PUD customers have been calling the Conservation Department to ask about federal tax credits for energy efficiency improvements to their homes. The federal government will pay for up to 30 percent of some home improvements through a tax credit authorized in the stimulus bill passed by Congress earlier this year.

Complete information is available on the Energy Star Web site. But here’s a summary of the key points.

Tax credits are available at 30 percent of the cost, up to $1,500, in 2009 and 2010 for existing homes only for:

• Windows and doors
• Insulation
• Roofs (metal and asphalt)
• HVAC systems
• Water heaters
• Biomass stoves

Installation costs are NOT covered by the tax credit for windows, doors, insulation and roofs. The tax credit for windows, doors, insulation and roofs is for 30 percent of the cost of materials only, up to $1,500.

Customers participating in the PUD’s low-interest weatherization loan program are eligible for the tax credits.

Tax credits are available at 30 percent of the cost, with no upper limit through 2016, for existing homes and new construction for:

• Geothermal heat pumps
• Solar panels
• Solar water heaters
• Small wind-energy systems
• Fuel cells

Installation costs ARE COVERED for HVAC, biomass stoves, water heaters (including solar), solar panels, geothermal heat pumps, wind-energy systems and fuel cells.

Tax credits of between $2,500 and $7,500 are available for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Tax credits also are available for hybrid vehicles, for both personal use and for business use.

Home builders are eligible for a $2,000 tax credit for a new energy-efficient home.

More resources:
U.S. Department of Energy – Tax Breaks
Tax Incentives Assistance Project

Thinking about building a new home? How about one that provides greater comfort, considers the environment, and reduces your energy costs?

As you plan your new house, consider the many benefits of building a home to Energy Star standards.

Energy Star is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency. The mark identifies new homes, buildings, and more than 50 types of products that are energy efficient and offer the features, quality, and performance that today’s consumers expect.

A home that earns the Energy Star is significantly more efficient than a standard home. By building or purchasing an Energy Star qualified home, you can have all the features you desire in your new home, plus better performance and lower utility bills – all while helping prevent greenhouse gas emissions.

Energy Star Homes feature:

Tight construction and ducts. Advanced techniques for sealing holes and cracks in the home’s “envelope” and in heating and cooling ducts help reduce drafts, moisture, dust, pollen, pests, and noise.

Effective insulation. Properly installed and inspected insulation in floors, walls, and attics ensures even temperatures throughout the house, while using less energy.

Efficient heating and cooling equipment.  An energy-efficient, properly installed heating and cooling system uses less energy to operate, which reduces your utility bills.

High performance windows. Energy-efficient windows use advanced technologies, such as protective coatings and improved frame assemblies, to help keep heat in during the winter and out during the summer. These windows also block damaging ultraviolet sunlight that can discolor carpets and furnishings.

Efficient products. Your home may also be equipped with Energy Star qualified products including lighting fixtures, compact fluorescent bulbs, ventilation fans, and appliances that offer additional energy savings.

Independent testing. While it’s easy to claim that homes are energy efficient, Energy Star homes are backed up with verification by an independent Home Energy Rater. The rater conducts onsite inspections and testing to verify the performance of the energy efficiency features in your home.

Related links
Energy Star Homes Northwest

Bryan Visscher

It makes sense that someone associated with learning would earn a gold star for outstanding work. In Bryan Visscher’s case, the star is gold on a bold blue background.

Visscher, maintenance and operations director for the Wenatchee School District, led his staff to earn the national Energy Star designation for energy efficiency at the school district’s main office and at four elementary schools – Newbery, Lewis and Clark, Columbia and Mission View. The award means the buildings rank in the top 25 percent nationally for energy efficiency.

Visscher and his staff use Energy Star Portfolio Manager software to track energy use at 12 schools and three district buildings. The five buildings that received Energy Star plaques in December had been performing well all along, Visscher said. But the software has been especially useful, he said, to identify buildings that need attention.

Visscher said a couple of schools were identified recently through the use of the Energy Star software as poor performers, ranking in the single digits out of a possible 100. Visscher’s staff worked with a building controls contractor to make adjustments to the heating and air conditioning system at one school that are saving the school district $11,000 a year. “It’s not a top performer yet, but it’s now an above-average building,” Visscher said.

Heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems are usually the big energy hogs in schools, he said.

The same is true for homes, where hot-water heating is also a major energy user.

The Energy Star software used by Visscher comes from the same agency that gives the stamp of approval to energy-efficient household appliances and promotes use of watt-saving compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).

Chelan County PUD presented Visscher with a certificate acknowledging his leadership in energy efficiency at a school board meeting in December.

“It’s a team effort,” Visscher said, “which also includes building principals and staff.”

Related links:

Energy Star

Energy Star Portfolio Manager