NAHB is preparing to comment on a series of programs outlined in a Nov. 9 announcement by Vice President Joe Biden designed to bring new life to the home weatherization and retrofit initiatives now stalled in Congress.

If successful, the programs would result in more jobs for the construction industry and a more energy-efficient housing stock. Among the components:

■The Home Energy Score program would allow pre-selected, certified energy raters to score existing homes and help home owners decide what energy improvements to make.

■PowerSaver, a financing program backed by the Federal Housing

President Barak Obama speaks with Vice President Joe Biden. Official White House photo by Pete Souza

Administration, would be piloted in select markets to offer low-cost loans to help home owners pay for energy-efficient improvements such as insulation, new windows and high-efficiency heating equipment.

■New guidelines have been proposed for training and certifying the construction industry members making the energy-efficient upgrades and protocols to safeguard the indoor environmental quality of a home when the upgrades are being made. Read More from Nation’s Building News