Green Home Rebate Links

by Jim Simcoe

As the world of green home rebates and incentives continues to evolve the sources for rebate money continues to expand as well.  Below are the top sources to search for rebate money, grant funds and Stimulus money for any of your projects.  It may require some research but there is money out there.

As I wrote about in a previous post, I’d highly recommend off loading the research part of this project to an intern/assistant.  Someone could easily spend 10-15 hours looking through the various programs but the ROI is worth it.  Even if it takes you 15 hours to find a program that saves you $20,000 over the next 9 months, it’s worth it.

The List of Green home Rebate Links

1. The Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) is an ongoing project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The site is administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), which is operated for DOE by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy.  It is the first place to look for rebates, credits and incentives for all 50 states. www.dsireusa.org
2. Grants.gov is the Federal Government’s web site for posting funding opportunities from all Federal Agencies. It is a central storehouse for information on over 1,000 grant programs and provides access to approximately $500 billion in annual awards. www.grants.gov
3. ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. This website also offers a list of Federal Tax Credits and Rebates. For example, if you install solar panels you can receive a tax credit equal to 30% of the cost. www.energystar.gov/
4. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) Program was funded for the first time by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. It is intended to assist U.S. cities, counties, states, territories, and Indian tribes to develop, promote, implement, and manage energy efficiency and conservation projects and programs. Through formula and competitive grants, the Program empowers local communities to make strategic investments to meet the nation’s long-term goals for energy independence and leadership on climate change. www.eecbg.energy.gov
5. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) works with business, industry, universities, and others to increase the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. One way EERE encourages the growth of these technologies is by offering financial assistance opportunities for their development and demonstration. www.eere.energy.gov
6. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides Tax Incentives and Tax Credits for individuals to invest in energy-efficient products. www.irs.gov
7. EPA leads the nation’s environmental science, research, education and assessment efforts. The mission of the Environmental Protection Agency is to protect human health and the environment. Numerous sources of funding for green building are available at the national, state and local levels for homeowners, industry, government organizations and nonprofits.
8. Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) is a membership association of local governments committed to advancing climate protection and sustainable development. Find the latest funding opportunities offered by local governments  http://www.icleiusa.org/action-center/financing-staffing More about Green Homes

A Green Home: Green Investing

by Jaci Kennison

When a person has made a decision to go green home, often the first place they think to begin the change is in their home. Shopping for recycled goods, ways to reuse what they already have, and tricks to tighten up their energy use are standard starting points for most newbie-greenies. At least that’s how it went for me.

Lately, though, I’ve been thinking about our money, how we vote with our dollars by choosing environmentally friendly products and how we could put our green to use in another valuable way—investments.

Years ago, when I first sat before my investment broker with a tiny wad of money and asked how to embark on eco-investing, he cautioned me against it. A decade ago when the first wind and solar farms were forming as concepts bright with possibility, he gave me the hard truth about putting my money behind them; in an nutshell, the kinks hadn’t been worked out yet. Specifically—a way to store the power generated, and a realistic way to alter the grid to incorporate these tools.

We’ve come a long way, my broker and I. So have green investments.

Last week when we sat down together again and I brought up voting with my investment dollar, he had a much more positive outlook.

Currently, there are a number of green mutual funds that offer investors the chance to back businesses that are making great strides in the battle against the destruction of our environment, or even those smaller companies that are simply making great efforts to go green themselves. A mutual fund, by nature, is less risky than many other investments because you put your money into a pool, so to speak. The fund then invests in a diverse portfolio to keep the risk low, and help clients see a sizeable return on their investments.

Ok, so what if I have a little bit of money that I’m ready to put into riskier stocks?

There are a few great options, in my broker’s opinion. Clean Energy Fuels Corp is working to convert major transportation vehicles to natural gas. They recently partnered with UPS to construct and operate a natural gas fueling station near Las Vegas. In the area, 48 UPS vehicles are equipped to run on natural gas, lowering emissions and our dependence on oil. My broker likes this company because they are already established and are showing strong growth indicators.

Other companies, like AeroVironment Inc., are coming up with great innovations as well, such as electric car fueling stations in shopping and business centers. My broker advised me that investing in this technology carries even a bit more risk because the “gridwork” is not well established. For more information on other green-ing companies, he suggests searching Yahoo! Finance.

In the midst of our greening efforts around our homes and elsewhere in our lives, I want to encourage you (if you haven’t already) to green your retirement account, your child’s college fund and any other areas you can to support environmentally conscious living on a global scale. After all, if we are truly greening our lives, shouldn’t we be greening our future, and that of our country? Read also about Green Home in Florida

Green Homes Are Seen As Expensive to Construct, But Cheap To Live In

Green Homes for Sale in Ahwatukee Community

An excellent place to live in Ahwatukee is one of the urban villages located in the outskirts of Phoenix. Ahwatukee is separated from Phoenix by; the South Mountain Park and is surrounded by, South Mountain Park and Baseline Road in the north, Interstate 10 and the cities of Chandler, Guadalupe, and Tempe in the east, and the Gila River Indian in the west and south. This beautiful community offers excellent homes and you can also find eco-friendly homes in the area.

Ahwatukee is located towards the south of the South Mountain Park where homeowners can enjoy miles of hiking and horseback riding trails. Some of the communities in Ahwatukee where you can find green homes include East Ahwatukee, Mountain Park Ranch Area, the Central Ahwatukee, the Foothills and the West Ahwatukee. Ahwatukee also boasts of challenging golf courses and several biking trails.

Residents can also enjoy being close to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park. Homeowners are sure to enjoy great views of the desert vistas. Downtown Phoenix is not far from Ahwatukee where residents can enjoy a lot of fun things to do. Ahwatukee also has fine restaurants, boutiques, parks and theaters. Enjoy a great life in Ahwatukee green home and be a part of this wonderful area.

When you buy something, you are buying the entire life cycle of a product or service– the good, the bad, and the ugly.  By stepping up, we give companies the reason to become sustainable.  Did you know that in the US, buildings account for over 40% of total energy consumption, 13% of total water consumption, and produce 39% of total carbon dioxide emissions.  It is obvious that something has to change.

The new shop you see by your house may look the same as everything else.  However, its tile, wall coverings, and even crown moulding are most likely made from recyclable materials.  In the bathrooms, sensors control the water, timers manage the lights, and the toilets have a low flow option.  You may even see LED lighting, priority parking for low emission vehicles, highly efficient meat and freezer cases, a bin for plastic bags, and environmentally friendly flooring (like bamboo!).  In Chicago (and in the surrounding suburbs), we are already seeing this in businesses such as Starbucks, Dominick’s, Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, Subway, and Jason’s Deli.

There are a variety of factors that have contributed to this increase in using green products.  Chicago has streamlined the process of getting green permits (for things like a “cool” roof for example).  The economy is finally taking off a bit too, so some businesses have more money to spend.  Businesses are also realizing that there are great backend savings involved with spending more money upfront to build and/or remodel with energy efficiency in mind!  Green buildings cost less to operate and maintain.  They also have higher asset values than conventional buildings.  By including items free of toxic chemicals (like bamboo soap), taking advantage of natural light, and using superior ventilation systems, employees will be healthier and more productive (and use less sick time!).  Green Homes also use 25%-30% less water and energy than conventional buildings.

Lastly, these changes are being demanded by the consumer.  The US Green Building Council even offers LEED green building certification, so businesses can show the consumer that they are making changes to make their buildings high performance green buildings.  In the past ten years, LEED has certified more than 13,500 green homes and commercial buildings with over 60,000 waiting. With technology catching up with consumer wants and needs, it is becoming more affordable to go green.

And going green is putting money into pockets of workers as well as businesses.  According to a study done by Booz Allen Hamilton and the US Green Building Council, the green construction market will add 8 million jobs and $396 billion in wages to the US economy over the next four years, so this looks to be a trend that will take hold in places beyond Chicago.  One day, green will simply be the way that everyone does business.

What businesses in your area are making these changes?  Do you frequent them more because they are green (or trying to be greener)?  What changes would you like to see done?

And for more news on bamboo and its increasingly popular role in environmental design, visit the Green Earth News’ section on Bamboo & The Environment.