Building Star Program Offers Incentives for Retrofits

The U.S. Senate has introduced a bill that would establish a new program called Building Star, designed to provide incentives for energy-efficient installations in commercial and multifamily buildings.

Building Star echoes Energy Star, the established energy-efficiency ratings system. It is also similar to the Home Star program, commonly known as “Cash for Caulkers”, a parallel program introduced by senators Jeff Bingaman, (D-N.M.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) that offers homeowners rebates to reduce the cost of energy-saving measures such as high-efficiency heating and improved insulation.