Government Sponsored Energy Breaks for Homeowners

Energy Star Home

Did you know that the government is paying to weatherize homes all across the nation? They’re also offering tax credits when you make your home more energy efficient.

Who qualifies for government funded repairs?  Right now, individuals with an income of no more than $21,660 or a family of four earning up to $44,100 qualify for the weatherization-assistance program.  States are allowed to give priority to people over 60, people with disabilities and families with children.  It’s all part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which allows the government to help Americans make needed home repairs.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program has $5 billion that has to be spent during the next 1 to 3 years.  The Department’s goal is to reduce fuel bills in 1 million homes a year while putting an estimated 87,000 people to work fixing up older homes.  Reducing energy costs, creating jobs, reducing pollution and moving the country toward energy independence!  Go Uncle Sam!

Don’t qualify for direct government assistance? The Recovery Act provides incentives to make repairs by offering tax credits.  We just put in a new HVAC (heating and air system) and will get a $1500 tax credit this year!  That’s a huge savings off the cost of the unit.

To find the weatherization-assistance program in your state, go to the Weatherization Assistance Program and click on your state.

To learn more about the energy efficiency tax credit, go to the IRS web site.

Green Walls by Nature!

Green Walls

Green roofs have beautifully proven themselves to be a resource against global warming. There is one problem with the green roof in all its beauty and function… very few people can see it!

Green walls, however, allow us to raise living plants in a whole new way while providing some physical advantages. For one thing, what a wonderful position as a gardener to work standing up!

For the most part, the needs of the plants will be the same as if they were planted in any horizontal plane. More good news, weed seeds have a harder time rooting on a vertical plane.

Check out these green walls! Once again, they challenge us to think outside our own box. I love that!

Starbucks makes a lot of efforts to be “Green”. They are considered one of the most socially and environmentally responsible companies in the world. Now, at many stores, they’re sprucing up their drive-throughs with green features.

Green Walls - Starbucks

Green walls can be used indoors.
Indoor Landscaping

Green walls are found most often in urban environments where the plants reduce overall building temperatures which helps reduce energy consumption. Living walls are especially suitable for crowded cities as they allow good use of available vertical surface areas.

Oulu

How about this amazing building by Korean architect Minsuk Cho! It is the Ann Demeulemeester Shop in the Gangham district of Seoul.

Shop in Seoul

I hope these photos have inspired you like they have me! Another wonderful way to grow gardens! I, for sure, am going to try one.

Imagine raising an edible crop wall. For starters, I think I’ll try growing wheat grass. My husband loves energy shots of wheat grass from Jamba Juice. Wheat grass shots are pretty expensive so now I can try to grow my own. I’ve heard they’re pretty easy; don’t know about on the wall!

Greenwalls - wheatgrass

Whatever you try, good luck and let me know how it turns out!

Green Roofing Systems

Green Roof by Convert

Have you heard about Green Roofs? Check out the wonderful site for Convert.

“Convert is dedicated to implementing green roofs as sustainable strategies for storm water BMPs, energy efficiency, and urban heat island mitigation.”

What a wonderful way to go green!

What defines “Building Green”?

Building Green

I own a beautiful lot in the mountains of North Carolina, the Appalachian Mountains. If you want to sit and appreciate one spectacular wonder of Earth, visit the Appalachian Mountains.

My goal for 2010 is to build a home there and I plan to Build Green. In beginning my research, I’ve found that there’s no end to the research! So, I’ve started by asking what exactly is “Green”? What makes a product Green? How do you evaluate product Greenness? Can you make a product Greener? And, how do I find Green products?

Read more…

Building Green

Green Building

I was reading an article today and it made me think differently (I love when that happens) about green building.

We hear often that building green is much more costly than traditional building, the main reason more people don’t do it. Have you ever stopped to really question why? Lloyd Alter wrote an article I found on TreeHugger discussing this very topic.

First, we build homes the traditional way, then we add on energy efficient technology which, of course, adds to the cost of the home. The problem is, we continue to build homes the way we always have then we modify them, alter them, add onto them, all in an attempt to make them efficient. So, we pay to build the house then pay again to in our efforts to make it efficient. As the house gets greener, the cost keeps going up.

We need to expand our thinking. Determine how do we build an efficient house? The traditional way doesn’t do it. We need to rethink and redesign architecture as we’ve known it. Rather than putting on a roof and adding solar panels, how do you redesign roof systems? Look at the tankless water heater. Water heater redesign. No more water!

Rather than building a house then rebuilding it to make it efficient, we have to redesign ground up! What does efficiency look like?