ASHRAE Journal - March 2009 - (Page 87)

Stimulus Promotes Construction By Ryan M. Colker B y now, you have no doubt learned something about the stimulus package (The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, H.R.1) that has worked its way through Congress. Following much discussion in the House and Senate, an agreement was reached on February 13, and President Obama signed the bill on February 17. The bill focuses on two primary means for stimulating the economy—tax credits for the private sector and spending for the public sector (with a resulting impact on the private sector). Both areas focus heavily on infrastructure and buildings-related opportunities. For the private sector, the stimulus includes significant incentives for use of renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies. Tax credits for the production of renewable energy would be extended until at least 2012 along with an expansion of qualified energy conservation bonds. Incentives for nonbusiness energy property would see an increase up to $1,500 and an extension through 2010. Research expenses associated with renewables, conservation, and carbon capture and sequestration could result in higher credits in 2009 and 2010. The Department of Energy also is authorized to provide grants (in some cases up to 30% of the cost) to assist in installation of energy property including fuel cells, solar, small wind, geothermal heat pumps, and combined heat and power systems. Also of interest to the engineering and construction fields, the bill would delay until 2012 a provision set to begin in 2011 that would require federal, state, and local governments to withhold 3% of all payments for goods and services to ensure proper taxes are paid. Regarding spending in the public sector, funds are targeted at the federal, state, and local levels. Although the funds are initially targeted to improve government-owned infrastructure and buildings, the private sector must provide the labor, technical, and manufacturing base for implementation. For federal agencies, considerable funds would be provided to retrofit and upgrade existing facilities to meet energy and water use requirements placed on federal agencies and alleviate any maintenance backlogs. Below is a list of the agencies and the amount of buildings-related funding: • Department of Agriculture ($850 million, some of which goes toward buildings); • General Services Administration ($5.5 billion with not less than $4.5 billion to convert GSA facilities to highperformance green buildings, also includes $3 million for training and apprenticeship programs); • National Science Foundation ($400 million for modernization and construction of research facilities); • Department of Defense ($6.5 billion); • Department of Commerce • National Institute of Standards and Technology ($360 million for research facility construction); • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ($600 million for procurement, acquisitions, and construction); • Department of Homeland Security ($620 million); • Department of the Interior ($1.6 billion, some of which would go to buildings); • Department of Health and Human Services ($2.4 billion); • Smithsonian Institution ($25 million); • Department of Education ($53.6 billion of which approximately $10 billion can be used for school and higher education modernization and repair); • Department of Veterans Affairs ($1.15 billion); and • Department of Housing and Urban Development ($1.76 billion for public and HUD assisted housing improvements). Other federal programs of interest receiving funding include: • Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy ($21.4 billion for research, weatherization assistance, grants and other programs); and • Department of Labor ($750 million for job training with significant focus on emerging industry sectors including energy efficiency and renewable energy). Additionally, for states to receive funding through the Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Renewable Energy, governors would be required to work toward implementation of a building energy code at least as stringent as ANSI/ASHRAE/ IESNA Standard 90.1-2007 and to develop a plan for achieving 90% compliance with the code. Given the desire to pump money quickly into the economy, a significant focus was placed on projects and programs that can be implemented in a short time frame (90 to 120 days). While these projects are necessary in the short term, members of the design community have voiced the need to ensure that funding also goes to the proper design of future projects. Ryan M. Colker is ASHRAE’s Manager of Government Affairs in W ashington, D.C. Up-to-date information on ASHRAE’ s Government Affairs activities is available at www.ashrae.org/ advocacy. ASHRAE Journal 87 March 2009 http://www.ashrae.org/advocacy http://www.ashrae.org/advocacy

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - March 2009

Contents Commentary Industry News Letters Meetings and Shows Special Section 2009 ASHRAE Technology Awards Feature Articles Heat Recovery for Office Tower Air Motion Control in the Hospital Operating Room Anniversary Feature: Five Defrost Methods for Commercial Refrigeration Groundwater Issues: Commercial Open Loop Heat Pump Systems Used Filters and Indoor Air Quality Building Sciences Emerging Technologies Washington Report Products Special Products People Classified Advertising Advertising Index

ASHRAE Journal - March 2009

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.