–Edited by: Alice Gaston, Program Assistant—

A few highlights from the Weatherization Assistance Program Technical Assistance Center (WAPTAC) blog:

• Overview of the PY 2011 Weatherization Funding Survey: The NASCSP WAP Funding Survey is the only comprehensive measure of all funds, including non-Department of Energy (DOE) funds, used in WAP. Each year, the survey catalogues the funding and production levels for each Grantee of the program as well as the source of that funding including the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), utility funds, and State funds among others.
• Highlights from the Energy Out West Conference: The Energy Out West Conference is held every other year and began in 1996 when a group of people doing weatherization work in the Northwest thought they could help each other do it better. This year the conference is in Boise, Idaho, which some people call the northern Austin, TX and we can see their point. It’s not just about potatoes around there. Good food, good music, and great public art are in abundance.
• Discussion of new professional certifications for WAP workers: Four new weatherization and home energy professional certifications will be introduced in June by the Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI). These voluntary certifications cover the most common job classifications in weatherization and home energy upgrade industry: energy auditor, retrofit installer, crew leader, and quality control inspector.
• Tips for Starting a Healthy Homes Program: NASCSP’s Healthy Homes Initiative staff has recently completed its Weatherization Plus Health conference swing to six different regions across the country. A key component of these conferences was a “Promising Practices” panel session, which provided audience members with an opportunity to question presenters on how they got their initiatives off the ground. Many presenters were able to motivate attendees to begin work on healthy homes initiatives in their communities, convincing them that creating the capacity to expand their reach and the services they offer doesn’t have to be complicated.

Check the WAPTAC blog for up-to-date news on WAP! For up to date events check out the waptac.org events page.