The Deans of Green

Green tax credits builders and homeowners can be thankful for

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:08:03 GMT

Posted by: Rob Moody

Getting tax credits for building a green home or for giving your current home an energy upgrade is like having an extra birthday. Last October, our now lame-duck president signed H.R. 1424, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, after it passed the Senate 74-25 and the House 263-171. The bill includes federal tax credits for energy-efficient homes and those that make use of renewable energy, such as solar power. The credits kick in on Jan. 1, 2009. Here's a breakdown of the credits you’re eligible for if you build a green home or upgrade your home to the standards listed:

Existing-home tax credits (must be primary residence)

House part	Credit	To qualify
Exterior windows	10% of total cost, up to $200	Must be Energy Star or meet the 2000 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)
Exterior doors	10% of the product cost, up to $500 (materials only)	Must be Energy Star or meet the 2000 IECC
Storm doors	10% of the product cost, up to $500 (materials only)
Insulation	10% of the product cost, up to $500 (materials only)
Roofing	10% of the product cost, up to $500 (materials only)	Must be Energy Star
Central AC	$300 toward installation and equipment
Heat pump	$300 toward installation and equipment
Water heater	$300 toward installation and equipment
Biomass space heater or water heater	$300 toward installation and equipment
Furnace	$150 toward installation and equipment	Must have an annual fuel-utilization efficiency (AFUE) of 95% or more
Furnace fan	$50 for an efficient air-circulating fan
Boiler	$150 toward installation and equipment	Must have an annual fuel-utilization efficiency (AFUE) of 95% or mor

New-home tax credits (must completed by Dec. 31, 2009)
Builders can receive a $2000 tax credit for homes that are 50% more efficient in heating and cooling than the 2004 IECC standards.

Renewable-energy tax credits

Energy source	Credit	To qualify
Photovoltaics	30% for equipment and installation; no cap
Solar water systems	30% tax credit for equipment and installation; $2000 cap	Must supply at least 50% of the residence’s annual hot water and must be certified by the SRCC (does not apply to swimming pools or hot tubs)
Geothermal	30% tax credit for equipment and installation; $2000 cap
Wind	$500 per 0.5kw; $4000 cap
Fuel-cell systems	$1500 per 0.5kw

Check back for my next entry, where I’ll supply some details about tax credits available in the states where my firm has experience building green homes.

For more information about the tax credits I’ve listed here, check out the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency.

What were they thinking?

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:58:04 GMT

Posted by: Rick Arnold

Every once in a while, you come across work done on a house and wonder “what were they thinking?”

Because the frame of this 250-year-old building is significantly bent and disfigured, and because the top layer of red-cedar shingle siding was so old and warped, it was hard to see what was really going on underneath it all.

As we continued to strip the old siding layers off, we uncovered a previously repaired section (using the term repaired loosely here) about 14 ft. long along the first-floor level.

The 1-plus-in.-thick planking on this section was horizontal in contrast to the original vertical planking and stood proud of the old planking the full dimension of its thickness: 1 in. It even overlapped on top of the old planking. There wasn’t even an attempt at a transition when it was sided. Whoever “fixed” it just shingled over the gap, which helped to contribute to some of the building's disfigurement.

I’m guessing that at one time, the beam of this section needed some serious reinforcement, so someone removed the siding, planking, and interior-wall structure. Then whoever did the work installed a 2x6 stud wall, keeping the outside face of the studs even with the outside face of the planking. Then the new planking was installed as we found it.

So what was it? Did the boss leave the job for the day? Was it a couple of new guys just starting out on their own? Was it the homeowner and a friend and a long weekend?

I figure the job is about 50 years old, so there is a chance that whoever had a hand in it could still be around. I would really like to have a chat with him.

Fortunately, the fix is easy. We removed all the horizontal planking; filled the cavities with batt insulation (should be the warmest wall in the house now); installed housewrap directly over the studs, taking extra care to keep it intact as an air and weather barrier; then ran rigid insulation over the entire area, as it continues over the rest of the planking.

We’ll just have to make sure to hit the studs when we install the siding on this spot so that no one ever has to wonder what we were thinking during this phase of our project.

A shout-out to the NOLA100 volunteers and volunteer laborers everywhere

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:55:30 GMT

Posted by: Rob Moody

One of the biggest factors contributing to the success of the NOLA100 project has been volunteer labor. I am intimately connected with NOLA100, but volunteer labor is a major factor in the success of affordable-housing projects all over this country.

Building is expensive. There’s labor, materials, finishes, and knowledge, and that’s just scratching the surface. All of it costs a mint, or an arm and a leg—pick your metaphor. Further driving up the bill is the current global economic crisis. I’ve seen firsthand how college kids, just-out-of-college kids, and altruistic individuals and groups are making programs like Habitat for Humanity, AmeriCorps, and NOLA100 work.

Knowing the volunteers are the driving force behind programs like NOLA100 was a major factor (if not the major factor) while my team and I drafted our prescriptions for NOLA100 greenovations.

We recommended arming volunteers with buckets of low-VOC duct sealants (such as Great Stuff), then mobilizing them to attack any and all holes in and around the ductwork, the walls, the floors, the roof, and the windows. With the training we provided, the project managers and volunteers could locate problem areas in the project homes and seal them.

The volunteers sealed holes in and around the sheathing, bottom and top plates, windows, doors, and more. They identified the vulnerable spots in ductwork where trunks meet up with flex ducts, ducts to registers, and the air handlers themselves. With little cost in materials, there is a great return on investment transferred directly to the homeowners.

The Hope Has a Face Foundation did a phenomenal job managing, housing, and coordinating NOLA100’s many volunteers. They housed volunteers in a privately owned building that used to be an airplane hangar and also served as temporary dorms for the Ninth Ward. The hangar will become a community center after the project, a bonus for the Katrina-devastated neighborhood.

I'm heading back to New Orleans this month to begin another chapter of green-building work. Stay tuned for developments.

Editor’s note: At FineHomebuilding.com, we understand the vital role volunteers play in building durable, affordable houses in communities all over the country. That's why we put together a special collection of our best articles focused on the building basics every volunteer should know before rolling up his or her sleeves and getting to work.

Calling all window experts: Suggestions, please!

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:54:17 GMT

Posted by: Rick Arnold

One of the most cost-effective energy upgrades to an existing house is replacing the old windows. Not only do replacements provide more insulation, but their installation also provides the opportunity to air-seal around each unit. Especially here in New England, it’s often possible to see payback in as little as five years.

On this historic-building project, we have a mixture of double-hung windows. Some seem to be original (1750s) while others have been altered, repaired, and replaced over the years. Judging by the hardware and the glass, I would say that except for a stray pane of glass here and there, none has been replaced since the 1800s.

Unfortunately, the one thing they have in common is that they are all in bad shape. While the majority of the frames are not too bad and can be worked on, the sash in most are not worth saving. Much of the wood is rotted, and many are held together with modern L-brackets. The ones that seem to be in better shape have been sealed shut with layers of interior paint.

We asked the historic commission about replacing the windows. We brought in a sample of a modern, energy-efficient window that replicates the historic look in the dimensions of the wood frame, sill, and sash, and also the look of the glazing, in that it is true divided lite.

No way, no how, forget about it!

I can understand some of the resistance to the change. The existing glass panes are beautiful with their imperfections (waviness, distortion, and small bubbles), but it would have been nice to have the replacement option for some of the less visible units around back.

In the meantime, I got a quote from a local historic-building restoration company to repair the existing sash. The estimate range was from $500 to $1600 per window (per sash, actually) to get them back to properly functioning, structurally secure units. But there is no guarantee of success because many of the units are only 7/8 in. thick and very flimsy.

So if we take an average of $1000 per window, that comes to about $45,000. To that I say: No way, no how, forget about it!

So what now? I know we can install storm windows on the outside (which many already have) and also on the inside to improve energy performance, but there is still the issue of being able to operate the sashes during nice weather without them falling apart.

I would appreciate any suggestions.