2nd Green Revolution

My mother-in-law recently purchased a 4 door Volkswagen (VW) Jetta TDI clean diesel sedan. After 3,500 mi (~6,000km) I had the opportunity to drive it this past week in the less than ideal conditions of an icy Minnesota winter. Not being a northerner (I hail from sunny Southern California) I found the car to provide a smooth ride on the compacted snow and ice. With a six speed automatic transmission, the car shifts into gear at low RPM, furthering its gas sipping reputation. At highway speeds, the engine runs between 1800 & 2200 RPM, much lower than my four cylinder sedan.

According to VW’s website, the Jetta TDI (which retails for $22,660) has won several awards: Read the rest of this entry »

By now wind farms, the large collections of towering wind turbines, have become a familiar site in parts of California, Iowa, the Dakotas, farm land in the Northeast, and across Texas. In order to generate electricity locally from wind, the next step may be looking to wind power that comes from turbines on the roofs of buildings downtown or on individual plots of land. Several months ago 2nd Green Revolution wrote about the need for locally produced renewable energy. Several companies have developed wind turbines that are designed to sit atop structures and spin a generator regardless of the wind’s direction. Read the rest of this entry »

Many internal corridors of buildings do not have natural lighting due to a lack of windows. Skylights have provided natural lighting for years, but light tubes (or solar tubes) offer a new option for bringing outside light into buildings. The technology, discussed briefly in a post earlier this year as part of the Science Channel’s Ecopolis series, allows the units to have a smaller physical footprint than skylights and can subsequently fit into more confined spaces.

On a recent visit to a school in the Denver area, I had a chance to see these devices in action. In a dark interior hallway, bright white natural light streamed down from above. The contrast was stark compared to the rest of the passageway. Read the rest of this entry »

The website “Environmental Leader” reported that Xcel Energy cut their per watt rebate by one dollar – 22% – to $3.50 (US) last October. At the time, the reduction was most noteworthy not for the dollar value, but the swiftness with which Xcel made the cut. According to the website’s report, the reduction occurred just 30 hours after it was announced. Now news comes that Xcel is considering another cut in the rebate.

REC Solar reported that “Xcel plans to reduce the rebate amount for the SolarRewards program in the next 30, 60, or 90 days.” According to the story, the reason for the three options was to avoid the onslaught of applications that Xcel received when they announced the short turn around in cutting their rebate back in October. Read the rest of this entry »

The New York Times carried an article this week about how states are working to expand the sources of energy that are classified as renewable and alternative under current legislation in order to access billions in government funding. “Federal tax breaks for renewable energy have been reauthorized, and quotas for renewable energy production have been set in 28 states, accompanied by extensive new grants, loans and other economic advantages.” The article says that some states have already qualified for renewable energy tax credits through reclassifying energy sources. “In Pennsylvania, waste coal and methane from coal mines receive the same treatment as solar panels and wind turbines. In Nevada, old tires can count as a renewable fuel, provided microwaves are used to break down their chemical structure.” Problems with this re-designation abound. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) provides a basic definition of renewable energy resources on their kid-focused website. It says that these sources of energy “can be replenished in a short period of time. The five renewable sources used most often are:”

• biomass – including wood and wood waste, municipal solid waste, landfill and biogas, ethanol, and biodiesel
• hydropower
• geothermal
• wind
• solar

Many of the examples on the EIA’s list are easily identifiable as renewable energy sources. Only solid waste (and the related landfill and biogas) do not necessarily represent renewable sources of energy, as not all material deposited in landfills is renewable. Read the rest of this entry »

With April 15th fast approaching, there are several incentives from the federal government for those homeowners who have made efficiency upgrades or added renewable energy systems to their homes. For more information, please read this earlier post detailing some of the refund opportunities.

- Eric Wilson

Benjamin Franklin has been famously quoted as saying there are only two certainties in life, “death and taxes”. April 15th, the traditional deadline for annual taxes in the United States, can be a stressful, expensive venture. For taxpayers, there are now incentives and rebates available for clean technology projects. The Energy Star website has provided a list of products that are eligible for tax incentives, which include “doors & windows, roofing, insulation, HVAC, geothermal heat pump, water heaters, biomass stoves, solar energy systems, small energy wind systems, fuel cells and cars”. Below is a list of tax breaks and their explanations from the Department of Energy. (See below for specific dates and tax years). Please also refer to an earlier post on solar rebates.

Home Energy Efficiency Improvement Tax Credits
Consumers who purchase and install specific products, such as energy-efficient windows, insulation, doors, roofs, and heating and cooling equipment in the home can receive a tax credit of up to $500 for improvements “placed in service” starting January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009. The ENERGY STAR® website has a complete summary of energy efficiency tax credits available to consumers.

Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credits
Consumers who install solar electric systems can receive a 30% tax credit for systems placed in service from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2016; the previous tax credit cap of $2,000 no longer applies. In addition, consumers who install small wind systems can receive a tax credit up to $4,000. Geothermal heat pumps also qualify for tax credits up to $2,000.

Automobile Tax Credits
Individuals and businesses who buy or lease a new hybrid gas-electric car or truck are eligible for an income tax credit for vehicles “placed in service” after January 1, 2006 and purchased on or before December 31, 2010. The amount of the credit depends on the fuel economy, the weight of the vehicle, and whether the tax credit has been or is being phased out. Hybrid vehicles that use less gasoline than the average vehicle of similar weight and that meet an emissions standard qualify for the credit. There is a similar credit for alternative-fuel, diesel, and fuel-cell vehicles.

This tax credit will be phased out for each manufacturer once that company has sold 60,000 eligible vehicles. At that point, the tax credit for each company’s vehicles will be gradually reduced over the course of another year. Read the IRS’s Summary of the Credit for Qualified Hybrid Vehicles for information on the status of specific vehicle eligibility.

If individuals and businesses buy more than one vehicle, they are eligible to receive a tax credit for each. If a tax-exempt organization buys such a vehicle, the retailer is also eligible to receive another credit. Companies that buy heavy-duty hybrid trucks are also eligible for a larger tax credit.

Consumers who purchase plug-in electric drive vehicles can also receive a tax credit. The credit for passenger vehicles and light trucks ranges from $2,500 to $7,500 based on the tax code formula.

Taxpayers may claim the full amount of the allowable credit up to the end of the first calendar quarter after the quarter in which the total number of qualified plug-in electric drive vehicles sold in the U.S. exceeds 250,000.

- Eric Wilson

A number of companies, both solar manufacturers and producers, have tools to help consumers determine the feasibility of installing solar power systems on their homes. Sun Power Corporation provides a calculator to help homeowners ascertain their cost savings by installing a photovoltaic (pv) system. There are several variables that users can adjust in order to figure out their specific expense and payback. It is a powerful tool; similar to home mortgage calculators. In the same vein, there is a start-up company, Sungevity, in Northern California that is using satellite images to reduce the cost of estimating pv system installations. They currently do not serve locations outside the Bay Area, but hopefully will expand to more areas.

Lastly, to help consumers research the incentives and rebates, there are a few key resources that can help. Read the rest of this entry »