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~3 NCHFA HOUSING REHABII.,fTA'I'ION PROGRAMS -- Energy Standards This, the fourth edition, was reviewed in draft by many interested parties, including the - membership of the North Carolina Residential Energy Forum. Comments were received- from representatives of AEG, the Energy Division, Duke Power, Carolina Electric Cooperatives, ' and the Solar Center, as well as from Harry J. Bondy of the firm Energy Innovations by Hany~Boody. Collectively, their feedback was invaluable and greatly appreciated. Users of this edition are encouraged to comment on their experiences and/or recommend further improvements. General Guidelines. When determining the feasibility of rehabilitation for a given. dwelling unit and the prioritization of optional rehabilitation work items, recipients should be guided by these general principles: 1) Do not "throw good money after bad." That is, if a unit cannot be made ' standard (decent, safe, sanitary and affordable) with the funds available for the purpose, do not treat the unit. A utut rehabilitated with program assistance should be capable, with reasonable maintenance, of providing standard housing for at least 3Q more years. 2) Do not leave "bad apples." Whenever possible avoid leaving dilapidated units in close proximity of treated units. Such structures contribute to neighborhood disinvestment and can ultimately undermine the work you have done, ' 3) When in doubt about the appropriateness of an optional energy-related rehabilitation work item, consider whether the proposed improvement will pay for itself over its expected useful life. If it will not, it may be best not to do it. 4) Remember that home energy conservation is a year-round process. ]:n addition to winter heat-loss, attention should be paid to summer heat-gain, ventilating, shading, drainage, etc. 5) Where local utility companies offer discount rates to homes meeting certain energy standards, every effort should be made to qualify each dwelling unit for the discount. - 6) The use of a blower door to diagnose air sealing needs is recommended. By depressurizing ar pressurizing a dwelling unit with a blower door, a trained operator can pinpoint leaks that might be quite significant, though not immediately obvious. ` Potential sr~urces of indoor air pollution can also be revealed by the blower door. In addition, it can be used to ensure that minimum ventilation standards are met (per ASHRAE standard 62-1989). Many public utilities can refer you to a blower door contractor, or you may contract