Corporate

Town of Chapel Hill Wins Award for WISE Energy Program
Advanced Energy Provides Training and Quality Assurance for Award-winning Program

Raleigh, N.C. (September 27, 2011) — Advanced Energy is pleased to congratulate the Town of Chapel Hill for receiving the 2011 U.S. Conference of Mayor's Climate Protection Award honorable mention in the Small Cities Category for the implementation of the WISE (Worthwhile Investments Save Energy) Homes and Buildings Program.

Initiated March 2011, the Chapel Hill WISE Program is available to all owner-occupied, single-family detached structures within Chapel Hill town limits. The city is offering subsidies to conduct energy assessments and complete home improvements, with the goal of reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, lowering utility bills and creating a sustainable program that lasts beyond grant funding.

North Carolina Senator Ellie Kinnaird praised Mayor Kleinschmidt and the Town of Chapel Hill saying, "The honor is well deserved. The WISE program has incentivized and made accessible energy efficiency improvements which yield great economic and environmental impact."

Chapel Hill's WISE Homes and Buildings Program incorporates the U.S. Department of Energy's national Home Performance with ENERGY STAR^® program, a comprehensive, whole-house approach to improving energy efficiency and home comfort, while helping to protect the environment. Advanced Energy sponsors the program in North Carolina, providing specialized training to participating contractors and conducting quality assurance inspections on a percentage of each contractor's homes to ensure high standards of quality.

More than 75,000 families enjoy the benefits of the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program — like fewer drafts, consistent temperatures across rooms, better ventilation and humidity control and lower utility bills — typically saving them at least 15 percent on their utility bills.

Currently, the program is in the pilot stage in North Carolina offered by the Town of Chapel Hill, the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency and the City of Greensboro. If you are a municipality, utility or other organization who would like more information about offering the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program in your area, please contact Brian Coble at 919.857.9000.

About ENERGY STAR^®
Energy Star was started by the EPA in 1992 as a market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the Energy Star label can be found on more than 60 different kinds of products as well as new homes and commercial and industrial buildings that meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by EPA. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved about $18 billion on their energy bills while preventing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the annual emissions of 33 million vehicles. For more information, visit www.energystar.gov.

About Advanced Energy
Advanced Energy is a Raleigh, N.C.-based nonprofit committed to a future in which energy needs are met at reasonable costs and with the least negative consequences. The organization continues to work collaboratively to demonstrate that industry, government and nonprofits can successfully work together to improve the environment and encourage the economy. For 30 years, Advanced Energy has created economic, environmental and societal benefits through innovative and market-based approaches to energy issues. For more information about the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR training and quality assurance program, contact Brian Coble at 919.857.9000.