Green Living

Federal tax credit for Solar Energy retrofit

January 3, 2011

The Solar Energy Retrofit industry is poised to have a hallmark year with the addition of new policies, rebates, and tax incentives creating value & benefits for San Diego homeowners and services for the construction & real estate industries. If you own San Diego real estate, there are many opportunities to improve the energy efficiency of your property and save money both monthly and in rebates or tax incentives. In addition, these programs will stimulate services for San Diego real estate agents, San Diego real estate lenders, energy auditors and the San Diego construction industry.

If you own San Diego real estate and are looking to upgrade your home with Solar Water Heaters or Solar Panels (Photovoltaic Systems) then you may qualify for a tax credit of 30% of cost with no upper limit. Existing San Diego homes & new construction qualify for this federal tax credit. Both principal residences and second homes qualify. Requirements for this federal tax credit are that at least half of the energy generated by the “qualifying property” must come from the sun. The system must be certified by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC) or a comparable entity endorsed by the government of the state in which the property is installed. 

This federal tax credit expires December 31, 2016 and also includes the addition of geothermal heat pumps and small wind turbines. This federal tax credit is not available for expenses for swimming pools or hot tubs. The water must be used in the dwelling. Photovoltaic systems must provide electricity for the residence, and must meet applicable fire and electrical code requirement. This federal tax credit includes installation costs!

: Green Living
: , , , , , , , , ,

Phase 2 released of Rockrose at The Foothills in Carlsbad

January 1, 2011

Rockrose in The Foothills has released 10 phase 2 lots. This new phase release includes large yard lots up to 7785sf situated on an outside corner of a street bend as well as 2 corner lots and a larger lot adjacent to a common park area. Of the 10 lots that have been released, 7 are currently available, some of them premium.

These eco savvy new homes are the the only homes in Carlsbad extending 35% above California’s energy efficiency standards. Some of the standard eco friendly features of Rockrose homes in The Foothills include tight ducts (less than 6% leakage), radiant barrier roof sheathing, tankless water heater, R-30 or 38 ceiling insulation (per plan), Low-E windows, recirculating hot water system, Merv 8 air filter, low VOC carpets and paints, formaldehyde free insulation, and engineered wood products. Rockrose in the Foothills is also committed to diverting approx 70% construction waste from the local landfills.

These new Carlsbad homes for sale also have optional eco savvy features including Photovoltaic solar panels, electrostatic air filter, and dual flush toilets. Rockrose in The Foothills also has optional recycled flooring, countertop and wall tile materials.

Contact me at 760-470-2752 for additional incentives or to take a tour of The Foothills Carlsbad CA.

: Carlsbad Real Estate, Green Living
: , , , , , , ,

6 Winter Tips to Save Energy (and Money!)

December 20, 2010

Put on your favorite sweater and slippers and set your thermostat as low as is comfortable (and health permitting). SDG&E suggests setting the thermostat between 65 and 68 degrees.

Turn off kitchen, bath, and other exhaust fans within 20 minutes after you are done cooking or bathing. These fans can completely drain a room of warm air in under an hour.

Keep the draperies and shades on south-facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your San Diego home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.

Install a programmable thermostat in your San Diego home to turn the heat down (or off) when you’re not home or after you’re asleep. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, consumers can save as much as ten percent a year on heating and cooling bills by simply turning the thermostat back 10 to 15 percent for eight hours a day.

Use light emitting diode (LED) holiday light strings to reduce the cost of decorating your home for the winter holidays.

Find out what maintenance is required to keep your heating system operating efficiently, or schedule service for your heating system from a qualified contractor. SDG&E maintains a list of licensed San Diego contractors.

Click here for the Department of Energy’s brochure with more money and energy saving tips for your San Diego home.

: Green Living
: , , , , ,

Tips for Saving Energy in the Kitchen

December 15, 2010

As with washing machines, most of a dishwasher’s energy needs go to heating the water. Still, says Lane Burt, an energy policy analyst with The Natural Resources Defense Council, a 10-year-old dishwasher can be made nearly as efficient as a newer model simply by knowing when and how to run it. Follow a few simple tips, and you can reduce your annual utility costs by roughly $35-$54.

Manage the load. Most dishwashers use the same amount of water and energy whether they’re run full or half-full. You can cut your operating costs by one-third or one-half by running the machine only when it’s full. It costs about $54 to run a pre-2000 model dishwasher per year, based on government data. Proper load management can save up to $27 each year.

Activate energy-saving features. A dishwasher’s heated dry cycle can add 15% to 50% to the appliance’s operating cost. Most machines allow the feature to be switched off (or not turned on), which can save $8-$27 per year, assuming an operating cost of $54 annually. If your dishwasher doesn’t have that flexibility, simply turn the appliance off after the final rinse and open the door.

Use the machine. Many homeowners believe they can save water and energy by hand washing dishes. The truth is that a dishwasher requires less than one-third the water it would take to do those same dishes in the sink. By running the machine (when full), you can cut down the operating time of the hot water heater, your home’s largest energy hog. Not only will you save a buck per month, you won’t have to do the dishes.

: Green Living
: , , , ,

The emergence of the Energy Retrofit market

December 14, 2010

Click for video

2011 will be a hallmark year for the Energy Retrofit industry, adding new policies, rebates, and tax incentives that will create value & benefits for San Diego homeowners and services for the construction & real estate industries. The emergence of the Energy Retrofit market offers San Diego homeowners a great opportunity to improve the efficiency of their property. There are pending rebate programs at every governmental level and utility companies. In addition, these programs will stimulate services for San Diego realtors, lenders, energy auditors and the construction industry.

Programs like Homestar is working its way through the Senate. Many of these programs have funding and time limitations so they are on a first come first serve basis. 

Energy Upgrade California in San Diego County is part of a new California program that helps property owners improve the energy and water efficiency of their San Diego homes and puts local construction workers back to work. Most of San Diego County is served by San Diego Gas & Electric®. SDG&E offers rebates up to $4000 for the purchase and installation of qualifying energy-efficient measures. Rebates are available on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are spent.

The Home Upgrade, Carbon Downgrade (HU/CD) Energy Retrofit Incentive Program offers financial incentives for San Diego property-owners to complete comprehensive energy-efficient retrofits. The City of Chula Vista will use up to $300,000 of its Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grants to provide incentives for the completion of whole building, energy-efficient retrofits as part of its broader Home Upgrade, Carbon Downgrade program. The building must be located in Chula Vista and retrofits must result in long-term energy consumption reductions. Chula Vista property-owners must also be participating in SDG&E’s Energy Upgrade California (residential) or Energy Efficiency Business Incentive programs. This local incentive, which ranges between $1,000 (prescriptive approach) to $4,000 (performance approach), can be combined with other SDG&E and California incentives.

The Energy Retrofit market is a great new opportunity for San Diego contractors. Energy Retrofits will create immediate work and add incremental work for any San Diego home remodels. It will also launch contractor in a new specialization as a Home Performance Contractor.

: Carlsbad Real Estate, Green Living, San Diego Real Estate
: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Holiday Decoration Safety Tips

December 13, 2010

Click for a safety video!

Decorating your San Diego home for the winter holidays can be fun for the entire family – from Christmas trees to strings of lights outside and glowing candles inside. And whether you’ve just bought your first San Diego home or your home is on the market, following a few safety rules can keep the decorations pretty – not perilous – this year.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), hospital emergency rooms treat about 12,500 people every year for injuries, such as falls, cuts and shocks, related to holiday lights, decorations and Christmas trees.

Additionally, candles start about 11,600 fires each year, resulting in 150 deaths, 1,200 injuries and $173 million in property loss. Christmas trees are involved in about 300 fires annually, resulting in ten deaths, 30 injuries and an average of more than $10 million in property loss and damage.

  • When purchasing an artificial tree, look for a label specifying that it’s fire resistant.
  • A fresh tree is less of a fire hazard than a dry tree. Have the tree lot cut off 2 inches from the bottom of the trunk to aid in water absorption.
  • Place fresh trees securely in a sturdy stand and keep the stand filled with water. Hot water is best to use when refilling. 
  • Place Christmas trees out of doorways and high-traffic areas.
  • Avoid decorations that look like food or candy; children and pets may eat them!
  • Use only lights that have been tested for safety and certified by an independent laboratory. (Look for a label.)
  • Use no more than three standard-size light sets per single extension cord.
  • Turn off all lights on trees and other decorations when you go to bed or leave the house.
  • Never use a lighted candle on a tree or near evergreens.
  • Place candles where they cannot be knocked over by children or pets.
  • Keep gift wrap and other paper goods away from fireplaces, candles and the tree. Do not burn wrapping paper in the fireplace.

Ultimately, there is no substitute for common sense. Look for and eliminate potential danger spots near candles, fireplaces, trees and/or electrical connections.

: Green Living

How Much Do Holiday Lights Cost to Run?

December 11, 2010

On average, holiday lighting for your San Diego home costs just pennies a day. However, elaborate displays that use large incandescent bulbs can add as much as $80 to a monthly power bill, depending on the number of bulbs and how long they are lit each day.

“That’s a huge difference, especially if you’re not expecting it,” said Gianna Manes, a senior vice president with Duke Energy, Charlotte, N.C. “There are so many energy efficient options available today that even the most elaborate display can fit into anyone’s budget.”

Six sets of 100 large incandescent bulbs plugged in six hours a day can add up to $80 to an energy bill. The same style bulb that uses a light-emitting diode (LED) rated at 65 watts would increase the electric bill by only about $7 a month. Using mini lights will reduce the cost increase even further—to about $1 a month.

To help customers estimate their holiday lighting cost, Duke Energy has added a calculator to its website. Residential customers can visit www.duke-energy.com and select their state to access the calculator.

For customers who prefer to run manual calculations, the formula is:

Wattage divided by 1000 = kilowatts

Kilowatts X total hours of use per day = kilowatt-hours (kWh)

KWh X $0.10 (average residential costs per kWh) = total cost per day per string of lights

Total light sets X daily cost per set X 31 (days in December) = Average Cost

Example: Using one set of the large, 100 count mini LED bulbs = 40.8 watts:

40.8 watts divided by 1000 = 0.04 kilowatts

0.04 X 6 hours = 0.24 kilowatt hours

0.24 kWh X $.10 = $0.02448 cost per set per day

$0.02448 X 31 = $0.75888 per set for the month

$0.75888 X 6 = $4.55 for six sets used six hours a day every day in December

Source: Duke Energy

: Green Living
: , , ,

Christmas Tree Trivia

December 11, 2010

This year marks the 500th anniversary of the first decorated Christmas tree in recorded history. In 1510 in Riga, Latvia, a group of men from a merchant’s guild placed an evergreen in the public square and decorated it with paper roses, danced around it and then set fire to it. Today, a plaque marks the spot where the original tree stood. Here are some interesting (and more up to date) facts about this seasonal icon:

  • American consumers purchased 28.2 million farm-grown Christmas trees and 11.7 million artificial trees in 2009.
  • Christmas tree farms in North America planted about 41 million new tree seedlings in the winter/spring of 2010.
  • It can take as many as 15 years to grow a tree of typical retail sale height (6-7 feet) or as little as four years, but the average growing time is six to eight years.
  • Since 1966, the White House Christmas tree has been presented to the First Family by the Grand Champion of the National Christmas Tree Association’s annual contest. The tree is always placed in the Blue Room, and must be 18 1/2 feet tall to reach the ceiling where the power source for the lights descends.
  • Christmas trees are renewable and recyclable.  

Source: National Christmas Tree Association

: Green Living
: , , , , ,

The Right Ways to Save Energy During Cooler Weather

November 15, 2010

November means cooler Friday night lights, fall foliage, and hearing myths about saving energy during the winter months. How many of these popular energy myths shared by Texas utility Reliant Energy have you heard?

Myth #1: Heating systems need less maintenance than air conditioning.

Professional maintenance for your furnace or heat pump every year can prolong the life of your system and save energy.

Myth #2: Keeping your windows covered improves energy efficiency.

During the cooler fall and winter months, open curtains during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat your home; close them at night to help keep that natural heat inside.

Myth #3: Using a fireplace is an energy efficient way to heat your San Diego home.

A nice fire in the fireplace is great on a chilly evening, but it is not the most efficient way to heat your San Diego home. Even more importantly, leaving the chimney flue open all the time sends the warm air in your house straight up the chimney. Be sure to close the damper after the fire dies out or you turn off the gas.

Myth #4: Set it and forget it. Keep your thermostat on the same setting all year long.

A programmable thermostat is a great way to keep comfortable and save energy. But, you need to set it appropriately for the season. Keeping your thermostat at the same temperature all year long, regardless of time of day or year, can impact your electricity bill. If you have a programmable thermostat, change the setting for winter so that the temperature decreases during the day when you are away from home and warms up just before you return in the evening.

Myth #5: You only need to change your air filter when you’re using your air conditioner.

Check your air filters at least once a month. Regularly replacing dirty filters helps your heating and air conditioning system run better and last longer.

Check your filter(s) every time you receive your monthly electricity statement.

: Green Living
: , , , , , ,

Tips for Kitchen Energy Savings

October 23, 2010

Refrigerator/freezer

Energy-efficiency experts tell us to focus our efforts on the biggest energy hogs in the house, and that definitely includes the fridge. Because it cycles on and off all day, every day, the refrigerator consumes more electricity than nearly every appliance in the home save for the HVAC systems. The average refrigerator costs about $90 per year to operate, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The good news is that a few simple adjustments can trim roughly $38 to $45 off those utility bills.

1. Adjust the thermostat. By setting the thermostat colder than it needs to be, you might increase your fridge’s energy consumption by as much as 25% on average. Adjust the refrigerator so that it stays in the 37-40 degrees F range. For the freezer, shoot for between 0-5 degrees F. You could save up to $22 per year. If your model doesn’t display the current temps, invest in two appliance thermometers (one for the fridge, one for the freezer). They cost roughly $3-$20 apiece at online retailers.

2. Clean the coils. As dust accumulates on the condenser coils on the rear or bottom of the fridge, it restricts cool-air flow and forces the unit to work harder and longer than necessary. Every six months, vacuum away the dust that accumulates on the mechanism. Also, check to see that there is at least a 3-inch clearance at the rear of the fridge for proper ventilation. This routine maintenance can trim up to 5% off the unit’s operating cost, says energy savings expert Michael Bluejay, saving you about $4.50 a year.

3. Use an ice tray. Automatic ice makers are a nice convenience, to be sure, but it turns out the mechanisms are energy hogs. An automatic ice maker can increase a refrigerator’s energy consumption by 14% to 20%, according to Energy Star. By switching off the ice maker and using trays, you can save about $12 to $18 off your annual electricity bill. Most units require little more than a lift of the sensor arm to switch them off. To reclaim the space remove the entire unit, a simple DIY job on many models.

4. Unplug the “beer fridge.” Many homes have an extra fridge that runs year round even though it’s used sparingly. Worse, these fridges tend to be older, more inefficient models. By consolidating the contents to the main fridge and unplugging the additional unit, you eliminate the entire operating cost of a fridge. The second-best solution is to make sure the extra fridge remains three-quarters full at all times. The mass helps maintain steady internal temps and lets the fridge recover more quickly after the door is opened and closed, according to the California Energy Commission.

Ovens and ranges

“Green” cooking all comes down to proper time and space management. By using gas and electric stoves more effectively, you can painlessly save a few dollars a year.

5. Cut the power early. As anybody who’s ever bumped a burner on an electric stove can attest, those heating elements stay hot long after they’ve been switched off. Put that residual heat to work by shutting off the burner several minutes before the end of the cook time. The same technique can be applied to the oven. The savings can add up to a couple bucks every month.

6. Match the burner to pan. When a small pan is placed on a big burner you can practically see the money disappearing into thin air. By matching the burner to the pan, electricity won’t be squandered heating the kitchen rather than the food. The reverse is true, too. A small burner will take considerably longer to heat a large pan than would an appropriately sized burner. For gas stoves, don’t let the flames lick the sides of the pot. Follow these tips and watch the utility bills shrink by a few dollars a month.

7. Do away with preheating. You can save about $2 a month by not preheating your oven (20 cents per hour to operate electric oven; eliminate 20 30-minute preheats a month). Many cooks agree that the practice is wholly unnecessary for all but a few recipes, namely baking breads and cakes. This approach may add a few minutes to the overall cooking time, but it eliminates all that wait time on the front end.

: Green Living
: , , , , , ,