The U.S. Department of Energy has named Charlottesville and its surrounding areas as the pilot locality for its newly launched Home Energy Score program.
Charlottesville and Albemarle County's Local Energy Alliance Program will help administer the program, in which local homes will be assessed to measure energy efficiency using a number scale from 1-10, with 10 representing a home with excellent energy performance. Participation is voluntary and will include free and customized energy-saving evaluations, measuring 40 categories such as insulation and heating and cooling systems, followed by recommendations for cost-saving renovations. In addition, LEAP will aid homeowners in identifying local contractors to make these home-adjustments and will help identify affordable incentive plans for interested residents.
Rep. Tom Perriello, D-Charlottesville, said these incentive plans will provide a much-needed stimulus for the local job market.
"The construction industry has been hit particularly hard by the economic downturn," Perriello stated in a press release. "These programs, along with Home Star and Rural Star, can put folks back to work using American-made products, improve the value of our homes, reduce bills and reduce our impact on the environment."
Residents in the city and in Albemarle, Greene, Nelson, Fluvanna and Louisa Counties may be eligible to participate in the Home Energy Score program. The pilot tests will end in late spring 2011, and after reviewing whether the evaluations encouraged area residents to implement energy improvement renovations, the Department of Energy expects to implement the program nationally later next year.
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