Category Archives: sustainability

The Horror Of Being Trapped In The Basement – It came from below

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When I, Cathy and others started CES, my feeling  was that since I was going to be working from home I should spend part of that day improving the house. I figured after the rate hike fight in 2007 that I wanted no part of but got sucked into anyway, that it would take 2 years, maybe 3 to get CES up and running. So Cathy and I sat down and talked about what we wanted to do with the house. She wanted:

a Cistern

a Solar Space on the South side of the house

a solar water heater

I wanted:

a refurbished attic

to  tear out the ceiling in the bedroom

We both agreed that the basement was the place to start. We were getting a little water in the basement when it rained really hard. We knew that we needed to do something about that. We have a nice sump hole and a sump pump, but our thoughts were that maybe we just needed a bigger sump pump. There also was a question of electricity reliability. In three years we had at least 2 long outages…one lasting 8 days. Of course it usually rained real hard during those periods so we would end up draining our sump hole by hand. (Yes that is right Doug and Cathy with five gallon buckets. We dumped them in the downstairs toilet) We both agreed that the color had to change first. That was the hardest task actually because the entire floor was a hideous green.

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/1897/oldaomiprototypeyq7.jpg

So I moved all of the furniture down to one end of the basement and painted the basement steps a nice light blue/gray. Then I painted half of the main floor the same nice blue gray. I moved all of the furniture to the other end of room and painted the rest of the floor a nice blue gray. When I was done I said, What color do you want to paint the plant room honey and she said, LipStick Red. I was aghast. She said that is the color that plants love.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_z7PFSXqH2Vo/SJm6zvOXC7I/AAAAAAAAELg/CfxvWsJDUpw/s320/Red+Lipstick.JPG

Yup that Lipstick Red. The one that women have been using to seduce men (not that men need much seducing) since the time of the Pharohs and before. I was incredulous. So I went to the Menards

http://www.menards.com/

walked up to the paint counter and said I want to paint my plant room. The guy behind the counter said, oh you want a gallon or two of Lipstick Red. I just about died. I said you better make it 2. So I painted that room red. When it started raining the first day we were kinda worried. We had had the drainage system that runs from our back porch to the street blownout with high pressure water some months earlier, but the next rain had brought just a trickle of water.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=menards&sourceid=navclient-ff&rlz=1B3RNFA_enUS268US269&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl

Which you can kinda see in the picture above. We were getting huge puddles on our back porch and were fairly certain that the water in the basement was from the lack o’ drainage in that area. By the 4th day of rain the sump pump was running night and day.

http://www.freefoto.com/preview/35-18-35?ffid=35-18-35

by the 8th day of rain Iowa looked like this:

http://www.saveborrowspend.co.uk/articles/news/1655-flood-cover-should-be-considered

We had serious water running through the kitchen (Cathy’s craft area) in the basement, our sump pump died and we lost power. This solved all of our problems in short order. We immediately bought half  again as large a sump pump and a generator. Doug dug up the drainage system, found the broken tile and repaired it. The water damaged the flooring in the kitchen so we tore it out and installed nice blue “foamy” rubber flooring that Cathy had always wanted. And we removed the old nasty PHILGAS stove so she would have more craft space. There is a rainbow at the end of every storm.

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Deep Geothermal Energy – From the winds of the Jetstream to the Bowels of the earth

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I haven’t updated this particular topic area for awhile. I think this may hold the future for us all. Deep drilling for geothermal heat rates 3 pages in the New York Times Online. My. Maybe the rich and powerful are starting to get it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/business/energy-environment/24geotherm.html?pagewanted=1&%2359&_r=2&%2359;em&%2359;amp

 

Deep in Bedrock, Clean Energy and Quake Fears

 

By JAMES GLANZ

Published: June 23, 2009

BASEL, Switzerland — Markus O. Häring, a former oilman, was a hero in this city of medieval cathedrals and intense environmental passion three years ago, all because he had drilled a hole three miles deep near the corner of Neuhaus Street and Shafer Lane.

 

 

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The Danger of Digging DeeperInteractive Graphic

The Danger of Digging Deeper

 

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Christian Flieri for The New York Times

An earthquake halted Markus O. Häring’s geothermal project in Basel, Switzerland.

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He was prospecting for a vast source of clean, renewable energy that seemed straight out of a Jules Verne novel: the heat simmering within the earth’s bedrock.

All seemed to be going well — until Dec. 8, 2006, when the project set off an earthquake, shaking and damaging buildings and terrifying many in a city that, as every schoolchild here learns, had been devastated exactly 650 years before by a quake that sent two steeples of the Münster Cathedral tumbling into the Rhine.

Hastily shut down, Mr. Häring’s project was soon forgotten by nearly everyone outside Switzerland. As early as this week, though, an American start-up company, AltaRock Energy, will begin using nearly the same method to drill deep into ground laced with fault lines in an area two hours’ drive north of San Francisco.

Residents of the region, which straddles Lake and Sonoma Counties, have already been protesting swarms of smaller earthquakes set off by a less geologically invasive set of energy projects there. AltaRock officials said that they chose the spot in part because the history of mostly small quakes reassured them that the risks were limited.

Like the effort in Basel, the new project will tap geothermal energy by fracturing hard rock more than two miles deep to extract its heat. AltaRock, founded by Susan Petty, a veteran geothermal researcher, has secured more than $36 million from the Energy Department, several large venture-capital firms, including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Google. AltaRock maintains that it will steer clear of large faults and that it can operate safely.

But in a report on seismic impact that AltaRock was required to file, the company failed to mention that the Basel program was shut down because of the earthquake it caused. AltaRock claimed it was uncertain that the project had caused the quake, even though Swiss government seismologists and officials on the Basel project agreed that it did. Nor did AltaRock mention the thousands of smaller earthquakes induced by the Basel project that continued for months after it shut down.

The California project is the first of dozens that could be operating in the United States in the next several years, driven by a push to cut emissions of heat-trapping gases and the Obama administration’s support for renewable energy.

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IN Australia where it holds huge potential, as it does on the whole ring of fire.

http://thinkgeoenergy.com/archives/1832

Australia opens round 2 of the Geothermal Drilling Program


Enlarge ImageAustralia opens the second round of the Geothermal Drilling Program and Australia’s Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson AM MP invites geothermal companies to submit applications for funding under this round of the A$50 million (US$39.8 million) program.

Written by: lxrichter
Picture: Habanero, Drilling Rig, Geodynamics (source: Geodynamics)
Reported today, Australia opens the second round of the Geothermal Drilling Program with “The Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson AM MP inviting geothermal companies to submit applications for funding under Round 2 of the A$50 million (US$39.8 million) Geothermal Drilling Program, which opened today.

Round 2 funding will provide grants of up to A$7 million (US$5.6 million) on a matching-funding basis to support the drilling of deep geothermal wells and help finance geothermal proof-of-concept projects.
Geothermal energy producers pump water below ground (sometimes as deep as 5 kilometers (3.1 miles)), where it is heated by ‘hot rocks’. The heat energy is then used to generate electricity.

Ferguson said: “Geoscience Australia estimates that if just one per cent of Australia’s geothermal energy was extracted it would equate to 26,000 times Australia’s total annual energy consumption. “Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source with enormous potential in Australia; however, the Government recognizes technical development costs are high.

“The Australian Government is pleased to be able to support drilling at the first stage of development as part of its A$4.5 billion (US$3.5 billion) Clean Energy Initiative.

“Geothermal energy is important because it has the capacity to produce baseload power, diversify Australia’s energy supply and increase our energy security.

“The Australian Government has set a target for 20 per cent of Australia’s electricity generation to come from renewable sources by 2020; a policy which will likely require an additional 45,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity generation from renewable sources.

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HOT Rocks Rock

There Is Enough Wind Power To Generate The Electricity To Power The Entire World

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A very hairy paper from three Harvard Grad students purports to show that especially the USA, Canada and China have all the wind power that we need to generate all the electricity we currently need. The rest of the world does too but not within it’s own confines. In other words some areas like say the Tibetan Uplands have way more than they need and maybe landlocked Germany does not. So they would have to trade but the net wind power to generate the electricity exists according to:

Xi Lu, Michael McElroy, and Juha Kiviluoma in:

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/06/19/0904101106.full.pdf+html?sid=12c8f234-313a-48e6-8e65-a59a1ead2b29 

IN the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America – I tend to believe these guys-

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/06/19/0904101106.abstract?sid=12c8f234-313a-48e6-8e65-a59a1ead2b29

But all I can show you here is the abstrat because the 6 page paper is in PDF:

 

Global potential for wind-generated electricity

 

  1. Xi Lua,
  2. Michael B. McElroya,b,1 and
  3. Juha Kiviluomac

+Author Affiliations


  1. aSchool of Engineering and Applied Science, Cruft Lab 211, and

  2. bDepartment of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, 100E Peirce Hall, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138; and

  3. cVTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P. O. Box 1000, 02044 VTT, Finland

  1. Communicated by James G. Anderson, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, April 29, 2009 (received for review November 6, 2008)

 

Abstract

The potential of wind power as a global source of electricity is assessed by using winds derived through assimilation of data from a variety of meteorological sources. The analysis indicates that a network of land-based 2.5-megawatt (MW) turbines restricted to nonforested, ice-free, nonurban areas operating at as little as 20% of their rated capacity could supply >40 times current worldwide consumption of electricity, >5 times total global use of energy in all forms. Resources in the contiguous United States, specifically in the central plain states, could accommodate as much as 16 times total current demand for electricity in the United States. Estimates are given also for quantities of electricity that could be obtained by using a network of 3.6-MW turbines deployed in ocean waters with depths <200 m within 50 nautical miles (92.6 km) of closest coastlines.

 

Footnotes

  • 1To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: mbm@seas.harvard.edu

  • Author contributions: X.L. and M.B.M. designed research; X.L. and M.B.M. performed research; X.L., M.B.M., and J.K. analyzed data; and X.L., M.B.M., and J.K. wrote the paper.

  • The authors declare no conflict of interest.

  • Freely available online through the PNAS open access option.

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http://www.pnas.org/

They have pretty pictures too.

For a not so bad summary:

Wind could power the entire world
Jeremy Hance
mongabay.com
June 22, 2009

Wind power may be the key to a clean energy revolution: a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science finds that wind power could provide for the entire world’s current and future energy needs.

To estimate the earth’s capacity for wind power, the researchers first sectioned the globe into areas of approximately 3,300 square kilometers (1,274 square miles) and surveyed local wind speeds every six hours. They imagined 2.5 megawatt turbines crisscrossing the terrestrial globe, excluding “areas classified as forested, areas occupied by permanent snow or ice, areas covered by water, and areas identified as either developed or urban,” according to the paper. They also included the possibility of 3.6 megawatt offshore wind turbines, but restricted them to 50 nautical miles off the coast and to oceans depths less than 200 meters.

Using this criteria the researchers found that wind energy could not only supply all of the world’s energy requirements, but it could provide over forty times the world’s current electrical consumption and over five times the global use of total energy needs.

Turning to the world’s two largest carbon emitters, China and the United States, the researchers found that wind power has the potential to easily supply both nations.


Windmill for pumping water in Kenya
Wind turbines for power generation in Maui.

“Large-scale development of wind power in China could allow for close to an 18-fold increase in electricity supply relative to consumption reported for 2005,” the researchers write. “The bulk of this wind power, 89%, could be derived from onshore installations. The potential for wind power in the U.S. is even greater, 23 times larger than current electricity consumption, the bulk of which, 84%, could be supplied onshore.”

Expanding their view to the top ten carbon emitters, the researchers found that Russia, Canada, and the United States (in this order) had the greatest capacity for wind power. However, they note that much of the area available for wind power in Russia and Canada is far from any cities, making their construction costly. In addition, the authors note that the public may oppose wind turbines in particular areas, especially remote, ecologically sensitive regions. Still, they conclude that “despite these limitations, it is clear that wind power could make a significant contribution to the demand for electricity” in most high carbon emitting countries. 

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http://sustainablog.org/2009/02/03/wind-energy-jobs-surpass-coal-mining-jobs/

Todd Woody reported last week that the wind energy industry now employs more people than coal mining. That is 85,000 jobs in wind – a 70% increase from 2007 – to coal mining’s 81,000 jobs.

http://greenwombat.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/01/28/wind-jobs-outstrip-the-coal-industry/

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From Infinity And Beyond – Electricity from kites…yes yes Kites

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After an extended meditation like I just concluded on the Federal Energy Tax Credits (please click 2008 elections, international environmental groups and religion categories for more examples),  I am always at a loss for where to go next. I find it useful to just blow it out! So from Live Science and Yahoo I bring you some of the most implausible energy thoughts ever encountered by man:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/powerfulideasmileshighkitescouldgenerateelectricity

http://www.livescience.com/environment/090622-kite-wind-power.html

Environment

Powerful Ideas: Miles-High Kites Could Generate Electricity

By Charles Q. Choi, Special to LiveScience

posted: 22 June 2009 08:21 am ET

Full Size

1 of 1

wind power from kite and turbine
Airborne turbines like these depicted in this illustration could generate electricity from strong high-altitude winds. Credit: Ben Shepard, courtesy Sky WindPower

Editor’s Note: This occasional series looks at powerful ideas — some existing, some futuristic — for fueling and electrifying modern life.

The sky might literally be the limit for wind power — rotors spinning miles high could help supply electricity worldwide.

“There is a huge amount of energy available in high-altitude winds,” said researcher Ken Caldeira at the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Global Ecology in Stanford, Calif. “These winds blow much more strongly and steadily than near-surface winds, but you need to go get up miles to get a big advantage. Ideally, you would like to be up near the jet streams, around 30,000 feet.”

All told, if wind turbines miles above the planet were tethered to 10 percent of the world’s land, there is enough energy in these jet stream winds to meet world demand 100 times over, researchers said.

Jet streams are meandering belts of fast winds at altitudes between 20,000 and 50,000 feet. They shift seasonally, but are otherwise persistent features in the atmosphere. Jet stream winds are generally steadier and 10 times faster than wind near the ground, making them a potentially vast and dependable source of energy.

But how to capture the wind so high?

Kites and tethers

A number of technological schemes have been proposed to harvest energy from these high-altitude winds, including tethered, kite-like wind turbines lofted miles high. Up to 40 megawatts of electricity could be generated by current designs and transmitted to the ground via tether.

Using 28 years of weather data, the researchers developed the first-ever global survey of high-altitude wind energy.

“We found the highest wind power densities over Japan and eastern China, the eastern coast of the United States, southern Australia, and north eastern Africa,” said researcher Cristina Archer, an atmospheric scientist at California State University in Chico.

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You can go to the Energies site to see the scientific part of the study:

http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/2/2/340

Mesoscale Simulation of Year-to-Year Variation of Wind Power Potential over Southern China

Steve H. Yim 1 email, Jimmy C. Fung 1,2 email and Alexis K. Lau 1,3,* email

1 Institute for the Environment, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
2 Department of Mathematics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
3 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 27 April 2009; in revised form: 27 May 2009 / Accepted: 1 June 2009 / Published: 3 June 2009

PDF Full-textDownload PDF Full-Text (1202 KB)

Abstract: The objectives of this study are to combine historical observations and state-of-the-art numerical models (MM5/CALMET system) to map the spatial distribution of wind resources in high resolution, and to help foster a deeper understanding of the wind power potential over southern China (Guangdong). Hourly wind fields were simulated for three entire years (2004-2006). It found that almost 70% of the time, the wind speed along the coast of Guangdong is over 5 m/s, which is deemed a baseline magnitude for typical wind turbines. Spatial plots of the wind speed and power and their variations over Guangdong Province for the three years are also presented.

 

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For the SEX part of it…Generating energy from the jet stream …well it is awful high up there (40-50 miles), really really cold (100 degrees below zero) and really close to the cosmic rays…and it has been around for awhile. I mean looking up is to dream right?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVi_-dlDVcw

http://sleepgreen.info/?tag=energy

KINETIC ENERGY CREATES ELECTRICITY

Posted by admin | Green News | Wednesday 21 January 2009 2:43 pm

 

 

Dutch astronaut Dr Wubbo Ockels has successfully demonstrated i Netherlands his new energy concept. He has flown a high-flying energy kite, creating kinetic energy from huge radio-controlled highflying kites. He has designed ‘ladder-mills’ to store the kinetic energy and convert it into electricity.
Three such ladder-mills provide enough electricity to power one city. The experiment was carried out along the northern coastline of The Netherlands where there’s usually more than enough wind to raise the gigantic kites into.The radio- controlled, high-flying kites can create some 10,5kw electricity each, Dr Ockels told a local radio station.High-altitude kites could be used to generate clean energy at a cost comparable with that of fossil fuel generation , researchers claim.The “Ladder-Mill” is a chain of controllable wing-like kites attached to a looped cable stretching more than five miles into the sky.Strong high altitude winds acting on the “kitewings” produce as upward force on one side of the loop and a downward force on the other, causing it to rotate.The slowly turning cable drives a power generator in the Ladder-Mill base station.Although the concept sounds far fetched, its developers at Delft Technical University in the Netherlands hope to build a working model in the next four years.

They claim one Ladder-Mill could generate 100 megawatts of electricity, compared with only a few megawatts from a conventional wind turbine.

Winds at 30,000ft are 20 times more powerful than at sea level.

Professor Ockels, an ex-astronaut and head of the European Space Agency’s education office, told The Engineer magazine: “Above a certain altitude there is a massive amount of wind power.

Source:
http://alt-e.blogspot.com/2004/12/wind-power-laddermills-high-altitude.html
http://www.rense.com/general78/kinet.htm

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Did you know that people have even tried to use kites for COMMERCIAL FISHING?

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

Kite applications

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

The kite is used to do certain things; one kite or many kites are applied to achieve certain purposes, objectives, or tasks, that is: applications. Humans have applied the kite to bring perceived benefits during peace and war alike. New applications for the kite continue to be found. Only some innovative applications appear in national patents; others are communicated in newspapers, magazines, books, and internet pages. Air kites, water kites, bi-media kites, fluid kites, gas kites, kytoons, paravanes, soil kites, solid kites, and plasma kites have niche applications that are furthering the interests of humans. Non-human-made kites have applications; some spiders make use of kiting.

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If you click on 17 or 24 you can see the energy apps. By the way # 24 is funded by Google.

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Feds Credits To Trade In An Old Inefficient Car – It’s called the Clunker or the Gas Guzzler Bill

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It is not law yet, but if it will become law and it looks like it will. Waiting to buy a new car until it passes could be well worth it. I say this because it is unclear whether you will be able to take advantage of both the Clunker Bill and the Tax Credit for buying specific cars. In other words if you trade in an old car (getting a government rebate) and buy a Prius (getting a Tax Credit) would both apply? If they would you could get like nearly 10K off the price of the car making Prius or any other hybred car affordable. Since it is a House of Reps. Bill on first read in the Senate I can not tell you what it will say in the end but as I say, first the Proposed Tax Credit.

Not there silly here:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d111:9:./temp/~bdJxBz::|/bss/|

H.R.2751
Title: To accelerate motor fuel savings nationwide and provide incentives to registered owners of high polluting automobiles to replace such automobiles with new fuel efficient and less polluting automobiles.
Sponsor: Rep Sutton, Betty [OH-13] (introduced 6/8/2009)      Cosponsors (59)
Related Bills: H.R.2640
Latest Major Action: 6/11/2009 Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 74.

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Interpreted in a sick way here:

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/bailout-watch-554-cash-for-clunkers-passes-house/

Bailout Watch 554: Cash For Clunkers Passes House

By Edward Niedermeyer
June 10, 2009

The House of Representatives has passed Rep Betty Sutton’s $4 billion scrappage scheme [download full text here], reports CNN Money. The bill now goes to the Senate. Under Sutton’s bill, clunkers with a combined 18 miles per gallon rating or worse would be eligible for a scrappage rebate. Purchasing new vehicle which exceeds its replacement’s rating by four miles per gallon would earn a $3,500 rebate. Improve the combined EPA average by 10 mpg and snag $4,500. Offer good for one year. Or until we tear through $4 billion in a wholesome, American display of redemptive consumption. I’m sorry, I mean “shore up millions of jobs and stimulate local economies . . . improve our environment and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. The [Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save] act demonstrates that we can free ourselves from the false argument of either you are for the environment or you are for jobs. You can do both, you must do both.” As the bill’s author modestly puts it.

CNN Money »

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I hate to be pessimistic but anytime you involve the Feds, the House and the Senate in legislation that directly effects, OIL, Gasoline and the Internal Combustion Engine, I think you have troubles ahead my friend. Here is a site that is very optomistic:

http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=94525

A ‘Cash for Guzzlers’ website was launched to help keep consumers informed and aware about the pending approval of the Cash for Guzzlers bill. The measure, if approved by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama, would offer up to $4,500 in the form of a voucher for consumers who would trade in their old gas guzzler for a more fuel efficient car.

The new bill aims at improving environmental conditions by encouraging consumers driving old cars to trade in their vehicle for a voucher of up to $4,500 that can be used towards the purchase of a more fuel efficient vehicle. If passed, the new bill could lead to the purchase of over 1 million fuel efficient cars, a measure some say could help the US become less dependent on foreign oil. The bill is expected to be passed before Memorial Day weekend.

According to the proposal, consumers would get a $3,500 voucher if they trade in a car that gets less than 18 mpg for a new car with mileage of at least 22 mpg. Vouchers of $4,500 would be awarded if the new car gets at least 10 mpg more than the old.

More information for consumers is available at the recently established website for the Cash for Guzzlers bill, http://www.cashforguzzlers.net/

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This one kinda thinks NOT:

http://www.ohio.com/news/nation/44956957.html

Gas-guzzler voucher plan hits roadblock Calif. senator criticizes compromise for failure to boost fuel economy

By Kevin Freking
Associated Press

Published on Thursday, May 14, 2009

WASHINGTON: Legislation that would give car buyers a government voucher up to $4,500 when they trade in gas guzzlers hit a speed bump in the Senate amid concerns that a compromise between the White House and House Democrats doesn’t go far enough to protect the environment.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who authored the ”cash for clunkers” bill in the Senate, said Wednesday that she can’t support the compromise announced last week after House Democrats met with President Barack Obama on global warming.

”Essentially what it means is that perfectly good vehicles would be scrapped, so that vehicles with below average fuel economy could be purchased,” Feinstein said.

Rep. Betty Sutton, D-Copley Township, introduced the House version in March, reviving an effort that failed in Congress earlier this year.

The program is supposed to serve two purposes: Help the struggling automobile industry and the environment by replacing gas guzzlers with more fuel efficient autos.

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Stay tuned. It is going to be a long global warming summer.

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Feds Tax Credits For New Cars – What a bold attempt

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With gasoline prices headed towards 3 $$$ and consumers sitting on their hands, this is not a bad first attempt to get the internal combustion engine off the road. Discussing this credit takes us away from residential issues but unless you live in one every household in America is effected by this. The more money you save the more you can put back into your house. You might want to wait until the Gas Guzzler or “Clunkers”  law goes into effect because you could get a whole lot more money with 2 credits…depending on how they word it…but that is a subject for tomorrow. First the Tax Credits.

Not there silly here:

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits#s3

Cars Hybrid gasoline-electric, diesel, battery-electric, alternative fuel, and fuel cell vehicles   Based on a formula determined by vehicle weight, technology, and fuel economy compared to base year models There is a 60,000 vehicle limit per manufacturer before a phase-out period begins. Toyota and Honda have already been phased out. Credit is still available for Ford, GM and Nissan.For more information visit: Fueleconomy.gov Exit ENERGY STARUse IRS Form 8910 PDF Exit ENERGY STAR for hybrid vehicles purchased for personal use.Use IRS Form 3800 PDF Exit ENERGY STAR for hybrid vehicles purchased for business purposes.
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles   $2,500–$7,500 The first 250,000 vehicles sold get the full tax credit (then it phases out like the hybrid vehicle tax credits).Effective January 1, 2009.

1Subject to a $1,500 maximum per homeowner for all improvements combined.

Efficient Cars

Starting January 1, 2009, there is a new tax credit for Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, starting at $2,500 and capped at $7,500 for cars and trucks (the credit is based on the capacity of the battery system). The first 250,000 vehicles sold get the full tax credit (then it phases out like the hybrid vehicle tax credits).

Tax credits are available to buyers of hybrid gasoline-electric, diesel, battery-electric, alternative fuel, and fuel cell vehicles. The tax credit amount is based on a formula determined by vehicle weight, technology, and fuel economy compared to base year models. These credits are available for vehicles placed in service starting January 1, 2006. For hybrid and diesel vehicles made by each manufacturer, the credit will be phased out over 15 months starting after that manufacturer has sold 60,000 eligible vehicles. For vehicles made by manufacturers that have not reached the end of the phase-out, the credits will end for vehicles placed in service after December 31, 2010. See the IRS Website for updated information Exit ENERGY STAR.

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So if you are wandering around wondering what are the most efficient cars I could buy. Well:

http://www.greenercars.org/highlights.htm

Greener Choices 2009

A Selection of Gasoline Vehicles that Score Well

TOYOTA PRIUS
HONDA CIVIC HYBRID

TOYOTA YARIS

HONDA FIT

FORD ESCAPE HYBRID

HYUNDAI SONATA

SUBARU OUTBACK WAGON

NISSAN ROGUE

TOYOTA TACOMA

FORD RANGER

TOYOTA SIENNA

CHEVROLET TAHOE HYBRID C1500

I can go into more detail. for that you will have to go to the website…I was not able to copy the total graph.

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For really clean cars:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/magazine-green-car-journal-5211.html

Magazine: Green Car Journal

Hello -My friend gives me copies of this magazine because he knows I am an MPG nut :Electric Cars & Hybrid Cars | Green Car .comIt doesn’t spend too much time saying what’s wrong with the automotive industry. It’s focus is to spotlight the good things that are happening. Here are some example articles from the features section :

Preview: 2010 Ford Fiesta for U.S. | Green Car .com

Quote:

Ford Motor Company, responding to customer demand for smaller and more fuel-efficient vehicles, is accelerating its efforts to bring six small vehicles from Ford’s respected European lineup to the North American market sooner than originally planned. To accomplish this, several of Ford’s large assembly plants will be converted from truck and SUV production to build the new-to-America models.

The automaker is banking heavily on its EcoBoost gasoline turbocharged, direct-injection engine technology and engine downsizing to reduce fuel economy by 20 percent and lower CO2 emissions by 15 percent. Plans are to have the capacity to build more than a million North American four-cylinder engines by 2011. 

Kewet’s New Electric City Car | Green Car .com

Quote:

 When it comes to promoting the use of battery electric vehicles, Norway is probably the world’s leader. Helping are policies like exemption from road taxes, tolls, and parking fees as well as permitting EVs to drive in bus lanes. The result is that the Th!nk, once planned as a Ford product, is back in production. Now it has a competitor in the form of the Norwegian-built Buddy.

Like the Th!nk that was born in 1991 as the Pivco City Bee, the Buddy has a history that also dates back to that same year, when Knud Erik Westergaard founded Kewet in Denmark to produce the Kewet electric car. In 1995, production was transferred to Nordhausen in the former East Germany. By 1998, Kewet was bankrupt with over a thousand Kewet electric cars and vans built. Rights to the Kewet were acquired in 1999 by Kollega Bil A/S in Norway. With a name change to Elbil Norge AS, it is now offering the improved sixth generation of the model, now simply called the Buddy. It’s aimed initially at the Norwegian market but plans are to distribute the car throughout Europe. …

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These guys want mileage and they want it now.

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Feds Small Wind Tax Credit – It’s a small wind a gona blow

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2

The advances in “personal wind turbines” in the last 10 years have been amazing. Now you can get 3 kwh, 10 kwh or even 20 kwh on your property pretty much overnight. Most companies are pushing integrated systems with 3 kwh solar and 10 kwh wind. I mean for 30-40k your energy needs for your lifetime are done. But first the Tax Credits.

Small Wind Energy Systems Residential Small Wind Turbines Has nameplate capacity of not more than 100 kilowatts. 30% of cost Use IRS Form 5695 PDF Exit ENERGY STARMust be placed in service before December 31, 2016.

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These companies are spreading like wildfire so I will only post a few of the vertical ones and a few horizontal ones. First the vertical ones:

http://www.highplainswindandsolar.com/wind-turbine-power-landing-page.html?gclid=CJbiqpXQjJsCFRPxDAodKQqdqA

 

 

Free On-Site Analysis ($500 Value) – Limited Time Offer

Wind Turbines for Homes, Farms, and Small Businesses

Let an expert from High Plains Construction answer all your questions and figure out if a wind turbine is right for you. High Plains Construction is a licensed contractor that specializes in wind turbines for homes, farms, and small businesses. High Plains will handle all aspects of your project including:

Site Assessment
Feasibility Study
Obtaining a Permit
Engineering
Finding Federal Tax Incentives
Grant Writing
Financing
Assembly
Erection
Electrical Work
Grid Connection

Call us today at 1-888-715-8820 or fill out our online form to schedule a FREE On-Site
Analysis and Savings Study.

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OR

http://www.makemyhomeenergy.com/buildwindmill2.php?apid=B100225W

 

Earth4Energy

Earth4Energy claims to have everything you need to make the most of solar power and energy throughout your home.

With countless features and access to an incredibly low priced value pack, this is certainly a program you are going to want to take into consideration.

Click Here For Detailed Product Review!

 

HomeMadeEnergy

There is a lot to know when it comes to solar energy and taking advantage of it from your home. HomeMadeEnergy will provide you with a guide they claim to be the best available and a plethora of highly detailed videos to help you throughout the process.

You will be off to living a safer, cheaper, and more efficient lifestyle in no time.

Click Here For Detailed Product Review!

 

Power 4 Home

There is not a person in the world that enjoys paying incredibly high electricity and energy bills.

Power 4 Home claims to have everything you need to start saving money while helping out the good of the environment.

Click Here For Detailed Product Review!

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Then there are the horizontal ones…Which years ago were considered a waste of time but their resistance to turbulence has got them back in the picture.

http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/vertical_axis_wind_turbines.htm

Windspire Logo The Windspire® wind turbine is an affordable, attractive, and silent 1.2 kW vertical axis wind power appliance. Standing only 30 feet tall, the sleek design is well-suited to residential, business, and many other applications. Independently-tested and UL-certified, the Windspire features a fully-integrated design, including a high-efficiency generator, integrated inverter, wireless performance monitor, and tilt-up monopole. The Windspire is made in the USA and is available through dealers.
Urban Green Energy - Worldwide wind energy suppliers Urban Green Energy is an international manufacturer of horizontal and vertical axis wind turbines. We supply on and off-grid systems around the world. Please visit our website to learn more about UGE.

 OR

http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/20/vertical-axis-turbines-the-future-of-micro-wind-energ/

 

Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines: The Future of Micro Wind? [w/video]

 

Written by Timothy B. Hurst

Published on June 20th, 2008

34 Comments

Posted in business, wind energy

 Walking the floor of WINDPOWER 2008, the annual conference and trade show for the wind energy industry, one couldn’t help but be transfixed by all of the different types of turbines – at least I couldn’t. The wind turbine has become the iconic of clean, renewable energy. But the classic three-bladed horizontal axis wind turbine, with its gracefully swooping blades, has become the symbol of not only renewable energy, but also of environmental consciousness and ecological possibility.

Despite the ubiquity of the three-bladed turbine, the oft-overlooked vertical-axes turbines are making quite a splash in the world of wind energy, especially in small and micro-applications. So what’s all the fuss about? Vertical-axis turbines apparently do not suffer from some of the same problems that plague small wind applications in urban settings including, aesthetic concerns, space requirements and sound levels

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Feds Tax Credits For Solar Panels – One for every roof in America

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5

If we had been this aggressive for the last 30 years. We would have a green economy and we would be skipping all of the problems we have right now. The world would have followed suit and our species would not be in the danger it is now. Grousing doesn’t help though..First the Tax Credits…

Not there silly over here

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits#s4

Solar Energy Systems

Photovoltaic Systems Photovoltaic systems must provide electricity for the residence, and must meet applicable fire and electrical code requirement. 30% of cost Use IRS Form 5695 PDF Exit ENERGY STARMust be placed in service before December 31, 2016.

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You’ll never guess who is doing it.

http://www.bp.com/genericcountryjump.do?categoryId=9070&contentId=7038143

Partner with BP Solar

Tools

How to buy

 

Request more information

 

Rebates and incentives

 

Solar savings estimator

 

Is solar right for me?

 

 

 

 

Visit us at the PV America conference, booth 1303

June 8-10 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 

Teichert home

Home solutions

Industry leading solar solutions

Solar panels in a field

Business solutions

Save money, improve your brand

Builder installing panels

Builder solutions

 

Press releases

BP Solar to supply PV power systems for major retailer in California
22 April 2009

BP Solar lowers cost in drive toward grid-competitive electricity prices
31 March 2009

BP Solar to develop 37MW in projects for Long Island Power Authority
11 March 2009

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter dedicates new solar power system at CSU-Pueblo
13 January 2009

BP Solar announces completion of solar power pilot project
18 December 2008

 

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Now they are real proud of it. What does the future hold?

 

http://www.siliconsolar.com/flexible-solar-panels.html

 

 

Flexible Solar Panels – Consumer Ready Modules – OEM

Solar Store

Silicon Solar › Solar Panels › Flexible Solar Panels

Flexible Solar Panels: The lightest thin film flexible solar panels on today’s market are available from Silicon Solar.

Solar technology has reached its most convenient, lightweight form: the newly-engineered flexible solar panel. Silicon Solar is the proud carrier of over 50 modules of flexible solar panels, offered in a variety of sizes.

Through recent developments, Silicon Solar has provided ways of listing thin, light weight, flexible solar panels allowing for multiple applications to now be solar accessible that never were before.

Thin Film solar cells and panels now allow for several types of application to be introduced into the market including solar backpacks, solar thin film clothing and athletic apparel. We at Silicon Solar have taken these methods to the extreme and receive requests from customers who give us incentive and constructive feedback on developing new ways of utilizing this technology not only for them, but for you as well. Each flexible solar panel can be rolled up to 2 inches in diameter, making the paper thin solar cell one of the most durable and long lasting solar modules on the market.

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It is jam band Friday tomorrow and the topic is Solar Water Heaters. I know you can’t wait.

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Fed Tax Credits For Geothermal Heatpumps – Finally done with the boring stuff

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2

Now we get to fill out form 5695. Not only that but the credits are good until 2016 when Obama retires. But first the Tax Credits.

Not there silly here:

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits#c6

Geo-Thermal Heat Pump Geo-Thermal Heat Pump Same criteria as ENERGY STAR:Closed Loop:
EER >= 14.1
COP >= 3.3Open Loop:
EER >= 16.2
COP >= 3.6Direct Expansion:
EER >= 15
COP >= 3.5		 30% of the cost All ENERGY STAR geo-thermal heat pumps qualify for the tax credit.Use IRS Form 5695 PDF Exit ENERGY STARMust be “placed into service” before December 31, 2016.

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In this day and age everybody should know what a geothermal heat pump is, but if not:

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

A geothermal heat pump (GHP) system is a central heating and/or air conditioning system that actively pumps heat to or from the shallow ground. It uses the earth as either a source of heat in the winter, or as a coolant in the summer. This design takes advantage of moderate temperatures in the shallow ground to boost efficiency and reduce operational costs. It may be combined with solar heating to form a geosolar system with even greater efficiency.

Geothermal heat pumps are also known by a variety of other names, including geoexchange, earth-coupled, earth energy, ground-source or water-source heat pump. The engineering and scientific community tend to prefer the terms “geoexchange” or “ground-source heat pumps” because very little of the heat originates from true geological sources.[1] Instead, these pumps draw energy from shallow ground heated by the sun in the summer. Genuine geothermal energy from the core of Earth is available only in places where volcanic activity comes close to the surface, and can usually be extracted without the help of a heat pump.

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Anyway the first one on the list is my favorite becaused the closed loop is the most flexible. You can run the piping horizontal to the ground if there are mining issues. Or you can go straight down like a well.

http://www.residential.carrier.com/products/geothermalheatpumps/gt-px.shtml

GT-PX Geothermal Heat Pump

Compare Products

 

Ultra-High-Efficient Geothermal Unit for Total Home Comfort

Carrier’s popular GT-PX series is our highest rated geothermal unit, featuring Puron® refrigerant; a two-stage compressor for efficiency; variable speed blower for comfort; E-coated coil; microprocessor control; and a robust, insulated cabinet for quiet operation. Available in vertical top flow, vertical bottom flow and horizontal flow, all with optional hot-water generator. In sizes from 2 through 6 tons.

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I used to be fascinated by Open  Loop systems because they seem so natural. Essentially if you are near a lake or a deep pond you vent your waste heat there. But now I see them as potential environmental disruptors but again this about tax credits. They don’t really care about the environment.

 http://www.bryant.com/products/geoheatpumps/index.shtml

Compare

 

GT-PX Geothermal

GT-PX Geothermal

  • Up to 4.6 COP (closed loop)
  • Up to 27.0 EER (closed loop)
  • Up to 5.1 COP (open loop)
  • Up to 31.5 EER (open loop)
  • Two-stage unloading scroll compressor
  • Variable speed blower motor
  • Puron® refrigerant
  • 10-year limited warranty on all compressor & major refrigeration components. 5-year limited warranty on other parts

 

GT-PG Geothermal

GT-PG Geothermal

  • Up to 4.2 COP (closed loop)
  • Up to 20.2 EER (closed loop)
  • Up to 5.1 COP (open loop)
  • Up to 28.1 EER (open loop)
  • Single stage scroll compressor
  • PSC blower (optional variable speed blower motor)
  • Puron refrigerant
  • 10-year limited warranty on all compressor & major refrigeration components. 5-year limited warranty on other parts

GT-G Geothermal

GT-G Geothermal

  • Up to 3.8 COP (closed loop)
  • Up to 18.5 EER (closed loop)
  • Up to 4.1 COP (open loop)
  • Up to 23.9 EER (open loop)
  • Single stage scroll compressor
  • PSC blower (optional variable speed blower motor)
  • 10-year limited warranty on all compressor & major refrigeration components. 5-year limited warranty on other parts

GT-G Geotherm
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As you can see they all have open loop options because a heat exchanger doesn’t care where it puts it’s heat.

The final version is pretty exotic. I guess they are appropriate if you are in an extreme environment:

http://www.renovation-headquarters.com/heating-geothermal.htm

Direct Expansion (DX): A geothermal heat pump system in which the refrigerant is circulated in pipes buried in the ground, rather than using a heat transfer fluid, such as water or antifreeze solution in a separate closed loop, and fluid to refrigerant heat exchanger. A DX system includes all of the equipment both inside and outside the house. DX systems may be single or multi-speed.

http://www.mrslim.com/Products/subCategory.asp?ProductCategoryID=24&ProductSubCategoryID=140or

or

 http://www.alibaba.com/product/earthenergysolutions-11290116-10854411/Geothermal_Heat_Pump_Waterless_Direct_Expansion.html

or

http://www.geothermix.com/english/product/direct1.html

Direct Expansion “DX” Units

A direct earth coupled heat pump or “DX” heat pump is one that has its refrigerant evaporator / condenser in direct thermal contact with the earth from which heat is either extracted from during the heating mode or introduced to during the cooling mode of operation.

The general refrigeration cycle of our DX machine is similar in nature to a conventional water-to-air or water-to-water heat pump in that there exist a compressor, expansion device, reversing valve, and refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger. Conventional technology concerned with heat pumps relies upon the transfer of heat from the ground by means of a secondary heat exchanger system and working fluid, e.g., water, which is pumped to the geothermal unit located in the heated structure. The conventional heat pump has it’s own internal primary heat exchanger which extracts heat (heating mode) or rejects heat (cooling mode) from this water, which is then pumped back to the earth to be reheated.

DX systems similarily use a ground coil system, however, the working fluid is a refrigerant and the copper groundloop is the primary heat exchanger. Such geothermal heat exchange is an efficient and effective way of achieving heat exchange in heating and air conditioning systems, and especially heat pump type systems. Since the ground temperature is relatively constant at 48 °F at a depth below the frost line, the available heat is constant.

DX Heat Cycle (Gif 11K)

The elimination of the secondary earth heat exchanger (typically plastic in nature) and its associated working fluid reduces the temperature difference required between the ground and the evaporating refrigerant yielding a higher suction pressure than a conventional system under similar circumstances and thus a higher efficiency.

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I like the closed loop the best:

If you are in Las Vegas and you need one installed try:

http://www.plumber-las-vegas.com

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Hungarian Vulcan Association Combined – Thats right HVAC Fed Tax Credits

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1

(and its Jam Band Friday – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwGL5LDb4u8  )

If you think that I am going to cover all the Energy Efficient HVAC options covered by these credits you would be out of your mind…It would take for ever. Even though it is Jam Band Friday and I could just sit around and listen to Eric Clapton all day. But first the Tax credits:

 http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits#c3

HVAC Central A/C Split Systems:
EER >=13
SEER >= 16Package systems:
EER >= 12
SEER >= 14		 30% of cost, up to $1,5002 For a list of qualified products, read this FAQ.Note — not all ENERGY STAR products will qualify for the tax credit. View ENERGY STAR criteria.
Air Source Heat Pumps Split Systems:
HSPF >= 8.5
EER >= 12.5
SEER >= 15Package systems:
HSPF >= 8
EER >= 12
SEER >= 14		 30% of cost, up to $1,5002
Natural Gas or Propane Furnace AFUE >= 95 30% of cost, up to $1,5002 For a partial list of qualifying products go to: Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) PDF Exit ENERGY STARNot all ENERGY STAR products will qualify for the tax credit. View ENERGY STAR criteria for furnaces, boilers.
Oil Furnace AFUE >= 90 30% of cost, up to $1,5002
Gas, Propane, or Oil Hot Water Boiler AFUE >= 90 30% of cost, up to $1,5002
Advanced Main Air Circulating Fan No more than 2% of furnace total energy use. Read this FAQ if the fan qualifies, but the furnace does not. 30% of cost, up to $1,5002

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnz-wd9uMrY )

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I can not believe that they are still offering tax credits for home heating oil furnaces. That is so late 1800s. The idea that they would be still supporting boilers for gods sake is so 1940s. Proof  That some things never go away. While I much prefer ground based heat pumps Open Air heat pumps are just OK.

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98XqT4kBWT4 )

Air Source Heat Pumps Split Systems:
HSPF >= 8.5
EER >= 12.5

SEER >= 15

http://www.qualitysmith.com/heat_pump/?src=got0058515ch001pGoogleAdWordsSearch&refcd=GO550t1257028S_air_source_heat_pumps&tsacr=GO2982392887

Find the Perfect Home Heating System

QualitySmith contractors will help you make the best heating system decision for your home and budget. Our partner contractors will walk you through the benefits and features associated with different system types. Just fill in our simple form to find 3 prescreened, reputable heating system contractors to help you make sure you’re ready for cold weather.

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For a much broader discussion of this plus everything else under the sun:

http://www.century-ac.com/consumer_tax_incentives.htm

What are the efficiency requirements to qualify for the credits?

Manufacturers and retailers should be able to help you tell whether a specific product qualifies.

The qualification specifications are:

  • Furnaces and Boilers: Natural gas & propane furnaces must meet an Annual Fuel Use Efficiency (AFUE) 95 or higher, oil furnaces and gas, oil and propane boilers must meet an AFUE of 90 or better.
  • Central Air Conditioning Units:
    • Central air conditioning units and air-source heat pumps must meet the highest tier standards set by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) as of February 17, 2009, which in most cases requires a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) of 16. SEER measures performance throughout the cooling season. More information on the CEE specification.
  • Biomass Stoves: Stoves must have a thermal efficiency of 75% as measured using a lower heating value, and be used to heat a dwelling unit or heat water for use in the same. The law defines biomass fuel as anything from agricultural crops, trees, wood wastes & residues to pellets, plants, grasses and fibers.
  • Fans for heating and cooling systems: fan uses no more than 2% of total heating system energy use, as defined by DOE test procedure. For more information, see the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association web site. It is still unclear how the 2009 Stimulus legislation has impacted this incentive – it seems reasonable to assume that the cost basis will be the reasonable cost of the fan, not the entire furnace. IRS has yet to issue specific guidance on this issue.
  • Water Heaters:
    • Gas or propane water heaters—Energy Factor of at least 0.82, or a thermal efficiency of at least 90%.
    • Heat pump water heaters—Energy Factor of at least 2.0

Where must the equipment be used?

Under guidance issued by the IRS, equipment is eligible if installed in a home occupied by a taxpayer as their principal residence at the time the equipment is installed. This implies that equipment in new homes is generally not eligible since in new homes equipment is generally installed prior to occupancy. However, efficient equipment in new homes can help that home qualify for the new home tax credit.

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(There was so much more then Layla from Derek and the Dominos –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxAKPBrjvqI )

If you are interested in the State Tax Incentives for Energy Efficient HVAC equipment here is an excellent site.

http://energytaxincentives.org/general/incentives.php

State and Utility Incentives

In addition to the federal tax incentives, complementary incentives may be available from your state or local utility. For information on many of these programs, see these links:

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When in doubt you can always shop at SEARS

http://www.searshomeimprovements.com/ProductOffer1.aspx?OVMTC=Broad&site=&creative=2768202091&OVKEY=heat+pumps&gclid=CNHe7pK-85oCFQ3yDAodtlirdw&o=2&t=102&primary=true

Your choice in a home improvement company is a big decision. Choose a company you can trust for reliable products, service, installation and peace of mind on one of your biggest investments – your home. Choose Sears!

Reduce Energy Costs and get up to a $1500 Tax Credit from the 2009 Stimulus Package with a new Heating & Cooling System


As your heating & cooling system ages, it can lose its ability to heat or cool your home. Enjoy comfort year round with a new Heating & Cooling System for Sears.
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Gosh just like mom and pops

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AscPOozwYA8 )

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