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Sustainable Policies/Programs in Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania Lindsay Ruprecht Sustainable Community Development Coordinator ACTION-Housing, Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA) City of Pittsburgh Formed Office of Sustainability and Energy Efficiency in October 2008 Hired Sustainability Coordinator and Energy and Utilities Manager Established City of Pittsburgh Sustainability Commission Examples of Sustainability Projects Energy Audit of City-County Building Energy efficient streetlights Improving recycling in municipal buildings Solar installations Environmentally preferred purchasing Incentives for developers to build “green” Sustainable Development Bonus Maximum floor area of a LEED certified building may exceed zoning district maximum up to 20% Sustainable Development for Publicly Financed Buildings All new publicly financed developments of ≥5,000 feet2 or with a total project cost ≥$2 million. Any new construction or renovation that receives Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority PHRP Plus Energy Efficiency Grant + Loan Program $2,500 grant with minimum of $5,000 loan for qualifying energy efficiency improvements (i.e. Energy Star products, air sealing, insulation, and duct sealing) Eligible Borrowers/Grantees: 80% AMI 0% interest, 20 year term Energy Star for New Residential Construction Requirement All new residential construction must achieve Energy Star certification with minimum 15% more efficient than required by code URA Small Business Energy Efficiency Loan Pilot Program Subsidized energy audits Baseline Audit (URA pays for half) Investment Grade Audit (URA pays for half if client installs $5,000 in energy efficiency improvements) 100% project financing up to $50,000 Non-energy efficiency loan rate is 4.5% 1/2% off conventional rate for improvements with 1-3 year payback 1% off conventional rate for improvements with 4-10 year payback Allegheny County Energy Program for Municipalities • • • • Free energy audit for the primary municipal building of interested Allegheny County municipalities Applying $2.1M of total $8.1M Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant toward this program. 104 of 127 municipalities are participating Partnering with local electric utility, to leverage usage reduction funding Allegheny County Energy Program for Municipalities Goal: To assess the individual facility’s levels of energy consumption and work cooperatively to achieve an over-all reduction in energy. Phase I: audits -completed as of August 2010 Phase II: awarded bid for energy saving measures identified in the audits in September 2010 Energy Conservation Measures will be financially supported with grants based on percentage of lowand moderate-income population in each municipality (50%, 75% and 100%) Municipalities may choose NOT to implement or to pursue a larger project through a Performance Contract on their own Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) Special financing and rebates for high efficiency heating, air conditioning, insulation, windows, doors, geothermal and “whole house” improvements using Home Performance with Energy Star Eligibility Homeowners whose combined annual household income is $150,000 or less 1 to 2 unit owner-occupied primary residence Loan rates: 3.875% - 8.875% Coordinate Weatherization Campaign (CWC) Partners local foundations Utility companies non-profits, community based organizations, religious organizations energy-efficiency service providers (mainly Weatherization and utilities) Workforce development organizations public agencies (city and county government) Goal: developing a large-scale, coordinated and streamlined energy efficiency/weatherization program CWC Progress ARRA funding and coordinated outreach has increased number of weatherization participants in targeted areas and throughout the region Energy cost/usage savings is being tracked Minority contractor participation has increased through targeted recruitment Coordinated activities complement other regional greening initiatives Investigating combined tracking system CWC Challenges Formalization of Weatherization training Low income residents barriers Required training (state funded) for all PA WAP contractors’ incumbent and new employees Online skills assessment required to enter courses Existing contractors train incumbents first Training center is not centrally located for urban residents Computer access/skills Quick ramp up allowed for only new experienced contractors to be added Small ESCO model 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Conducting comprehensive energy asset reviews Prioritizing project opportunities according to quickest return on investment Identifying grants, loans, tax abatements and other incentives for energy efficiency Developing and managing implementation of energy reduction strategies Measuring and verifying savings and emission reductions Small ESCO Project Execution Project Development Project Management Vendor Selection Financial and Funding Support Installation, Construction, Delivery Post Project: Commissioning, Measurement and Verification, Credits, Rebates, Sale of Power PA Affordable Housing Energy Conservation Collaborative Collaboration of nonprofit and for-profit multi-family affordable housing providers, weatherization programs and funders Goal: renovate the majority of multi-family affordable housing to increase energy conservation, reduce CO2 emissions, lower operating costs, and create healthier homes for residents Track utility costs/building performance with common database, share best practices, leverage conservation funding Other ideas for financing Property Assessed Clean Energy On-bill repayment/financing Revolving loan funds (sliding scale fees) Leveraging federal, state, municipal, utility company, private foundation investments Thank you More information: www.actionhousinggreen.org