washers and dryers. Those in urban areas would get $300 for refrigerators and freezers and $150 for washers and dryers.

Energy Star appliances qualify for the rebate, and participants will be encouraged to destroy their old machines, Butcher said.

AHFC is hoping to get DOE approval in time to begin offering the rebate in December, Butcher said.

State officials assessing hardships on the lower Yukon River area for a possible disaster declaration said they’ll push to create a fuel voucher that could help the poorest families.

After two days of listening to crushing testimony from scores of residents in Emmonak and Kotlik, the team said they would do all they can to quickly help.

“In both communities, we hear loud and clear that the children are going to school not ready to learn, that they’re hungry and cold. That’s really troubling to me,” said Tara Jollie, director of the state Division of Community and Regional Affairs.

“We’re hearing that there are families that are hungry and that’s not acceptable,” she said.   

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In Fairbanks, CCHRC has been funded by AHFC to create the PORTAL (Portal On Retrofits Training And Loans) to help make the statewide weatherization and rebate programs more accessible to the public. The PORTAL office maintains and updates a centralized client sign up list for certified energy raters, provides program applications, and answers questions about energy ratings and weatherization. The Portal is located at 326 Driveway Street Suite 100 and can reached by phone at 455-4328. Their hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. This is the first of two articles about AHFC programs, and outlines the steps in the rebate program.

Visit the PORTAL to obtain the rebate program application package (also available online, www.cchrc.org/portal). Once an appointment has been made with an energy rater, s/he will visit your home and perform the initial “as-is” assessment. This is a detailed walk-thru inspection of your home and a blower door depressurization test which generates solid data on the home’s air tightness. The rater will measure and record all aspects of the home relevant to the retrofit program, including house size and volume, window and door information, mechanical systems analysis, and insulation types and values in all areas. These results are later entered into AHFC’s AkWarm computer program which uses a point system to rate the home on a scale of 1 to 5 stars plus and calculates where the biggest improvements can be made. Generally the rater will need the owner who is responsible for doing the upgrades to be present. This initial site visit is a good time to share any information you have about the house that will help the rater in his analysis. It is also your opportunity to learn about your home and the rating process.

Raters will require payment at the time the service is given. They are private contractors so the fee is variable depending on the size of the house or if the rating requires extra time. The rater will tell you the amount of the fee before starting. He will contact you when the paperwork and calculations have been completed. Once you have the initial rating, you should apply for reimbursement right away. Use the PORTAL staff as a resource to answer any questions. AHFC will reimburse $325.00 of the rater’s fee upon receiving the completed rating papers. At that time AHFC will also set aside your home’s maximum rebate amount for 18 months.

The rating is a valuable document that lets you prioritize your work according to the AkWarm point scale. Choose what and how many improvements you wish to make, but they MUST be listed on the rating. You can perform the work yourself, or hire a contractor. The PORTAL cannot recommend a specific contractor, but staff there can offer general information and advice about completing the work.

If you complete your desired upgrades within the allotted 18-month window, and are applying for the rebate, you will be required to get a Post Energy Rating. A certified energy rater will perform an inspection similar to the initial “as is” assessment to verify the new energy efficiency rating of your home. When you have your new rating package, attach it to the receipts for the work you have completed and send it to AHFC. It can take up to 60 days receive the rebate.

Keep in mind there is a back log in the rebate program, but more raters are being trained to meet the demand. The good news is right now there are still plenty of opportunities to apply and start the process.

Ilya Benesch is the Building Educator at the Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC). For questions or comments please contact CCHRC at (907) 457-3454

With a fresh infusion of $60 million into the state’s Home Energy Rebate Program, thousands of Alaska homeowners are clamoring to receive home-improvement rebate checks worth as much as $10,000, creating an unprecedented backlog and leaving many people frustrated and stressed with the process to get a piece of the big state giveaway.

In response, the state’s Alaska Housing Finance Corp. has hired more staff and plans to step in to help with the scramble, while local contractors continue to work overtime.

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Teri Hansen is tired of shivering in her own home.

“Each winter it gets colder and colder and the bills go higher and higher. And it’s just not comfortable,” she said. “It’s actually cold. We wear sweaters, sweatshirts, bundle up, and our house is still about 66, 67 degrees. People come over and they are freezing.”

And so when Hansen, who lives in South Anchorage with her husband and two teenage daughters, first heard about the state’s Home Energy Rebate program three months ago, she decided to act fast to take advantage of the up to $10,000 giveaway. Like many people applying for the rebate, she feels lucky to have gotten in when she did. Thousands of others are still waiting to hear from the much-sought-after home energy raters, who have been besieged with requests for inspections.

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