March 20, 2012 by GHAmerica
It’s that time of year again, and although we have written about Energy Efficiency tax credits for 2011 before, if you had work done this past year, it might be time to review. You can also go to our learning center for solutions to common problems we fix in homes just like yours, as well as links to our franchise locations; they can provide details about incentives available in their area.
Many of the federal tax credits ended in 2011, but not all of them. What will continue for 2012, are credits for some renewable energy systems. Solar water heating and photovoltaic systems, small wind systems, and geothermal heat pumps, are all eligible measures through 2016. If you are thinking of alternatives, consider our interactive online home to get a better sense of whether or not these types of improvements are really what you need this year.
Alternative energy systems can be expensive, and it often makes the most sense to install them in homes that are very efficient from the start. You might be surprised by what some simple measures can save you money. Tax credit or not, insulation, air sealing and efficient heating and hot water systems can pay for themselves in short order. Simple measures that cost less and save you more!
Thanks,
Jason
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Tags: $1500, $500, 10%, 2010 tax credit, 2011 energy tax credit, 2011 tax change, air conditioner, boiler, energy-efficiency tax credit, federal, furnace, home energy, home improvement, home star, insulation, IRS, rebates, tax credit extension, windows
Posted in Energy / Efficiency / Renewables, Energy Geeks / Energy Policy, GreenHomes America, Rebates and Incentives, Solar / Renewables | 3 Comments »
March 12, 2012 by GHAmerica
Recently a news station in Atlanta did an undercover investigation of a few local heating service companies. Their investigation revealed that unfortunately some contractors tried to sell unnecessary parts and services to customers. In fact, three out of four companies were guilty of this!
When asked to inspect a properly operating heater, many of the technicians found “problems” and recommended expensive, unnecessary repairs. One actually said that the heater was leaking gas and it will “keep coming, and if the gas builds up, you know what’s going to happen.” No, I don’t want my house to blow up, but I also want to trust that a technician will not try to scam me with fear tactics. What is a customer to do?
One way to find a reputable company is to look for things that differentiate them from the competition such as certifications and affiliations. There are plenty of organizations which recognize a contractor’s good work. As a customer, you want a company that goes above and beyond to exceed your expectations. At GreenHomes America, we go beyond heating and cooling and look at a home’s overall performance.
Our franchises are Building Performance Institute certified which requires extensive training and successful testing. Ask your neighbors. A great company works to gain the trust of a customer for the long haul, not for just today. You can’t do that if you don’t want to do the right thing.
Thanks,
Jason
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Tags: BPI, CBS Atlanta, Heating and cooling, scam, service
Posted in Air Conditioning, Consumer Protection, Furnaces, Heating & Cooling Tips | Leave a Comment »
March 8, 2012 by GHAmerica
Here is an excellent reminder from the CDC for those who need to adjust to daylight savings this Sunday March 11, 2012: change the batteries in your CO detector. 
I’ve mentioned the dangers of CO in our homes in past posts such as in Testing: more than efficiency for safety’s sake or A Bad Idea: unvented gas fire place. I suspect CO may even have an unintended influence on us after Thanksgiving dinner.
It’s a simple thing to check the batteries or maybe just test the unit as some are hardwired. It is also important to make sure your CO detector alarms at low levels of carbon monoxide. The UL standards for CO detectors start at a level of 70 PPM for a 1-2 hour exposure. Higher levels are obviously worse, but I think the lower range is just as dangerous. CO in the air robs us of oxygen and to be safe, I’d like the levels in my home to be zero.
The U.S. consumer product safety commission suggests that most folks are not affected in the low exposure ranges of 1-70 PPM. Funny because others, such as The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has established a recommended exposure limit of 35 PPM. We spend as much time if not more in our homes than on the job. This is important!
35 PPM is the same maximum level Building Performance Institute certified advisors watch out for when performing assessments on homes, but really we don’t want CO in our homes at all. As we change our clocks and the days get longer, let’s consider longer and healthier lives as well!
Thanks, Jason
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Tags: BPI, CDC, CO, CO detector, daylight savings, health and safety, spring, UL 2034
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February 28, 2012 by Jason Todd
Ok, that’s quite a wild claim and one clearly not possible. But the Washington post last week reported that “Replacement-window firms agree to settlement with Federal Trade Commission”. The problem has been the “’exaggerated and unsupported’ claims about their products’ energy efficiency”. Yes indeed. Don’t get me wrong, we like windows, and in many locations across the country we replace them too. But you won’t hear us say they will save you 50% on your energy bill!
Right here we’ve talked about windows many times in the past. Windows are often replaced because the existing ones are broken, inoperable or for aesthetic reasons. As far as energy efficiency is concerned, however, at GreenHomes America it has always been our position to improve insulation and air sealing first, then take a look at heating, cooling, duct and hot water systems next. These are the common problems found in most people’s homes. Window replacement will save energy, but the energy savings will be modest. So remember, if you hear outlandish energy savings claims about replacement windows that sound too good to be true… it probably is!
Thanks,
Jason
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Tags: 50% Savings, energy savings, energy-efficiency, false claims, Washington Post, windows
Posted in Air Conditioning, Air-Sealing, Energy / Efficiency / Renewables, News, Utility Bills, Windows and Doors | Leave a Comment »
February 27, 2012 by Jason Todd
Miracle Material, Modern Curse: Vermiculite
Vermiculite insulation can be found in older homes. It was installed in attics often by homeowners, many years ago and sometimes made its way into walls. Vermiculite insulation, on its own, is not a bad thing. However, the problem is, Vermiculite insulation may contain asbestos.
Maybe you’re looking at this picture and thinking about the holiday decorations you just tucked away in the attic. You’re thinking “uh oh…” hold on. When our advisors investigate a home, they keep their eyes out for this stuff. If they find it, they 
proceed with caution because it may have asbestos in it. On the other hand, it may not have asbestos in it. Unfortunately, you can’t tell simply by looking at it. So be cautious and don’t disturb it. The EPA has a good deal of information on vermiculite and so will your energy advisor.
As you can see, it’s important to consider health and safety when improving the efficiency of our homes. The Building Performance Institute (BPI) has standards regarding suspected asbestos containing materials such as vermiculite. Yet another reason why every GreenHomes America advisor is BPI certified. Shaking the “curse” is easy. Not only can we help you figure out what is in your attic, but also what to do with it, and most important how to stay safe right at home.
Thanks,
Jason
photos used with permission from Asbestorama on Flickr
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Tags: Asbestorama, Asbestos, attic insulation, BPI, EPA, pour-in insulation, Vermiculite, Zonolite
Posted in Air-Sealing, DIY, Energy Audits, Health / Safety / Indoor Air, Insulation | Leave a Comment »
February 23, 2012 by Jason Todd
Asbestos has captured the attention of human kind for thousands of years. In fact, the Greek physician Dioscorides noted in De Materia Medica that handkerchiefs made of asbestos were reused, cleaned by fire[i]. Maybe a fine way to prevent the spread of germs well before it was widely understood, but I can’t imagine they were good for anyone’s health.
The material is fireproof, strong, flexible, and is an all natural mineral mined from the earth. Easy to see why it has captured the attention of so many including medieval alchemists who suggested the fibers came from hairs of fire resistant salamanders! It was with the growth of industry that the use of asbestos really took off, and took a toll on us all.
I do not wish to entirely vilify the material; it is still used and necessary in many applications in industry. But since the construction boom after World War II, its widespread use in products in our homes as well as the misunderstanding of the dangers behind the material, a costly toll has been paid. What is clear is that the material has been used in many things from ceiling tiles, shingles, floor tiles, loose insulation, and pipe insulation. The question is what do we do with it now we better understand the inherent dangers and realize it exists in many forms in our homes? We will look into this more in the coming weeks stay tuned!
Thanks,
Jason
Tremolite image used with permission from Asbestorama on flickr.
[i] James E Alleman and Brooke T. Mossman, Asbestos Revisited in Scientific American, July 1997
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Tags: Alchemists, Asbestorama, Asbestos, ceiling tiles, health and safety, indoor air quality, insulation, pipe insulation
Posted in Health / Safety / Indoor Air, Insulation, Wild Stuff | Leave a Comment »
February 13, 2012 by Jason Todd
Expect to see LED light bulb packaging sport a new label this summer. The intent is to introduce some transparency in the market and guard against exaggerated claims in lighting performance.
This should lend some clarity on lumens, (a measure of the light output) how many lumens per watt, helping us better understand the bulb’s efficiency as well as the light color. One of the arguments against migrating away from incandescent has been the quality of the light. Hopeful labeling will help shed some light on this subject (sorry I couldn’t resist). More here at lightingfacts.com
Thanks,
Jason
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Tags: DOE, incandecents, LED, light bulb, lighting facts, lighting performance, liighting CFL, lumens, lumens per watt
Posted in Energy / Efficiency / Renewables, LED Lighting, Lighting and Appliances | 1 Comment »
February 8, 2012 by Jason Todd
Recently one of our advisors in the San Jose area discovered a potentially deadly situation while doing routine testing in a customer’s home. Robert Urbina, a Home Comfort Advisor with Residential Energy Pro’s, while doing combustion safety testing, discovered that carbon monoxide was quickly reaching an exceptionally high level in the vent of the homeowner’s furnace.
According to BPI standards, something every GreenHomes America partner follows before and after work, he discovered a situation that needed to be addressed immediately. BPI recommends servicing equipment when CO levels climb above 25ppm, this reached well into the thousands. I’ve mentioned the dangers of CO in a home, and in this situation the CO was still finding its way up the stack. The danger occurs when something simple changes. Airflow and pressures in a home are constantly changing whether from the seasons, a remodeling change or a new fan in the bathroom. What happens when, for example, the fans in the house unintentionally reverse the flow of toxic gasses from the chimney and draw it into the home? Bad news for sure!
REP dispatched a service tech immediately to the home to further diagnose and repair the system. Thank goodness it was a straightforward fix, and in short order the system was adjusted and retested. Robert’s second reading was well within the limit, and as you imagine the homeowner was ecstatic!
For safety’s sake folks, have your heating system tested for more than just efficiency!
thanks,
Jason
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Tags: carbon monoxide, furnace, Health and Saftey, IAQ, Los Gatos, Residential Energy Pros, San Francisco., San Jose
Posted in Boilers, Energy / Efficiency / Renewables, Energy Audits, Furnaces, Health / Safety / Indoor Air, Wild Stuff | 1 Comment »
February 2, 2012 by Jason Todd
Our favorite LED, recessed down-lighting from CREE, the CR6, has gotten more colorful. Well actually the available trim kits have. Following the footsteps of Henry Ford “you can have any color as long as it is black” the CR6 has until now only been available in white. CREE is offering Mr. Ford’s favorite color, black, as well as “wheat” (I might call it bronze) and plain old “anodized” or silver. Energy efficient, dimmable and long lasting, here is to good looking lighting that works!
Thanks,
Jason
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Tags: CREE CR6, energy-efficiency, Henry Ford, Interior Design, recessed lighting, Trim kit
Posted in Energy / Efficiency / Renewables, LED Lighting, Lighting and Appliances, News | Leave a Comment »
January 30, 2012 by Jason Todd
Since the housing market unraveled 5 years ago, home prices have fallen by a third nationwide, which is by the way, more than they did during the Great Depression. Depressing? Maybe, but it has caused many homeowners to reconsider selling, and invest in their homes in some really good ways.
I think for many of us current economic times have caused us to reconsider our priorities. We have been forced to reset our “unrealistic expectations” clocks if you will. But look at some of the great lessons learned a few generations ago: frugalness, recycling, and best utilizing what we have instead of discarding things for something new when it’s not necessary. Sort of “green” isn’t it?
We are in different times in this nation than we were in the 1930’s which ended with our participation in World War II. Hopefully instead of beginning a busy industrial era by entering another world war, we rise can to the call in a war against in-efficiency, and where better to do that but at home? Creating jobs here at home and spending our dollars in our local communities seems like just the ticket.
In the housing market it is hard to say what will happen in this coming year, but some are already seeing a rise in sales. What is for certain is that combating energy in-efficiency is here to stay, and in doing so you will be rewarded for your efforts whether or not you intend to sell your home.
Investing in your homes reduces your expenses now and over the long term, especially as energy costs rise. It increases your comfort immediately, as well as over the years. And energy efficiency is increasingly recognized by the real estate industry and professional appraisers. The measures you have performed on your home will increase the resale value for years to come if you do decide to sell in the future. Do your part and join the “war” effort right at home!
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Tags: energy-efficiency, housing market, real estate, recycling, resale value, The Great Depression, War Bonds
Posted in Energy / Efficiency / Renewables, Green | Leave a Comment »
