The program will spur economic growth, save energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging appliance replacements. This program will create jobs in retailing and manufacturing and Michigan companies make many of the products included in this program. The Michigan strategy will have the following objectives:
- Complement existing utility energy optimization programs by providing rebates for appliances not covered by utility programs.
- Reach rural areas not served by utility natural gas programs.
- Push the marketplace by providing rebates for appliances that exceed the ENERGY STAR standards.
The program will start on February 10, 2010 and end when funds run out. Rebates are not retroactive. Only Michigan residents will be eligible to participate and rebates are limited to one per product per household. Appliances have to be replaced. Customers can go online or call a toll-free number to reserve a rebate. Participants will be required to mail in a rebate application and valid receipt for proof of purchase.
| Products to be Rebated |
Rebate Level ($) |
Targeted Quantity |
Total Cost |
| Clothes Washers Tier 3* |
$50 |
30,764 |
$1,538,200 |
| Refrigerators ENERGY STAR |
$50 |
30,000 |
$1,500,000 |
| Refrigerators Tier 3 |
$100 |
28,073 |
$2,807,300 |
| Dishwashers ENERGY STAR |
$25 |
10,601 |
$265,025 |
| Dishwashers Tier 2 |
$50 |
10,600 |
$530,000 |
| Propane Furnaces –AFUE 95% |
$300 |
4,280 |
$1,284,000 |
| Propane Storage Water Heaters EF>=.67 |
$100 |
1,280 |
$128,000 |
| Propane Tankless Water Heaters EF>=.82 |
$100 |
3,000 |
$300,000 |
| Oil Furnaces ENERGY STAR |
$300 |
770 |
$231,000 |
| Solar Water Heaters ENERGY STAR |
20%, max $1200 |
200 |
$240,000 |
| Total Rebates |
|
119,568 |
$8,823,525 |
* Tiers refer to Consortium for Energy Efficiency standards.
Websites to reserve rebates:
http://www.MIrebates.com/ – Refrigerators, dishwashers, & clothes washers
http://www.michrebate.com/ – Furnaces & hot water heaters
Call-In Numbers for additional information or to reserve a rebate:
1-866-621-8782 – Refrigerators, dishwashers, & clothes washers
1-888-MICHNRG (1-888-642-4674) – Furnaces & hot water heaters
|
Jan 25, 2010 |
San Jose Mercury News |
| Government working on ‘Home Star’ plan for energy-efficiency rebates
By Dana Hull
Energy efficiency to shine in 2010
Hoping to capitalize on the success of the federal government’s Energy Star label for appliances, the White House and business officials are pushing a new program dubbed “Home Star,” which would give property owners rebates and other incentives to weatherize their homes and make other improvements to cut their energy use. Home Star is expected to be part of a broad jobs bill Congress is preparing to unveil in the coming weeks.
Although details are still being hammered out, several players involved in drafting the Home Star legislation say the program falls into two main categories. Short-term upgrades like air-sealing, insulation, and furnace and water heater replacement would give homeowners $250 rebates for each new appliance installed. Longer-term projects that reduce a home’s energy use by 20 percent could see households earning a rebate of as much as $4,000.
Silicon Valley venture capitalist John Doerr, who serves on President Barack Obama’s board of outside economic advisers, is a leading champion for Home Star, which he describes as “Cash for Caulkers.” The idea has widespread support from big-box retailers, labor unions, environmental groups and the construction and contracting industries, which have been devastated by the collapse of the housing market. Although national unemployment remains at about 10 percent, almost a quarter of the nation’s construction workers are unemployed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“We are in an urgent moment where we desperately need jobs,” said Bracken Hendricks, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and an architect of the Home Star legislation. “You have business and environmental interests aligned around making this happen, and happen now. I have never seen a coalition this broad and this committed.”
Contact Dana Hull at 408-920-2706 408-920-2706 .
|
(From UCS Greentips) – Have you been wanting to green your home, but don’t have the green to do it? As part of the federal stimulus package, the government is offering a tax credit on various products that will help boost your home’s energy efficiency. The tax credit covers 30 percent of the purchase price—and, in some cases, the installation cost as well—of eligible products “placed in service,” or put into use, in existing primary residences (not new construction) between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2010. The maximum credit you can receive for all qualifying products during this period is $1,500.
Here is a brief summary of basic eligibility requirements; because not all items in a category qualify for the tax credit, be sure to confirm product eligibility before you buy. The Energy Star website (see the Related Resources) provides more detailed information as well as resources to help you choose the right products for your home.
For these items, the tax credit applies only to the purchase price:
- Windows and doors. All Energy Star-rated products installed before June 1, 2009, are eligible. After June 1, qualifying products must meet more stringent criteria, with a value of 0.3 or lower for both U-factor (heat transfer rate) and solar heat gain coefficient (fraction of incoming solar radiation admitted). Certain heat-blocking window films also qualify; eligible films must have a certification statement, available on manufacturers’ websites, noting their eligibility for the tax credit.
- Insulation. Most types of bulk insulation (e.g., rolls, batts, blow-in) and air leak sealants (e.g., weatherstripping, caulk) qualify. A manufacturer’s certification statement is required.
- Roofing. All Energy Star-qualified metal roofs and reflective asphalt shingles are eligible. A manufacturer’s certification statement is required.
For these items, the tax credit applies to both purchase and installation costs:
- Space heating and cooling systems. Central air conditioners, air-source heat pumps, furnaces, and boilers must meet specific efficiency criteria, which vary depending on the system and fuel type (see the Energy Star website for details).
- Water heaters (non-solar). Gas-, oil-, and propane-fired units must have an energy factor (EF)—a measure of overall energy efficiency—of 0.82 or higher or a thermal efficiency rating (a measure of how effectively fuel is converted to heat) of at least 90 percent. Electric heat pump water heaters with an EF of 2.0 or higher qualify as well; conventional electric water heaters (storage or tankless) do not.
- Biomass stoves. Units using plant-derived fuel (e.g., wood, wood pellets, grasses) with a thermal efficiency rating of at least 75 percent qualify. To reduce air pollution, choose the stove with the lowest emissions possible.
States and utilities may offer additional incentives (see the Related Resources) for the products listed above, or for products not included in the federal tax program, allowing you to save even more money.
A couple of weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy announced a new appliance rebate program. Starting later this year and in early 2010, consumers will be able to receive rebates to purchase new ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances when they replace their used appliances.
More than 70% of the energy used in our homes is for appliances, refrigeration, space heating, cooling, and water heating. Replacing old appliances and equipment with those that are ENERGY STAR® labeled can help American families save significantly on their utility bills.
Energy savings will depend on the specific appliance and model being replaced, but new ENERGY STAR appliances save significantly more energy than those manufactured years ago. For example, replacing a clothes washer made before 2000 with a new ENERGY STAR model can save up to $135 per year. Replacing a refrigerator made before 1993 with a new ENERGY STAR model can save up to $65 per year.
Each state and territory may select its own set of ENERGY STAR-qualified products to rebate. The U.S. Department of Energy has recommended the following appliances:
- Boilers
- Central air conditioners
- Clothes washers
- Dishwashers
- Freezers
- Furnaces (oil and gas)
- Heat pumps (air source and geothermal)
- Refrigerators
- Room air conditioners
- Water heaters
State energy offices will administer the rebate program. Some states may offer the rebate at the point of purchase—when consumers are actually purchasing the appliances. Other states may require consumers to mail in a paper form to request a check. There may be other ways, too, since each state will set up its own processing system.
The rebates will help consumers save energy and money at home in more ways than one. Federal tax credits also are available now for many home energy efficiency improvements, including windows, doors, water heaters, and HVAC equipment for existing homes. For more information, see the Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency Web page.
Some local utility companies offer additional rebates and other incentives.
Post by Chris Stewart, a senior communicator at DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which assists EERE in providing technical content for many of its Web sites.
Chances are that if you’ve seen a car commercial in the last few weeks then you’ve heard about the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) Program. I know those commercials caught my attention on several occasions. And since my husband and I are planning on buying a new car later this year, I thought I’d do some research into the program to see if we might benefit. It turns out that our potential trade-in vehicle is already pretty fuel efficient and doesn’t qualify for the program. However, if your family is considering upgrading to a new, more fuel efficient vehicle in the next few weeks, you may want to investigate whether your car might qualify.
The CARS Program, under the purview of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), offers eligible buyers between $3,500 and $4,500 off the cost of a new vehicle when they trade in an older, less fuel efficient vehicle. More information on the program, including more detailed eligibility information, can be found through the CARS Program Web site.
While there is some question over how long this program will last, as of today, the CARS Web site says it is still operating. The Web site itself is a treasure trove of information, with a dealer locator that can help you find dealers near you that are participating in the CARS program, a list of helpful FAQs, and an interactive vehicle eligibility guide that can help you determine if your vehicle qualifies. If you need further assistance, you can also contact the CARS hotline directly at (866) CAR-7891 or TTY at (800) 424-9153.
Even if, like my family, you are unable to take advantage of the CARS Program, you still may be able to benefit from federal or state tax incentives for the purchase of an eligible hybrid or alternative fueled vehicle. More information on federal incentives for hybrid purchases can be found at FuelEconomy.gov. For state-level incentives, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center maintains an extensive listing.
Article by Amy Foster Parish, whom is a staff member with the Washington State University Extension Energy Program and answers inquiries through the EERE Information Center.
By Allison Casey of NREL – Over the past few weeks, my husband and I have been shopping for a new patio door. We currently have a sliding glass door that we have always hated—full exposure to winds from the west and to open fields behind our house mean that we always have dirt and dust getting in through that door, not to mention cold air in the winter and heat in the summer. The final straw was a warped and squeaky track, no doubt aggravated by our dog’s constant indecision over whether he wants to be inside or outside (oh, the dilemma!).
Since sliding glass doors are known to be inefficient (and ours was already driving us crazy), we decided that a door that swings, rather than slides, is our best bet. Here are the other features we want in a door:
- Glass, so we can enjoy our gorgeous view of the mountains. Because glass doors are less efficient, we are looking for energy-efficient features such as low-e coatings and gas fills to help control heat transfer through the glass
- Can be tightly weatherstripped to keep air and dirt from blowing through the house
- Can handle the wear-and-tear of frequent use
- Meets the efficiency requirements for a federal tax credit—the U-factor and solar heat gain coefficient both need to be equal to or less than 0.30.
We also decided that we wanted both sides of the door to swing open. Our hope is that the extra-wide opening will allow even more breeze to blow through in the evening, keeping our cooling costs down.
We familiarized ourselves with ENERGY STAR’s purchasing tips, checked for rebates and state, local, and utility incentives that we might be eligible for, and started shopping with our list of requirements in hand.
After a bit of looking, we narrowed our choice to two doors. Oddly, the manufacturer of one of the doors couldn’t confirm for certain that we could upgrade the door so it would meet the requirements for a federal tax credit.
Lesson learned: before you buy anything, make sure that the manufacturer can give you a certification statement stating that the product qualifies for the federal tax credits for energy efficiency. In the case of windows and doors, not all ENERGY STAR products will qualify; and with an available credit of 30% of the cost (up to $1,500), you don’t want to find out too late that your purchase isn’t eligible for the credit!
We are still doing some research and making our final decisions, but this has definitely been a learning process. And once we decide on a door, we aren’t done yet. We then have to find some energy-efficient (and nice looking) window treatments. The fun never stops at our house!
By Allison Casey, a senior communicator at DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which assists EERE in providing technical content for many of its Web sites.
Secretary Chu Announces Nearly $300 Million Rebate Program to Encourage Purchases of Energy Efficient Appliances
Program Benefits Every U.S. State and Territory
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the availability of nearly $300 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for state-run rebate programs for consumer purchases of new ENERGY STAR® qualified home appliances. The new program underscores the Obama Administration’s commitment to make American homes more energy efficient, while helping to support the nation’s economic recovery. For the entire article, please see http://www.energy.gov/news2009/7634.htm
It’s moving forward, slowly. Some of the key components of the act can be seen here http://www.globe-net.com/other_news/listing.cfm?type=2&newsID=4421
More info in the link here http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20090706/FREE/907069983#
This is just the beginning, residential programs are being rolled out as well. All Michigan utilities have energy optimization programs coming out similar to the ones mentioned in the article from the link above. Now will be the time to act for efficiency upgrades in order to get those rebates, and we can help you, so contact us if you are interested in learning more.
DSIRE, the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy, has released a new incentives website devoted to solar energy. This new website can be found at www.dsireusa.org/solar and includes:
- Interactive Solar Map: Allows quick access to solar incentives and policies in effect in each U.S. state and territory.
- Solar Policy Comparison Tables: Detail individual elements of solar rebates and tax credits to facilitate comparison among state programs. These tables may be downloaded as spreadsheets.
- Solar Policy Guide: Describes and provides examples of different types of solar policies adopted by state and local governments. This guide also addresses current policy trends.
- Solar Policy Summary Maps: Provide a geographical overview of the availability of certain types of solar incentives and policies. These maps may be downloaded as .ppt or .jpg files.
- Search Tool: Allows users to search the DSIRE Solar database by several different criteria (e.g., technology, policy type, eligible sector) to create customized lists of solar incentives and policies.
