Funding Renewed for Weatherization Training Center at Penn College
Published 12.19.2007
An initiative that has trained weatherization agencies and other technicians for more than two decades has been awarded federal funding to continue its timely mission of reduced energy consumption, health, safety and comfort for residential and commercial clients alike.
The Weatherization Training Center, part of the Pennsylvania Housing Resource Center based at Pennsylvania College of Technology, was granted $316,000 for the current academic year. The money, which has been annually renewed in varying amounts since WTC's creation in 1985, comes from the U.S. Department of Energy and is administered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Community and Economic Development.
"With ever-increasing heating-fuel costs, removal of residential electricity rate caps in Pennsylvania and concerns over global warming, a whole new set of captions are entering our vocabulary," said Bill R. Van der Meer, PHRC director. ""Sustainability,' "green,' "carbon footprint' and "EE' (energy efficiency) are some of the latest buzzwords that seem to indicate a sense of urgency in our society about the need for conservation and renewable energy resources."
The center offers in-field training to scores of nonprofit agencies and others, a variety of consulting services, and technical updates on topics ranging from air leakage and moisture problems to foam sealants and combustion appliances.
"The Weatherization Training Center is but one of many components in an industry whose mission it is to achieve energy efficiency in housing," Van der Meer said.
"As a training organization that strives to educate a network of weatherization agencies and contractors on how to do the right things right, we feel that, however small, we're also having an impact on the larger global effort," he added.
For more about the Weatherization Training Center, visit online , e-mail or call (570) 327-4768.
For more information about grant-funding opportunities, faculty and staff may contact the Grants and Contracts Office at ext. 7562 or through its Web portal.