Tax Credits for Consumers:
Home Improvements

Tax credits are now available for home improvements:

* must be “placed in service” from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010
* must be for taxpayer’s principal residence
* $1,500 is the maximum total amount that can be claimed for all products placed in service in 2009 & 2010 for most home improvements, EXCEPT for geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, solar panels, fuel cells, and windmills which are not subject to this cap, and are in effect through 2016
* must have a Manufacturer Certification Statement3 to qualify
* for record keeping, save your receipts and the Manufacturer Certification Statement3
* improvements made in 2009 will be claimed on your 2009 taxes (filed by April 15, 2010) — use IRS Tax Form 5695 (2009 version) — it will be available late 2009 or early 2010
* If you are building a new home, you can qualify for the tax credit for geothermal heat pumps, photovoltaics, solar water heaters, small wind systems and fuel cells, but not the tax credits for windows, doors, insulation, roofs, HVAC, or non-solar water heaters. More.

SUMMARY OF TAX CREDITS FOR HOMEOWNERS:

Water Heaters Gas, Oil, Propane Water Heater Energy Factor >= 0.82
or a thermal efficiency of at least 90%. 30% of cost, up to $1,5002

Not all ENERGY STAR gas storage and gas condensing water heaters will qualify for the tax credit. All ENERGY STAR gas tankless models will qualify.

All ENERGY STAR gas tankless water heaters will qualify.

View ENERGY STAR criteria.

For a partial list of qualifying products go to the Air Conditioning, Heating, and refrigeration Institute (AHRI) Exit ENERGY STAR
Electric Heat Pump Water Heater Same criteria as ENERGY STAR: Energy Factor >= 2.0 30% of cost, up to $1,5002

All ENERGY STAR electric heat pump water heaters qualify for the tax credit.

Biomass Stove:

Stove which burns biomass fuel to heat a home or heat water.

Thermal efficiency rating of at least 75% as measured using a lower heating value.
30% of cost, up to $1,5002

Geo-Thermal Heat Pump:

Same criteria as ENERGY STAR:

Closed Loop:
EER >= 14.1
COP >= 3.3

Open Loop:
EER >= 16.2
COP >= 3.6

Direct Expansion:
EER >= 15
COP >= 3.5
30% of the cost

All ENERGY STAR geo-thermal heat pumps qualify for the tax credit.

Use IRS Form 5695 PDF Exit ENERGY STAR

Must be “placed into service” before December 31, 2016.

Solar Energy Systems & Solar Water Heating:

At least half of the energy generated by the “qualifying property” must come from the sun. Homeowners may only claim spending on the solar water heating system property, not the entire water heating system of the household.

The credit is not available for expenses for swimming pools or hot tubs.

The water must be used in the dwelling.

The system must be certified by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC).
30% of cost

All ENERGY STAR solar water heaters qualify for the tax credit.

Use IRS Form 5695 PDF Exit ENERGY STAR

Must be placed in service before December 31, 2016.
Photovoltaic Systems Photovoltaic systems must provide electricity for the residence, and must meet applicable fire and electrical code requirement. 30% of cost

Use IRS Form 5695 PDF Exit ENERGY STAR

Must be placed in service before December 31, 2016.

Small Wind Energy Systems Residential & Small Wind Energy Systems 30% of cost:

Use IRS Form 5695 PDF Exit ENERGY STAR

Must be placed in service before December 31, 2016.

Fuel Cells Residential & Fuel Cell and microturbine system:

Efficiency of at least 30% and must have a capacity of at least 0.5 kW.
30% of the cost, up to $1500 per .5 kW of power capacity

Use IRS Form 5695 PDF Exit ENERGY STAR

Must be placed in service before December 31, 2016.
Cars Hybrid gasoline-electric, diesel, battery-electric, alternative fuel, and fuel cell vehicles Based on a formula determined by vehicle weight, technology, and fuel economy compared to base year models

There is a 60,000 vehicle limit per manufacturer before a phase-out period begins. Toyota and Honda have already been phased out. Credit is still available for Ford, GM and Nissan.

For more information visit: Fueleconomy.gov Exit ENERGY STAR

Use IRS Form 8910 PDF Exit ENERGY STAR for hybrid vehicles purchased for personal use.

Use IRS Form 3800 PDF Exit ENERGY STAR for hybrid vehicles purchased for business purposes.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles $2,500–$7,500:

The first 250,000 vehicles sold get the full tax credit (then it phases out like the hybrid vehicle tax credits).

Effective January 1, 2009.

¹Either the 2001 Supplement of the 2000 International Energy Conservation Code or the 2004 Supplement of the 2003 International Energy Conservation Code.

²Subject to a $1,500 maximum per homeowner for all improvements combined.

³A Manufacturer’s Certification is a signed statement from the manufacturer certifying that the product or component qualifies for the tax credit. The IRS encourages manufacturers to provide these Certifications on their website to facilitate identification of qualified products. Taxpayers must keep a copy of the certification statement for their records, but do not have to submit a copy with their tax return.

⁴Additional information on exterior window features may be viewed at Anatomy of an Energy Efficient Window.

⁵Biomass Fuel means any plant-derived fuel available on a renewable or recurring basis, including agricultural crops and trees, wood and wood waste and residues (including wood pellets), plants (including aquatic plants), grasses, residues, and fibers.

The IRS defines “placed in service” as when the property is ready and available for use.

Efficient Cars:

Starting January 1, 2009, there is a new tax credit for Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, starting at $2,500 and capped at $7,500 for cars and trucks (the credit is based on the capacity of the battery system). The first 250,000 vehicles sold get the full tax credit (then it phases out like the hybrid vehicle tax credits).

Tax credits are available to buyers of hybrid gasoline-electric, diesel, battery-electric, alternative fuel, and fuel cell vehicles. The tax credit amount is based on a formula determined by vehicle weight, technology, and fuel economy compared to base year models. These credits are available for vehicles placed in service starting January 1, 2006. For hybrid and diesel vehicles made by each manufacturer, the credit will be phased out over 15 months starting after that manufacturer has sold 60,000 eligible vehicles. For vehicles made by manufacturers that have not reached the end of the phase-out, the credits will end for vehicles placed in service after December 31, 2010. See the IRS Website for updated information.

Eligible contractors need to fill out IRS Form 8908 to get the tax credit. The IRS has provided the following guidance regarding the tax credits for constructing energy efficient new homes available under the Energy Policy Act of 2005:

• IRS Notice 2006–27 provides guidance for the credit for building energy efficient homes other than manufactured homes.
• IRS Notice 2006–28 provides guidance for the credit for building energy efficient manufactured homes.

Home builders are eligible for a $2,000 tax credit for a new energy efficient home that achieves 50% energy savings for heating and cooling over the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and supplements. At least 1/5 of the energy savings must come from building envelope improvements. This credit also applies to contractors of manufactured homes conforming to Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards.

There is also a $1,000 tax credit to the producer of a new manufactured home achieving 30% energy savings for heating and cooling over the 2004 IECC and supplements (at least 1/3 of the savings must come from building envelope improvements), or a manufactured home meeting the requirements established by EPA under the ENERGY STAR program.

Please note that, with the exception of the tax credit for an ENERGY STAR qualified manufactured home, these tax credits are not directly linked to ENERGY STAR. Therefore, a builder of an ENERGY STAR qualified home may be eligible for a tax credit but it is not guaranteed.

These tax credits apply to new homes located in the United States whose construction is substantially completed after August 8, 2005 and that are acquired from the eligible contractor for use as a residence from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2009.

Tax Deductions for Commercial Buildings:

A tax deduction of up to $1.80 per square foot is available to owners or designers of new or existing commercial buildings that save at least 50% of the heating and cooling energy of a building that meets ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2001. Partial deductions of up to $.60 per square foot can be taken for measures affecting any one of three building systems: the building envelope, lighting, or heating and cooling systems. These tax deductions are available for systems “placed in service” from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2013.

Websites

The trusty Gribble donned it’s little hard hat  and went to work. Their first task will be trying to eat some willow and straw and once the little fellow excretes his waste,  he produces almost pure biofuel. The problem scientists are having is breaking down the waste cells and releasing the polymers that are required to produce biofuels.

The Gribble has an intestinal tract in which certain enzymes will break down wood and release the polymers, making it easier to extract the biofuels.  So straw and other non food supply threatened plants, should be easy for the little critter to eat.  Willow and straw were picked because they are so easy to grow and nobody but the Gribble will eat them.

 Great Britain has given 27,000,000 pounds to scientists, to come up with a plan, to make second generation biofuels a reality within 10 years and the Gribble is only a part of the testing that will be performed.  We will keep our eyes peeled and report when more information becomes available.

View Gribbles at home:

Solar panels can be expensive up front,  however they will add value to your home and make living there a lot cheaper, if you are not planning on moving soon.  There are also many rebates and tax incentives available to install solar power systems to your home.  Maybe think about just installing solar power to your hot water heater, if you are not able to do the whole house.  

Instant hot water heaters are very efficient and easy to install.  Not heating the water until it is going to be used and heating the water closer to your sinks can save a lot of water that would generally go down the drain while waiting for it to get hot.  You also save by not maintaining water temperatures in a traditional hot water heater. 

There are also energy saving wood furnaces and fireplaces  that burn wood pellets,  shelled corn or black sunflower seeds.  These heating devices are automatically fed so the only thing you really have to to is load the pellets in a hopper.  No more chopping wood. The pellets are made from sawdust created at saw mills that would otherwise be thrown away or burned, so it is a very sustainable product.

If you have a swimming pool, then think about placing a couple of pool heating solar panels on your roof, which is another good way to save some money on your power bill.  Standard plug in pool heaters use a lot of energy and if your not swimming in the winter, can be a big waste of money. The roof mounted solar heaters work by themselves and your pool will be warm year round, so if you do decide to take a dip and it’s nippy outside your pool will still be inviting.

Just by adding a few of these green items to your home, you will not only add some equity to your home, but your home will also be more appealing to a person looking for a greener home.  If you are staying in your home, you will notice a decrease in your power bill with the added green technology.  All things considered, making your home a little greener creates  a win-win situation for all.

Billionaire oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens has a plan to reduce U.S. reliance on imported oil. His plan is to build fields of windmills across the Great Plains to generate electricity so that cleaner burning natural gas, which currently costs about $1.50 a gallon, and is used to power many electric plants, can be freed up for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) automobiles. Windmills and a cleaner and cheaper fuel, sounds great, right? In fact it almost sounds too good to be true, which might explain why Boone is spending $58 million on an ad campaign pushing his “Pickens Plan” on TV, the internet and in town hall meetings where he touts that his plan would create thousands of new jobs, reduce foreign oil dependence and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

 

 

Could the Pickens Plan be nothing more than a con to bilk taxpayers into lining Pickens’ pockets even farther than they already have? As Richard Holober, executive director of the Consumer Federation of California said: “This is an attempt to divert public money away from zero-emission vehicles to a dead-end technology that gets us nowhere.” The Pickens Plan isn’t all bad however; windmills are an ideal method of power generation, especially if coupled with Electric Vehicles (EVs) for transportation because windmills produce so much more power at night when most EVs would be plugged in to charge

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Pickens plan

Pickens commercial

Surrounding the roof is a glass canopy with a decorative band of 60,000 photovoltaic cells, providing 213,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year, preventing the release of 405,000 pounds of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.  The skylights in the roof open and close automatically to maintain a perfect temperature inside the building.  There are special humps on the roof which create a natural cool breeze that is diverted into the building. 

It cost half a billion dollars to complete this project .  The museum also contains it’s own rain forest and several aquariums.  They also have an albino gator in captivity and a living coral reef in a huge aquarium along with 4,000 fish.  Ocean water is pumped in from 2 and a half miles away.  It is filtered and warmed and pumped into the aquariums. There are hundreds of other energy saving systems in the building. 

Below are  some videos so you can see for yourself.

Kron 4 Newscast on the Museum:>

California Academy Of Sciences:>

California Academy Of Sciences Virtual Tour:>

The additive does not require any modifications to the engines which makes it even better.  The two hour test flight went off without a hitch.  There was no difference in how the engines ran and there was no distinguishable difference at any level to using kerosene, which is jet fuel.

Today’s test does not mean that we will instantly be using Jatropha world wide on every flight.  It does mean that an airline opened there minds to helping the planet and that if it goes well for them, other airlines will follow suit.  Jatropha still is not being grown in large enough quantities to facilitate the airline industry but through planning and growing demand to purchase this wondrous fuel, we are sure that farmers will also follow suit.

This video brings to light the advantages of a union between Jatropha and the airline industry.

Ben & Jerry’s

Greenpeace researchers in Germany first developed the precursor to the climate-friendly freezer in the early 1990s when it became clear that HFCs, which the chemical industry had marketed as a safe alternative to ozone depleting clouroflourocarbons (CFCs), were accelerating global warming.

“This climate-safe freezer will keep pints of Chunky Monkey and Cherry Garcia as cold as ever, but it’s also going to help cool our planet,” said John Passacantando, Executive Director of Greenpeace USA. “With hurricanes intensifying, tropical disease spreading, sea levels rising, and polar bears going extinct, we need to make sure that what cools our ice cream, drinks, and homes isn’t also melting the ice caps.”

Ben & Jerry’s cleaner, greener, freezer is eco-friendly and climate safe.  They are now a Green Earth Friend!

There are new ways to use green power for your home, business and vehicle.  The Internet is one of the best places to get started on investigating how you can green up your power usage. Here at Green Earth Friend, we also will keep our eyes open for new green technology and post it here for your information. 

Here are some videos so you can see what people are doing with Green Power.

UPS and HP have worked together for 18 months to develop a mobile, wireless printing/scanning solution called the HP Handheld sp400 All-in-One.  UPS then built a custom business application to support the device.  HP worked with them to develop a practical solution that improves processing time and reduces the rate of mislabeled packages to virtually zero.  UPS will save 1,338 tons of paper per year, once the printer is fully deployed and millions of dollars in annual operating costs. There are probably millions of companies around the world that could implement similar plans or just simple ideas that could save a little paper, here and there, that would grow into saving millions of trees every year. 

UPS is also the first in the Industry to Purchase Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicles. The technology behind these vehicles should raise gas mileage from 8 miles to the gallon to 12 to 13 miles per gallon.  When you think about how many delivery trucks UPS has and the millions of miles driven each year, the amount of energy saved could be staggering.  The videos below explains in detail how the hydraulic hybrid vehicle works.