Items in the Financial & Incentives Category
Canadian Solar.
Posted in Financial & Incentives, Solar Hot Water / Solar Electric - 27 December 2011There are a lot of different ways governments encourage the development and growth of clean energy. While staying with Dawna’s family just outside of Ottawa this Christmas, we had the opportunity to visit a neighbor’s solar installation and talk over the economics of this particular system. In Canada they don’t subsidize the manufacturers (China) or the installers (U.S.A) but rather they subsidize the production in the form of high retail purchasing of kWh produced ($0.802 / kWh)
This particular system was a 10kW system and the owner told us he averages about $12,000 per year in revenue. This for a system he paid $86,000 to install. All in all he’s expecting to have the system paid for in about 10 years, while the contract with the federal government is for 20 years, and the panels are rated at 80% production at 20 years. A pretty good deal for people who take the time to work out the math. This particular system like those we install uses an Enphase micro-inverter for each 200w panel which allows him to look at the performance of each individual panel.
Solar Installations Shown To Increase Property Value
Posted in Financial & Incentives, Solar Hot Water / Solar Electric - 23 June 2011Are you thinking of selling your home and looking for ways to differentiate your home from the others around you? A recent study from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkely National Laboratory, has shown that homes with relatively new PV systems installed command a higher sales price than comparable homes without PV.
(more…)Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit Updated for 2011
Posted in Energy Efficiency, Financial & Incentives - 7 January 2011Some of you may know as a result of the federal recovery funds, homeowners enjoyed a brief but substantial increase in the energy efficiency tax credit and many of you took advantage of it, as evidenced by the flurry of activity in December as many of our customers tried to get work done before the expiration on December 31st, 2010. For those of you who did not make it under the wire all is not lost. The federal government has extended a reduced & modified version of this tax credit through December 31st, 2011.
While all the details aren’t clear yet, we know this: Through December 31st 2011, homeowners may take advantage of up $500 in tax credits for energy efficiency measures put into service this year. There are some differences between this program and the last, so make sure you check out the DSIRE website. Another significant limitation to remember, is anyone who has previously taken advantage of this tax credit in excess of $500 is no longer eligible.
So for those of you who are still eligible, don’t miss this change to save more money (courtesy of your taxes), while saving money and helping the planet.
For more information visit the DSIRE website, it is the most comprehensive site for all rebates, federal, state or local.
There is some additional information on the Energy Savvy website.
Progress Energy Prequalified Contractor – What it means to you.
Posted in Energy Efficiency, Financial & Incentives - 4 July 2010
Progress Energy has a program called the HEIP or Home Energy Improvement Program. This program will subsidize the cost of various approved home improvement projects geared to reducing their customers’ energy bills. See the link above for more information on the program. In order to receive the rebates, first you must be an eligible customer for the program and either you or we can confirm this with a quick call to Progress Energy’s HEIP hot-line (1-866-990-4347). Second, the specific project that you have in mind must be included on their list of qualifying projects and meet their installation or product specification requirements. Lastly, the installation must be performed by (more…)Compact Fluorescent Lights – Save $100 per year in 5 minutes
Posted in Energy Efficiency, Financial & Incentives - 22 June 2010I love summertime in North Carolina. Here in the Raleigh/Durham area, the sun sets as late as 8:35pm during the middle of the summer – which is great for kids’ sports and other outdoor activities. But when the sun isn’t shining, it takes energy to light your home – and that energy cost can really add up!
(more…)Tax Credits for Green Improvements
Posted in Financial & Incentives - 2 June 2010It’s no secret that making energy improvements to your home can sometimes be a costly proposition – especially if you are undertaking a big project such as using an alternative power source (such as solar). But even smaller projects like replacing older less efficient windows or adding insulation can be expensive compared to their payback periods.
(more…)The “free” $259 Refrigerator
Posted in Energy Efficiency, Financial & Incentives - 1 April 2010This is one of my favorite examples of how we think we’re saving money when in fact we’re spending much more than we know.
We all like free, especially when it comes to something functional, like a beer fridge in the garage. Does it keep the drinks cold? Yes, then it’s as good as a new one right? Not always, as we will see. Sometimes “free” costs more than buying new. Below are two tangible examples of what we face daily when dealing with energy consumption and the many products in our homes. The true cost of “free” or “already paid for” can sometimes be greater than buying a more modern and energy efficient replacement. Let me give you two real life examples that we have encountered with our clients:
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