The Federal Tax Credits Blog

Posts Tagged ‘carbon’

All water heaters use an energy source to heat water. Water which comes into your home from a well or city water system is cold and a water heater uses electric energy or natural gas to heat the water to a temperature of between 120 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Most conventional water heaters do this by storing the water in a tank which holds between 40 and 100 gallons of water. The energy source works on a thermostat which turns the energy on whenever the water in the tank falls below a certain temperature. The water is heated whether or not you are using it. Since cold water enters the tank when hot water is removed, the energy comes on more frequently when hot water is in use. Powerstar tankless heaters only heat water as you use it.

If you have ever had the experience of running out of hot water in the middle of your shower, you are aware of one of the drawbacks of tank style water heaters. It takes between 20 and 45 minutes for the heater to heat the water in the tank. If you use all the hot water in the tank, you have to wait for the system to recover and heat additional water. The larger the tank, the less often you will run out of hot water. Larger tanks take more energy to keep the water hot and therefore add to your energy usage and your electric bill. Water heaters that heat water continuously, like the powerstar tankless heater, only use power when you use hot water.

Powerstar electric water heaters can be an excellent supplement to a solar heaters. Solar heaters use storage tanks where the water is heated. Powerstar water heaters are a tankless systems which heat water on demand. If the water from the solar heater is not hot enough, the system will heat the water to the desired temperature with electricity. The heating unit only comes on when the water is not hot enough. The warmer the water entering the system, the less power it will use. Powerstar electric water heaters are energy efficient and will produce a continuous supply of hot water regardless of weather conditions.

The powerstar tankless heater doesn’t use a tank, but heats the water as it enters the house. Tankless heaters provide a steady, continuous source of hot water. The amount of hot water produced depends on the capabilities of the system. Powerstar tankless heaters produce more than two gallons of hot water per minute. Installing a tankless water heater will save homeowners money on an appliance that accounts for a significant percentage of the total energy used in their home.

Los Angeles Plumber Advises Only Weeks Remaining for LA Home Owners to take Advantage of Energy Efficiency Tax Credits

The federal tax credits of up to $1500 on high efficiency tankless water heaters expire on 31 December 2010. Los Angeles plumbing contractors Schuelke Plumbing advises that only weeks remain for LA home owners to upgrade the energy efficiency of their home and claim the credits. (PRWeb December 14, 2010) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/losangeles/plumber …

Best tankless water heaters

Question: First cap and trade and now blocking renewable energy – are Republicans becoming the UnGreen Party?

With gas prices now averaging a record $4.04 a gallon in the United States, the Senate voted on two bills Tuesday that would have revoked tax breaks for Big Oil and extended tax credits to renewable energy. Proponents of the two measures touted them as vital for consumer relief and transition to new energy sources, but both measures failed to muster the 60 votes needed to proceed.

The first vote, on the Consumer First Energy Act, fell short of cloture by a vote of 51-43. The second, on the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008, failed by a vote of 50-44. Both votes fell largely along party lines.

Trade organizations that represent renewable-energy firms on the Hill say they’re already seeing a slowing of growth in the sector because companies are hesitant to start new projects without the assurance that these credits will be available.

http://gristmill.grist.org/tag/Muckraker/

With Senate Republicans now blocking renewable energy, are they becoming the UnGreens?

Answer: Yeah, they’re the anti-greens and always have been. Except for maybe Teddy Roosevelt.

Come November we are going to see a landslide of historic proportions.

Lets hope the Dems keep their heads and don’t blow a historic opportunity.

We subsidize everything under the sun, except for the stuff that matters. If we took subsidies away from oil, airlines, highways and agriculture and let the “free market” work, suddenly alternative energy and local economies would look very attractive.

edit:

I wish they would have let some first graders in on the Bush-Cheney energy bill. They probably would have done a better job. Lord knows they wouldn’t let anyone else look at it.

http://www.citizen.org/cmep/energy_enviro_nuclear/electricity/energybill/2005/articles.cfm?ID=13980

Presenting Questor’s top share tips for 2010

Without risk, there is no reward. Selection has a higher degree of risk than the investments recommended last year.

Carbon Trading Simplified

Carbon fiber hoods are known for two things – being lightweight and looking sleek! The rigidness of carbon fiber car hoods is yet another reason to install one. This performance addition is normally overlooked. Masters of the carbon fiber hood process are DG Motorsports, VIS, Vfiber, Carbon Creations, JSP, and the Seibon carbon fiber hood company. They know exactly what it takes to weave strands of carbon fiber to produce the best carbon fiber hoods in the world.

When considering weight, carbon fiber hoods definitely weigh less the stock OEM hoods. Factory car hoods are usually made of steel and are heavy; for race standards. 40 to 50 pounds can be taken off the total weight of a car when a carbon fiber car hood is installed. One can expect relatively faster start times with the installation of a carbon hood.

Improved handling is an additional plus of installing carbon fiber hoods. Weight near the front wheel of the car is reduced because of the carbon fiber material; but the rigidness and strength is kept. This increases the car’s balance and enables an easy drive experience.

Further looks and performance boasts can be achieved with a custom carbon fiber hood. Vents can be added to carbon fiber car hoods to increase air flow to the engine, intake, or intercooler. Aerodynamics can be augmented with creative body designs and curvature.

When looking at carbon fiber hoods, definitely pay attention to whether or not a layer of UV protection is built in or not. Also, determine what grade of carbon fiber materials have been used to manufacture the carbon fiber car hood in question. You want only grade A carbon fiber strands and the best carbon fiber weaving and composites to make up your hood.

Several options are available for a custom carbon fiber hood. One option is to go with an EVO style hood that has vents and aggressive styling additions that surpass the OEM factory hood. Color is another feature that can be customized. A red carbon fiber hood and a silver carbon fiber hood are the most requested colors of carbon hoods. Adding a carbon fiber hood scoop or multiple vents are some more ways to customize a carbon fiber hood. Lastly, a popular detail are carbon fiber hood pins to finish off the look!

Carbon fiber car hoods are definitely not cheap – custom carbon fiber hoods, included. Cheap carbon fiber hoods are around though, especially for popular import cars like the Scion TC or Acura Integra. The import scene most likely saw the first carbon hood on an Acura in the form of an Integra carbon fiber hood.

Also, the fact that carbon fiber hoods are manufactured with CARBON FIBER is great, as well. An added level of style is attached to the car with this great material. If you want to get the show car look or actually want to benefits of lighter weight, better aerodynamics and handling, carbon fiber hoods are where it’s at.

The Year America Lurched Left

In our first editorial after Barack Obama’s historic victory in November 2008, we acknowledged that “we were witnessing an event in which all…

Alex Jones – Lord Monckton reports live on text of treaty 2/2

Question: What Are Some Pros and Cons of Different Organizations that Assist With Purchasing Renewable Energy Credits?

There are two organizations that I have been considering: 1) LiveNeutral (www.liveneutral.org); and 2) Native Energy (www.nativeenergy.com).

Some issues that I am considering are: 1) non-profit vs. for-profit; 2) credits purchased from the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) vs. credits created from renewable energy sources; 3) “imaginary” market vs. real-world projects; and 4) managed by educational institution vs. managed by Native American organization. Please feel free to suggest additional criteria.

Also, if there is another organization that you think I should consider, please let me know, and please provide your reasoning for the suggestion.

Thanks!

Answer: There is a table from the Dept. of Energy that compares various vendors and their costs. See:

http://www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/markets/certificates.shtml?page=1

In effect, you are donating money to fund alternative energy sources (wind, solar, hydro, biogas) that subsequently feed into the nat’l power grid.

Since you are donating money, you might as well get a charitable deducation on your income taxes. The nativeenergy.com site won’t give a definitive answer on this question, but suggests you can do it.

So go with a group which is a charitable non-profit organization that clearly states donations are tax deductible. Look at your yearly electricity bills, multiply kilowatt hours by 2 cents and donate that much.

Unlike the carbon offset credits that are often nebulous and sometimes outright fraudulent, renewable Energy Credits (RECs) trace back to definite generating capacity that can be (and usually are) audited to make sure they are above board. (The US gov’t buys RECs, so any egregious fraud tends to get uncovered quickly.)

I think you are taking the right approach to renewable energy, and these projects will stand the test of time regardless of how the global warming issue pans out.

Despite all the bashing of the US, the graph at:

http://www.eea.europa.eu/pressroom/newsreleases/GHG2006-en

shows how the EU-25 don’t come close to meeting their Kyoto promises.

The non-Kyoto country, the US, in 2006 DECREASED CO2 emissions in by 1.4%.

I guess that signing Kyoto and then reneging somehow makes countries feel noble and good about themselves. But buying RECs that actually do something doesn’t count.

Special Report: America’s route to recovery

When Bob Hagan was a boy people hereabouts equated the coke dust they swept off their doorsteps each day with opportunity, for it came from the steel mills that built this city.

Copenhagen Births World Gov’t Framework Despite Fallout Over Science Fraud