Stay tuned for our upcoming videos in this series. Part 2 will go over the results and explain what the next steps are in making this home more energy efficient. Interested in making your home more efficient? Well, I guess now you know who to call.

Written by Marc Kleinmann
Principal / Lead Project Manager
EGC Custom Homes

As a new member of the Dallas Green Building Alliance, I was picked to start off our weekly blogs for the month of February. Sunday morning rolled around and my blog was due Tuesday, so I was starting to sweat it! Well as I was sitting at my breakfast table, drinking a cup of coffee sifting my way through the World Wide Web, an idea dawned on me. “That’s it!” I said to myself. My first blog has to be about a green system that will put some cash back into the consumer’s wallet. Instantly, net metering came to mind.

What is Net Metering? It is a provision that allows consumers to connect their alternative energy source (like wind or solar power) to the electrical grid. The consumer will first use the energy they have created before consuming energy from the electrical grid. This will ultimately reduce your energy bills dramatically and relieve some of the stress on the electrical grid, especially in peak hours. The Ultimate goal with net metering is to generate enough renewable energy to self-sustain your own energy consumption. If you are supplying more than is needed, than the excess energy is fed back through your meter to the electrical grid, and you are given credit. Not to mention, to help get your started, Uncle Sam issues a tax credit of up to 30% of the total cost of the system, so you will be receiving a savings instantly!

Check out this Video on Net Metering!

Written By:

Wesley Scott

Archways & Ceilings Made Easy

www.archwaysandceilings.com

(Resources: Photos from isolarpowerforhomes.com & solar-panel-homes.net)

One of the bigger financial benefits of installing a geothermal system is the tax credit that you will be eligible to receive. When the Energy Improvement Act of 2008 was passed it offered a one time tax credit of 30% of the TOTAL investment for homeowners who install residential ground loop or ground water geothermal heat pumps. So let’s say for instance you install a geothermal system at your home and the total cost is $32,000.00 the tax credit that you will receive is $9,600.00! That’s not bad! Doing what is best for the environment and getting money back from Uncle Sam to do it!

To qualify for the credit the system must meet or exceed EnergyStar requirements and be installed after December 31,2007. Units that were installed in 2008 are subject to a $2,000.00 cap on the credit. If the unit was installed from 2009-2016 then the homeowner can take advantage of the full 30% uncapped credit. Covered expenditures include labor for on site preparation and assembly or original system installation and for piping and wiring to connect the system to the home. The structure must be located in the United States and used as a residence by the taxpayer, although primary residency is not required.

Homeowners can file for the credit by completing tax form 5695, which has yet to be published for the 2009 tax year. The tax credit can be used to offset both regular income taxes and alternative minimum taxes. If the federal tax credit exceeds tax liability, the excess amount may be carried forward into future years. The tax credit will be available until December 31, 2016.

This tax credit “The Energy Credit” can also be applied to solar-electric systems, solar water heaters, and wind turbines. If you are thinking about using alternative energy sources then this is a good time to move forward. The tax credit gives you a little bit more incentive to “Go Green” with your energy systems.

For more information and to see a draft of the Form 5695 you can visit the IRS website.

Not only are builders using metal roofs for commercial buildings, multi-family units and retail shopping centers but, more and more, cool metal roofs are being utilized for residential housing as well.

Metal roofs are on the leading edge of technology and are being sought after as an energy saving material for your home. They can improve the esthetics of your house and the can also provide long-term savings on energy costs.

So what is the difference between asphalt and metal roofing? Simply put, asphalt traps heat in the house while metal roofs reflect the sun’s energy and keeps heat away from the home. An unpainted metal roof will reflect much of the solar radiation which is usually absorbed in your attic.

‘Cool’ refers to the cooling aspects that the color coating provides on a metal roof.  So for homes in warmer climates like Dallas, a pre-painted or granular coated metal roofing system is recommended. These roofs not only reflect the heat, they also re-emit heat of absorbed solar radiation which can make your home’s temperature even cooler. Your home will stay warmer in the winter because the metal roofs are reflecting inside heat from the underside of the roof back into the home which adds up to a comfortable living environment and more savings for the homeowner.

There are additional advantages to a cool metal roof system that you may not have considered. Check out these 10 personal and environmental benefits of a metal roofing system:

1. Wide variety of ‘cool’ colors and finishes so you can customize your roof to meet your architectural style

2. Fire resistance can save your family and contents in case of a fire

3. Contain a significant amount of recycled material and are 100% recyclable

4. Can be designed to resist strong winds.

5. Low-maintenance and they do not warp, split or crack

6. They can be configured to catch rain water for harvesting systems

7. Are light weight and can be applied over an original roof saving waste and removal costs

8. Sustainable and have greater durability than other roofing systems which leads to a longer life cycle

9. Homeowner may qualify for a tax credit or insurance rebate

10. Most metal roofing systems come with a 20 year warranty

Structural Insulated Sheathing(SIS),Developed by Dow to help make building energy efficient homes easier for builders, STYROFOAM SIS™ is a 3-in-1 solution that provides R3-R5.5 insulating value, meets or exceeds structural codes, and is one-third the weight of OSB*. Because OSB and housewrap are not needed, STYROFOAM SIS™ reduces the number of trips around the house and saves on installation time and labor costs. The innovative STYROFOAM SIS™ Brand Structural Insulated Sheathing from Dow combines three functions in one product:

1.     Structural lateral bracing and transverse loads

2.     Significant insulation performance

3.     Water-resistive barrier

In addition to providing the racking shear needed for exterior walls, STYROFOAM SIS™ blankets both the wall cavities and the studs to shield against thermal bridging which minimizes heating and cooling loss due to air infiltration. STYROFOAM SIS™ also helps move the dew point from inside the wall cavity (where mold and mildew can accumulate and go undetected) to outside of the wall cavity where it belongs, and, when taped at the seams and joints, STYROFOAM SIS™ meets code for water-resistive barrier.

Builders are incorporating STYROFOAM SIS™ into "green" package options for their customers as a point of differentiation.  Made of up to 80 percent post-consumer recycled content by weight, STYROFOAM SIS™ is also ENERGY STAR-qualified and can save homeowners between $200- $500 per year*** in energy bills. The reduction in home energy usage helps reduce carbon emissions and may enable the use of a smaller HVAC unit, which could earn credits in the USGBC’s LEED program or NAHB’s National Green Building program. 

The thermal performance advantages of STYROFOAM SIS™ can also help builders earn the $2,000 U.S. Energy Tax Credit for energy efficient homes built in 2009. STYROFOAM SIS™ provides a high R-value (R-3.0 at 0.5" or R-5.5 at 1.0") without having to extend window and door jambs, and is cost-competitive with wood sheathing and house wrap in many instances, so builders can promote the benefits of insulation with little to no added expense.

STYROFOAM SIS™ Brand Structural Insulated Sheathing has won an MVP Award for "Most Valuable Product 2009" from Building Products  magazine, a Hanley Wood publication. STYROFOAM SIS™ was selected as a winner of this coveted award by a panel of judges comprised of builders, remodelers, architects and developers who evaluated product submissions based on their ability to reduce installation time, callbacks, or labor costs, and other factors that bring "value" to building professionals.

Click the link below to calculate energy savings for your home:http://building.dow.com/na/en/tools/calculators/usres_disclaimer_new.htm

 For all the information on this product go to: www.dowsis.com

Photo credit: sunshinecity

Take advantage of the tax credit available for purchasing a qualified energy-efficient exterior door or window by  December 31, 2010.  In short, the door must meet a U Factor and SHGC rating of 0.30.  Congress raised the per-item credit to 30 percent of the cost up to $1,500.  They also extended the deadline for making the improvements through the end of 2010.  If you have already purchased a qualified efficient door or window you are not left out.  The act is retroactive to Jan. 1, so if you installed a product meeting the previous criteria it qualifies for the larger credit. 

Seventy percent of the GHG emissions related to single-family envelope energy consumption can be attributed to homes built before California had an energy code (1983).  The statewide carbon impact of retrofitting these homes with upgraded energy features was explored.  Spending $10,000 retrofitting a 1960s home could save 8.5 tons of carbon at a cost of between $588-$1,176 per ton (…)  Increasing the energy efficiency of a new home by 35% would cost about $5,000 and would reduce emissions by 1.1 tons at a cost of $4,545 per ton. Retrofitting existing homes with energy-efficient features is four- to eight times more carbon- and cost-efficient than adding even more energy efficiency requirements to new housing.

 Not all ENERGY STAR rated doors qualify, contact BMC West for assistance.  Visit energystar.gov for credits in solar-energy panels, water heaters, geothermal heat pumps, small wind-energy systems and fuel cells as well.