The Department of Environmental Protection and its partners will hold a series of one-day workshops throughout Pennsylvania for contractors to help ensure homeowners realize the maximum benefit from any work to make their residence more energy efficient under the KeystoneHelp Program.

 

DEP, through West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund and Energy Coordinating Agency, is sponsoring Home Performance 101—a workshop that will provide contractors with an introduction to home performance concepts and related programs.

 

Workshop participants will learn the "house as a system" approach to energy conservation and energy efficiency, how to integrate that approach into their business model, and how to gain a better understanding of the market forces affecting homeowners.

 

"For contractors to be able to do the most effective job for their customers, it is important that they understand all the options available to them related to energy efficiency in the home," said acting DEP Secretary John Hanger. "This workshop will provide contractors with opportunities to offer more incentives to their customers, enabling them to maximize their savings."

 

The new Keystone HELP Energy Efficiency Loan and Rebate Program offers assistance to families seeking to cut their energy bills by helping to finance high-efficiency heating and air conditioning systems, and Energy Star qualified windows and doors.

 

"The Keystone HELP program can be of great help to families struggling to manage higher energy costs, but to ensure that the work is done properly, it must be performed by an approved Keystone HELP contractor," said Acting Secretary Hanger. "These workshops will help ensure the contractors working in your home are qualified and capable of maximizing the savings generated from the improvements."

 

Thirty sessions of Home Performance 101 will be offered statewide over the next 12 weeks. Some sessions will be open to the public.

 

The cost to attend is $65 per person, which includes lunch and course materials.

 

For the dates, times and locations, and to register online, visit the KeystoneHELP website.