Solatube eChoice makes tubular skylights more efficient & less expensive
June 30, 2009
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
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Andersen Windows talks stimulus rebates for your remodel
March 30, 2009
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
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Learn about 2009 window and door tax credits
March 11, 2009
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.
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Marvin Windows & Doors: A Greener View
October 18, 2008
The eco-friendly view from Marvin Windows & Doors.
I was twelve when I ordered my first Marvin Window & Door brochure. I know, starting a bit early right? At the time I was obsessed with designing floor plans and loved to pour over my mother’s Better Homes & Gardens magazines. It’s been a while, but I believe they still have the pull-out tabs where you can request product information. So, for a long time, I would spec out my designs to include the Marvin Windows & Doors that I liked best. Almost 20 years later, Marvin products are still desirable, ever growing, and amazingly eco-friendly. Maybe all that childhood research will someday bring about a beautiful home of my own with Marvin Windows & Doors…till then, here are some green reasons to use Marvin:
Thinking Green: The Marvin green thought, “Always striving for improvement, Marvin Windows and Doors has introduced initiatives that rethink our value chain, improve resource productivity while lowering environmental costs, and implement green practices that make producing beautiful windows an environmentally-friendlier process.”
Good design and careful decisions make a difference in our environment. Marvin has one of the lowest Read more
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Claim it as Your Own ? Reclaimed Building Supply
October 9, 2008
One of the newest trends in home renovation, restoration and building isn?t actually new. Just an old idea whose time has come back around.
The salvage and junk yards of our grandparents have become slicker and hipper for the eco conscious and the thrifty alike. Reclaimed building supply and deconstruction companies now use words like architectural, sustainable, reclaimed and even reincarnation to describe the junkyards of yesteryear.
You can find reclaimed building supply companies in every state and almost every larger city. Some specialize in period antiques, others in just bathroom fixtures, some carry everything including kitchen sinks. All it took was a two minute internet search for me to find my nearest reclaimed building supply store. Who knew one of these gems was hiding in the next town over?
The ReCONNstruction Center of New Britain, Connecticut is different from the rest of the pack. It is a non-profit group whose mission includes not only salvaging building materials in the name of mother earth, but it also Read more
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Pella gets more eco-friendly with Window and Door transportation
June 25, 2008
This week Pella announced it is now a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency?s (EPA) SmartWay Transport Partnership program.
The SmartWay Transport Partnership is an innovative collaboration between EPA and the freight industry to increase energy efficiency while striving to reduce greenhouse gases and air pollution.
Because of three-year commitments to upgrade their trucks with auxiliary power units, energy-efficient tires, enhanced trailer aerodynamics, and other improvements, the EPA estimates SmartWay partners are saving 600 million gallons of diesel fuel ? a cost benefit of almost $2 billion ?and eliminating nearly seven million metric tons of carbon-dioxide emissions that can contribute to Read more
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WINDOWS: How do you find rebates for your new windows?
June 21, 2008
Whether you select Pella, Andersen, Marvin, JELD-WEN, or another brand, windows are almost a certainty in your home remodel project. Did you know there are rebates and incentive plans in many areas of the country?
Window rebates are most often paid out based on the U-factor or Solar Heat Gain Coefficient by your power or Utility company. Many times these rebates have a budget, and once they are used up they are gone - so submit yours as soon as you can if there is a program in your area.
GetWithGreen searched the web and found you a fairly comprehensive list of rebates. Click here for the .pdf list of Utility Programs that Offer Incentives and Rebates for Energy Efficient Windows
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WINDOWS: U-Factor, Solar Heat Gain Coefficient…what does it all mean?!
June 13, 2008
It is time to make THE window decision for your remodel. If you are looking for energy efficient windows then you will run into many new vocabulary terms: U-Factor, SHGC, Visible Transmission… And all you want are windows that will save energy, and look amazing when your remodel is done!
So what do all these new vocabulary words mean? Turns out this new language does not find its root in Latin. These terms actually belong to the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC). Fenestration, when it comes to your home, are windows, doors, and skylights. The NFRC is a non-profit that develops and publishes standards for fenestration performance. Windows, doors and skylights are then labeled with a sticker like the one example in the upper right.
Turns out that understanding the terms and acronyms on this label can help you quickly navigate the glassy waters as you are considering one window over another - assuming you are looking for efficient windows that transmit a great deal of light into your home! Here is your guide Read more
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TUBULAR SKYLIGHT: Start saving lighting electricity with Solatube today
May 26, 2008
GetWithGreen.com set out last week to purchase a tubular skylight. We needed a tubular skylight for a remodel we are doing, and we chose a tubular daylight device because we wanted to reduce the need for electricity to light a hallway.
Using the list of tubular skylight manufacturers GetWithGreen compiled last year, we selected Solatube. Solatube was selected solely because their website provided the most complete information about tubular daylight device. After a great introductory conversation with Marjorie Clark at Sunlight Concepts, Inc. (Solatube reseller and installer), we decided to drive down and make our purchase.
There are many options when purchasing a tubular daylight device. Here are the items you will need to consider:
- How much space are you attempting to light? The Solatube products come in a 10″ diameter (Model 160 DS) and a 14″ diameter (Model 290 DS). Tricky in their naming, the 160 DS means that it lights roughly 160-200 square feet, and 290 DS means it provides coverage for 300 square feet. For our hallway we decided that a 10″ skylight would fit the bill. The 160 DS retails for $350, and the 290 DS for $450. Your contractor will likely receive a discount on these products.
- Light or No Light. Solatube sells an optional electrical light fixture that installs inside the skylight for night-time use. This is a really nice option if you are Read more
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INTERIOR DOORS: JELD-WEN door takes advantage of juniper wood
May 18, 2008
?(Western juniper) now occupies about 10 times more territory across eastern Oregon, northern California, and southwest Idaho than it did in the 1880s and has muscled out native shrubs, flowers and grasses to achieve a dominance that may last for hundreds of years.? ? ?Oregon?s Agriculture Progress,? Oregon State University Agricultural Experiment Station, 1995- 2005.JELD-WEN windows and doors has just announded availability of interior and exterior doors made with Western juniper as part of the authentic rustic style JELD-WEN® IWP® Estate collection.
The company is calling these doors an eco-friendly green option for homeowners because juniper is considered a ?water hog,? and the overgrowth of juniper especially in the Western states has been linked to the disappearance of critical water springs in high desert regions, as a single tree can consume 30 to 50 gallons of water per day.
JELD-WEN goes on to say that since invasive juniper outcompetes several native plant species, this leads to a loss of forests and wildlife habitat. So much so, state and local governments have offered programs to help support juniper removal in areas where it is quite literally a growing problem…now this ?throwaway? wood, which might otherwise be burned down to clear land, can be put to productive use.
The company says its Juniper doors deliver unique knots and splits in addition to Read more
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