This past year delivered more NEEM-certified homes than we have seen since 2006, with the program certifying close to 100 percent of all HUD-code homes produced in the Pacific Northwest region. That’s nearly a 50 percent increase in market share compared to recent years, and it harkens back to the MAP program of the early to mid-1990’s—albeit with smaller numbers of homes built. The Inflation Reduction Act’s provision for ten years of 45L energy-efficient new home tax credits targeted at home manufacturers is the clear and single driver for the sudden move to build more energy-efficient homes. This subsidy has helped the industry to provide home buyers with additional value in the form of greater comfort, lower utility bills and utility program incentive payments as well.
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The NEEM team has been talking with home dealers and sales people about heat pumps, and we have heard that a lot of people are confused about them and whether they can be installed in conjunction with the factory-supplied furnace (the answer is yes, by the way). The NEEM team has put together a Heat Pump Comparison Table that can help home buyers and sales people consider the different options for adding cooling and efficient heating to homes.
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Washington’s 2021 Residential Energy Code went into effect this past March, and it contains some significant changes. You might recall hearing about how the code was going to make the gas furnace a thing of the past. Well, that hasn’t quite happened, though heat pumps have become very attractive from a code compliance perspective. There are also some changes to the prescriptive insulation and window performance requirements, but the final code language didn’t include the most challenging items that were in earlier drafts.
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We’ve had a good run using ENERGY STAR branding for the NEEM program—no real changes since 1999, but new requirements are scheduled to take effect at the end of the year. The insulation levels will stay about the same, except for an increase in window efficiency to capture improvements from newer technologies. The new emphasis is on heat pumps. Most homes will need to get one to qualify for ENERGY STAR.
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The Department of Energy adopts a new energy efficiency standard for manufactured homes. The EPA proposes Version 2.1 of ENERGY STAR in response. Congress is passing a 10-year continuation of an enhanced efficient new homes tax credit. But, there’s a catch . . .
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Exclusive opportunity for retailers selling homes by the four factories offering NEEM+: Clayton/Golden West/Karsten, KIT CustomBuilders, Palm Harbor, and Skyline!
We are pleased to announce a new round of $2,000 incentives to retailers for ordering up to two new display homes for their sales centers that include ENERGY STAR with NEEM+. Act now, because the promotion is limited to 10 homes, and the offer ends December 31, 2022. Retailers who have taken advantage of this offer in past years can qualify for up to two additional incentive payments this year.
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The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, a group funded by many of the region’s utility companies, is partnering with the NEEM program to offer $2,000 to retailers for ordering new display homes that include ENERGY STAR with NEEM+. Act now, because the promotion is limited to 10 homes, and the offer ends December 31, 2020.
Want to let your customers know that you offer the most energy-efficient manufactured homes in the country? We’ve developed an attractive set of Callout Cards that explain the high-performance features of the NEEM+ package. They can stand up or attach to the wall—they’re even suitable for framing.
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The Northwest Energy Efficient Manufactured Housing Program is pleased to announce the launch of the NEEM+ Sales Challenge, which lets salespeople claim great gear from Patagonia and Yeti—and cash cards—for presenting NEEM+ to customers.
Read MoreIt’s the middle of a glorious Northwest summer. Long days and lovely weather seem like they will be here forever, but we know that a big seasonal change is on its way—Bonneville’s new fiscal year starts October 1st. With the new fiscal year come new budgets and changes to incentives. That means now is the time to be looking at adding incentives for new manufactured homes to your utility’s program offerings, if you don’t already have them in place.
Read MoreWelcome to the inaugural issue of NEEM News, directed to the NEEM Program’s utility partners. As you may know, the Northwest Energy-Efficient Manufactured Housing Program (NEEM) is the independent third-party certification body that works with all nine manufactured home builders in Idaho, Oregon and Washington to certify homes as ENERGY STAR and now also as ENERGY STAR with NEEM+.
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