Congress Passes Home Star Act

The U.S. House of Representative passed the the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act (H.R. 5019) yesterday by a vote of 246 to 161. The legislation will provide temporary rebates to homeowners to refit, renovate and insulate their homes, while putting 170,000 Americans to work.

Details of the Bill
H.R. 5019 includes two types of consumer incentives. The first, Silver Star, provides up-front rebates for specific energy-saving investments, including windows and doors. Homeowners receive up to $1,500 per improvement—capped at a total of $3,000 or 50 percent of the total project cost.

A window replacement project that replaces at least eight exterior windows or skylights, or 75 percent of the exterior windows and skylights in a home, qualifies. To qualify, windows must meet the same .30 U-value/.30 SHGC requirements established for the current federal tax credits, while skylights must meet 2010 Energy Star criteria to qualify. Door replacement also qualifies for a Silver Star rebate, if the door meets 2010 Energy Star criteria.

Home Star also provides larger rebates to homeowners who conduct a comprehensive energy audit and implement measures to reduce energy use. Consumers receive $3,000 for a demonstrated energy savings of 20 percent, plus an additional $1,000 for each additional 5 percent energy savings—capped at $8,000 or 50 percent of the project cost.