LAS VEGAS, Jan. 21, 2010 -- A weatherization program that created jobs while it made homes more energy-efficient worked in Minnesota - and can be one model for successful programs in other states.

A remodeler, a window manufacturer and the executive officer for the Builders Association of Minnesota explained how "Project ReEnergize" worked during a press conference at the National Association of Home Builders' International Builders' Show.

As part of its economic stimulus package, the Obama Administration made money available to state agencies for the purpose of weatherizing homes and generating jobs.

When some Minnesota agencies could not disburse the funding quickly enough, the state turned to the home builders association, which quickly  trained and certified contractors and insulation installers to make improvements to 1,400 homes, said Pam Perri Weaver, BAMN's executive officer.

Consumers were eligible for rebates when they hired certified contractors to replace windows, but they received even more money if their home's insulation was upgraded as well. That was an important incentive because it's hard to convince home owners to make improvements that in the end, they can't see, said Minnesota remodeler Shawn Nelson, a Project ReEnergize participant. "Air sealing is not a visual upgrade," he said.