North Carolina State University has received grants totaling $1.7 million from the North Carolina Energy Office to prepare students for jobs in "green energy" fields.

The state agency created the program with federal stimulus money.

Four different NC State units received funding:

•  The Utilities and Engineering Services/Department of Energy Management received $475,488 to place six fellows with various university organizations that study or deliver energy efficiency.

• The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, a department in the College of Engineering, received $464,801 and will hire 48 full- and part-time interns to either work with outside partners active in conducting energy assessments and studies, or work on campus energy management programs.

• The College of Natural Resources received $435,481 and will provide 45 internships and three fellowships in fields including environmental technology, forest management, natural resources, paper science and engineering, and wood products.

•  The North Carolina Solar Center, a unit within the university’s College of Engineering, received $373,469 for six internships and four fellowships to share research or projects and provide estimates of greenhouse-gas reductions from their work.
   

The N.C. Energy Office today announced a new weatherization program financed by the federal stimulus package for new homes and homes under construction.

The $3.7 million program will make energy-efficiency upgrades to 2,500 new single-family homes, 1,700 manufactured homes and 480 apartment units.

The participating homes will have to achieve a minimum of 15 percent in energy savings in order for the agencies carrying out the work to be paid.

As much as $400,000 in appliance rebates could go unclaimed and become available to people on a waiting list in the N.C. Energy Office promotion of Energy Star-rated appliances.

The state was distributing $1.3 million in rebates at the beginning of this month, courtesy of the federal stimulus.

Residents reserved all the rebate money within four days online or over the phone, but three weeks later, about 24 percent of those who reserved rebates have not submitted the required paperwork to receive the money.

Energy Office spokesman Seth Effron means that some have forgotten, some have lost their documentation and some may have mailed the materials too recently to be logged.

The N.C. Energy Office is urging residents to start preparing now to tap the remaining $1 million available in incentives for energy-efficient appliances.

On Tuesday morning, the Energy Office will activate a web link and phone number (1-877-379-7323) for residents to reserve their incentives.

The rebates range from $75 for an Energy Star-rated freezer and dishwasher to $300 for an Energy Star-raged central AC unit and natural gas furnace. The appliances and equipment must replace older units to qualify for the incentives.

Consumers who replace older heat pumps, furnaces, water heaters and other appliances with energy-efficient models can get rebates worth up to $300 starting next month.

State officials announced today that they're starting a second appliance rebate program on June 1 to hand out about $1 million in federal stimulus money.

The program expands an earlier rebate offer that gave out about $7 million to consumers who bought more than 54,000 energy-efficient refrigerators, freezers, washing machines and dishwashers last month. That program ended April 25 but left the state with about $1 million that it still needs to give away.

The new rebates will include: $300 for air conditioning systems, heat pumps or gas furnaces; $200 for water heaters; $100 for washing machines or dishwashers; and $75 for refrigerators or freezers.

Wake County accounted for more appliance discounts than any other county in the state during last week's rebate promotion, according to the N.C. Department of Commerce.

Customers in Wake County claimed nearly $1.2 million in discounts for dishwashers, clothes washers, refrigerators and freezers purchased between April 22 and April 25.

Mecklenburg County came in second, with $838,025 in discounts.

The 15 percent discounts were financed by federal stimulus funds. North Carollina received $8.8 million to reimburse retailers for the discounts, but about $1 million remains unspent. The leftover money will be used in a second round of rebates in June.

In all, retailers in 140 towns in 78 North Carolina counties offered the stimulus-backed discount. Some retailers additionally offered their own discounts on top of the federal discount.

More than 54,000 appliances were sold in the state over four days with a $7 million boost provided from the federal stimulus.

The stimulus paid for a 15 percent discount on energy-efficient clothes washers, dishwashers, freezers and refrigerators. Some stores did several months worth of business in one long weekend.

The N.C. Energy Office, which oversaw the program, estimates that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act resulted in residents spending $46.4 million on appliances between April 22 and April 25.

"When I looked at that number, I was just astonished," said Energy Office spokesman Seth Effron.

More than 430 stores in the state will be offering a 15 percent discount on Energy Star appliances from April 22 to April 25, billed as Earth Day Weekend.

The discount is financed by $8.8 million in federal stimulus funds apportioned to North Carolina for energy efficient appliance sales. Participating stores will cut their price by 15 percent and get reimbursed by the feds. There's no paperwork involved for the customer.

The discount applies to Energy Star refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers and washing machines bought over the four days at the end of this month.

Some stores are pairing the stimulus discount with their own offers.

Appliance retailers can register starting today for the state's upcoming Energy Star Appliance Replacement and Rebate Program.

The special program, which will run April 22 through April 25, will give consumers a 15 percent rebate when they buy certain Energy Star certified appliances, including washers, dishwashers, refrigerators and freezers. Retailers participating in the program will offer the consumers an instant rebate and then be reimbursed by the state.

The deadline for application by retailers is April 13. Here's the application link.