Energy Audits: Tax Credits expire Dec. 31st

noreply@blogger.com (Phoenix Green Team) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:16:00 +0000

Time is running out for you to take advantage of the federal energy conservation tax credit. This tax credit allows you to take 30% of installation costs, up to $1500, to make your home more energy efficient including items like insulation, sealing air conditioning ducts, air sealing and weather-stripping of the home. This tax credit, combined with the new APS and SRP Energy Star audit programs will pay for more than 60% of your homes Energy Star retrofit, if the work is done by December 31, 2010. So time is of the essence to take advantage of this credit. There is no legislation in place to extend the tax credit so it's a very real possibility that this credit will not be there next year.

This tax credit used to be 30% up to $500 maximum, but two years ago Congress tripled the amount of the credit up to $1500! This credit is crucial to setting up a very quick return on investment for steps to lower your utility bill, typically two years or less. I would encourage you to start with your first step, scheduling an APS/SRP Energy Audit. We have consultants that can come out and give you a FREE visual audit and let you know how much you would qualify for from APS or SRP depending on how thick your current insulation depth is, how much duct leakage is visible, and if there is any visible air sealing opportunities for your home.

The work has to be done this year before the 31st of December. So take your first step to significantly lowering your electric bill today and schedule your energy audit with the Phoenix Green Team. Simply click on our request your energy audit online link today. We have a few more installation dates available in December but time is running out. Thank you for reading our blog, and I wish you and yours a very happy holiday season!

APS Releases Energy Star Energy Efficiency Audit Program

noreply@blogger.com (Phoenix Green Team) — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 15:36:00 +0000

APS has released an Energy Star energy efficiency audit program, which is something I would say most APS customers would benefit greatly from taking advantage of. The APS Energy Star Audit consists of a blower door test which depressurizes the home and tests the house for leaks in the building shell and the duct system, which is the delivery system for your cooled air from your air conditioning unit.

According to Energy Star studies, the average home leaks about 20% of its conditioned air in the duct system alone, not to mention the leakage in the overall building shell based on inadequate building codes. The APS Energy Star audit is an extremely good value considering that the typical cost is $400 - $500 but an APS customer pays just a fraction of the cost. The APS Energy Star Audit is only a $99 investment because APS pays a $200 subsidy directly to the audit company.

This audit provides invaluable information to the homeowner in terms of where leakage occurs, whether the home's insulation is insufficient for our hot Arizona climate and many other energy inefficiencies. It also frees up APS incentive dollars to help you fix each area of inefficiency discovered in the audit: APS will pay up to $250 to help you add more insulation to your attic; up to $250 per air-conditioning unit towards sealing your duct system; up to $250 for overall air sealing of the attic; and up to $250 towards the purchase of shade screens for your home. Addressing each of these areas has tremendous benefits including dramatic cost savings, especially if your home is older and has a number of issues.

I've worked with over 400 homes in Phoenix and have found that insulation is typically inadequate and that duct leakage and building shell leakage are a constant. Most homeowners don’t realize that you can reduce your incoming heat by up to 48 or 50% with something as simple as shade screens for the windows. By adding 80% or 90% shade screens to the east, south and west windows allows your home to cool much more effectively and will increase the life expectancy of your air conditioning unit with a very quick return on investment, typically two years or less.

The energy audit company that I work with as a member of Phoenix Green Team is called Energy Macro Consulting. They are on the APS contractors certified by the Building Performance Institute (BPI) list. You will find information on EMC on the site or you're welcome to call them directly at 623-451-1823. One of the things that Energy Macro Consulting does, that I really like, is that they will include a free thermal camera imaging of your house with your energy audit. This will show you where the hotspots are in your house, indicating where insulation is either missing or inadequate. This is typically a $200 to $300 value that they throw in for FREE.

Eco Sun Systems is another APS Energy Star contractor that I've worked with in the past to help homes get ready for solar. One of the things they're doing on the APS audit, as opposed to other contractors on the program, is offering the APS incentive rebate upfront so you don't have to pay the total and then wait a month or so for a check to come to you from APS. This dramatically lowers your out-of-pocket cost.

One more thing I really enjoy about this APS energy audit is the fact that there is a post audit built into the program. The post audit is very important because it's one thing to have a contractor come in and tell you that he has sealed your house effectively, but it's another thing to have him show you how much leakage he was actually able to take care of for you with a blower door test . The post audit is built into the APS energy audit fee of $99 so it doesn't add to the overall cost but it does ensure to both you and APS that your dollars were spent effectively.

If you'd like to learn more about the APS energy Star audit, please visit our APS rebate page or you're welcome to call me at 602-363-7327 or e-mail gregjfield@phoenixgreenteam.com. Thank you for your time and look forward to seeing you at you APS Energy Star audit.

APS Energy Star Audit Program

Energy Audits: Tax Credits expire Dec. 31st

APS Releases Energy Star Energy Efficiency Audit Program