The overall total limit for an efficiency tax credit in one year is $3,200. This breaks down to a total limit of $1,200 for any combination of home envelope improvements (windows/doors/skylights, insulation, electrical) plus furnaces, boilers and central air conditioners. Any combination of heat pumps, heat pump water heaters and biomass stoves/boilers are subject to an annual total limit of $2,000. (Note: ENERGY STAR certified geothermal heat pumps are eligible for a separate tax credit and not counted against these limits.)
Keep Reading...In August of 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. This landmark bill extended and modified many of the tax credits that were previously offered under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 features tax credits for consumers and businesses that save money on energy bills, create jobs, make homes and buildings more energy efficient, utilize clean energy sources and lower greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change and global warming.
Keep Reading...Tax credits covering 30% of the project costs will be available for qualifying improvements to your primary residence through 2032. For an ENERGY STAR Home Upgrade, this would apply to the heat pump for heating and cooling, a heat pump water heater, attic insulation and sealing, new windows and upgrades to your electric panel. Based on the requirements for these tax credits, there is a range of ENERGY STAR certified products, across all these categories, that are eligible.
Keep Reading...Recently the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final rule regarding low-GWP refrigerant transitions in new refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump (RACHP) systems. Many in the HVACR industry were expecting the rule to include a sell-through period of at least a year, so those in the industry wouldn’t have to deal with obsolete inventory.
Keep Reading...The Amp Dawg™ electric residential unit heater is designed to be a quiet, efficient solution for heating garages, workshops, and other similar spaces. The durable unit boasts commercial-grade heating elements and a space-saving design. The residentially certified 5.7kW unit allows application flexibility in spaces like basements, garages or storage areas, while the 9.0kW unit provides two stages of controlled heat perfect for larger workshops and garages.
Keep Reading...The refrigerant, R114, an ozone depleting CFC, with a massive GWP of 10,000, was used to control temperatures at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Paducah, Kentucky. Owned by the US Department of Energy, the facility was constructed in 1952 to produce enriched uranium, initially for the nation’s nuclear weapons programme and later for nuclear fuel for commercial power plants. It was the last government-owned uranium enrichment facility operating in the United States when work ceased in 2013.
Keep Reading...IDAHO, USA — After finding a hole in her in furnace, Hope Wolf knew she needed to replace her unit. The current HVAC system puts her home at risk of a carbon monoxide leak, but this is a costly repair for the Payette homeowner. Wolf received multiple quotes for a new furnace. The quotes ranged between $8,900 and $9,600. One company told her if she was looking for a new unit a year ago, her quote may have been up to $3,000 cheaper.
Keep Reading...The residence is a new home first occupied in November 2019. The original HVAC met the 2018 International Energy Code. The home was setup for two zones—downstairs and upstairs—with zone valves controlling which zone received airflow based on the call from the thermostats. The fixed capacity heating and cooling system maintained space temperature setpoints. The challenge of satisfying two dissimilar zones with single-capacity equipment resulted in issues with supply air temperatures in both heating and cooling.
Keep Reading...The Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses put forth a recommendation to the Idaho Building Code Board earlier this summer to significantly pare down the state’s energy code regulations governing plumbing, HVAC, and electrical systems. Energy codes are building regulations governing a range of items in building construction related to energy efficiency, including insulation on hot water pipes, requirements for the sizing of heating and cooling systems, and tests measuring how well buildings keep inside air from going out.
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