A Guide To Energy Efficiency Tax Credits

The Washington Post has a nice graphic titled Guide To Energy Efficiency Tax Credits, some good for 2009-2010, some good through 2016.. It does not cut and paste so here is the link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/home/graphics/energy-efficient.html?hpid=artslot

How to qualify

Thursday, October 29, 2009

How to qualify

-- Products installed and in use: You must "place into service" eligible home improvement products between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2010. (See story on previous page for credits available through 2016.)

-- Existing residence: The items must be for an existing principal residence, though some purchases for second homes are eligible, including geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, solar panels and small wind energy systems. On new homes, tax credits are applicable only to geothermal heat pumps, photovoltaics, solar water heaters, small wind energy systems and fuel cells.

-- Receipts and other documents: You'll need copies of purchase and installation receipts, as well as the manufacturer certification statement, which is a signed document from the manufacturer certifying that the product or component you have installed qualifies for the tax credit. If your installer doesn't provide a copy of the statement, it often can be found on the manufacturer's Web site. Taxpayers should keep a copy of the statement in their records, even though they are not required to submit it with their tax returns.

-- Tax form: File the appropriate form with the Internal Revenue Service. For items placed into service in 2009, use IRS Tax Form 5695 (2009 version), which will be available in late 2009 or early 2010.

Why is a tax credit better than a tax deduction?

A tax credit reduces your tax liability by the exact amount of the credit, says David Affeldt, a tax preparer and lawyer in Potomac. A tax deduction, on the other hand, lowers your taxes by the amount of the deduction multiplied by your income tax bracket. For example, if you're in the 25 percent tax bracket -- meaning you have a taxable income in 2009 of $67,900 to $137,000 -- and have a $1,500 tax deduction, your tax liability is reduced by only $375.

Who won't benefit from this?

This tax credit is not refundable. If you owe the federal government less in taxes than the amount of the energy efficiency tax credit you earn, you will not receive a payment for the difference. This means if you have a tax liability of $300, for instance, and qualify for a $500 tax credit, you will not receive the $200 difference as a refund. "It will not reduce your taxes below zero," Affeldt says. It might make sense to spread your purchases over two years to get the full benefit of the credit.

Keep in mind

In 2009 and 2010, you can spend up to $5,000 on qualifying materials and some installation fees and receive a maximum tax credit of $1,500. But if you claim the entire $1,500 credit in 2009, you will not receive any additional benefit in 2010. The only way to get another tax credit is if you are buying any of the products eligible through 2016.

If you own your home jointly with someone to whom you are not married, you are each entitled to a tax credit based on the amount you spend individually to make home improvements. For instance, one person could claim windows, another could claim doors. The tax credit does not double (from $1,500 to $3,000) for married couples filing jointly. But married people filing separately could claim separate expenses and each receive a $1,500 tax credit. Consult your tax preparer about your individual situation.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/27/AR2009102704360.html

Aquabarrel @ DC Green Festival - great rain barrels!

Lots of things to see at the Green Festival in Washington, DC, on October 10 and 11, 2009. And lots of people to meet.....

Barry Chenkin started Aquabarrel because he thought he can make a better rain barrel. I don't own an Aquabarrel rain barrel but I do believe he has designed and manufactured a better rain barrel. Aquabarrel's web site is an extensive resource on rain barrels. (I would like to own an Aquabarrel rain barrel...... once I solve a location and diverter issue)

A new product this year for Aquabarrel (but not made by them) is a kit to convert a toilet to dual flush. Dual flush toilets are not cheap so a conversion kit is a welcome alternative for retrofitting existing toilets - less waste and significantly less water used.

The Aquabarrel crew kept busy at Green Fest answering all sorts of questions from a steady stream of people. They paused for the photo below.









http://www.aquabarrel.com/



Thanks to the Aquabarrel web site for the rain barrel photo and Save The Baby Raindrops logo. Check the web site for more photos and videos of rain barrels in action.

Green Home In Vermont

From The Times Argus (Montpelier, Vermont)


Article published Sep 27, 2009
Realizing the dream
Designing and building a green home in Vermont

As I began the process of designing and building a green home, I thought, "Building a green home just couldn't be all that difficult, right? Then how come no one around here seems to be doing it?"

To show local builders and homeowners just how accessible the process could be, I decided to use only locally available materials and skills. The project would meet both Energy Star and LEED criteria for maximum energy efficiency and minimal environmental impact. (The LEED — Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — Green Building Rating System was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council as a way of encouraging sustainable building strategies.)

We had already framed up the house — the quickest part of the entire job. Next came the meticulous work of wrapping the exterior with extruded foam insulation, preparing the window openings, and taping and strapping the exterior. This created a waterproof, insulating layer under the siding known as the drainage plane, which keeps out any wind-driven rain that penetrates through the siding. This ensures dry siding on both sides, which means that it won't rot — and the paint lasts many years. The result is a low-maintenance and durable building skin.

Airtightness testing showed that all this work paid off handsomely. With help from Efficiency Vermont, we filled the house with theatrical smoke and then pressurized it with a big fan. Smoke was pushed out just a little at the windows and doors, but none escaped through the rest of the building envelope. The pressure meters confirmed that we had a very tight house. This feature, combined with high levels of insulation, sufficient south-facing windows and heat-recovery ventilation, gave a calculated heating requirement of one cord of wood per winter.

But this level of airtightness required careful design — and then rethinking on top of that.

When air is exhausted from a tight house (by a dryer or kitchen exhaust fan, for instance), the interior pressure drops. Outside air flows into this low pressure zone however it can. Without the usual cracks and air leaks, the outside air may flow down a chimney and bring toxic combustion gases with it.

For optimum energy efficiency, we wanted to keep the airtightness but solve the associated problems. First of all, we needed mechanical ventilation. Typically this is provided by a heat-recovery ventilator, which is simply a box with two fans — one blows stale air out and the other sucks fresh air into the house. The two airstreams pass by each other on opposite sides of a thin membrane so that the outgoing warm air can heat up the incoming cold air. The fresh air can then be ducted anywhere in the house.

Next we focused on the combustion appliances, which must be directly vented to the exterior for both intake and exhaust. Unlike most wood stoves, which draw their air from the room, the stove we were using had a fitting for an outside air duct to supply the firebox and ensure that the stove would always have a plentiful supply of combustion air drawn directly from outside. The gases in the chimney, stove and air inlet would be connected to the exterior only, so they wouldn't be affected by potential low pressure inside the house.

The dryer is usually double trouble. If it's electric, the fuel cost is high. But a gas dryer presents the combustion air problem. Either way, an air inlet is required to make up for the exhaust air. In winter, very cold air will be introduced this way. A solar (clothesline) or wood-fired (indoor rack) dryer is a simple, low-maintenance solution. The high-tech solution is a new condensing dryer, which does not exhaust but recirculates the air moving through it.

To conserve water, pumping energy and heating energy, we planned to install low-flow fixtures and a composting toilet. We fitted the sinks and showerheads with low-flow aerators. But the composting toilet was another cost casualty. The house was already connected to a state-permitted community leach field, and the extra cost wasn't justifiable. Instead we used dual-flush toilets that conserve water at both high and low flow rates. And we installed a solar water heater to provide hot water. Our plumber, Jay Smith, had just been certified by Renewable Energy Resource Center of Vermont (RERC-VT), so the hot water heater qualified for a nicely sized rebate.

We sought to minimize the building's electrical demand by making maximum use of daylight and using Energy star appliances, compact fluorescent and LED fixtures. Many of these fixtures qualify for rebates from Efficiency Vermont. The LED's are terrific: 60 watts of incandescent equivalent for 12 watts, a 5-to-1 savings!

Originally we had planned to install a rooftop photovoltaic system to meet the electrical requirements of the house. But in the end we were forced to eliminate the PV system because our budget didn't allow it. That may be just as well, because now the whole neighborhood is considering a shared community, net-metering PV system. Vermont's new net-metering legislation allows homeowners to build a renewable system and sell electricity back to the utility. This makes it possible, in the long term, to zero out your power bill.

Betti Jaquay, our painter, finished the interiors simply and cleanly. We avoided materials that would release toxic fumes (volatile organic compounds) and stuck with low-VOC paints and adhesives, or non-VOC materials like hardwood, linoleum floors and solid wood cabinets.

All the materials were purchased locally — including the solar equipment — and all the techniques were familiar to the builders. There is definitely a learning curve, but any contractor can build a house like this. Just get everybody on board at the start and follow these few simple rules for building a green house:

Buy local.

Think small.

Put it in the right spot.

Make it tight and insulate.

Use good quality, low energy materials.

Make it beautiful, adaptable and durable.

Michael Beattie, an architect, lives in Middletown Springs and be reached at mbeattie.arch@gmail.com. This article is the third in a series that covers the entire process of designing and constructing the green home. For Parts 1 and 2, see the articles on pages B4 and B2, respectively, of the June 14 and July 19 issues.

Visit the green home during an open house on Sunday, August 16, 1:00 till 4:00 p.m. Call 235-2468 or email mbeattie.arch@gmail.com for information and directions.

ON THE NET

Vermont Green Building Network

www.vgbn.org/

Renewable Energy Resource Center

www.rerc-vt.org/

http://www.timesargus.com/article/20090927/ENVIRONMENT/909279992/1033/ENVIRONMENT

Radiant Barriers Work

• From: ECOHOME 2009
• Posted on: July 15, 2009 11:09:00 AM

Study Shows 23-Degree Temperature Drop in Attics with Radiant Barriers

Appalachian State University also found that radiant barriers improve air conditioning efficiencies.

By: Jean Dimeo

The Appalachian State University Energy Center in Boone, N.C., recently announced the results of a case study to measure the benefits of adding radiant barriers in home attics. Key findings of the study include:
--A 23-degree F drop in the peak attic temperature.
--A 20% reduction in the AC unit’s run time during the seven hours of peak attic temperatures.
--A 57% efficiency improvement in the cooled air delivered through the air ducts.

“This particular study showed the installation of a radiant barrier in an attic can make it easier for your air conditioner to do its job in the summer heat,” Jeff Tiller, a professional engineer at the university, said in a statement. “That translates to lower electricity usage, which also impacts the carbon footprint of homes.”

The research team utilized two side-by-side four-bedroom model homes built by Centex Homes in Charlotte, N.C. A total of 61 sensors were installed inside and outside of the dwellings to gather data.

“We’re very pleased that this study validates the significant energy saving benefits,” said Clayton Traylor, who heads environmental affairs for Centex.

Centex began building homes with radiant barrier roof decking in January as part of its Centex Energy Advantage suite of energy-efficient features.

The study was conducted last summer by the university and led by Tiller, chair of the Technology Department, and Bruce Davis, building research scientist at the ASU Energy Center. It was funded by a U.S. DOE Building America grant provided through the North Carolina Energy Office.

Jean Dimeo is Chief Editor, Online for EcoHome.

http://www.ecohomemagazine.com/news/2009/07/study-shows-23-degree-temperature-drop-in-attics-with-radiant-barriers.aspx