Solatube eChoice makes tubular skylights more efficient & less expensive

Solatube recently announced upgrades to two models of their tubular daylighting devices (tubular skylights).  The upgrades qualify their products for a 30% Federal Tax Credit under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  The two qualifying products are the 160DSe and the 290DSe.  Both are improvements upon the 160DS (the one I installed in my home), and the 290DS.

Solatube is the first company with tubular daylighting devices that exceed low Solar Heat Gain Coefficients (SHGC), and U-Factor ratings specified in the federal Act.     This is why their products qualify for the Federal tax credit!

What are SHGC and U-Factor you ask?  These ratings come from the National Fenestration Rating Council. We demystify both terms in detail for you in a previous article here on GetWithGreen.  Essentially, a low Solar Heat Gain Coefficient means that your window or tubular device will block heat from sunlight.  A low U-Factor means that heat has a difficult time escaping.  These ratings matter to you because the tube from these skylights runs through your attic.  You want to prevent as much heat from coming in during the summer, and limit the amount of heat lost during the winter.    The lower these ratings, the less your attic Read more

 Print This Post

Save over 1 gallon per flush - high efficiency toilets (HETs)work

High efficiency toilets, or HETs have been on the market now for years.  We wrote about them two years ago when we launched GetWithGreen.com.

Essentially high efficiency toilets conserve a lot of water.  Many older toilets use 3.5-5 gallons of water per flush, and newer high efficiency toilets from Kohler or Caroma use far less (0.8-1.6 gallons).

Having recently installed Kohler Revival HETs in my remodel, I am extremely pleased with the quality.  Even with two small kids cramming just a bit too much toilet paper, the toilets perform incredibly well.  Also, since so little water is used, the toilet does not run for five minutes afterwards!

Make sure you check with your manufacturer of choice, and your local water company for rebates after purchasing your new toilets.  There are many programs available to save money.  Here is an example of a special savings from Caroma that is offered in a drought affected portion of Texas:

City of Alamo Heights Launches Toilet Replacement Program
Caroma and Morrison Supply help save water and costs with dual flush high efficiency toilets

Caroma, the leader in dual flush toilets and stylish sinks, is partnering with the City of Alamo Heights and Morrison Supply Company in Texas on a toilet replacement program for Alamo Heights water customers. The new program started on June 10^th, 2009.

Due to drought conditions, Alamo Heights is experiencing Stage 1 water restrictions. This includes limiting landscape watering to one designated day per week at specific hours, no impervious outdoor ground washing (parking lot, driveway, etc.), restaurants serving water only when customers request, and several additional restrictions. As part of these ongoing efforts to conserve limited water supplies, the City of Alamo Heights has created the toilet voucher replacement program to help conserve water in the house.

Approximately 30% of water in the home is used to flush a toilet. Many older toilets use 3.5 or 5 gallons of water per flush. The voucher rebate program enables homeowners to purchase a water-efficient Caroma toilet at a reduced cost and Read more

 Print This Post

It’s tempting, but stop! Don’t throw old CFLs in the garbage!

Compact fluorescent lights (CFL) are going to be part of your remodel, and your current lifestyle due to local regulations in most parts of the country.  This weekend, I was reminded of how to dispose of an old CFL during a trip to Home Depot in Campbell, CA.

Last year Home Depot announced a CFL recycle program, that is available at all of their stores.  Simply take your CFL to the store, and drop it into their recycle-disposal bin - free of charge.  The bins are located near the Customer Service/Returns kiosks.

Home Depot will then ensure the compact fluorescent bulb is properly disposed of, so the mercury in the the bulb does not harm our environment.

So pleeeease don’t drop them in your kitchen garbage!

 Print This Post

Andersen Windows talks stimulus rebates for your remodel

Not that I wanted to post two window rebate articles in a row, but it happens.  Listening to NPR today while driving, I heard Andersen Corp CEO Jim Humphrey give his perspective on the current stimulus package, and it’s applicability for homeowners looking to remodel their windows.

Like Pella below, Andersen is also trying to translate the recent stimulus package into a language homeowners can understand.  This short audio file posted on the NPR website is a quick listen with some good insight for homeowners.  Check it out if you are looking to buy new windows for your remodel.

Andersen Windows Federal Energy Tax Credit interview

 Print This Post

Learn about 2009 window and door tax credits

This week Pella summarized some of the new tax credits for energy improvements.  The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) signed into law Feb. 17, 2009 includes tax credits for qualifying energy-saving home improvements. Immediately replacing the previous Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 tax credit for ENERGY STAR® windows and doors, the new stimulus bill significantly raises performance requirements for windows and doors qualifying for credits.

• Eligible window and door products now have to be equal to or below a 0.30 U-Factor and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) of 0.30 for all U.S. climate zones.
  • The U-Factor measures heat transmission through a window or door — a lower U-Factor equals better insulation.
  • SHGC measures how well a window or door blocks heat from sunlight.  The lower the value the better the unit keeps out solar heat.
  • We have some good information on decoding window specifications on GetWithGreen.com
• Between Jan. 1, 2009 and Dec. 31, 2010, U.S. homeowners may claim a tax credit up to 30 percent of the cost of qualifying replacement windows and doors installed in their principal residence, not exceeding $1,500.
• The tax credit applies to the price of qualifying windows and doors, but does not cover installation, on-site preparation, assembly or sales tax.
• You can find the qualifying Pella products at Window Tax Credit.   (How bummed am I that I bought my Pella Designer windows in November of last year!?)

*Please be sure to consult your tax professional to determine if the windows you purchase are eligible for the U.S. tax credit.

 Print This Post

Adventures and Advice in Home Remodeling

New paint, cleaning, patching up the drywall holes…that was the easy part of our journey.  All of the flooring needed to be replaced, (other than the ceramic tile in the entry), and the kitchen cabinets were waterdamaged and in need of repair or replacement.

We decided to use hardwood throughout the main floor, and carpet  in the lower level and loft above.  At the time we knew nothing about finishes, let alone green choices, but we had a cousin’s father in the flooring business.  After visiting a few other local flooring shops, we chose to use our family connection and ordered the carpet and wood flooring.  (Oh that we’d known about cork and FLOR carpeting)!

Meanwhile, after doing some local research on cabinetry, we decided that replacement was definitely out of our budget.  A family friend and interior designer, Kris, from Pinto Pony Designs, recommended a local painter who does cabinetry painting in several styles, including our desired, antique style.  Soon, the doors to our cabinets were off to her garage.  (Once again, knowing about VOCs in paint would have been Read more

 Print This Post

Watersense: Fix a Leak Week (March 16-20)

Drip…drip…drip…drip…How long have you been ignoring that pitter patter coming from the shower? How about the leaky spigot on the side of the house, or that running toilet? You might as well be pouring money down the drain! Fixing easily corrected household water leaks like these can save homeowners more than 10 percent on their water bills—and a precious natural resource.

March 16 to 20, 2009, marks the WaterSense program’s first “Fix a Leak Week,” a time to remind all of us homeowners to attack leaks in our household fixtures and irrigation systems. While leaks might sometimes seem like small problems, over time they waste Read more

 Print This Post

Reclaimed Glassware: 5 eco-friendly companies to watch

Recently I saw some beautiful green glasses by The Green Glass Company, and wondered, “What other options are out there and those with policy/reputation I can feel good about supporting?”

So here is a list of 5 eco-friendly companies that offer reclaimed glassware:

The Green Glass Company- Since 1992, the Green Glass Company has been producing glassware with resource preservation in mind.  Instead of using the non-environmentally friendly method of acid etching., the glassware is Read more

 Print This Post

Carnival of the Green # 164!

Welcome!!  This week Treehugger’s Carnival of the Green stops at GetWithGreen.com, and we are excited to host it!  No the carnival is not stopping for tips on green remodeling (while there are a few :-)), but rather to provide a stage for all eco-friendly bloggers to get their messages out in hopes of making our lives more sustainable.  Enjoy the wonderful insight, personal experiences, and passion for a better planet Earth at the links below!!

Have an announcement that’s appropriate for the Carnival of the Green? Post it on Treehugger.

View the last Carnival of the Green post: January 19th - SustainaBee
Next week’s Carnival of the Green will be: February 2nd - Inspired Protagonist

And now, GetWithGreen presents this week’s submissions:

Mr. Joe would like everyone to check out A photo-essay showing how to make you some homemade paper.
Not too hard to do.

Tiffany presents How To Choose Non-Toxic Paint and Wallpaper posted at Eco Child’s Play.

SimplyForties presents Commercial Beekeeping vs. Commercial Agriculture posted at SimplyForties.

John presents Smart Strip - Consume Less Energy with a Smart Power Strip posted at Smart Strip - Consume Less Energy with a Smart Power Strip.

Deanna Dahlsad presents A Healthier, Greener New Year With Collecting | Collectors’ Quest posted at Collectors? Quest.

Woman Tribune presents Get Your Kids Interested in the Environment posted at Woman Tribune.

Obadiah Shoher presents Hot, global fraud posted at Samson BLinded.

VegBox Recipes presents Obama, Vegetables and Global Hunger ? posted at VegBox Recipes Blog.

Beth wants you to learn about Bisphenol-A (aka BPA): What is it? Where is it? Why do we care? Most of us are aware of the problem of BPA in water and baby bottles. But do you know what other products contain BPA and how to avoid it? You’ll also find information about more surprising sources of BPA in kids’ products. Visit: fakeplasticfish.com

Heather Levin presents Want A FREE Eco-Friendly Dry Cleaning Bag? posted at The Greenest Dollar.

Want to buy a more fuel-efficient, low-emissions car? But can’t afford a brand new one? Read this account of how Sally searched for and bought a used green car. This post on Veggie Revolution includes a dozen links to useful websites she used, to help find, evaluate, and price a used but eco-friendly car.

Kevin presents 10 Best Recycling Websites for Kids posted at Parenting at More4kids.

For a laugh, here are some outrageous ways to save from The Digerati Life. A lot of the tips here are environmentally friendly!

Missy Diaz presents 8 Fun Facts About Squash posted at Groovy Vegetarian.

Clara wrote in to tell us how Green roofing options are plentiful, but to make sure you do the required
research.

According to Jacques Sprenger, Living cheaply can translate to living green, as we cut down on the things we consume. Family Budget For Frugal Living: Living Cheap Can Be Fun, Too!

Bobbie Whitehead presents Big Mama Tree posted at The Backyard Grower.

And finally, Laurel presents Green Around the Web posted at Green Thinking Blog.

Thanks for visiting, hope you enjoyed this week’s Carnival of the Green and be sure to subscribe at the top of the page to GetWithGreen to get your updates on eco-friendly home improvement and remodeling tips.

 Print This Post

GetWithGreen’s Green Building Book List

My husband’s brother and sister-in-law know I am into green building, so a thoughtful gift came my way last Christmas: Building Green by Clarke Snell & Tim Callahan.  I engulfed the 600+ page resource within a couple of weeks.  It was a wonderful read, focusing on step-by-step examples of earth plaster, straw bale, cordwood, cob, and living roofs.

Here are a few other great green building picks:

Green Building Products by Alex Wilson and Mark Piepkorn - resource for green building materials in your home.  It has an index of products and suppliers that will help you achieve a healthier home, inside and out.

Green Remodeling: Changing the World One Room at a Time by David R. Johnston and Kim Master - a comprehensive guide that will help you make simple green remodeling changes in your home.  Authors are a top remodeler and a green remodeling consultant.

Natural House Book by David Pearson - a recommendation of my favorite green architects: AMD Architecture.  It provides homeowners with a practical guide to saving money and energy with some of the latest green homebuilding practices.  Included is an updated list of resources for your green building needs.

Green By Design by Angela Dean - invites you to make healthy choices in your home building/remodeling, such as straw bale construction and natural flooring.  A reference for green materials as well as a guide to avoiding Read more

 Print This Post

Next Page »