Beginning on Earth Day, you can receive a rebate of up to $250 if you exchange your old refrigerator, dishwasher, clothes washer, or freezer for a new energy efficient model. However advanced registration required for these rebates will only be available for a two week period. Start planning now if you want to take advantage of this offer and save you money on your utility bills for years to come.
Sarah previously wrote about safe and ethical electronics recycling, and we follow up today with a little information about additional options.
Office supply stores like Staples often have recycling programs1 for computers and peripherals, including cash back for ink and toner cartridges if you prefer not to bring them to a local refill business like InkTec Zone or Cartridge World franchise.
Staples is also offering $50 trade-in rebates on old printers through April 3. If you do opt for a new printer, be sure to look at reviews and specifications regarding durability, ink frugality, and power consumption.
1. The equipment is picked up and delivered to our recycling partner, Eco International, who disassembles the equipment into its component parts for environmentally responsible recycling in the U.S. (Staples Recycling FAQ)
Initial information provided by “k / total recycling”
The New York Times reports today that Massachusetts officials have announced new energy standards to meet the goals set forth by the Green Communities Act of 2008. Continue reading
The Commonwealth Solar Stimulus and Commonwealth Solar Rebate Programs will be available today at 2:00 PM EST on Wednesday, January 27, 2010.
The Commonwealth Solar Program provides rebates through a non-competitive application process for the installation of photovoltaic (PV) projects. The Commonwealth Solar II Rebate Program provides rebates for commercial systems up to 5 kilowatts (kW) and all residential systems (regardless of size). The Commonwealth Solar Stimulus Rebate Program provides rebates for commercial PV systems sized greater than 5 kW up to 200 kW.
The Commonwealth Solar program issued awards for the installation of 23.5 megawatts (MW) of solar power over the last two years, but recently ran short of funding. The new rebate programs for homeowners, business, and communities throughout the Commonwealth will help the commonwealth reach Governor Deval Patrick’s goal of installing 250 MW of solar energy by 2017. Commonwealth solar also provides webinars and information on helpful resources, plus view the map of installations of solar photovoltaic projects across the state.
The Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) is offering free Home Energy Saving Seminars to communities across Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Municipal Association is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association that provides advocacy, training, publications, research and other services to Massachusetts cities and towns. If you are interested in hosting a workshop in your community schedule the workshop soon, as the program ends in March.
Through this free service offered by MMA, the Cambridge Energy Alliance hosted a Weatherizing Your Home for Ultimate Energy Savings event on January 12th, that brought together over 45 individuals wanting to learn how to reduce their energy use at home. Speaker Clark Goody from the Conservation Services provided detailed information on home energy audits, cost effective investments, and access to resources to help residents save energy and money.
The free energy seminar stresses the importance of reducing heat usage by providing do-it-yourself sealing techniques, tips on hiring a contractor for in-depth alterations, and resources for home audits and financing alterations. Program attendees learned about:
The Home Energy Savings Seminar is an excellent way for communities to connect residents to efficiency resources and programs. Communities can chose from a variety of workshops including:
___ “Intro to Home Energy Savings” provides simple steps to reducing the use
of electricity, water, and heat; do-it-yourself techniques for basic home sealing
and heating; resources for financing home audits and alterations.
___ “Home Energy Savings for Renters” provides tenant-specific information on
basic home energy savings.
___ “Home Energy Savings for Retirees” provides senior-specific information on
basic home energy savings.
___ “Weatherizing Your Home for Ultimate Savings” stresses the importance
of reducing heat usage by providing do-it-yourself sealing techniques; tips on
hiring a contractor for in-depth alterations; resources for home audits and
financing alterations.
To learn more about the program contact Alicia Hunt at energy@mma.org, 617-426-7272 ext. 280
Dow Corning, the largest maker of residential insulation in the US, can expect their economic recovery to start ahead of time due to the tax rebates and incentives for housing weatherization included within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law by President Obama last month.
“The weatherization program is the sort of activity that is likely to spur demand,” said Owens Corning spokesman Scott Deitz. “No doubt, people will install insulation because of this program. We just don’t know how many.”
This could also boost employment at Dow Cornings’ largest US insulation manufacturing plant in Newark, which has lost over 700 jobs in the last decade.
An estimated 80 million homes in the United States are currently under-insulated. Any home built before the mid-1980s and that has not been remodeled is unlikely to meet insulation building codes in force today.
Here’s a list of the latest Renewable Energy Tax Incentives now available to residents and businesses in Massachusetts. The highlight being if you can somehow generate hydro-electric power from that attractive water feature in your backyard and hook it up to the grid, you’re good for a $50,000 tax credit from the Commonwealth.
On the other hand, if you’re interested in available Tax Credits for Qualified Hybrid Vehicles.
That’s the upside of the NYT story Dark Days for Green Energy, which details slowdowns and layoffs in the alternative energy world brought on by a combination of the credit crisis and the continued price moderation of fossil fuels. We’re trying hard to see the positive side of things here at Warm Home Cool Planet.
The price of solar panels has fallen by 25 percent in six months, according to Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association, who said he expected a further drop of 10 percent by midsummer. For homeowners, however, the savings will not be as substantial, partly because panels account for only about 60 percent of total installation costs.
So while congress debates how much of the stimulus package will be spent on tax cuts, and how much will be spent on, well, actual infrastructure spending that stimulates the economy, maybe more of us can take matters into our own hands and start buying up those solar panels.
Of course, just when we thought that the glass was at least half full we read this:
In Massachusetts, for example, the Commonwealth Solar program cut its rebate by $1 per watt on Jan. 1, reducing the overall discount by $3,000 for a 3 kilowatt solar panel system…
So make your calculations carefully, and make sure you get the latest information on the bewildering array of deductions, exemptions, incentives and rebates which make Massachusetts one of the most solar progressive states in the country. This list of goodies is dated 2009, which is nice.
The details of an interesting program to encourage energy efficiency in Utah just crossed our desk here at Warm Home Cool Planet.
The Energy Services Efficiency Program… eases the financial burden of making large changes that lower the energy load on the power grid, such as better insulation, more efficient air conditioning systems and improved swimming pool pumps.The rebates could pay more than $500 for improved attic insulation, $350 for a new air conditioning unit and up to $125 for a better swimming pool pump.
Warm Home Cool Planet supports this idea because it achieves two things. It ties the reduction of energy use in each house to specific improvements, and it helps the homeowner make the capital investment in what are becoming tough times for all. Looking at the photo below, it seem like the folks in Utah are getting with the program too:
Larry Morrison, also with Morrison Insulation, said when he learned about such rebates last year, he started alerting all of his customers to the possible benefits. He said it costs about 50 cents per square foot for a typical installation, while rebate programs would reimburse for 35 cents per square foot – as both the St. George and Questar programs do.
From the Laconia Citizen:
“It was 30 degrees outside but inside a yet-to-be-finished basement of a home being built on Summit Road, the temperature remained above 42 degrees, with no heat.
That’s because the home, which belongs to Cecilia Rai and James Koren of Plymouth, is being built to be energy-efficient from basement to attic.”
Find out more about this couple’s experience in building an energy efficient home in New Hampshire.
Cecilia Rai stands inside her yet to be finished energy efficient house in Laconia, NH.
Note the use of ICFs (Insulated Concrete Forms) in the outer walls. This is becoming a popular technique for including insulation in the construction process-particularly as it is independent of material used (stucco, brick, vinyl siding, wood…) for the outer walls.