Category Archives: super insulation

Federal Energy Tax Credits For Residential Housing – What’s in your Stimulus Package

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What’s up with the Feds for the new green economy?

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits

 

Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

How has the new Stimulus bill affected the tax credits for energy efficient home improvements?

What tax credits are available in 2008 for energy efficiency home improvements?

Are installation costs covered by the tax credit?

All Tax Credit FAQs

UPDATED May 14, 2009

Quick link to this page: energystar.gov/taxcredits

Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency includes:

**Please note, not all ENERGY STAR qualified homes and products qualify for a tax credit. These tax credits are available for a number of products at the highest efficiency levels, which typically cost much more than standard products. If, for whatever reason, you decide not to purchase a product covered by the tax credit, you may still consider purchasing an ENERGY STAR product. ENERGY STAR distinguishes energy efficient products which, although they may cost more to purchase than standard models, will pay you back in lower energy bills within a reasonable amount of time, without a tax credit.

Tax Credits for Consumers:

Home Improvements

Tax credits are now available for home improvements:

  • must be “placed in service” from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010
  • must be for taxpayer’s principal residence, EXCEPT for geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, solar panels, and small wind energy systems (where second homes and rentals qualify)
  • $1,500 is the maximum total amount that can be claimed for all products placed in service in 2009 & 2010 for most home improvements, EXCEPT for geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, solar panels, fuel cells, and small wind energy systems which are not subject to this cap, and are in effect through 2016
  • must have a Manufacturer Certification Statement3 to qualify
  • for record keeping, save your receipts and the Manufacturer Certification Statement3
  • improvements made in 2009 will be claimed on your 2009 taxes (filed by April 15, 2010) — use IRS Tax Form 5695 (2009 version) — it will be available late 2009 or early 2010
  • If you are building a new home, you can qualify for the tax credit for geothermal heat pumps, photovoltaics, solar water heaters, small wind energy systems and fuel cells, but not the tax credits for windows, doors, insulation, roofs, HVAC, or non-solar water heaters. More.

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Or you can go here:

http://www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm

Consumer Energy Tax Incentives
What the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Means to You

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 extended many consumer tax incentives originally introduced in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT) and amended in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-343). Businesses, utilities, and governments are also eligible for tax credits.

See the summary of the energy tax incentives included in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.

About Tax Credits
A tax credit is generally more valuable than an equivalent tax deduction because a tax credit reduces tax dollar-for-dollar, while a deduction only removes a percentage of the tax that is owed. Consumers can itemize purchases on their federal income tax form, which will lower the total amount of tax they owe the government.

Fuel-efficient vehicles and energy-efficient appliances and products provide many benefits such as better gas mileage –meaning lower gasoline costs, fewer emissions, lower energy bills, increased indoor comfort, and reduced air pollution.

In addition to federal tax incentives, some consumers will also be eligible for utility or state rebates, as well as state tax incentives for energy-efficient homes, vehicles and equipment. Each state’s energy office web site may have more information on specific state tax information.

Below is a summary of many of the tax credits available to consumers. Please see the ENERGY STAR® page on Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency for complete details.

Home Energy Efficiency Improvement Tax Credits
Consumers who purchase and install specific products, such as energy-efficient windows, insulation, doors, roofs, and heating and cooling equipment in existing homes can receive a tax credit for 30% of the cost, up to $1,500, for improvements “placed in service” starting January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2010. See EnergyStar.gov for a complete summary of energy efficiency tax credits available to consumers.

Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credits
Consumers who install solar energy systems (including solar water heating and solar electric systems), small wind systems, geothermal heat pumps, and residential fuel cell and microturbine systems can receive a 30% tax credit for systems placed in service before December 31, 2016; the previous tax credit cap no longer applies.

Automobile Tax Credits
Hybrid Gas-Electric and Alternative Fuel Vehicles
Individuals and businesses who buy or lease a new hybrid gas-electric car or truck are eligible for an income tax credit for vehicles “placed in service” starting January 1, 2006, and purchased on or before December 31, 2010. The amount of the credit depends on the fuel economy, the weight of the vehicle, and whether the tax credit has been or is being phased out. Hybrid vehicles that use less gasoline than the average vehicle of similar weight and that meet an emissions standard qualify for the credit.

This tax credit will be phased out for each manufacturer once that company has sold 60,000 eligible vehicles. At that point, the tax credit for each company’s vehicles will be gradually reduced over the course fifteen months. See the IRS’s Summary of the Credit for Qualified Hybrid Vehicles for information on the status of specific vehicle eligibility.

Alternative-fuel vehicles, diesel vehicles with advanced lean-burn technologies, and fuel-cell vehicles are also eligible for tax credits. See the IRS summary of credits available for Alternative Motor Vehicles.

Plug-In Electric Vehicles
Plug-in electric vehicles also qualify for a tax credit starting January 1, 2010. The credit for passenger vehicles and light trucks ranges from $2,500 to $7,500, depending on batter capacity. The first 200,000 vehicles sold by each manufacturer are eligible for the full tax credit; the credit will then phase out over a year.

Plug-In Hybrid Conversion Kits
Hybrid vehicle owners who purchase a qualified plug-in hybrid conversion kit are eligible for a 10% credit, capped at $4,000, through 2011.

* Sources: ENERGYSTAR.gov and IRS.gov
** The IRS will determine final tax credit amounts. As more information becomes available, it will be posted on our website.

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I am getting tired now. So you can go here:

http://www.moneymaestros.com/federal-tax-credits-for-energy-efficiency-now-extended-in-2009/

 

Federal Tax Credits For Energy Efficiency Now Extended In 2009

by James K. on January 14, 2009

Good news for consumers who are energy conscious and using energy efficient appliances. Last October, Federal tax credits for energy efficient home improvements have been extended into 2009.

The recently-signed “Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008? includes an extension of the residential tax credits for energy efficient improvements. The previous tax credits expired at the end of 2007.

It’s important to note that the new tax credits for installing energy efficient improvements are only good for 2009 installations. There are no tax credits for improvements installed during 2008.

The tax credits are available for insulation, replacement windows, water heaters, and certain high efficiency heating and cooling equipment. However, be aware that not all Energy Star rated improvements are eligible for the tax credit. Be sure to check EnergyStar.gov for rules and more details.

Here are some examples of the federal tax credits that are available to homeowners:

– Windows: 10% of cost, up to $200, for qualified ENERGY STAR windows, skylights and storm windows
– Doors (exterior): 10% of cost, up to $500, for qualifying doors (most ENERGY STAR doors will qualify)
– Roofs (metal): 10% of cost, up to $500, for qualifying ENERGY STAR metal roofs
– Insulation: 10% of cost, up to $500, for qualifying insulation (not vapor retarders or siding)
– Air Conditioning (split or package systems): $300 for qualifying systems, not all ENERGY STAR systems qualify
– Water Heaters (tankless only): $300 for qualifying systems
– Cars: Credits are available for certain cars, and is limited by 60,000 per manufacturer before a phase-out period begins
– Solar Water Heating: 30% of cost, up to $2,000, not available for water heaters used for pools or spas
– Solar Power (Photovoltaic): 30% of cost, up to $2,000, must provide electricity for the home
– Fuel Cells: 30% of cost, up to $1,000 per kW of power that can be produced

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Tomorrow – Paint your roof white

Alternative Energy Costs Money – All the headlines that are simply wrong

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Conserving Energy Will Bankrupt Our Economy

Energy Efficiency Is Too Expensive For Poor People

Coal Will Always Be a Part Of Our Energy Mix

The Future Is Nuclear Power

And so it goes. I will say it only one time and then repeat it for the rest of my life, YOU WILL Always SAVE Money By Saving Energy. Right now in the worst Depression since the Great Recession people are still throwing their energy $$$ out the window. People are so used to Energy as a Commodity concepts that they talk about turning the thermostats down not Turning Their Insulation up. There is nothing wrong with drying your clothes on a clothesline. How are you going to lose money planting a garden?

No greater authority than Parade Magazine posts these articles from Sunday:

http://www.parade.com/news/2009/05/finding-joy-in-frugality.html

$AVINGS SURVIVAL GUIDE

Finding Joy in Frugality

by Alix Kates Shulman

published: 05/10/2009

Related Features

1. Savings Strategies

2. How To Save Smarter

3. My Haunted House

 

The author at home with her frugal finds, including flowers that she dried herself.

For decades, frugality has been despised as stinginess. But with the recent collapse of consumer culture, it is now in style again. Its return confirms that, given time, everything sensible eventually comes back into fashion—an article of faith to the thrifty, including me.

I was not always frugal. In high school I was as careless a spender as any other suburban American girl. The clothes and music I bought with my after-school earnings didn’t  begin to satisfy my longings, which I regularly laid on my parents as a fatal need for another sweater.

Then, suddenly, when I moved to New York for graduate school, I did a complete turnaround. Initially, I was motivated by the desire to spend a year abroad, which in those pre-credit-card days required saving money. But mainly, I think, living on my own for the first time, I felt free to revise my values to suit a serious-minded grad student.

I adopted a set of simple if stringent rules that still make sense today: If you don’t need it, don’t buy it; never buy a new one if your old one works; never buy an expensive one when a lower-priced one will do. I abandoned bookstores for libraries, restaurants for my kitchen, boutiques for bargains—and soon found myself enjoying a gleeful sense of liberation. By limiting my consumption and saving for what I really wanted, I felt empowered. Here was a way to beat the system and achieve control.

But frugality is one thing in a student, another in a woman of the world. As the years passed, I hung onto it, but I also knew better than to broadcast it. It became a secret strength, a guilty pleasure.

My delight in frugality took a giant step when, at age 50, I went one summer to a house on an island off the coast of Maine. It offered propane and rainwater instead of electricity and plumbing, and the island store was an hour’s walk away. Far from lamenting the lack of amenities, I felt stimulated and challenged. With nothing to buy and no one to impress, I set out to discover what mattered most. What I learned is how little one needs to be content and how much of life’s bounty is free if you open your eyes and use your imagination.

 

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This as well:

http://www.parade.com/news/2009/05/how-to-save-smarter.html

$AVINGS SURVIVAL GUIDE

How To Save Smarter

by Tim Harford

published: 05/10/2009

Not very long ago, Americans were terrible savers. In 2007, the average person put aside 60 cents of every $100, or .6% per paycheck. However, the current economic downturn has shocked us into depositing more at the bank. As of February, the personal savings rate was more than 4%. That’s a big improvement, but it’s still half of 1980s levels, when Americans routinely socked away 10% of their paychecks. Why is saving so hard? And how can we be smarter savers?

Behavioral economists—researchers who mix psychology and economics—have uncovered three reasons why people find it so difficult to save. The first is temptation: Although we often later regret it, we just can’t resist spending. The second is lack of understanding: Our brains can’t quite grasp the profitability of saving. The third is optimism: We believe that everything will work out, even if we don’t save.

Fortunately, researchers have found solutions to these problems. Temptation can be countered if you make saving as much fun as spending. This isn’t such a stretch. Neuroeconomist Ben Seymour of University College, London, sits in front of a brain scanner and watches what happens in our heads when we think about financial decisions. He found that imagining a future purchase is almost as good as getting it. For example, when we daydream about buying a new car, our brains respond in much the same way as when we actually make the purchase.

We can harness this buzz to our benefit by discarding vague ideas of “saving for a rainy day” and focusing instead on particular items we need or want. “Saving is much easier when it’s for something specific,” Seymour says. Reinforce this connection in your mind by opening a different savings account devoted to each of your goals: one for a new car, one for a vacation, one for a child’s college tuition fees.

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So is a Killowatt saved a Killowatt earned? Damn Straight:

http://www.green-energy-news.com/arch/nrgs2009/20090023.html

March 19, 2009 – Vol.13 No.52

ENERGY FRUGALITY MAKES GOOD BUSINESS.
by Bruce Mulliken, Green Energy News

Author, activist, statesman, inventor Benjamin Franklin famously said, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Kilowatts weren’t yet conceived in his day but the experimenter in electricity certainly would have quipped, “Kilowatts saved are pennies earned.”

Somehow I think the man who believed in frugality would have been a vocal proponent of energy efficiency.

Today, saving energy and using it more efficiently is not just virtuous, it’s good business. In an economy struggling to get traction, spending less on energy can mean the difference between business failure and staying in it. A penny spent on energy savings can shift a negative number on the balance sheet into the positive column.

For an individual a switch to a more fuel efficient car or truck will make an immediate and noticeable difference in cash outflows. But adding more efficient lighting or beefing up insulation in a home will be barely noticeable on the monthly utility bill. (Rest assured; the savings will be there and evident in the long run.)

However, for a business, energy efficiency measures of all kinds will stand out when the bill comes due. When dozens, hundreds or thousands of light fixtures are changed to more efficient ones the effect on the bottom line will be immediate. Further, calculating the dollars and cents difference between the efficiency investment and long term energy savings can give a business a long term bill of health.

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Or This:

http://ase.org/content/news/detail/5549

 

Frugality 101: Why Pay More for Energy Than You Have To?

For Further Information
Rozanne Weissman 202/530-2217 rweissman@ase.org

For Immediate Release

(Editor’s note: The news release has hypertext links as well as complete web links to meet various media, web, and blog needs.)

Washington, DC, April 2009 – Although gasoline prices are heading upward once again, they are nowhere near last summer’s average high of $4.11 a gallon, meaning that you could drive more for less. But is that smart? As a matter of fact, one of the bright spots in this turbulent economy is that it will actually cost significantly less to power your home and vehicles this year than last year.

With “frugality” being the hot buzzword in this tough economy, why pay more for energy than you have to? The Alliance to Save Energy offers extensive money-saving resources and tips to reduce your energy bills so you and your family have more money for other things:

  • Unemployed, home more, and watching your home energy bills soar? When a home is in use 24/7, more energy is used for heating or cooling, lighting, home office equipment, electronics, water, and other needs. The Alliance to Save Energy’s consumer website (www.ase.org/consumers) offers an entire section on Tips to Lower Your Energy Bills.
  • $1,500 home energy efficiency tax credit. There’s no better time than this year or next year to improve your home’s energy efficiency. Certain home energy efficiency improvements are eligible for a federal tax credit of up to $1,500 through the end of 2010 as part of the February “stimulus” package. The Alliance provides all pertinent details on home and vehicle tax credits (http://ase.org/section/_audience/consumers/taxcredits). The tax credit increases the federal income tax refund you would get or lessens the money you would otherwise owe. In addition, these improvements would simultaneously reduce your monthly energy bills, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions.

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For much more:

www.consultenergyefficientdesign.com/2009/03/energy–frugality-makes-good-business.html

http://frugalist.instantcreditcard.com/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/5089236/Wartime-frugality-needed-to-help-fight-climate-change-says-Energy-Saving-Trust.html

http://americanenergycrisis.blogspot.com/2009/03/frugal-is-in-again.html

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Colbert And The Look Of The Space Station – Got to be careful with the jokes

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This is Beautiful:

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/323116main_s119e010286_hires.jpg

space-station.jpg

www.shuttlepresskit.com

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This is not:

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE52T5TN20090330?rpc=64

NASA in Colbert conundrum over Space Station

By Irene Klotz

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) – NASA’s outreach to the public to drum up interest in the International Space Station started innocently enough with an online contest to name the station’s new living quarters.

But Stephen Colbert, a comedian who poses as an ultra right-wing news commentator on cable television’s Comedy Central, nosed into the act with a grass-roots appeal that has backed the staid U.S. space agency into a corner.

The comedian’s supporters cast 230,539 write-in votes to name the new module at the $100-billion space outpost “Colbert.” The top NASA-suggested name, “Serenity,” finished a distant second, more than 40,000 votes behind.

Contest rules stipulate that the agency retains the right to basically do whatever it wants, but it may not be that easy.

Last week, U.S. Representative Chaka Fattah, a Pennsylvania Democrat, called on NASA to do the democratic thing and use the name that drew the most votes.

“NASA decided to hold an election to name its new room at the International Space Station and the clear winner is Stephen Colbert,” Fattah said in a statement. “The people have spoken, and Stephen Colbert won it fair and square — even if his campaign was a bit over the top.”

NASA is taking some time to ponder its next move.

“We have a plan and we’re working with some folks and in a couple of weeks you’ll know what the answer is,” NASA’s associate administrator Bill Gerstenmaier said.

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Who is laughing now Mr. Colbert..hmmmmm?

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Advances In Home Insulation – That’s right after the Inaugural it’s time to get back to work

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Yah I know it is a downer to have to go back to work after the weekend PLUS back to back MLK/BHO days but life must go on. My motto for 38 years has been “You never ever lose money by investing in energy conservation”.  So put R60 in your attic.

http://greenbuildingelements.com/2008/04/11/aerogel-insulation-advances/

Aerogel Insulation Advances

Author photo Written by Philip Proefrock

Published on April 11th, 2008

14 Comments

Posted in Energy, Heating & Cooling, Materials

Aerogel is almost a product out of science fiction.

Nicknamed “frozen smoke,” aerogel is extremely lightweight material, with a density only 3 times that of air. Only a small fraction of a volume of aerogel is the material itself. Most of the volume is filled with air. This makes aerogel an excellent insulator. (Aerogel provides nearly 40 times the insulation of fiberglass insulation.)

Aerogel can withstand great pressures and is also an excellent sound insulator. Aerogels can also be used to absorb airborne pollutants and have been used to clean up oil spills. NASA also used a section of aerogel as part of its Stardust probe to collect samples of material from the tail of a comet.

Aerogel is available for some high-performance applications, but due to its high cost, it has not been widely used. However, new research from a Malaysian scientist offers the potential to drastically reduce the cost of producing aerogel, and could lead to new possibilities for its use as a building and insulation material.

Dr. Halimaton Hamdan from the Universiti Teknologi in Malaysia has developed a method of producing aerogel that could reduce the cost of producing aerogel by 80% by using agricultural waste from rice husks as the feedstock. Rice husks evidently have a high silica content, and silica is the main constituent of aerogel. In addition to potentially being able to produce aerogel for one-fifth the current cost, this also addresses a problem with disposing of rice husk waste.

Because aerogel is translucent, rather than completely transparent, one of the places it has first been used in architectural applications has been in daylighting panels. Commercial applications of aerogel are from companies such as Kalwall and Advanced Glazings,…..

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This stuff is really amazing and no you won’t put it in your attic because it costs a gazzillion dollars and is used in outerspace…still if you built a room out of it you could heat it with a candle until the air ran out…for cool videos however please see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukq5Uy7iv7k

Oh you speak english…sorry

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhcgI_DsSa4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeQJ6e_8Wqs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf06j4eWeMk

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Yes I am bored SOOOOwhat? Here is the stuff you can put in your attic:

http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/spray-foam-insulation-drastically-decreases-air-leakage-from-a-home-365453.html

Spray Foam Insulation

Drastically Decreases Air Leakage from a Home

Andrew Stratton

According to the US Department of Energy, more than half of the energy cost of the average home goes into heating and cooling. Furthermore, 30% of the heating and cooling cost is the result of air infiltration. One of the newest advancements in home products, expanding spray foam insulation, can significantly reduce the amount of air leakage within a house.

Air leakage is often most noticeable during winter months. This is because it is during the winter that the maximum temperature difference exists between the warm interior and the cold exterior of a house. This maximum difference in temperature causes a large pressure discrepancy between a home’s inside and outside environments. In turn, this pressure discrepancy causes the warm inside air to be pushed through any small gaps to the cold laying outdoors. Therefore, these small gaps allow the heat which you paid for to escape from your house.

Expanding spray foam insulation can plug these small holes. The spray foam insulation accomplishes this task by expanding into the small gaps onto which it has been sprayed.

However, to be effective it may be helpful to understand where these small holes may occur. One often thinks of the spaces near a door or window when thinking about the possible locations where currents may arise. However, there may be other locations which are not as apparent. These other locations are usually less apparent because they are found within the attic, basement or crawlspace.

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For more please read the rest of the article or:

http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/spray-foam-environmentally-friendly-insulation-601399.html

Spray Foam: Environmentally

Friendly Insulation

Andrew Stratton

Everyone is going green, and many companies are making it easier than ever. If you want to do your part for the environment, a great way to start is right in your own home. With the advent of new technologies, there are now products available that will help keep the environment healthier without having to compromise your own comfort.

Spray foam insulation is one product for your home that has recently gone green. Spray foam insulation begins as liquid polyurethane that is then sprayed onto surfaces, creating a protective, insulating barrier. Since the foam is initially liquid, it easily covers all cracks and holes in the wall, covering a more thorough area than fiberglass or cellulose.

This means that your house will be more climate efficient. The heat will stay trapped inside during the cold months and the cool air will stay in during the summer. Not only will the temperature of your house be more comfortable, but you’ll save energy on your heating and cooling.

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So you can use a little or a lot. More places for this stuff are:

http://www.greenbuildingenergystar.org/home-insulation-sealing.php

http://www.basf-pfe.com/index.php?location=RRE&section=view-PRP&select=117

http://www.sprayfoamdirect.com/?gclid=COTskbqvoJgCFRlcagoddQHZng

www.TigerFoam.com/Insulation 

www.icynene.com/

Or if you like video and it seems we do today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFjxWdPPY1Q

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Energy Tax Credits For 2009 – The last parting shot from GWB

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http://www.ase.org/content/article/detail/2654

Energy-Efficiency Home

and Vehicle Tax Credits

Energy-Efficiency Home

and Vehicle Tax Credits

President Bush has signed into law new consumer tax credits for energy efficiency home improvements, as well as purchases of plug-in hybrid vehicles. These provisions were included in H.R. 1424, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which the president signed on October 3, 2008. The homeowner tax credits are largely the same – but not identical – to those that expired at the end of 2007, and begin again on January 1, 2009.

Taxpayers who claimed some but not all of the $500 federal income tax credit for energy efficiency home improvements that was in effect in tax years 2006 and 2007 may utilize the unused portion in 2009, the IRS has informed the Alliance to Save Energy. Please consult your tax advisor for details.

What’s New:

  • The consumer tax credits for energy-efficiency home improvements have been revived with a few tweaks for the calendar year 2009. To be eligible, most qualifying products must be purchased and installed between January 1 and December 31, 2009. There also are some new eligible products. Please see below for additional details. Efforts to have Congress further extend the consumer tax credits continue! This web page will be updated to reflect any new legislation.

Energy Efficiency Can Lower Your Federal Tax Bill as Well as Your Energy Bills

  1. Introduction to Tax Credits
  2. Consumer Tax Credit Information
  3. Hybrid and Diesel Vehicle Tax Credit
  4. Home Energy-Efficiency Improvement Tax Credit
  5. Geothermal Heat Pumps, Solar Energy, and Fuel Cells
  6. Additional Information

http://www.dsireusa.org/library/includes/incentive2.cfm?Incentive_Code=US41F&State=Federal¤tpageid=1&ee=1&re=1

Federal Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency

Energy-Efficient New Homes Tax Credit for Home Builders

Last DSIRE Review: 10/09/2008

Incentive Type: Corporate Tax Credit
Eligible Efficiency Technologies: Comprehensive Measures/Whole Building
Applicable Sectors: Construction
Amount: $1,000-$2,000, depending on energy savings and home type
Maximum Incentive: $2,000
Website: http://www.irs.gov/
businesses/small/industries/article/0,,id=155445,00.html
Authority 1: 26 USC § 45L
Date Enacted: 8/8/2005 (Amended 2008)
Effective Date: 1/1/2006
Expiration Date: 12/31/2009
Authority 2: H.R. 1424: Div. B, Sec. 304 (The Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008)
Date Enacted: 10/3/2008
Expiration Date: 12/31/2009

http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/eem/eemhog96.cfm

Energy Efficient Mortgage

Home Owner Guide

THE ENERGY EFFICIENT MORTGAGE means comfort and savings. When you are buying, selling, refinancing, or remodeling your home, you can increase your comfort and actually save money by using the Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM). It is easy to use, federally recognized, and can be applied to most home mortgages. EEMs provide the borrower with special benefits when purchasing a home that is energy efficient, or can be made efficient through the installation of energy-saving improvements.

Home owners with lower utility bills have more money in their pocket each month. They can afford to allocate a larger portion of their income to housing expenses. If you have more cash, why not buy a better, more comfortable home? There are two options with the Energy Efficient Mortgage.

The TWO SIDES of the EEM COIN

Finance Energy Improvements!

 

>  Cost-effective energy-saving measures may be financed as part of the mortgage!

 

Increase Your Buying Power!

 

>  Stretch debt-to-income qualifying ratios on loans for energy-efficient homes!

 

WHO BENEFITS from the ENERGY EFFICIENT MORTGAGE?

Buyers:

 

>  Qualify for a larger loan on a better home!

 

Sellers:

 

>  Sell your home more quickly.

 

Remodelers/Refinancers:

 

>  Get all the EEM benefits without moving.

 

Pay for energy improvements easily, through your mortgage. Your lender can increase your loan to cover energy improvement costs. Monthly mortgage payments increase slightly, but you actually save money because your energy bills will be lower!

HERS, or Home Energy Rating Systems

A HERS report is similar to a miles-per-gallon rating on a car. HERS are programs which provide evaluations of an individual home’s energy-efficiency. A HERS report is prepared by a trained Energy Rater. Factors such as insulation, appliance efficiencies, window types, local climate, and utility rates are used to rate the home and calculate energy costs.

A HERS Report Includes:

 

>  Overall Rating Score of the house as it is.

 

Rating scores are between 1 and 100. Higher scores indicate greater efficiency. Cost-effective upgrades are those which will save more money through energy savings than they cost to install.

U.S. Department of Energy recommended Home Energy Ratings contain a numerical score from 1 to 100, a one to five star-plus rating, and the estimated energy costs. Higher scores indicate greater efficiency. Cost-effective upgrades are those which will save more money through energy savings than they cost to install.

A HERS rating usually costs between $300 and $800. This could be paid for by the buyer, seller, lender, or real estate agent. Sometimes the cost of the rating may be financed as part of the mortgage. No matter how the rating is paid for, it is a very good investment because an EEM could save you or your buyer hundreds of dollars each year.

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Seems like a lot doesn’t? The boat has a hole in it and he hands us 3 buckets. That is a recipe for one sunk boat.

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There Is More Happening in Louisiana Than Brad Pitt – Go BeauSoleil

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No offense meant because Pitt, Branford Marsealus and Harry Connick Jr. are doing great things in New Orleans but this is amazing…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsuziBrNeO4&feature=rec-HM-fresh+div

http://www.beausoleilhome.org/

solar-home.jpg

Welcome home

BeauSoleil, meaning “Beautiful Sun” in French or simply “Sunshine” in Cajun French has provided the inspiration and name for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette‘s Solar Decathlon Team. The BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home will serve as a culturally resonant, uniquely regional work of architecture and eventually a marketable prototype for the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition held on the Mall in Washington, DC. The competition will showcase the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar home’s role as not only a cultural expression but a technological hybrid that advances the traditional homebuilding in our region.

The BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home team mission is to design and build a Solar Decathlon house that uses renewable energy sources in a culturally resonant form that also serve as a building model for other locations throughout the world facing similar climactic and natural challenges to those we face in Louisiana. Join us and our sponsors as we bring together the Cajun culture with the future of homebuilding, energy consumption and design. The Solar Decathlon is a worldwide competition between 20 colleges and universities to design, build, and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered home.

For Halloween I Give You Trolls – Ok this is not the ElectroLux story

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So what is the ElectroLux Story anyway? Well it seems that in the 1960s a Swedish firm bought the ElectroLux vacuum cleaner company. They told the advertising firm in New York that they wanted to design the first advertsing commercial  for the new company themselves and then have the New York firm buy the airtime. When the Swedish developed Ad arrived the Ad Execs took one look and sent it back with a message that there was no way such an Ad could run in the US. The Ad read, ElectroLux! A vacuum cleaner that really sucks.

On that order these Trolls are not what you would expect but the idea of being fluent in both Norwegian and English really frightens me. Do you think they meant Dr. In? below or Dr. Eng.? below.  Happy Hallos Eve:

http://eng.trollpower.no/?history=search&news=23

Dr.Ing/PhD/ Chatered Engineers/ Electrical Engineers
31. august 07

A constant increase in the demand of our expertise has led to the requirement to hire more co-workers in our Trondheim office.

Troll Power has, since early 2004 established itself as one of Norway’s leading experts in power systems. The company is localized with the headquarters in Bergen and a division office in Ørsta and Trondheim.

The market for Troll power is traditionally within the supply of energy inside and outside of the country as well as within industrial and offshore activities.

Troll power As offers its clients skills connected to:

  • Calculations, planning and theoretical evaluations connected to power stations
  • Testing and commissioning of bigger electrical systems
  • Condition Assessment of electrical components

Required Qualifications:

  • Dr. eng./ PhD/ Chatered Engineers(MSc) in the line of Power systems. The tasks will be related to Project management, design, theoretical analyses and optimization of big and small power stations.
  • Chatered Engineers(MSc)/ Engineers in the line of Power systems. The tasks will be related to project management, design, commissioning, maintenance- and condition control of power systems.

Troll Power As wants to get in contact with qualifying candidates who wish to be employed now or at a later point in time. Newly qualified persons will also be considered. Commencement will take place after further agreement.

The following applies for both positions:

  • Some traveling operations must be reckoned upon
  • Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities
  • Can speak and write both Norwegian and English language
  • Good co-operation abilities

Troll Power As can offer:

  • Competitive salaries and good insurance schemes.
  • Projects with technical challenges.
  • Further development of one’s workplace.

For more information, contact our division manager Børre Johansen on tlf. 93261567 or by email Borre.Johansen@TrollPower.no,  or the Office manager Lene Christin Kjørlaug on tlf. 55382032 or by email Lene.kjorlaug@TrollPower.no  Our general manager can also be contacted ( Yngve.aabo@trollpower.no )

Application with a CV and references to be sent to:

Troll Power

  

Fast Super Efficient Houses – Why is America so far behind?

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This is at one time really cool, a really cool site and depressing if you live in the heart of the energy hog.

http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/09/12/sustainable-homes-from-easy-domes/

easydomes2.jpg

:} I can’t say enough about this publication. Its great! :}

 Echoing the structures of Buckminster Fuller’s Geodesic Domes, Danish Architect Kári Thomsen and Engineer Ole Vanggaard have created Easy Domes, a series of quick assembly, low-energy homes! Following the success of the first Easy Dome home built in 1992 for the Greenland Society on The Faroe Islands, a number of dome-shaped cottages were erected as tourist getaways. Since then, the buildings have been put into production and delivery of these fabulous prefab buildings was initiated early this summer!

The unique shape of the Easy Dome, called an icosahedron, is designed to optimize the amount of interior space inside each home. Made up of several hexagonal pieced together, the dome hosts a wealth of interior nooks and crannies, making it stand out from other prefab home designs.

The dome offers individuals the opportunity to build their own high quality homes, coming with pre-built wooden sections, ready to assemble on either a concrete or timber plinth. Once on site, the dome houses take only one day to raise and seal, and for domes less than 500 square feet, no crane is needed to complete construction. The load construction is extremely strong and built for extreme weather, including wind speeds of 200 mph with one meter of wet snow on the roof.

The completed two-floor homes come with living room, kitchen, bathroom and two bedrooms and are constructed using only sustainable and recycled materials. The exterior is covered with non-toxic impregnated pinewood, and the roof is covered with grass. The construction is ventilated on the exterior and insulated with wood-wool or flax, with fiber gypsum to cover all installations and cables. The floor is made up of a plate of reinforced concrete with pressure-resistant insulation and vitrified gravel underneath. Laying on top of the concrete are insulation and floorboards. Furthermore, each home is installed with solar panels and a brick stove, both of which are thermostat-controlled and connected to a water tank. Other renewable energy systems are also available

With a minimum use of materials, the domes are sustainable, energy efficient, spacious and cost-efficient. There is also the potential to erect two or three domes together.

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You can find much more at their site:

 http://www.easydomes.com/

easydomes1.jpg 

The Easy Domes concept sets up for advantages in a very quick and easy assembling and raising of the building and its finish. On a concrete or timber basic it takes one day to raise and seal the construction which is made of quality plywood and 3×4? to 3×6″ timber in pinewood.

All sections are premade and ready to assemble with bolts and nuts and the sealing of the edges with asphaltpaper or rubber. The climate shelter and finish out – and inside are also precutted plates / sections ready for mounting.

Floor, partition walls and windows and doors are offered as the house by this becomes ready for kitchen, bathroom, furniture, lamps and other installations done by the dome owner.

The Easy Domes products are certified and of high quality and precision made materials fullfilling  international building rules and standards.  Transport is easy in container  and no crane is needed to erect buildings untill the 50 sq.ft. domes.

As domes are geometrical structures optimized on loads and climate conditions – with a minimum use of materials –  advantages are reached in a sustainable, energy efficient and  spatial building on a very suitable cost level.

When Is A Concrete Block Like A Glass Window? When it comes to lousey R-Values

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Believe it or not typical Concrete Products and single pane glass have the same R-Value – 1. That is because they readily give up heat because of their porus nature and in part because they are good conductors. There is a reason why castles were cold and dreary. An there is a reason why your basement is cool in the summer.

http://www.coloradoenergy.org/procorner/stuff/r-values.htm

R-Value Table

Insulation Values For Selected Materials

 Construction Materials

Concrete Block 4″   0.80
Concrete Block 8″   1.11
Concrete Block 12″   1.28
Brick 4″ common   0.80
Brick 4″ face   0.44
Poured Concrete 0.08  

I should mention that the poured concrete number is by the inch. It takes no math wiz to see that 20 inches of typical concrete still is an R-value of slightly less than 1.

But you ask, “Mr. CES Man why is that important?” It is important in the Residential Market because a lot of us have basements made out of concrete, masonary block or a combination of the two.

According to the government:

U.S. Department of Energy – Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

A Consumer’s Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Basement Insulation

A properly insulated basement can help reduce your energy costs. However, basement walls are one of the most controversial areas of a house to insulate and seal. You need to carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages, not to mention moisture control.

Before insulating or deciding whether to add insulation to your basement, first see our information about adding insulation to an existing house or selecting insulation for new home construction if you haven’t already.

U.S. Cities R-10* R-2-**
Buffalo, NY $350 $390
Minneapolis, MN $400 $450
St. Louis, MO $250 $290

*Such as 2 to 3 inches of exterior foam insulation.
**Such as with most insulated concrete forms.

Annual Energy Savings

The energy cost savings of basement wall insulation vary depending on the local climate, type of heating system, fuel cost, and occupant lifestyle. Typical annual cost savings by R-value in a few U.S. cities are provided in the table above for a 1,500 square-foot home with a conditioned basement heated by natural gas ($0.72/therm).

Advantages and Disadvantages

In most cases, a basement with insulation installed in the exterior basement walls should be considered a conditioned space. Even in a house with an unconditioned basement, the basement is more connected to other living spaces than to the outside. This connection makes basement wall insulation preferable to insulating the basement ceiling.

Compared to insulating the basement ceiling, insulating basement walls has the following advantages:

  • Requires less insulation (1,350 square feet of wall insulation for a 36 x 48-foot basement with 8-foot walls, compared with 1,725 ceiling)
  • More easily achieves continuous thermal and air leakage boundaries because basement ceilings typically include electrical wiring, plumbing, and ductwork.
  • Requires little, if any, increase in the size of the heating and cooling equipment. The heat loss and air leakage through the basement ceiling is similar to that through the exterior walls of the basement.

These are some other advantages of insulation on exterior basement walls:

  • Minimizes thermal bridging and reducing heat loss through the foundation
  • Protects the damp-proof coating from damage during backfilling
  • Serves as a capillary break to moisture intrusion
  • Protects the foundation from the effects of the freeze-thaw cycle in extreme climates
  • Reduces the potential for condensation on surfaces in the basement
  • Conserves room area, relative to installing insulation on the interior.

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Leave it to the Bush administration to say that insulation is controversial. If you are building a new home there is not a doubt that you should insulate the exterior basement walls. In fact if you are building a pad style house, you should insulate underneath the pad with some kind of insulative mixed cement. I am not sure the whole pad needs to be of that type concrete. It is expensive but if you can afford it can’t hurt.

http://www.askthebuilder.com/N2-Basement_Insulation.shtml

Mr. Builder Man makes the point that the only place to insulate in the basement is on the walls. He adds:

 Because your basement walls are conducting cold into your basement via the cold ground outside, it might be worthwhile to add insulation over your exposed masonry foundation. You can choose to use closed-cell foam or fiberglass if you choose. But be sure you check with your local building department as some insulations that are flammable – such as closed cell foam – must be covered with drywall or other approved material to prevent rapid fire/flame spread.

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He finishes on a note that warms the heart of a die hard conservationist:

I would also inspect the juncture between the wood framing and the top of the concrete foundation. Do this on a windy day and try to feel for air leaks. Air infiltration can be a major drain on your heating budget. Pack insulation in any cracks you discover or caulk them to stop air flow.

All these people agree:

www.homeimprovementweb.com/information/how-to/basement–insulation.htm

www.homeenvy.com/db/0/750.html

www.owenscorning.com/around/insulation/fallpromo/DIY-Basement.asp

www.doityourself.com/scat/basementinsulation

www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/asktoh/question/0,,396510,00.html

www.state.mn.us/mn/externalDocs/Commerce/Basements_110602012856_Basement.pdf

www.builtgreen.org/articles/0208_mold.htm

I prefer a radical approach hire a Backhoe and dig out the dirt around your basement. Then you can apply ridgid waterproof R Board to the outside of the basement. Then you can backfill with gravel for drainage and tap down some dirt. Your house will thank you for ever. For those people that have a house already resting on a pad, you have one heck of a problem on your hands. 

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Superinsulation Can Mean Many Things – But it is all good

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The term was started in the “new build” industry but it has since migrated to the built environment as well. The general concept is that there is no such thing as TOO MUCH insulation in the residential market. It can provide living space that “sips” energy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superinsulation

The term “superinsulation” was coined by Wayne Schick at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In 1976 he was part of a team that developed a design called the “Lo-Cal” house, using computer simulations based on the climate of Madison, Wisconsin. The house was never built, but some of its design features influenced later builders.

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If I am not mistaken he was getting his concepts from those used in much colder climates, like Sweden and Denmark where they value their resources…actually where they value life and family in general.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg12917595.400-the-house-that-came-in-from-the-cold-houses-designed-withenergy-efficiency-in-mind-are-more-pleasant-to-live-in-less-harmful-totheenvironmentand-need-not-be-expensive-to-build-.html

The house that came in from the cold:

Houses designed with energy efficiency in

mind are more pleasant to live in, less

harmful to the environment-and need not be expensive to build.

09 March 1991

Buildings use about half the energy industrialized countries consume. Much of it could be saved, conserving resources and reducing our contribution to global warming. Energy efficient housing has already been tried and tested in several countries, with some success.

Between 1975 and 1977, building researchers and designers in North America and Scandinavia pioneered a radically new approach to reducing heat loss from buildings, now called ‘superinsulation’. Conventional buildings lose most of their heat by simple air leakage. Superinsulated buildings are firmly sealed against draughts, with a controllable ventilation system to provide fresh air in winter. In Sweden, all new houses must by law have fewer than three air changes per hour, tested at a pressure difference between inside and outside of 50 pascals. In superinsulated houses this figure is often brought below 1 air change per hour, while in a typical British house there are 10 air changes per hour under the same conditions (see Table 1).

By the late 1980s, there were more than 100 000 superinsulated dwellings in North America and Scandinavia, where most houses are built of timber. But the problems of adapting these techniques to houses built of brick and concrete prevented superinsulation being applied on any large scale in Europe until the early 1980s. Most of Britain’s houses-new and old-are put together with little regard to energy efficiency . In the rest of Europe, however, the technique is beginning to take root.

The Netherlands now has more than 1000 superinsulated houses.

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The important thing to remember here is that these are not just superinsulated living spaces, they are TIGHT spaces as well. Just throwing insulation at the problem is a good thing but tight construction techniques are important too. Little things like caulking in existing homes can accomplish much the same thing. Another thing to pull out of the construction “speak” above. It takes 3 turnovers in the atmosphere in a living space to keep humans alive. Also in tight spaces smells and moisture can build up so adequate ventalation is critical as is a carbon monoxide/dioxide detector.

Also note that most of these houses contain backup, many times “unconventional” heating sources. Though the idea was that all of the cooking, human waste heat, water heating etc. would handle heating in the winter.  And that ventaltion could handle the cooling in the summer. Most buyers wanted backup heating and cooling as a psychological reassurance. Often times a geothermal heat pump served as a device that could supply both heating and cooling.

Then there is also the Passive House movement:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_solar_building_design

Passive solar buildings aim to maintain interior thermal comfort throughout the sun’s daily and annual cycles whilst reducing the requirement for active heating and cooling systems. Passive solar building design is one part of green building design, and does not include active systems such as mechanical ventilation or photovoltaics, nor does it include life cycle analysis.

http://www.solarserver.de/lexikon/passivhaus-e.html

Passive Building

From the energy-saving point of view, passive buildings are most advanced, and when considering the involved technology they can be constructed almost anywhere

https://www.rmi.org/images/PDFs/Energy/E95-28_SuperEffBldgFrontier.pdf

www.oikos.com/library/energy_outlet/passive_solar.html

Basic Ideas in

Passive Solar Buildings

Natural Forces At Work For You
In any climate, a building can make use of free heat from the sun. An elementary passive solar heating concept is letting in the sunshine with windows, then keeping the resulting heat inside with insulation and thermal mass. The goal in passive solar building is the optimal balance of mass, glass, and insulation for a particular site and house design. A well-designed solar home in Oregon’s Williamette Valley can get up to 30 percent of its winter heating needs met at no cost.

Passive Cooling
Passive cooling requires correct placement of windows, proper shading of windows by trees or constructed shade, light-colored roofs and walls to reflect heat, nighttime ventilation, and thermal mass to prevent overheating in hot, sunny weather. Large west-facing glass areas usually present a risk of unwanted summer afternoon heat gains. Air-conditioning is unnecessary in the maritime Northwest, if the house is properly designed.

Choose The Right Building Site
The more southern exposure, the better the site for passive solar. A steep north-facing slope, or large trees or other buildings in the wrong places will cut back on your solar window. Protective berms, natural slopes, and thick tree cover to the north side block cold winter winds and help create a warmer microclimate around your house. See the Energy Outlet handout on landscaping and house siting.

Let The House Face The Sun
It is very important to orient the long axis of the house east-west, so that as much wall and roof length faces directly south as possible. The most livable homes group the kitchen and dining room to the east, for morning light. Clerestory windows and dormers can bring winter light into otherwise dark areas of the house (minimize skylight use). Use a solar path chart to design a building so that low winter sun shines in and high summer sun is blocked by effective use of windows, overhangs and shade.

South-Facing, High Quality Windows
Passive solar houses have large window areas on the south side where the sun comes from, and minimal windows on the north side. Some sites will suggest minimal west-facing windows (SHGC<.40) as well. Window specifications should be tuned for the window location; use softcoat LowE (lower SHGC) on north, west, and possibly east-facing glazing, and hardcoat LowE, or maybe uncoated windows (.55 or higher SHGC) on south-facing glazing. You should be able to get windows with U-values below 0.32 without much difficulty by using warm-edge glazing spacers, LowE coatings, and inert gas fills.

Superinsulate, Build Tight, Ventilate Right
High R values and minimal air leakage are the most important factors in building any low-energy house. The Oregon Energy Code is a minimum, not a maximum. There is no such thing as too much insulation, only practical difficulties in implementation! Blower door test to verify house tightness. Invest in a high performance ventilation system; an air to air heat exchanger recovers the heat in exhausted ventilation air.

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This however can lead you into exotic discussions of equipment and materials which cause people to go to sleep. As the forward on one passive building book put it, “If you have never read about superinsulation before this could be a tough read”. These discussions do not include rammed earth homes:

http://www.rammedearthhomes.com/

or houses made of bales of hay or straw,

which would baffle most people. Bottom line is that if you can get R value 60 in your unused attic or a radiant barrier and R 30 if it is being used for storage. You will save BUNCHES of money quickly. I would add the small point that adequate ventilation of the attic space during the summer is important too. Also if you stuff R 15 in your walls anyway you can you will exceed probably 50% of the housing stock in the USA.
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