Easy Eco Blog » Environment

Residential Wind Power Federal Tax Credit for Consumer Energy Efficiency

easy eco blog — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:00:19 +0000

The new residential Small Wind Turbine Federal Tax Credit for Energy Efficiency is a large credit with many advantages. The old tax credit was capped at $2,000. With the new one one you can claim 30% of cost, up to $500 per .5 kW of power capacity, for a new system. It expires 12/31/2016. This Federal tax credit works well when coupled with a state rebate program. Combine this with state rebates like those in California or New York and you have a sweeter deal. Moderate sized 10 kW wind power systems cost over $50,000. The rebate has a nameplate capacity limit of no more than 100 kilowatts.

Existing homes & new construction qualify. Both principal residences and second homes qualify. Rentals do not qualify.

The Federal Tax Credits for Consumer Energy Efficiency reduces the amount of tax you owe. The credit is a reduction of total income tax at the bottom of your return. This tax credit is a non-refundable tax credit. Consult your tax adviser for details. Use it or lose it!

All Small Wind Turbines has a good list of most of the world’s small wind turbines. American Wind Energy Association has lots of information on Wind power.

Interested in Solar?
Read our article Are Solar Panels for Me? and No money down Solar Panels.

Save Money – Rainwater Harvesting – Drain Water Heat Recovery Systems

easy eco blog — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 07:00:52 +0000

Rainwater harvesting or rainwater collection systems are simple ways of taking advantage of mother nature to reduce your water bill and become more green.

It looks a possible drought year for the San Francisco Bay area again. Thoughts turn to capturing any rain we get to reduce our need for water and commensurately our water bill.

Rain Water Harvesting Barrels Or Cisterns

You can get started with an easy barrel or bucket under areas where rain comes off the roof. You could easily make a downspout feed into a barrel. Every 100 square feet of roof can yield 55 to 60 gallons of water per inch of rainfall. Irrigate using a shutoff valve and a garden hose. Amazon even sells Rain Water Harvesting Barrels.

Rain Garden

Store harvested rainwater in the soil by diverting roof downspouts towards shallow basins full of water tolerant plants.

More complex rainwater harvesting can be done using a living roof full of plants or a street curb side planter.

HarvestH20.com is a site with lots of tips on capturing rainwater. Several interesting videos too.

ARCSA – American rainwater catchment system association has a link page with many useful resources and examples of what others have done.

Drain Water Heat Recovery Systems

Drain Water Heat Recovery Systems heat up water by using heat from your waste water. Not many people know about these interesting systems. They are usually hooked up to sinks, showers, dishwashers, and clothes washers.

Systems cost only $300 to $500 with paybacks ranging from 2 1/2 to 7 years depending on the particular situation. Some states offer rebate, making pay back even faster.

Rainwater capture – Costco Eco Round Wooden Rain Barrel

Costco is keeping up with the green wave. They have a Eco Round 67-Gallon Wooden Rain Barrel for $199.99 shipped. A lot more expensive than using a trash can but certainly a lot more elegant.

It has a connector that attaches to your rain gutter’s downspout. A heavy duty bladder inside actually holds the water. It even uses FSC Certified Canadian Spruce wood. A solid brass tab lets you access the water

Federal Tax Credit for Energy Efficiency on GeoThermal Heat Pump

easy eco blog — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 07:00:10 +0000

A reminder that there is a Federal Tax Credit for Energy Efficiency on Qualifying GeoThermal Heat Pumps, with no cap. If you have been thinking about replacing these items, you might as well upgrade now and save some money.

For 2012, the Federal Tax Credit for energy efficiency for GeoThermal heat pumps is 30% of the cost (including installation/labor costs), with no upper limit . (2010 Federal Tax Credit information)

Existing home and principal residence. New construction and rentals do not qualify.

Units must be placed into service by December 31, 2016.

Geo-thermal heat pumps are similar to ordinary heat pumps, but use the ground instead of outside air to provide heating, air conditioning and, in most cases, hot water. Because they use the earth’s natural constant heat, they are among the most efficient and comfortable heating and cooling technologies currently available. This allows the system to reach fairly high efficiencies (300%-600%) on the coldest of winter nights, compared to 175%-250% for air-source heat pumps on cool days.

Units can cost from $5,000 to $10,000 installed and take about 5-10 years for payback.

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

Criteria for heat pumps:

Water-to-Air

· Closed Loop: >=17.1 EER; >=3.6 COP

· Open Loop: >=21.1 EER; >=4.1 COP

Water-to-Water

· Closed Loop: >=16.1 EER; >=3.1 COP

· Open Loop: >=20.1 EER; >=3.5 COP

· Direct Geoexchange (DGX): >=16 EER; >= 3.6 COP

Energy Star has a store location finder to help you find local dealers.

The 2011 tax credit reverted to 2005-2008 levels. Anyone who previously took advantage of the program can’t apply for incentives that exceed $500. IE If you claimed $500 between 2005 – 2008 on a previous energy efficiency project, or at least $500 tax credit from 2009 – 2010, you are ineligible for the 2011 energy efficiency tax credit.

If you used say $200 of the $500 energy efficiency tax credit from 2005 – 2008, and did not utilize the 2009 – 2010 energy efficiency tax credit, you would still have a $300 credit available.

Federal Energy Efficiency Tax Credit on Qualifying biomass fuel stoves or Wood Heat Stoves, Pellet Stoves, Fireplace Inserts. There is also a Federal Tax Credit for Energy Efficiency on Water Heaters, Wood Heat Stoves, Pellet Stoves, Furnaces and Boilers, Geo-Thermal Heat Pumps, Windows, Doors, and Skylights.

Double dip! Local utilities like PG&E have their own rebates for Energy Efficient Appliances. To find out if rebates or other incentives are available in your area, visit the ENERGY STAR Rebate Finder.

See: Weatherize your home – Fix Leaky Ducts – Reducing Air Leaks

Save Money with Water Filtration – Non Green Bottled Water

easy eco blog — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:00:02 +0000

Noticed a couple water delivery trucks on the street and wondered why people would waste money on Water Delivery services. This is definitely a big business and generates lots of revenue for companies. We have covered how unnecessary bottled water is in the past.

Water.com even touts how green they are: “And, with reusable recyclable bottles and hybrid vehicles in our delivery fleet, we make it easier for you to be environmentally-friendly.”

They even offer a Water Filtration system. – “If bottled water coolers do not fit your needs, we offer a variety of quality drinking water systems.”

Water delivery trucks use lots of fuel and generate pollution. Plastic Gallon Water Cooler bottles require lots of resources to make and recycle.

Buying bottled water and schlepping it home is just as wasteful and costly. Paying $1 for a 20 oz bottle adds up fast.

Water Filters and Filtration Systems

Filtrete recently released an interesting Water Station that allows it to fill several water bottles at one time. Anything to get people off of bottled water is great to see.

Water in most locales is safe to drink. Check the EPA’s site to verify. If your water has impurities that need to be removed for taste or chemicals like arsenic, lead, perchlorate, or atrazine, install a good water filter. We have an Everpure water filter system that cost a couple hundred dollars and works well. Just change its filter every so many months.

Everpure is only recycling their water filters in California. Purcell Murray 800-892-4040 is coordinating the recycle program. Hope fully they will extend this program nationwide.

Amazon sells low cost water filters from $15. Choose from pitcher style ones from Pur or Brita or faucet mounted models. Save hundreds of dollars over bottled water each year. There is no guarantee that the bottled water is better than filtered water you can generate. Environmental Working Group has a page on helping you with filtered water tips.

Be sure to use a BPA Free water bottle to drink your water.

Save money by just saying NO to Water Delivery and Bottled water.

If you use a Brita water filter system, make sure you recycle the filter.

SteriPEN Handheld Water Purifier

Here’s a cool little tool. SteriPEN Handheld Water Purifier destroys viruses, bacteria and protozoa–including Giardia and Cryptosporidium–using ultraviolet (UV) light in 48 seconds. 90 seconds for 32 ounces of water. This is a great little tool for those traveling or camping in the wilderness. This might be useful for those with bad municipal water systems.

Make sure you use a BPA free water bottle.

Eco Friendly or Green Kitchen Cabinets

easy eco blog — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 07:00:24 +0000

Here are some of the attributes we looked for when selecting eco friend kitchen cabinets earlier this year:

FSC certified Wood or wood from a responsibly farm source. I actually spoke to the wood mill to understand where our wood was coming from. Lyptus and Bamboo are rapidly making in roads.
Water based finish to minimize VOC emissions. There were issues on finish durability in the past, but quality seems to have improved.
Water based glues to minimize VOC emissions.
Marine grade plywood or non MDF Medium Density Fiberboard particle board cabinet box. Also to prevent off-gassing emissions from formaldehyde, etc. Interlam and Topan make MDF without formaldehyde.
As local as possible a supplier to minimize transport costs and fuel use.

We also relocated many of our old cabinets to our kitchen and donated everything else for use in a local church.

Some cabinets including mines are KCMA certified, but frankly their rules are not very aggressive in the area of eco friendliness. (Emissions etc) It is more of a cabinet industry association.

When we began our search in early 2007, we were educating stores on what green cabinetry was. The main sources used to be boutique local small craftsmen shops. Today, we see firms advertising ‘Green’ cabinets. HGTV has a video on this are.

Also considered cabinet refacing. You replace the doors and a veneer is placed over your existing cabinets. This is much cheaper than replacing the cabinets. New drawer pulls and handles will also update your kitchen’s look. You will reuse the ‘guts’ of your cabinets, so they need to be in good shape for this option. Some companies have options to also replace drawers.

Eco Friendly, Green Coconut Palm Wood

Coconut Palm wood is an eco friendly and green flooring alternative to bamboo. It is a by product of coconut production and has even received FSC certification.

Smith and Fong makes palmwood flooring and palmwood plywood. We have flooring from this company and find it top rate.

When installing flooring, try to avoid gluing it down if possible. If you need to use glue, use a low or no VOC glue.

Growing Bamboo

Wouldn’t it be interesting to have bamboo in your backyard? It is environmentally friendly, grows fast, and can make for a nice property line wall. You can also use it for other projects. I did some research that made me realize that it is more than most people can handle.

The problem is that bamboo spreads relentlessly, is almost indestructible, and its roots are like steel. People have to setup physical barriers like metal flashing to prevent its spread. I think I’ll stick to bamboo flooring..

Fireclay Tile – Recycled materials and Sustainable manufacturing

Fireclay Tile is a tile company that utilizes Recycled materials and Sustainable manufacturing to produce high-quality ceramic and glass tile. They are based in based in San Jose, CA and make most products in the USA.

They recycle everything from glass bottles to porcelain toilets, vanities, and bathtubs are recycled into beautiful ceramic tile. They use a lead-free glaze and proved that recycled does not mean you have to compromise on aesthetics.

Salt Water Swimming Pools

easy eco blog — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:00:37 +0000

Salt Water Swimming Pools that are not too common in the United States but are catching on fast. Salt Water Pools are slowly making inroads because most new pools are specified as them. They use a chlorine generator so they are not chlorine free. Swimming in a regular pool may make you feel or see a whitish residual or chlorine flaking, on the skin, frizzled hair or red eyes. In a salt water swimming pool, the water feels smooth and refreshing and does not taste like the ocean. The swimming pool is only 8-9% as salty as the ocean.

Roughly 13% residential and commercial pools were salt water pools in 2010.

How does a saltwater pool work?

Salt reacts with electricity in the chlorine generator. A chlorine generator’s main function is to produce chlorine for the pool so you do not have to buy it, store it or handle it. A generator produce chlorine constantly. A 40 pound bag of salt costs $9 and needs to be replaced roughly 6 times a year. The average yearly cost for residential pool chlorine is around $700. Salt dissipates over time, gets diluted by any rainwater, and also gets filtered out. Water chemistry will be simplified moving to a salt water pool. Note that chlorinators that display salt levels show inaccurate levels when water is cold, so you need to use salt test strips in this instance. More muriatic acid will be utilized to control the pH in a saltwater pool.

It costs from $1000 to $3000 to retrofit an existing pool. You do need to maintain the generator every 3 months or so by cleaning it out with a muriatic acid wash. Salt needs to be replenished every year or so, but costs very little. A 40lb bag costs about $9. The best time to upgrade to it is when you install a new controller for a variable speed pool pump. These new controllers like the Easytouch can handle salt water pools. The only problem areas for a salt water pool installation are if you have stainless steel plumbing or stainless steel in your heater, which will corrode.

Alternatives to salt water pools

Other unconventional alternatives to chlorine in pools include systems that release ozone gas (roughly $8,000) or use ultra-violet light to kill bacteria. The UV technology kills cryptosporeidium, something chlorine does not.

Check this Website with more details. It is best to install a salt water pool system along with a Variable speed Pool pumps to maximize the energy and chemical savings.

Installing Granite Countertops

easy eco blog — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 07:00:21 +0000

Granite counter tops are desirable upgrades for many remodeling their kitchen. We investigated green, eco friendly alternatives like Icestone, Vetrazzo, Richlite, Paperstone but did not find any finishes to our liking. Also the price for the granite we liked was less that all these. We could buy granite and donate the extra money to charity or carbon offsets. We tried to buy granite that was from more responsible countries, so we excluded China, India, Iran. We tried to buy ‘local’ American but only a salt and pepper color was available.

We are installing granite countertops and I needed to find an alternative to the epoxy that they use to glue the granite to the plywood put on top of our kitchen cabinets. We were looking for Zero VOC or no VOC or low VOCs in adhesives and finishes.

I found Greenchoice Titebond Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive with a low 6.6g/L of VOC’s or volatile organic compounds. No oils to discolor items. At $3.19, it was not too costly. Alternates I found had up 47 g/L or more VOC’s. My installer wanted to use epoxy, which is a commonly used adhesive.

Another possible adhesive Liquid Nails for marble and granite has even more VOCs at 115 g/L!

Pro Spec B150 is the epoxy adhesive alternative. It does not have VOCs but does have BPA as an ingredient. So the trade off in using it is not clear cut. Accept some VOCs or go for no VOCs with some ingredients not being too healthy. At least the epoxy stays underneath and is not exposed.

Well we tried epoxy on a large section and after wards, the smell was so bad we had to leave the house for 6 hours. Be warned that that the fumes are overwhelming. Once past this initial phase, air quality is fine. Someday a water or soy based adhesive will be available.

Indoor air quality is an important part of being Green as it affects you directly.

Some possible alternatives to epoxy:

Geocel 3500 Tile Adhesive Sealant at 0.09 g/l VOC (May need to clamp it after installation for a couple days)

Make sure you seal your granite counter tops with a water based sealer like low voc Aqua Mix Sealer’s Choice Gold. (4% voc)

Alternative to granite countertops, Concrete countertops

American builders have recently welcomed making concrete countertops at their home sites, reducing costs, and creating a new green building technology. An average 50 square feet granite countertop costs around $2000, with a comparable concrete countertop costing around $1100.

Be sure to check out our post on Radioactive countertops

Also consider a recycled tile backsplash to add some color to your kitchen or bathroom. You can install this directly on the wall when mounted on a removable board.

Richlite Green Eco Friendly Countertops

Richlite makes paper-based kitchen countertops. We considered them when we needed a new countertop but moved on when we saw the high cost and limited finishes. It is made of recycled paper and does not off gas, but it is also made with a petroleum based resin. It is hard to find a material that is 100% green. Using salvaged materials is much more green, but takes a lot more effort.

Extend Battery Life, Laptop Battery Life, iPhone Battery Life – Blackle – Green version of Google

easy eco blog — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 07:00:34 +0000

Let’s face it, almost everyone has problems with the battery life for notebooks and cell phones. Our iPhone barely makes it through a day without charging. More and more devices come with rechargeable batteries and we felt it was time we looked into ways to extend battery life and extend cell phone or iPhone battery life. Eventually all batteries will die, but this article focus on extending the life of lithium-ion batteries that are present in most modern devices so the battery lasts as long as your device will.

Lithium Rechargeable Batteries

If you have devices that need regular sized batteries (AA, C, D, etc), make sure you switch to lithium rechargeable batteries instead of single use batteries. You will save money over the long haul. Newer rechargeable batteries store their charge a lot longer.

Lithium-ion batteries do not have memory problems like older NiCad batteries. Topping a Lithium batteries’ charge off is on. Avoid running the battery down to near zero capacity before charging. Lithium-ion batteries’ life is shortened every time you fully discharge them. Luckily most modern operating systems like Windows Vista and Windows 7 give you critical shutdown warnings around the 5% battery charge level.

You can click Start – type power – select Power Options – click Change advanced power settings – expand Battery - expand Critical battery level to see minimum battery level in these versions of Windows.

Optimize Battery Charging

Most manufacturers recommend you to go through at least one full charge cycle per month. Charge the battery to 100% full and then running the battery down to zero. Batteries slowly discharge without use, so charge it up periodically to exercise the battery. It is best to charge batteries to 60-70% before storing them. Notebooks will need sleep to be disabled during the rundown process. See technique below.

Keep your devices near room temperature as much as possible. (72° F or 22° C) Check your devices suggested operating temperatures. Using a laptop, outside, on a hot day that is hotter than your laptops rating, will reduce your battery life and possibly cause problems. Some device cases can cause the battery to get significantly warmer, resulting in lower battery life. Blocking the vents on your notebook will raise its temperature as will putting it on a pillow or cushion. Putting a phone in your pocket can do the same thing. Keep the vents clean. Do not leave your computer or phone inside a hot vehicle.

Obvious, turning OFF your device when you are not using it will help battery life. This means off, not sleep, standby, or hibernate. Remember to do it every night.

Remove batteries from chargers right after they have been charged. If you are not using the device for a while or are going to run on AC power for several days, remove the notebook battery if possible. This will prevent the battery from constantly charging and discharging a little. Clean a notebook or cell phone’s battery contacts every couple months.

Notebook Battery Life Tips:

Turn on Energy Saving in your Operating System. Windows 7, XP, and Vista – EPA recommends setting computers to enter system standby or hibernate after 30 to 60 minutes of inactivity.
To save even more, set monitors and hard drives to enter sleep mode after 5 to 20 minutes of inactivity. The lower the setting, the more energy you save, just make sure it syncs with your work routine.
Windows XP – Select Hibernate if laptop will be inactive for 1.5 hours or more, otherwise use Standby
Windows Vista and 7 – Select Hibernate if there will be 2-3 hours of inactivity
Climate Savers Power Setting instructions
Disable energy sucking Aero and Sidebar user interface candy in Windows Vista and 7.
Lower the brightness on your laptops screen and turn off sound.
Reduce the number of background applications you run.
Turn off Bluetooth, Wifi if they are not needed.

Additional Windows 7 Energy Saving Power Management tips. For our Macintosh users, Apple has lots of tips to extend battery life.

Reviving a Bad Notebook Battery:

If your Notebook’s battery is not holding a charge or lasts for short intervals, your can try to discharge and fully charge the battery a couple times. There is no way to make a degraded battery hold more electrons though.

To drain a PC Notebook’s battery, turn on the laptop then enter its built in BIOS Setup program by hitting F2 or DEL or whatever key the manual suggests. Leave the notebook sitting in the setup program and allow the battery to fully drain. Plug in AC power so the battery can fully recharge. Repeat this process one more time.

Cell Phone Battery Life and iPhone Battery Life Tips:

Lower the brightness or backlight of your screen.
Vibrate uses a lot of power, disable it.
Disable push email or constant email checking.
Reduce the number of email accounts checked.
Avoid using the camera’s flash.
Turn off Bluetooth, Wifi, GPS if you do not use these features.
Download apps and music when pulled in at home.
Disable background applications.

Apple iPhone Battery life tips

Apple has a page with additional iPhone battery life tips. The most useful ones are turning off notification, Push email, lowering screen brightness, turning off Wifi, location services, and Bluetooth. Disabling 3G helps but who wants a slower phone? Turning off sounds made when unlocking and sending e-mail will also help battery life. Apps that constantly run, such as Textplus, Facebook, Pandora, and Skype also drain the battery. iOS 4 or newer users can Kill background tasks.

Android Smartphone Battery Tips

Follow the same tips for the iPhone plus run an app like Battery Monitor to help pinpoint what is draining your smartphones battery.

Never throw batteries in the trash. Recycle them.

Blackle – Green version of Google

Blackle is a version of Google search with the screen predominantly black to save energy over a white screen. A blog post theorizes that a black Google home page would save 750 Megawatt/hours a year of power. We did a measurement with our trusty Killawatt power meter and verified a savings of about 8% in LCD monitor power use with the Blackle page.

Tips on Keeping New Years Resolutions

easy eco blog — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 07:00:43 +0000

Have you already broken your News Years Resolution to be more green? 46% stick to their resolutions for at least 6 months, but less than 20% of people stick to their resolutions after two years. Here are some tips to enhance the likelihood that you will keep your New Years Resolutions to be more environmentally conscious.

Plan Ahead

Create a realistic plan well before your New Year’s plunge. Practice self-control in other areas, in order to prepare yourself better. Gaze into your crystal ball to list possible obstacles in your way and ways to circumnavigate them.

Take Small Steps

If you pledged to stop driving your car, stopping it completely on January 1 is unrealistic. Ease into it with car free days every week, then increase the frequency. Reduce other diversions or interruptions to help you concentrate on the task at hand.

Tell a Friend

Find like minded friends and family to share the pain. Get your better half to help you setup a resolution. Check in with them regularly to see how you are progressing. Announce your plan to co-workers, relatives, friends, etc. You are making a bigger commitment this way

Change Surroundings

If you want to change, adjust the situations and locales that cause unwanted behaviors to occur. If you want to eat better this year, avoid areas where fast food is prevalent.

Expect Failure

Expect, ahead of time, that you will fail and bounce back from problems, rather than use them as excuses. If you are trying to save energy and then receive a higher energy bill, do not get discouraged, bear down and try harder to save. Make a plan for bouncing back from setbacks and slips.

Reward Yourself

A proverbial carrot or reward should be available if you meet certain milestones. On the other hand, a small slap on the wrist if you slip up, may be useful.

Being Happy During the Holidays

UC Berkeley scientists have studied how to be happy during the holidays and suggests people think about things in their lives that work well and being thankful for them. Being compassionate towards others and participating in family rituals that create togetherness also help increase happiness during the holidays.

Bee Keeping to Save the Honeybee

easy eco blog — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 07:00:05 +0000

Many of us have read about the mysterious declining population of honey bees due to Colony Collapse Disorder. Cell phones, GPS, pesticides, who know what the culprit is.

Bee Keeping by concerned individuals is now on the upswing. Bee keeping classes are filled as newbie flood in. Online courses are also available.

Setting up your own Bee Hive

Most bee hives need to be registered. Some major barriers to setting up your own beehive include municipal or county codes that prohibit bee keeping. It is time for interested individuals to turn the tide.

Bee hives can also produce items such as moisturizers, soaps, candles and lip balm. There are also health benefits to the bee glue or propolis that worker bees use to seal up all the gaps in a hive.

Bee honey has been used for many years for healing, skin conditions, allergies, sore throats and ulcers. Pollen grains, which bees collect from flowering plants, are used as an edible antioxidant remedy for allergies, skin blemishes and wrinkles. Egyptian tombs have been found with honey stored in clay pots that was still edible. While there is little scientific proof to these benefits, many people believe in their healing properties.

If you are trying to be more green or eco friendly and ready to help the bee population, consider Bee Keeping.