March 10, 2010—The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) has announced it is participating in Building STAR, promoting a fast-acting, short-term program of rebates and tax incentives for energy-efficient improvements to commercial properties and large, multi-family buildings.
Renovating and retrofitting facilities with high-performance windows and doors are among the recommended projects that would qualify for these incentives, says AAMA.
A Building STAR stand-alone bill is expected to be introduced by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR). This bill aims to become part of a “jobs” package, creating new jobs during 2010 in every part of the country, while helping drive new investments into the commercial and multi-family real estate sectors.
Building STAR is designed to be a complementary program to the HOMESTAR program that President Barack Obama outlined on March 2. Commonly referred to as “cash for caulkers,” it provides homeowners with up to $3,000 in rebates for qualified, energy efficiency updates to single-family and small, multi-family residences.
“Spurring retrofits of commercial and multi-family buildings through Building STAR can start to reverse the downward trend in construction and manufacturing by leveraging private-sector investment to create jobs,” says Rich Walker, AAMA president and CEO.
For more information, see the AAMA Web site.
