What You Should Know Green Energy
The Basics of Green Energy & Renewable Power Resources
By James Copper
Green energy refers to the use of power that is not only more efficient than fossil fuel but that is friendly to the environment as well. Green energy is generally defined as energy sources that dont pollute and are renewable.
There are several categories of green energy. They are anaerobic digestion, wind power, geothermal power, hydropower on a small scale, biomass power, solar power and wave power. Waste incineration can even be a source of green energy.
Nuclear power plants claim that they produce green energy as well, though this source is fraught with controversy, as we all know. While nuclear energy may be sustainable, may be considered renewable and does not pollute the atmosphere while it is producing energy, its waste does pollute the biosphere as it is released.
The transport, mining and phases before and after production of nuclear energy does produce and release carbon dioxide and similar destructive greenhouse gases. When we read of green energy, therefore, we rarely see nuclear power included.
Those who support nuclear energy say that nuclear waste is not, in fact, released into our earths biosphere during its normal production cycle. They stress as well that the carbon dioxide that nuclear energy production releases is comparable, in terms of each kilowatt hour of electricity, to such sources of green energy as wind power.
As an example of the green energy production the average wind turbine, such as the one in Reading England, can produce enough energy daily to be the only energy source for 1000 households.
Many countries now offer household and commercial consumers to opt for total use of green energy. They do this one of two ways. Consumers can buy their electricity from a company that only uses renewable green energy technology, or they can buy from their general supplies such as the local utility company who then buys from green energy resources only as much of a supply as consumers pay for.
The latter is generally a more cost-efficient way of supplying a home or office with green energy, as the supplier can reap the economic benefits of a mass purchase. Green energy generally costs more per kilowatt hour than standard fossil fuel energy.
Consumers can also purchase green energy certificates, which are alternately referred to as green tags or green certificates. These are available in both Europe and the United States, and are the most convenient method for the average consumer to support green energy. More than 35 million European households and one million American households now buy these green energy certificates.
While green energy is a great step in the direction of keeping our environment healthy and our air as pollutant free as possible, it must be noted that no matter what the energy, it will negatively impact the environment to some extent.
Every energy source, green or otherwise, requires energy. The production of this energy will create pollution during its manufacture. Green energys impact is minimal, however.
James Copper owns www.propertycareerskills.co.uk who offer energy training and assessment.
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Financing Residential Solar Power
Loan Programs for Solar Homes
Although competition is driving prices down, solar panel systems can require you departing with a chunk of change. Fortunately, the mortgage industry wants to talk to you.
Financing Residential Solar Power
Energy Efficient Mortgages
If you are considering improving your home with a solar panel system or the hot new thin solar roofing systems, you need to learn three little letters – E…E…M. EEM stands for energy efficient mortgage. It also stands for avoiding out of pocket costs to improve your home with a solar.
Energy efficient mortgages came to be because of a nudge from the government to lenders in an effort to promote the use of solar energy as a power source. Put another way, the government told lenders to do it and do it now. So, what exactly is an energy efficient mortgage? Glad you asked.
Energy Efficient Mortgage Benefits
An energy efficient mortgage is a loan that allows you to incorporate the cost of your solar improvements into your mortgage loan. The improvements can cost up to 15 percent of the total value of your home. The lender will calculate the energy savings for you home because of the new solar system and will add that to the total loan value, letting you borrow more than normal. Put another way, it doesn’t matter how much equity you currently have in your home, the solar financing is added on top of the loan. This, of course, lets you get a solar system without much out of pocket expense and you get to recover a good chunk of the cost through an increased mortgage interest deduction. Throw in tax credits, rebates and net metering incentives, and solar is getting mighty cheap if you know how to work the system.
Energy efficient mortgages have very few restrictions. You can get them for new construction or existing homes. The can be issued for single family residents, duplexes, condos and so on.
Frankly, it is a no brainer to go with an energy efficiency mortgage. Ask your lender for more information on the program so you can find out how to profit from a solar improvement to your home.
Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com, a directory of solar energy companies. Visit us to read more articles on solar power and renewable energy.
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Energy Efficiency in Homes
Conserve Energy & Save Money at Home with Energy Efficient Mortgages and Energy Efficiency Tax Credits
By George Scott
Building energy efficient homes and improving energy efficiency in our homes can increase their value.
Over the past few years, there has been a ground swell of Green building interest by home buyers and builders. In response to the growing demand to conserve energy in our homes, there are several new mortgage programs that allow home buyers to finance the cost of energy improvements into their mortgage, to increase their loan-to-value, or improve their qualifying ratios. Some of the more common improvements that are used to make homes more energy efficient include the addition of new windows, high efficiency heating/cooling systems, and improved insulation. All of these contribute to reduced energy use, and also to making homes quieter, more comfortable, and more desirable.
Energy Efficiency Home Mortgage Programs
These programs allow buyers to purchase a more expensive home that has a lower cost of ownership to offset the larger mortgage payment. There are 2 types of financing options available that cover a variety of scenarios for energy efficient homes.
- Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEM’s) allow borrowers to qualify for a larger loan, using expanded income ratios, sometimes with the same down payment.
- Energy Improvement Mortgages (EIM’s) allow borrowers to include in the mortgage the cost of making an existing home more energy efficient, when they refinance or purchase the home.
- These products are available through your local mortgage brokers and banks using FNMA, FHLMC, FHA, and VA guidelines.
EPACT 2005-2008 provides $2000 Builder Tax Credit
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 established a federal tax credit for builders that apply to each home that exceeds the energy performance threshold outlined in the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC2004). Eligible homes must be at least 50% more efficient than homes built to the IECC2004. It is fairly easy for builders to achieve this threshold by building tighter homes, installing high-performance insulation, and sealing duct work. The best way for a builder to find out how to meet EPACT is to consult with a certified RESNET (Residential Energy Services Network) Home Energy Rater. In order for a builder to receive a $2000 tax credit, the home must be rated by a RESNET certified rater using IRS approved software. For more information, visit http://www.natresnet.org/taxcredits/default.htm.
What makes a home energy efficient?
The cost of heating and cooling a home represents the largest cost of ownership, outside of the home mortgage expense. Everyone wants a home that is comfortable to live in, and yet the costs associated with reaching a comfortable level can be very high. Energy efficiency can be defined as the use of products or systems that use less energy to do the same or better job as conventional products. In home construction and performance, there are many areas where energy efficiency can be achieved, to allow you to meet those desired comfort levels.
The EPA’s ENERGY STAR® program has developed a process for evaluating products used in a home, such as appliances, windows, lighting and other products that meet or exceed certain efficiency standards or recommendations. When choosing products for a home, ensure the products meet Energy Star ratings. This can include furnace, air conditioning and water heater performance, replacement of appliances in the home, and installation of energy efficient lighting such as Compact Florescent Lamps (CFL’s).
Other construction design aspects can have a significant impact on the energy performance of a home. Insulation levels should be adequate for the environment, and more importantly, proper installation of the insulation is critical in ensuring it is performing to the expected levels. Air infiltration and leakage can be another area where hidden openings in the building shell can cause heat and cooling losses to occur, reducing the efficiency of the home’s performance.
In addition to performance of individual components in a home, the EPA’s Energy Star Program also works with builders to qualify and certify home performance, to ensure that maximum performance is achieved. ENERGY STAR® qualified homes are designed to be at least 15 percent more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC). ENERGY STAR® qualified homes offer homebuyers all the features they want in a new home, plus energy-efficient improvements that deliver better performance, greater comfort, and lower utility bills.
ENERGY STAR® homes have had their energy efficiency independently verified by an inspector known as a Home Energy rater. A HERS Rater will inspect and test the home during construction, and verify that the home meets EPA’s strict guidelines for energy efficiency.
RESNET; Establishes rules for the energy rating industry
In 1995 RESNET was founded to develop a national market for home energy ratings and energy efficient mortgages. One main goal of RESNET was the development of standards for quality of rating services. The standards set the national procedures for home energy ratings, and include testing and accreditation for raters and providers, development of verification processes for homes meeting ENERGY STAR® and energy efficient building standards, as well as meeting local Energy Code compliance.
A certified HERS Rater follows a prescribed standard for how a home is measured, verified and rated, and must comply with national standards to continue to perform certified ratings.
What is an energy audit or HERS Rating
A Home Energy Rating, performed by a Certified HERS Rater, consists of a full visual analysis of components and aspects of the home, along with energy performance testing of air infiltration with a tool called a blower door. Evaluation of home energy bills can also be included. A blower door slightly de-pressurizes the home and determines the amount of air leakage present. The home is compared to a hypothetical reference home which is based on the IECC 2004, and the home is then provided with a rating. The rating can be a numerical HERS rating or a ‘star’ rating based upon ENERGY STAR® requirements.
Along with the actual performance rating, the homeowner will be provided with details on areas of the home that need to be improved, in order to further save energy costs and improve the comfort and efficiency of the home.
Bruce Czech and George Scott are both Certified Home Energy Raters and also Certified ASHI Home Inspectors. Performing Energy Audits and Home Inspections give both of them insight into what can go wrong in a home, and where improvements can be made to result in direct savings.
For more information, visit: http://www.greenenergysavers.com/
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