| Federal Tax Credit Legislation |
 There is currently legislation in both the House and the Senate that would increase the incentives available to those that purchase solar energy systems.
The "Securing America's Energy Independence Act" would remove the $2,000 tax credit ceiling currently in place for residential solar production systems. The result would enable homeowners to receive a 30% tax credit for installed solar systems.
Homeowners looking to invest in a solar system may consider waiting to make their purchase until this bill is enacted since the upside would be quite favorable.
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| Top Myths About Green Building Busted |
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For those of you still wondering about the reality of green building versus the rumors, HGTV Pro has recently written an article to shed some light on the subject.
Read what they have to say as they bust the top 8 myths about green building! |
| Residential Design and Construction Convention 2007 |
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 Come and 'Meet the Architects' at the Residential Design and Construction Convention.
Seaport World Trade Center
Boston, MA
IEH Design Principals will be on site to answer your questions.
April 4 - Wednesday - Benjamin Hiroshi Uyeda - 4PM to 6PM
April 5 - Thursday - Stephanie Horowitz - 4PM to 5:30PM
Click here for more information about the convention. |
| Energy Efficient Mortgages |
After working with standard Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEM), Jeff Cole of HomeFirst Mortgage saw a need for an additional energy efficiency loan product.
EEMs are restricted to only single-family, owner-occupied properties below a certain loan amount. EEMs do not apply to investment properties or expensive properties. Mr. Cole and HomeFirst Mortgage worked together, however, to create a loan program, myEnergyLoan, to fill in the gaps EEMs do not reach.
myEnergyLoan creates incentives to achieve sustainability in several ways: by offering a discounted loan origination fee and by providing a lower interest rate to borrowers wishing to either purchase an energy efficient home or make energy efficient improvements to an existing home.
This deal can be combined with any other loan program (conventional, FHA, 80/20, 100%, etc.) - it even can be combined with an Energy Efficient Mortgage. Like an EEM, myEnergyLoan requires an energy rating, but it provides greater flexibility and simplicity than the EEM.
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| A Tight House Is Good! |
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There exists a common misunderstanding that a house that is too "tight" leads to problems, such as moisture build up. However, the real story is that, when built right, all houses should be built tight.
Air infiltration is a top source of energy loss in a typical house. Building a tight  house is a great, economical way to prevent that energy loss. The tighter the home, the less energy lost.
However, when the house is made tighter, naturally, air no longer easily leaks in and out of it. With fewer air exchanges, moisture generated by people, bathrooms, and appliances becomes trapped inside and cause mold over time. Additionally, indoor air becomes old and stale and toxins may build up. Many builders don't understand these challenges or know how to deal with them. To complicate matters, building a tight home can differ from climate to climate. It's no wonder so many misunderstandings about "tight" homes exist.
But with the right know-how, the solution is actually not that complicated. A properly built "tight" home requires knowledge in building science and mechanical  air exchange design. Building science identifies the optimal wall construction in a specific climate zone that allows the desired amount of humidity to leave the building. Then, an engineer calculates both the proper amount of fresh air to bring into the house and the proper humidity level to maintain. With these figures, the engineer can appropriately size and design the air exchange system to adequately refresh the air within the house on a daily basis.
So, in the end, building a tight home AND integrating an air exchanger yields both substantially improved air quality and far-superior energy efficiency year round. |
| Building Energy Conference |
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The IEH exhibit at NESEA's BuildingEnergy07 Conference this year was a complete success!
Thanks to all of you who came to visit us, ask questions, and share your future projects. The turnout was more than double that of last year, with energy efficiency clearly moving into the mainstream!
Here are some of the IEH staff working at the BuildingEnergy07 conference. |
| Independence Energy Homes Services |
| New projects and updates for IEH clients include:
A custom designed, green, zero energy residence on Cape Cod's beautiful beachfront property. This sleek modern home uses a shape and form that mimics the topography of the surrounding land and takes advantage of the fabulous views. See new interior renderings below.  
A custom-designed, rustic, traditionally-styled residence on 6 acres in Boise County, Idaho. Our firm will create a comfortable, natural, highly energy efficient (considering zero energy), year round home design for a family of four based upon their interest in saving energy, producing energy from renewable resources, keeping their family healthy, conserving water, taking in the fabulous views, and 'doing the right thing'.
A custom designed colonial style home office building in Acton, MA. IEH will create a highly energy efficient, possibly zero energy design for an accessory building to complement the main house and support a work at home lifestyle.
A custom designed modern residence on 4 acres in Transylvania County, North Carolina. IEH will create a highly energy efficient, possibly zero energy design for the couple to take advantage of indoor/outdoor living and the surrounding lush forest.
A custom designed craftsman style residence for an urban infill development in New Jersey. See the new exterior rendering below.
Our firm offers the following services:
Custom Designs for Individuals - IEH specializes in the custom design of energy efficient, zero energy, and green homes for any location or climate zone in the United States.
Custom Designs for Developers - IEH offers residential design for new construction and specializes in energy efficiency. Each design is customized for the local climate and is styled according to your preference.
Energy Consulting for Developers - IEH generates energy efficiency improvements for the designs you already use, whether you are building 15 homes or 5,000. Our firm analyzes each plan using energy, fluid, and 3D modeling software, as well as financial tools. The results yield detailed, cost-effective options for improving energy performance.
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