NC WARN, a nonprofit that promotes renewable energy and opposes new nuclear power plants, is running newspaper ads challenging the N.C. Home Builders Assocation and N.C. Building Code Council on their positions on requiring homes to use less juice.
The upcoming decision on residential energy efficiency standards is getting much more attention than the usual building code revision.
A proposal to increase home efficiency by 30 percent has been delayed, revived and rewritten, all in the space of a few months.
The N.C. Home Builders Association says the additional insulation, upgraded windows and other changes to get to a 30 percent efficiency upgrade will cost much more than $2,400 for an $180,000 home as reported in a university study.
Home builders have said they will have to eat the extra cost because appraisers won't give credit for efficiency improvements.
NC WARN has a full-page ad in today's N&O, and is running ads in weekly newspapers around the state, said Jim Warren, executive director.
The ad promotes the 30 percent standard, asks readers to contact Gov. Bev Perdue's office about replacing council members, and to submit comments to the council before its Tuesday meeting.
