Archive for September, 2007
GreenShopper.com
Sunday, September 23rd, 2007Every once in awhile I get reminded of just how lucky I am to live in Northern California. Here, green and organic products are so popular you’ll find them even in “main stream” grocery stores. Then I get to chatting with folks and realize that in a lot of places “Seventh Generation” describes how long the family’s been on the old homestead, not a line of ecologically friendly cleaning products.
Enter Zachary Bouchard of New Hampshire and his website, GreenShopper.com. Zach’s idea started out as way for folks who don’t have local access to eco-friendly products to get them easily. Everything from food to clothing to health care products; to cleaning supplies, energy saving devices, and all kinds of common household products. With over 1,000 categories, the idea was, GreenShopper.com would be a one stop shop for products that would be delivered right to your door.
So what does this have to do with green building and remodeling, you ask?
Well, no business idea ever survives contact with the real world, and Zach’s vision was no different. With the help of volunteers from around the country, a growing database of local green businesses is being built. As Zach put it: “The user-driven site is sort of an online community where people suggest products and companies daily — so our staff will simply research and verify the daily submissions to determine if they are worthy.” So if you’re looking for a green builder in your area, a quick visit to GreenShopper.com might be well worth your trouble. And while you’re there, pickup some of those supplies that you can’t find locally.
When you do, Zach says GreenShopper.com also “donate[s] a percentage of our profits [currently 10%] to the planet and many of the vendors whose products we sell do the same, so not only does every purchase support a vast network of green businesses looking to save the planet, but the purchases also raise funds for environmental causes.”
So not only are you doing your part to help reduce the toxicity of our planet, you’re plugging into a network of people who want to help reduce their footprint on our little planet, and you’re also helping to raise funds to clean up the mess.
Thanks Zach, for making such a valuable resource available on the web!
Technorati Tags: green products, food, clothing, health care products, cleaning supplies, energy saving, household products, pollution, green networking, green businesses, green building, green builders, green remodeling
Tax Breaks For Going Green
Saturday, September 15th, 2007Elizabeth Brokamp over at The Motley Fool got a rude awakening this summer. After the fact, she found out that the air conditioner she put in after her old one conked out isn’t energy efficient enough to get her a tax break. That revelation got her to looking into home improvement projects that do save you money by making your house a little greener. So if you need a way to offset some capital gains this coming tax season, here’s a short list:
- Replace old exterior windows and skylights with new energy efficient designs and deduct 10% of the cost (up to $200). (See my article A Clear View On Glass for more information on selecting windows.)
- Replace old exterior doors and deduct 10% (up to $500).
- Upgrade your insulation to DOE regional standards. This can be complicated. Check with your contractor for what requirements meet your local “standards” for energy efficiency. Also be aware that most insulation on the market isn’t green — far from it! If you have the money, sprayed in expanding foam insulation is by far the best choice for a stud-built home, and there are some very green formulas.
- Mrs. Brokamp also recommends replacing your roof “with a pigmented metal roof”. Replacing your roof (if you need one) is certainly not a bad idea, but “pigmented metal” roofing is hardly the only roofing system out there that meets Energy Star standards. There are a good number of standing seam roofing systems that qualify. The one that’s right for you will depend on where you live. There are also non-standing seam roofing systems that qualify, such as the solar membrane roof. Your new roof not only protects your home, but generates electricity too! Unfortunately, according to Mrs. Brokamp you can only deduct 10% of the cost of the materials up to a max of $500 which, given the cost of a roof system and its installation, is a joke.
- Update heating and cooling systems with energy efficient (i.e. Energy Star) models.
- Go solar! Solar hot water and solar electricity both qualify for tax exemptions — though as with everything that has IRS attached to it, there are a ton of “ifs” “ands” and “buts”.
Still, at least the government is doing something to encourage us to improve the energy efficiency of our homes. So if you need a a few more deductions for your 2007 taxes, and are looking to sink a few dollars into the old homestead, here are some things to look at.
You can read Mrs. Brokamp’s entire article here.
Technorati Tags: Energy Star, tax savings, IRS, windows, doors, roof, roofing, solar, solar hot water, solar panels, heating, cooling
