WAP Wire | July 2015

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Minnesota Department of Commerce WAP Wire Header

July 2015

This WAP Wire is focused primarily on policy updates and clarifications from the PY15 training and feedback received from Service Providers. As always, please forward additional comments or questions to: weatherization.commerce@state.mn.us


Program and Policy Updates

PY15 Policy Manual Online

The Commerce Website has been updated to include the PY15 Policy Manual, appendices, and forms, as well as the presentations from the Energy Conference and the PY15 Policy Training. To access these items, click on the hyperlinks below:

DOE to visit Minnesota the week of August 17

Commerce will be hosting Project Officer Shawn Green from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) the week of August 17 for an administrative and field monitoring visit.


Admin & Fiscal Notes 

End of fiscal year reminder

Service Providers are reminded that final FSRs and cash requests for all PY14 WAP funds must be submitted by today, Friday, July 31.  Check the workflow in eHeat for any reopened FSRs.  Commerce will indicate the reason for reopening any reports in the “State Fiscal Notes” field on the FSR form.

Uniform Grant Guidance

Uniform Grant Guidance (UGG) is now in effect. A letter was recently sent by Commerce to all EAP and WAP Service Providers describing the implementation of these requirements.

Policy Manual Revisions

The following revisions have been made to the published versions of the Policy Manual, Allowable Measures Chart, WA Manual Addendum, and Forms since the PY15 Training.

Administrative Related Changes
Policy 6.5: The Cash Request policy, under Returned Funds, was updated to indicate that cost centers in WA must be updated if the returned funds are Direct Service expenses already reported in WA.

Policy 6.9.2, Allowable Personnel Expenses was updated as follows:

  • The term “job coster” was removed from the list of eligible Admin positions.
  • “WAP Clerical Staff” was added to the list of eligible Program Support positions and remains on the list of eligible Admin positions.

Technical Related Changes

  • Clocking gas meters and draft pressures were removed from the audit data collection form.
  • Contractor name, “sent on,” and “complete by” dates were added to the change order form.
  • The paragraph on de-rating in the Heating Plant Replacement policy 4.4.1.1 has been updated to account for challenges related to condensing oil fired equipment. If the heating plant is less than seven (7) years old or has an AFUE of 93% (80% Oil) or greater, the AFUE listed on the data plate will be used to evaluate replacement within the WA software.
  • A new policy on duct sealing (4.4.2.5) has been added. All exposed ductwork inside the thermal boundary will be sealed according to the SWS. All ductwork outside the thermal boundary will be sealed and insulated according to the SWS.
  • The following language has been added to the paragraph of policy 5.1 related to Non-Emergency Standalones. Service Providers are not required to address Non-Emergency Standalones. Each Service Provider will create an internal policy that details how Non-emergency Standalones will be handled.
  • In section 4.4, the word process has been added to the phrase, a diagnostic test process.
  • In sections 4.5.3.1 and section 5.2. Duct Static Pressure Testing has been replaced by heat rise tests on replacements, clean and tunes and repairs.

Policy Manual Clarifications

  • Printing Materials. With the implementation of the SWS and the QCI process, Commerce anticipates a mid-yearpolicy update that may see changes to the policy manual, appendices, and forms. Commerce recommends SPs consider this when printing materials, including forms.
  • Deferral Form. Section 3.8 details the deferral process and mentions that the deferral form needs to be given to the customer, While the manual does say that the reason for deferral needs to be documented, it does not currently state explicitly that the form needs to be included in the HH file. Commerce is asking SPs to include a copy of the deferral form in the HH file, as applicable.
  • Electronic Record Keeping/ Signatures. MN Statute allows agencies to keep all records electronically and to accept electronic signatures. Local agencies can determine when and if to use this technology unless otherwise noted in the policy manual.
  • Can a Standalone be used in case of deferral? A Standalone can be used in the case of a deferral if the reason for the deferral will not affect the scope of the Standalone work. Standalone policy (section 5 of manual) must be followed.
  • Vermiculite Clarification. Guidance on developing an internal policy for how to approach vermiculite in houses can be found on page 28 of the PY15 DOE State Plan, in the Health and Safety Section. Local policy needs to address whether homes containing vermiculite will be deferred or tested to determine whether weatherization is feasible. Testing vermiculite is an allowable expense. Please contact Commerce for specific questions on developing your internal policy.
  • Mold and Moisture Severity. The health and safety section of the PY15 DOE State Plan (Policy Manual Appendix A) contains valuable information on how to approach mold and moisture in the home. If a question arises whether a moisture or mold issue is major or minor, consult Commerce for further guidance.
  • Fuel Switches. Commerce is reviewing the Fuel Switch policy and has temporarily put fuel switches on hold as we workwith DOE to meet new compliance requirements. This may require deferral of any homes needing a fuel switch. Updates will be provided as soon as possible.

Quick Guide to New Acronyms

Here is a quick guide to navigating acronyms found in the PY15 Policy Manual and related documents:

  • MNWAP-Minnesota Weatherization Assistance Program
  • EC Motor-Electronically Commutated Motor
  • ECM-Energy Conservation Measure
  • IRM-Incidental Repair Measure (called a general repair in the WA Software)
  • HSM-Health and Safety Measure
  • AMC-Allowable Measures Chart (formerly known as the allowed activities and measures type chart)
  • SWS-Standard Work Specifications
  • QCI-Quality Control Inspection
  • HEP-Home Energy Professional (Crew Leader-CL, Energy Auditor-EA, Retrofit Installer-RI)

Field Notes

Deferral Data

Please provide Commerce with your deferral data from PY14 by August 10. This information will help Commerce assess the challenge of deferrals from a statewide perspective.

TPT video, a client education tool for Weatherization

A new 30-minute program, to air Aug. 9 at 8 p.m. on Twin Cities Public Television (TPT), captures the importance of having an advanced home energy assessment and the big dividends to be earned from prescribed home improvements. The program, called “Improving Your Home’s Performance,” can serve as a client education tool for WAP Service Providers. It is produced by TPT and the Minnesota Building Performance Association (MBPA), with major funding provided by the Minnesota Department of Commerce (via U.S. Department of Energy funds) and additional support from six Minnesota utilities. The program will be rebroadcasted several times after Aug. 9 (times and dates TBA) and will be highlighted at the Eco Experience of the Minnesota State Fair. The video will be available on the TPT website after its initial broadcast.

Quality Control Inspections

In-Process Inspections. In-process inspections are a best practice of the QCI process and should be implemented as often as is needed. There is currently no amount or percentage requirement for in-process inspections by QCI. SPs should look at each contractor/crew individually in determining the amount or percentage of jobs on which to perform in-process inspections.

Average Time to Complete a QCI. Commerce recognizes that the QCI requirement is a significant change that will in many cases require substantially more resources for each weatherization inspection. How big a change this will be in practice will depend on what degree inspectors were previously conducted, covering all five domains of the QCI process, and to what degree certain aspects of the QCI are performed by other staff and overseen by the Quality Control Inspector (see section 4.6 of Policy Manual for details on the QCI process).

QCI for crews and contractors. Crews are typically an inspector’s coworker, while employees of contractor are not. In both scenarios the QCI must follow the proper chain of command when giving feedback. Ultimately the quality control inspector must have a high level of objectivity and be willing to address all issues with crews and contractors to the same degree.

Can Quality Control Inspectors perform “contractor/ crew” testing? MNWAP policy does not define who performs diagnostic testing during the work of the crews and contractors. Auditors or inspectors may perform these tests, as long as testing occurs when required by policy (i.e., at the end of each work day).

SWS/Measures/Field Guide

Voltage Drop Testing.Voltage drop testing to determine the viability of insulating walls or attics is NOTa requirement of the MNWAP program, though it is mentioned in the Weatherization Field Guide. Testing the voltage drop on forced air heating systems is an SWS requirement.

Boiler Pipe Wrap. Boiler Pipe Wrap SWS 5.3104.3c – A question was raised asking if the SWS required the addition of pipe wrap to all boiler pipes within the thermal boundary. That is not the case. SWS 5.3104.3c describes how to evaluate pipes for insulation repair and when such an evaluation deems that a repair is needed, describes the criteria for installation. In the case that boiler pipes are outside the thermal boundary, pipe insulation is required and is covered under section 12, line 3, of the AMC and is also described in section 8.16.2 of the Field Guide.

Dense Packing Closed Attic Cavities.Weatherization Field Guide section 4.2.5 contains the most complete information around dense packing attic categories. All the information in the Field Guide should be used by Service Providers in determining whether a given area should be dense packed.

Sealing Mobile Home Roofs. Mobile Home Roofs can be sealed or coated as a health and safety measure (HSM), when the leak relates to a health and safety concern in the home. If the measure is a HSM, documentation of the leak is required in the client file.

Mobile Home Specific Audit Data Collection Form. Commerce is working on modifying the site built data collection form to create a mobile home version.

Gas Oven/ Range Process. The gas oven/range process remains unchanged from last year’s policy. Instructions found elsewhere in the Field Guide should be ignored. The field guide will be updated during the next round of edits.

Depressurization Limit for Sealed Combustion and Orphaned water heaters. The limits in the Field Guide and the SWS do not align with BPI. A variance will be requested to align MNWAP policy with BPI standards in these two cases. In the meantime, follow the depressurization limits in the Field Guide.

CO Alarms. The Field Guide says that installed CO alarms must have digital displays of CO levels. The SWS does not have this requirement. SPs can choose whether to install CO alarms with digital displays.

Refrigerator Metering.

  • All accessible refrigerators need to be metered per the procedure in the weatherization field guide.
  • Refrigerators for which metering is not feasible should be modeled per the usage of the model and condition in the WA software.
  • The WAPTAC Refrigerator Database mentioned in the Field Guide has been retired. Until such time as the database is updated or replaced, in cases where the usage information for a given model is not housed in the WA database, the following database can be utilized: http://www.kouba-cavallo.com/refmods.htm

Manual S. There are different Manual S requirements for heating system replacements and cooling system replacements. An ACCA-approved Manual S is required for all heating system replacements.

  • A proper Manual S will help contractors select furnaces that will meet the required heating load and the airflow needs of the existing distribution system.
  • Auditors should collect the make and model of central air conditioning systems when a furnace sharing a duct system with the central AC will be replaced.
  • Following the Manual S requirements for heating system replacements will ensure that the installed system has the capability to provide proper airflow for both the central AC and the forced air furnace.

Backflow Preventers and Expansion Tanks for Domestic Water Heaters. Expansion tanks for DWH are required in homes that have backflow preventers or check valves between the DWH and the water meter. Auditors should check for the existence of such devices during the audit and call for expansion tank installation if they do exist. Expansion tanks are also required when backflow preventers or check valves are installed between the DWH and the water meter.

  • IRC P2903.4.2 Backflow prevention device or check valve: Where a backflow prevention device, check valve or other device is installed on a water supply system using storage water heating equipment such that thermal expansion causes an increase in pressure, a device for controlling pressure shall be installed.
  • MN Plumbing Code 4715.2215 THERMAL EXPANSION CONTROL. A device for controlling thermal expansion shall be installed on the water distribution system when thermal expansion within the system, in combination with a check valve or backflow preventer, causes the water pressure to exceed the pressure setting of the pressure relief valve on the water heater.

Variances. Commerce is in process of developing variance requests for the following topics. Updates will be provided as quickly as possible.

  • Duct leakage testing
  • SWS CAZ Limits to align with BPI
  • Manual S
  • Back flow preventer
  • Expansion tanks
  • CAZ Testing on power vented equipment by crews/ contractors
  • QCI conducting all tests vs having a qualified person do some non-technical tasks

Weatherization Assistant Software

  • Average Insulation Calculator. The average insulation calculator used by CHP in their QCI trainings will be emailed to coordinators. It is one of the allowed calculators mentioned in the WA Manual Addendum. Those who had QCI training can also find this resource on the dropbox folder of CHP materials shared with participants of the QCI training.
  • Lighting Glitches in MHEA. Commerce is aware of a MHEA lighting glitch mentioned by a number of SPs. The new version of WA, expected to be rolled out in September, will handle lighting in MHEA and NEAT in an identical manner. 

Training & Technical Assistance

PY15 Monitoring Webinar
Commerce will again provide a ‘What to Expect at Your Monitoring Visit’ webinar in September. This webinar will include an overview of the visit as well as detail on the revised monitoring tools to be used in PY15.

CAZ Training for Contractors

CAPRW recently hired a trainer to offer training for their auditors, inspectors, and crews. Please contact CAPRW if interested in hearing more about their experience.

HEP Crew Leader (CL) Training
Commerce plans to sponsor BPI HEP Crew Leader Training beginning this fall. The training will be a week long and the certification testing will last an average of 1-2 days.

Basic WA for Energy Auditors Training
An initial Basic WA training geared toward less experienced Energy Auditors is planned for August 19 and 20 in St. Paul, at the Department of Commerce. While not limited to Energy Auditors and Inspectors, this training will focus on data input that is typically part of these roles.

WA for Energy Auditors
Mark Ternes, a trainer from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and one of the authors of WA User’s Manual Version 8.9, is coming to the Department of Commerce, August 25 to offer a high level training for Energy Auditors and Inspectors. This will not be a step-by-step training, but a sharing of expertise for auditors and inspectors who regularly use the WA software. Topics covered will include common modeling errors, work orders, library setup, and best practice sharing. Commerce recommends as many auditors and inspectors as possible come to this one day only training. This training is limited to Energy Auditors and Inspectors. We will be developing the work order and library portions of the training with Oak Ridge. To help us customize this training for Minnesota’s needs, please send in any outstanding questions around the WA software, including   screenshots (when necessary), to the Commerce mailbox, by Wednesday, August 5

In Process/ Onsite Training for SWS Rollout
Commerce is currently offering in-process/onsite training to address challenges related to implementing the SWS. If interested, please contact Commerce through the Commerce Mailbox.

Confined Spaces Webinar
BPI has created a webinar outlining what OSHA’s confined space requirements may mean for weatherization. It can be accessed here.

PY15 Policy Training Rollout

On behalf of the whole team here at Commerce, we want to thank everyone who helped make the PY15 Policy Training a success! The active participation from the entire network supported effective rollout and a strong feedback loop.


Final Notes

See You at the Fair!

Once again, the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources will coordinate 4,000 square feet of exhibit space at the Eco Experience of this year’s Minnesota State Fair. In partnership with other state agencies, utility companies, nonprofits and businesses, Commerce will oversee a Home Energy Improvements Exhibit to help Minnesota residents make their homes more comfortable, durable, and energy efficient. From assessing the performance of existing homes and encouraging smart energy purchases to choosing advanced efficiency and renewable options when building new, the exhibit will provide the tools to help Minnesotans make wise energy choices. Home energy assessments, energy efficient improvements, LED lighting, ENERGY STAR® appliances, renewable options, and the Minnesota Solar Suitability App are just a few  of the offerings. Check out the Home Energy Exhibit, Aug. 27-Sept. 7 at the Fair. Members of the Weatherization Team will help staff the exhibit. Stop by and see us!