WASHINGTON – October 19, 2009 -- A proposal to expand green job opportunities and boost energy savings by making homes more energy efficient recently was presented by Vice President Biden in “Recovery Through Retrofit,” a report that builds on the foundation laid in the Recovery Act, using existing authorities and funds.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed by President Obama in February, earmarked roughly $5 billion for weatherproofing the homes of low-income residents.

Existing techniques and technologies in energy efficiency retrofitting can reduce energy use by up to 40 percent per home and lower total associated greenhouse gas emissions by up to 160 million metric tons annually, according to a news release issued by Biden’s office.  Retrofitting existing homes also has the potential to cut home energy bills by $21 billion annually.  Yet, despite the real energy cost savings and environmental benefits associated with improving home energy efficiency, a series of barriers have prevented a self-sustaining retrofit market from forming.  These barriers include a lack of access to information, financing and skilled workers, the release states.

Some recommendations made in the report:

-- Develop a national home energy performance measure and a performance label. The label would be similar to the Energy Star label, which is currently available for news homes, but not existing homes.