Category: Sustainability

Does The IRS Solar Tax Credit Phase Out?

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irs solar investment tax credit ITC phase out?

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) provides a 30% investment tax credit for residential and commercial solar systems. The ITC is one of the most important federal policy mechanisms to support the deployment of solar energy in the United States. The IRS allows a tax deduction of thirty percent of the cost of a solar system, including labor and expenses, for any individual or business, through 2023. However, the Solar ITC is often threatened with extinction by partisan politics driven by competing…

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Passive Aggressive House

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Passive Aggressive House

Passive house is a green building design and construction approach that results in highly efficient residential and commercial buildings. Although commonly referred to under the term “passive house”, buildings constructed to this standard can be built to commercial scale as well as single family residential. The passive house standard is somewhat complex because there are two separate organizations that promote this type of construction… PassivHaus in Germany was the originator of the standard… and PHIUS (Passive House Institute U.S.) in the United States was subsequently formed to promote the standard…

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What Should A Home Air Purifier Do?

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what should a home air purifier do

Choosing a home air purifier often goes hand in hand with building out a “smart home“… But what should a home air purifier really do? This article presents the basics behind what a home air purifier should do and why you might want to buy one. Summary: Why buy a home air purifier? What should a home air purifier do? How do professionals measure indoor air quality? We answer these questions and provide links to other more comprehensive reviews that compare the best home air purifiers from the popular choices…

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Anti-Idling Laws Are Total Bullshit

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IMHO, anti-idling laws are total bullshit. Yes, car idling is BAD for various reasons: Idling your car isn’t good for the car. Idling your car isn’t good for outdoor air quality. Idling your car produces greenhouse gas emissions. Idling your car wastes gas. Idling a large vehicle like a truck could be annoying to others who may live or work near it. But anti-idling laws are bullshit because of two main reasons: Enforcement is problematic. The anti-idling statutes have all sorts of exemptions, however, very few in terms of common…

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Used or Leased EV Tax Credit?

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Fiat 500e EV tax credit

Leasing a new electric vehicle can cost as little as $20-$100 per month. This is because you can combine the generous federal EV tax credit with state EV tax incentives to get super savings on “plugin hybrid” vehicles and “all electric” vehicles. Plus, if you have solar on your home, you can power your EV with energy from the sun… And enjoy the 30% federal investment tax credit on your solar PV system.  Then you’ll have “free” electricity to power your EV. Can I Get The EV Tax Credit On A…

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50 Eco-Friendly Small Business Ideas and How to Start

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50 eco-friendly small business ideas

Environmental, or eco-friendly small business ideas can be very powerful because of their dual purpose: 1) Make money. 2) Make the world a better place. What could be better than that for a career? Green businesses can make a commitment to the environment in many ways, as described below. Eco-friendly small businesses can also grow into significant companies over time. Just look at companies like Tesla and Waste Management. Eco-friendly small business owners are driven to make money, but also because they have a mission to improve the planet, or the…

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What is Tax Equity?

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What is Tax Equity?

Tax equity is a form of investment that is made in renewable energy projects, such as solar… But why is it called “Tax Equity”..? Tax and Equity The word “Tax” in tax equity refers to primary type of benefit an investor receives when making this type of investment… He or she is going to save some taxes. The “Equity” in tax equity refers to the investor’s ownership of the investment. He or she is going to own something (at least for a little while….) An Example of a Tax Equity…

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Chia… A More Sustainable Bitcoin?

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An article in TechCrunch reported that a more sustainable cryptocurrency called Chia is in the works. The creator of Chia is the entrepreneur who created BitTorrent.  Bitcoin is unsustainable in its current state as it uses as much energy as a small country, just to exist.  BTW what’s up with the ridiculous typos in this “How the Chia Network Works” description? It reads like Engrish.  The article author didn’t mention the typos, but did mention that Cohen raised a lot of money… Maybe the description wasn’t written by the Chia…

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Ultimate Apathy

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Ask people if they would like to be thinner, richer or more successful with the opposite sex and the answers are all likely to be “yes”. Losing weight, earning more money, asking a beautiful girl on a date… All of these require some work. But the payoff is tangible, measurable and in the near future. But even when the returns are almost immediate, getting people to take action is hard. Most of us just aren’t very good at doing what we know we should do. Ask someone if they would…

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Republicans and Renewable Energy

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American Flag

It’s only a matter of time before the Republican party co-opts the mantle of renewable energy. How it will start, I don’t know… But it will happen. Perhaps a smart Senator or Congressman or lobbyist will craft a clever message tying unplugging from your utility with solar panels and battery storage to be the ultimate expression of American freedom. Maybe it will be Trump… After all there is no way to predict what he will do. If it is not him, eventually a Republican presidential candidate or right wing media…

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