For a short time only….

From the manufacturer:

“I’m sure you are aware of the Energy Star Appliance rebate going into effect in GA, but I wanted to forward this just in case. Energy Star certified Solar Water Heating systems do apply, and our systems are Energy Star  …rebate is in place until the funds are exhausted, which could easily move quickly.

GA:
GA’s is going into effect on Feb. 12, 2010. GA’s pays $199 until the $9.3M runs out (all appliance rebates).
GA Rebate

Contact us today to get a free quote on your house  Fresh World Contact.

Here is a previous post updated with this rebate: more…

The next segment in the My Design Partner series is water heating.

All water heaters are created equally correct?  I wish. Unfortunately they are not, and making a bad choice in a water heater can cost you a lot in operating costs.  The water heater is the second largest consumer of energy on most residences. more…

We are a Velux Solar Hot Water dealer and installer. On one of the installations that we completed this year we accidentally heated the water with the sun for 4 months!  The intent was to heat the water with the sun with an electrical backup, however this was not the case for that period of time.  There was a disconnect attached to the water heater that was not working, however we did not realize this until we got several days of overcast and the sun could not heat up the water. The whole time they did not have to pay a dime to heat up their water.  Here is post from my homeowner about their experience- Lake Claire LEED

On average- in Atlanta you will save around 85% on water heating using a Velux system because the sun can preheat the water so the secondary heat source rarely has to kick on!  According the DOE the average payback is between 3-7 years.   Solar thermal is 5-10 times as efficient as tankless water heater in most cases and the payback is faster as a result.

To see how Solar Thermal works visit Fresh World.

Enjoy our latest cold snap? When it is below freezing out the first thing that we notice is how uncomfortable our homes if they have not been built or tuned up. You will see many commercials telling you to either upgrade your insulation, fix your HVAC or change out your windows. The claim is that if you make any of these improvements you will see 50% or more off of your energy bill.

This could be the case, however each home or building is different and these types of savings are based on how bad the house is in the first place.

Confused? Well- you should be. Most contractors don’t even know where to start.

If you are talking to and HVAC contractor (that only does HVAC- not home performance) they will sell you on the latest and greatest equipment.

If you got one of those “free audits” for you home- you will get sold some insulation.

If you call a window replacement company- you will get sold some super insulated vinyl windows that will be 25% less if you sign now!

Not that these products do not work (this was an intentional “double negative”), however if they applied in the wrong order, you will end having to spend the money twice or may not get the full benefit of the improvement immediately.

What is the solution? The best thing to do is do everything at once with a home performance contractor. They will do full diagnostic assessment to see where the problems are on your home and will give you a prioritized list based on safety concerns and return on investment.

Typically, you will see the ROI in this order.

1. Fix the holes Any holes in the exterior of your home is costing you money every day.  Whether it is an actual home where air or water is coming in/ going out or if it is inadequate insulation allowing for heat to be lost in the winter or gained in the summer.  This applies to foaming holes around the windows, air sealing around outlets, adding insulation to areas that do not have it (after you seal the holes), replacing windows that leak, and fixing duct work that leaks.
2. Upgrade the HVAC This needs to happen after the house is weatherized.  If not, the HVAC will be sized according an inefficient house.  Once you make it efficient, then the HVAC will be over-sized for that house.  Over-sized HVAC systems do not run long enough to pull the moisture out of the air and this can cause indoor air quality issues.  If you are going to upgrade the insulation and windows (just not now) then size the HVAC for the more efficient house.  It will just have to run longer to condition the house, but it will condition it.  Also, make sure that you fix your ductwork at the same time.  If not, you just spend tens of thousands on a system that is 10-30% more efficient that you old one (unless you are going with geothermal) and your duct system could be leaking 50% of the air to the outside.  Fixing the ductwork is a fraction of the cost and yields a faster ROI.
3. Renewable Energy-
   1. Geothermal HVAC should be considered whenever you are looking to replace or add HVAC.  Since geothermal costs more,, you need to make your house as efficient as possible by upgrading your insulation to spray foam and adding good windows.  This will decrease the size of the geothermal unit and saze you on installation and operational costs.
   2. Solar Thermal- I like heating water with the sun since the sun’s energy is currently free.  Solar Thermal is also not dependent on insulation, windows etc.  You can upgrade to solar thermal at any time as long as you plan currently for the number for bathrooms that you have in your house and how many people will be using the water at once.

PS- Whatever you do for the winter will help lower your summer bills as well!!

For more examples on Building Performance Solutions visit Fresh World

Do you see the water heater?  It is on the roof.  Looks like a skylight!  85% of this houses water will be heated by the sun!  Click here for more information.

If you are in the Atlanta area and want to take advantage of the energy portion of the stimulus package there are a few different options for you.   One of the hottest topics that many people right now are very interested in is “Going Solar!”  You can start out with a solar yard lighting kit that you can buy off of the shelf or you can make a more sizable investment and get a great return by adding a solar water heater to you house or by adding solar power to you house.  The most affordable of those options right now is Solar Hot Water.  There are many brands out there so be careful when choosing a manufacturer.  At the Hoots Group we like to represent the best products on the market so we can sleep at night.  For Solar Water heating we are qualified to install many different brands, however our clients have been choosing one over the rest of them.  Velux- for solar water heating.  Their complete system is qualified for all of the tax incentives and it is also Energy Star qualified!

Here is some PR from their corporate office here in the states:

“I am pleased to inform you that VELUX Solar water heating systems are now ENERGY STAR qualified.  As you all know, the ENERGY STAR program is well recognized throughout the U.S. for identifying products that are energy efficient — ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.”

To find out how you can start to enjoy a Velux Solar water heater visit Fresh World