By Joe Walsh •
August 25, 2009
Beginning in the fall, consumers will have access - through existing state-level energy efficiency incentive programs - $300 million in stimulus funds made available as rebates for energy efficient appliances.
In an effort to feed two children with the same bottle, the Obama administration has created a rebate program that has potential to affect the average Joe and Jane. The nation has stumbled forward, carrying the weight of the struggling economy on one leg and the weight of energy concerns on the other; but the current administration hopes to change that.
Dog days of August? Not at sustainablog!
While most people are wondering if the summer heat is ever going to end, we were hitting our stride here: many more posts, and much more variety. Perhaps it was the cool breeze created by fingers flying across the keyboard…
August 2008
By Joel Bittle •
September 11, 2008
The folks over at Food Service Warehouse are celebrating the announcement of their Certified Green Commercial Kitchens program by announcing a green commercial kitchen contest, with $40,000 worth of kitchen equipment and supplies going to the winner. If you operate a commercial kitchen and have taken steps to make it greener, fill out the form by October 31 to enter the contest. It’s free and the prizes include a refrigerator/freezer, steamer, fryer, ice machine, oven, and more.
Food Service Warehouse is an online source for commercial kitchen equipment that has taken impressive steps in encouraging green commercial kitchen practices. They have devoted dozens of pages to explaining the advantages of going green and giving practical advice on how to achieve it.
By Derek Markham •
September 10, 2008
You did your homework and bought an energy-efficient refrigerator.
It has the Energy Star rating, so you’re thinking that you might save some money on the electric bill and help to green your house by purchasing it.
You might be wrong.
In the October issue of Consumer Reports, “Save Energy, Save Money“, an article entitled “Energy Star has lost some luster” has stirred up some controversy. Consumer Reports rated one refrigerator as using 60% more electricity than the Energy Star label stated, and one, the LG LMX25981ST French-door fridge, as using more than double the energy on the label.
It turns out that according to the Department of Energy (DOE) procedures for testing, the refrigerator’s ice machine should be turned off during the test. Turning off the ice maker on some models, like the one tested, also turns off the cooling to the ice-making compartment.
Who buys a refrigerator with an ice-maker and then shuts it off?
By Low Impact Living •
August 27, 2008
Don’t get us wrong, we love Energy Star. Madly, truly, deeply LOVE it. It’s just important to know that not all Energy Star rated appliances are created equal, so it’s worth a bit of investigation to ensure that you get the most energy efficiency bang for your buck.
If you’re unfamiliar with the program, here’s a bit of background: Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. Together, they established minimum standards for energy efficiency, above and beyond the federal standard. By purchasing Energy Star rated products, including clothes washers, dishwashers, refrigerators, and room AC units, Americans saved $16 billion on their utility bills in 2007 alone. Those lower utility bills translate into a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 27 million cars. Talk about a positive impact!
So when you’re ready to invest in a new appliance, you should definitely look for the Energy Star label. Many states even offer rebates on Energy Star appliances (check out the Database for State Incentives for Renewables and Energy Efficiencyfor details).
Even with Energy Star models, efficiency improvements can vary so it’s important to review all of the products available to select the best one for you. On the Energy Star site, each appliance category has its own product list that provides the details on each model’s efficiency. Here are a few standouts in each category:
By Joel Bittle •
May 29, 2008
Remodeling a kitchen is an expensive process, and those who seek environmentally friendly products but are operating under a tight budget may feel they can’t afford to go green. Fortunately, the opposite is true. While there are many excellent choices for those for whom money is no object, some lesser known and much less expensive options offer the same environmental benefits. With a little knowledge and research, remodeling green can be easy and within your budget.
When seeking green kitchen cabinets, countertops, and flooring, the three areas to consider are materials, emissions, and whether it is a regional product. Each of these can have environmental advantages, and while finding products that qualify in multiple areas is certainly possible, some seek a kitchen with all recycled products or one with the minimum of harmful emissions. It is up to you to determine which area of green is most important to you.
Editor’s note: This short post from our friends at Low Impact Living points you to a (literal) gold mine of information on incentives for greening your home. Check it out: that energy-efficient upgrade to your home may be even less expensive than you imagined. This post was originally published on Monday, May 19th, 2008.
We want to let you know about an excellent new resource available to you– GreenMadeSimple.com. This site has created a very comprehensive database of green rebates, tax incentives and free offers across the US.
Their zip-code guided search allows you to find incentives and deals related to energy-efficient appliances and lighting, solar power, hybrid and alt-fuel vehicles, and more. The database includes federal, state and local incentives. Just put in your zip code and prepare to go green and save money.
Here are some examples of the jewels you’ll find:
Editor’s note: Hopefully, a tax rebate or economic stimulus check is in the mail for you. Our friends at Low Impact Living have some ideas on ways to invest that money in your home… and the environment. This post was originally published on Monday, May 12, 2008
We know that many of us will need to spend our tax rebate check on critical items like food or rent or paying off debt. But just in case you have some of your tax rebate check left and you’re looking for eco-friendly ways to spend the money, we have some ideas we’d like to share with you.
And we’ve geared these tips to supporting the US economy, so you get to do the right thing for the planet and be an eco-patriot at the same time! In coming up with our list of ideas we decided it would be good to recommend ideas that reduce our negative environmental impacts but also support US manufacturers and service providers. So here are five eco-smart ways to use your rebate to support the Earth, the US economy, and save your household money in the long run.
1. Buy a high-efficiency water heater. A high-efficiency water heater can cut your energy use, water use, carbon footprint and even utility bills (over the long run). For most homes you can get the heater itself for $600 - $1,200, but you’ll probably have to spring for installation as well. Models made in the US include the AO Smith Vertex (a storage model that beats the pants off of tankless HW heaters), electric models made by American Tankless Water Heaters, and natural gas tankless heaters made by Rheem (some made in the US). Click here to learn more about making the tankless decision, and click here to find local installers.
Sean Daily, 
