Agenda - Council - 02/12/1980 - Laserfiche WebLink

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3 Bill Would Provide Loans for E-s Homes If the Solar and Energy Conserva- tion Bank bill sponsored by Minne- sota's Fourth District Congressman Bruce Vento is approved by Congress, home owners and developers will be able to obtain long-term loans for in- stalling efficient solar equipment in commercial and residential buildings. Under Vento's bill, earth sheltering is included in the definition of passive solar, so that builders or owners of earth sheltered structures may qualify for the Iow-interest loans. At the Underground Space Center's November conference, "Going Under to Stay on Top: Non-Residential Applications," Vento said that "the federal government has the responsibil- ity to help finance new ideas focused on reaching out to find solutions to societal problems, such as the energy crisis...The solar industry needs a boost [because of] the handicaps of the initial costs of installing energy saving systems." Vento's proposed boost would be in the form of loans for solar energy systems and for energy conservation measures (e.g., insulating, weatherstrip- ping and caulking, modifying furnaces for increased energy efficiency, instal- ling heat reflecting or absorbing win- dows). For installation of solar energy systems, the House bill authorizes a $5,000 maximu~n loan for individuals and $100,000 for commercial builders. The maximum loans for energy conser- ration measures are $1,000 per single family residence and $1,500 for duplexeS. Financial assistance would be pro- vided through local banks in the form of either an interest subsidy or a direct grant. Banks would determine the level of assistance to home owners or develop- ers based on prevailing market interest rates; the availability of other tax in- centives; a comparison of the types and marginal costs of non-renewable resources (e.g., fuel oil, coal) required by a solar system; the cost efficiency of the particular system; and the level of inducements needed to encourage Iow-income groups to use solar systems and energy conservation measures. continued on page 4 Underground Space Center Publications Order Form Eook~ and report~ Earth Sheltered Housing Design -- A complete manual on planning your own earth-sheltered house, from site planning to structural' design, with examples of existing houses and cost estimates. 1310 pages) ............. $11.00 A Report on the Potential for Underground Industr'~al, Commercial, and Storage Facilities in Minnesota -- An examination of the potential for large-scale underground construction in Minnesota, with particular emphasis on underground oil and gas storage, sewage systems, and corn* -mercialJindustrial facilities. (183 pages) ...... $10.00 Cost and Code Study 6f Underground Buildings -- An examination of housing code and cost implications for underground construction. Include. s cost and energy use information for earth-sheltered houses and large-scale build- ings. Information on codes related to housing has been incorporated into Earth Sheltered Housing Design, above. (176 pages) ..................... $10.00 Assessment of Attitudes and Educational Needs for Resi- dential Contractors -- Discussion of educational needs of residential contractors in Wisconsin and Minnesota, to transfer from typical above grade residential construction to residential earth-sheltered construction; contractors' attitudes toward earth-sheltered housing. (33 pages) $10.00 Potential Use of Underground Space -- Major advantages and disadvantages of underground space use, and implica- , tions for future planning at the University of Minnesota. (75 pages) ...................... $8.00 Preliminary Design for Underground Space -- Architectural, structural and construction, and mechanical/energy use con- siderations in planning subsurface construction at the Uni- versity of Minnesota; preliminary cost estimating data and cost comparisons; illustrative proiects. Focuses on mined space options relative to the local geology. (94 pages) $8.00 Articles The .following articles, reprinted from the Underground Space journal, contain genera~ information about earth- sheltered and underground building concerns. "Going Under to Stay on Top" . ......... $ 1.00 "Energy Conservation by Building Underground . $ 1.00 "The Architectural Underground" . ....... ;' $_1.00 "On the Psychology of Earth Covered ~uildings" . $ 1.00 *'City Planning and the Urban Underground" . . . $ 1.00 "The Earth-Sheltered Housing Demonstration Project: Minnesota Housing Finance Agency" . ...... $ 1.00 Total Amount Enclosed Qty Total Prices include all applicable tax and handling. Please send check or money order, in exact amount, payable to: The Underground Space Center, 11 Mines and Metallurgy, 221 Church Street S.E., University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455. Name Address City State__Zip