美国国家公共电台 NPR--New federal standards aim to make manufactured homes more efficient

New federal standards aim to make manufactured homes more efficient

Transcript¹

The Energy Department recently updated efficiency rules for manufactured homes. Energy efficiency advocates wanted higher standards — while the industry warns the rules will raise home prices.

SAM BRASCH, BYLINE²: Manufactured homes have historically been one of the country's most affordable³ housing options, but they often come with a big drawback. That's because drafty walls and poor insulation⁴ can push up energy costs for the residents. While new federal standards aim to make some of these manufactured homes more efficient, Colorado Public Radio's Sam Brasch reports not everyone is happy with them.

ANGELA MARIA ORTIZ ROA: She just wants to say hi to you.

BRASCH: Visit Angela Maria Ortiz Roa's home in Boulder⁵, Colo., you're met with unbridled enthusiasm from her dog, Poma.

ORTIZ ROA: (Laughter) This is ridiculous.

BRASCH: Ortiz Roa is a climate justice advocate who works in communications for the city of Boulder. She moved to this single-wide manufactured home months before the pandemic. After living in a much smaller apartment, she says a pet is just one benefit. There's space for keyboards and drums to play music with her son.

ORTIZ ROA: You know, I'm from Colombia, so I like dancing and music, and so I get to do it all here.

BRASCH: There's room for dozens of houseplants and an extra corner to make compost for them.

ORTIZ ROA: I have composting worms. You're not going to believe it, but I have worms that are composting right there right now.

BRASCH: Really?

ORTIZ ROA: Yeah.

BRASCH: Her biggest frustration⁶ with the home - the energy bills. In the winter, she pays more than $100 a month, which she thinks has to do with some leaky patches in the floor.

ORTIZ ROA: When you walk bare feet in the winter, you can feel maybe some gaps in the lining⁷ at the bottom, where it gets - like, the floor is extremely cold.

BRASCH: And Ortiz Roa isn't alone. Federal data shows mobile homes use about 35% more energy per square foot than detached single-family homes. Part of the reason is how these homes are regulated. In most cases, states or local governments set standards for site-built homes. Manufactured homes are different. Since they often cross state lines, the federal government sets the standards. And due to a long list of political and bureaucratic⁸ hang-ups, it's recently issued new energy efficiency rules for the first time in almost 30 years. U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm says that will help people handle rising energy costs.

JENNIFER GRANHOLM: And so we want to make sure that the newer manufactured homes are efficient so that they don't waste money.

BRASCH: But here's the thing - the final policy announced last month creates two levels of standards, one for larger manufactured homes requiring thick insulation and air sealing and a looser standard for smaller, single-wide manufactured homes. Granholm says that's so the cheapest homes remain affordable.

GRANHOLM: We are recognizing that the upfront purchase price is important as well, and so we wanted to strike the balance.

BRASCH: The final standards disappointed energy efficiency advocates. Lowell Ungar directs federal policy efforts for the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.

LOWELL UNGAR: Unfortunately, they've barely changed the standards for smaller homes, and we fear that the residents of those homes are going to be paying high energy bills for decades to come.

BRASCH: The White House has new policies to boost home factories amid a nationwide housing crunch⁹. Lesli Gooch, head of the Manufactured Housing Institute, says the new efficiency rules will cut against those efforts.

LESLI GOOCH: A number of unintended consequences have been created at the worst time possible when the country is facing such housing affordability¹⁰ shortage. This is the worst time to put something like this into place.

BRASCH: And Gooch doesn't think the standards are a done deal. Her group is now pushing the White House and Congress to let the Department of Housing and Urban Development revise the efficiency rules and set regulations that she says won't also push up prices.

For NPR News, I'm Sam Brasch in Denver.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

4 insulation   

n.隔离；绝缘；隔热

参考例句：

• Please examine the insulation of the electric wires in my house.请检查一下我屋子里电线的绝缘情况。
• It is always difficult to assure good insulation between the electric leads.要保证两个电触头之间有良好的绝缘总是很困难的。

5 boulder   

n.巨砾；卵石，圆石

参考例句：

• We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲，把大石头搬开了。
• He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。

6 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

7 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

8 bureaucratic   

adj.官僚的，繁文缛节的

参考例句：

• The sweat of labour washed away his bureaucratic airs.劳动的汗水冲掉了他身上的官气。
• In this company you have to go through complex bureaucratic procedures just to get a new pencil.在这个公司里即使是领一支新铅笔，也必须通过繁琐的手续。

9 crunch   

n.关键时刻；艰难局面；v.发出碎裂声

参考例句：

• If it comes to the crunch they'll support us.关键时刻他们是会支持我们的。
• People who crunch nuts at the movies can be very annoying.看电影时嘎吱作声地嚼干果的人会使人十分讨厌。

10 affordability   

可购性

参考例句：

• Performance-Based Logistics Affordability: Can We Afford Categorical Conversion to Performance-Based Acquisition? 基于性能的后期的可承受性：能否担负得起向基于性能的采办的无条件的转变？
• There would be no crisis of affordability, as't for food or clothing. 就想食物与服装一样，因为供给没有危机。