ecobeco's August 2009 Newsletter
ecoTips, News, Deals, and More - And it's Free!
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Greetings!
This month's newsletter features some exciting announcements as the EmPower Maryland Program launches its first program for BGE customers. ecobeco is proud to be among the first group of certified Home Energy Auditors to participate in this program. We also talk about ways to avoid higher bills during the summer heat, and we announce a new version of our ecoAssessment. Read on. - BGE Launches Smart Energy Savers Program that includes new incentives for energy efficiency improvements.
- ecobeco launches Energy Efficiency and Green Energy ecoAssessment.
- August's ecoTip - Have a Cool Summer Without Breaking the Bank.
- Refer your friends and we'll thank you with some Green $$$.
- New Problem Corner - identifying gas combustion problems.
- Events Update - Intro to Energy Audits, Arlington County Fair, Green Festival.
- 99 Cent CFLs and Dimmable CFLs.
- ecobeco's Home Energy Audits - A Great Value.
- Tax Incentives for Energy Efficiency.
- ecobeco partners with PEG Environmental Solutions to launch energy
efficiency audits and education programs for condominiums /
multi-family residences.
- Montgomery County Residents get $250 of FREE Energy-Efficiency Products.
- Store Hours.
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BGE Launches Smart Energy Savers Program that includes new incentives for energy efficiency improvements
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In order for Maryland to meet the energy efficiency goals set forth in the EmPower Maryland legislation, Baltimore Gas & Electric has launched a new series of programs designed to help you make your home more energy efficient. This program is for customers who receive BGE bills for electricity or gas services.
ecobeco is a certified provider in BGE's Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program. To qualify for these incentives, you must first get a Home Energy Audit from a certified BGE Smart Energy Auditor like ecobeco. Then, based on your audit, if you implement any of the following retrofits, you can receive the incentive through a mail-in-rebate.
These incentives are in addition to any local, state or federal incentives you may qualify for based on where you live.
Contact ecobeco to learn more.
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ecobeco launches Energy Efficiency and Green Energy ecoAssessment
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We're very excited to introduce the newest product to our line-up, the Energy Efficiency and Green Energy ecoAssessment. This new product provides a walk-through of the home to determine energy efficiency opportunities in addition to evaluating your home for renewable, solar energy. This product takes about 90 minutes to complete and costs only $99.99.
Customers who are Clean Currents Chesapeake Green (wind energy) subscribers or sign up to become subscribers save $50! Please note that Clean Currents Chesapeake Green is available only in Maryland and DC.
Our original Energy Efficiency + Lifestyle ecoAssessment is also available for $149.
To learn more about ecoAssessments, visit www.ecobeco.com/ecoassessment.asp
To sign up, visit www.ecobeco.com/schedule |
August's ecoTip - Have a Cool Summer Without Breaking the Bank
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Saving energy on cooling is just as important as important as
saving on heating. While modern air conditioning provides houses with relief
from the summer heat, centralized air conditioning requires refrigerants (older ACs emit vapors that can deplete the ozone
layer) and significant amounts
of electric power (especially the expensive "peak-load" electricity).
There are several steps that you can take to keep cool before you
turn on your air conditioner that will save both the environment and your
wallet. The first and best of these techniques is to stop solar heat from being absorbed by your home. Reflective, light-colored surfaces don't absorb solar energy as readily as darker
surfaces.
Thus, lighter-colored roofs and exterior paints can reduce a process known as solar
heat gain. You can paint your roof, or wait until the next time you need to replace your roof. There are ENERGY STAR certified roof shingles such as the Certainteed X25 Star White (shown above) that cost the same as any other shingle color.
Blocking solar radiation through the appropriate use of shading
also can provide significant help in cooling down a house. Tree shade and
awnings around windows can reduce heat gain by up to 75% according to the
D.O.E. and is particularly effective on southern and west facing windows. Trees and foliage can
also provide further help with cooling by creating microclimates. As green
plants go through the process of photosynthesis they release oxygen and water
vapor. Thus, trees not only block sunlight, but can actively cool an area by up to 10
degrees. (Trees also take carbon dioxide out of the air, reducing the amount of greenhouse gases).
 Fans can also be used to help supplement central air conditioning.
A simple room fan or ceiling fan can circulate air, making the room feel 5-7 degrees cooler, which lets you run your air
conditioner warmer. Remember, fans work by blowing a breeze on your skin. They don't actually change the temperature of the room. Thus, you should never run fans to cool a room while you are out of the room. A whole house fan can also help to draw in the cooler
evening air while exhausting the hot and humid air. Fans are also much more
energy efficient, using only a 10th of the power of a comparable air
conditioner system. We generally do not recommend attic fans unless you are using
your attic for storage of temperature-sensitive items. For most people,
proper air sealing and insulation should isolate your attic from your living
area, which means attic temperature does not affect your living spaces.
Last, you should reduce the use of
any heat-generating sources. For example, instead of cooking with your oven, use a microwave. If you use a stove top, turn on your kitchen fan when
cooking to remove the excess
hot air before it heats your home. Taking a hot shower, turn on the bathroom fan to exhaust the hot, humid vapors. Replacing
your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lights can also make a big difference.
Not only do fluorescent lights use 75% less energy than incandescent
bulbs, they also produce 90% less heat.
In 2005, 91 million US households consumed some 258 billion
kilowatt hours to cool their homes, costing about $24 billion dollars and releasing
171 million tons of carbon. Taking these steps to cool off will not only save
you money but reduce your carbon footprint.
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Refer Your Friends, And You'll Get Some Green $$$
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We're very excited to introduce our Friends & Family Referral Program. Just go to www.ecobeco.com/friends and give us the Name, E-mail and Phone Number of your friends who might want Energy Audits. We'll contact them and if they purchase an Audit or Combination package, you'll get a $25 electronic gift card for the ecobeco product of your choice! Now that's green!
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New Problem Corner - Identifying Gas Combustion Problems
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| On the lower left-hand corner of the ecobeco home page, we have an educational feature called "Problem Corner." Our first problem corner dealt with air leakage. The second problem corner explains how rust or discoloration around your hot water heater indicates an air flow problem that can be dangerous.
 If your gas water heater or gas furnace have a significant amount of rust or if nearby copper pipes are corroded and green, you may have a serious safety and efficiency concern that needs to be addressed. These symptoms are often the result of flue pipe venting issues. The discoloration you see is due to the corrosive and potentially poisonous gases produced by these appliances entering your home rather than being vented to the outside - a serious health and safety concern.
Furthermore, when gas heaters are not vented or not operating properly you are potentially spending more money to operate these appliances. During a whole home energy audit, we conduct combustion appliance safety and efficiency testing to identify these concerns and help you to implement the solutions to fix them.
Click here to see more Problem Corner.
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ecobeco Events
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Visit www.ecobeco.com/events to get the latest on ecobeco's speaker series and to see where we'll be speaking throughout the community.
PLEASE RSVP by replying to this newsletter or by clicking here to email us.
Wed., August 12th, 2009, 7pm-8pm at the ecobeco store - Introduction to Home Energy Audits and Energy Efficiency hosted by Curt Christenson from ecobeco.
The Energy Audit is a science-driven diagnostic of your home's energy use and ventilation. Our auditors, who are certified by the Maryland Home Performance with Energy Star Program, typically bring $10,000 worth of equipment on every audit to show customers how to address energy efficiency, combustion appliance safety, and home comfort issues.
The workshop will include:
- An overview of the main energy uses in the home and what you can do to reduce your energy consumption.
- See the tools of the trade and learn how they work.
- Learn about the linkage between energy use and home comfort. Did you know stopping drafts reduces energy use?
- Learn how ecobeco delivers a full-service solution to making your home eco-friendly and energy efficient.
Arlington County Fair - Thursday August 20 through Sunday August 23, 2009, at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center, 3501 South Second Street, Arlington, VA 22204.
ecobeco will have a booth at this year's green-themed Arlington County Fair. We will be located opposite the Arlington County Government Aisle. Come and talk to one of our trained energy efficiency experts to learn how an energy audit works and what you can do to make your home safer, more comfortable and energy efficient.
Arlington County Fair - 3501 South Second Street Arlington, VA 22204
Admission is free.
The Green Festival - Saturday October 10 and Sunday October 11, 2009, at the Washington Convention Center.
ecobeco will have a booth at this year's Green Festival. Come and talk to one of our trained energy efficiency experts to learn how an energy audit works and what you can do to make your home safer, more comfortable and energy efficient.
Green Festival - Washington Convention Center - 801 Mount Vernon Place, NW Washington, DC 20001
Click Here to tell your friends about our speaker series!
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ecobeco's Home Energy Audits - A Great Value
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| We did some mystery shopping, and we realized that ecobeco's product outshines the competition in 7 major ways. In addition to the standard blower door test and a report with recommended retrofits:
- We use an infrared camera on every job to identify sources of air leakage that are invisible to the eye and/or behind walls and/or located in inaccessible parts of the home.
- If you have gas, oil, or propane-powered HVAC or water heater appliances, we test them for efficiency and safety to ensure your home doesn't have dangerous levels of carbon monoxide or combustion gases.
- We run every job through the Maryland Energy Administration's BEACON software that models how much energy you will save when you retrofit your home.
- We estimate the cost of each retrofit so you can shop smart.
- We tell you about utility and tax incentives that lower your costs of getting work done and show you where to get the forms you need.
- We provide you with a payback period and return on investment so you can compare this investment against leaving your money in the bank.
- We come back to your home after the retrofits are complete to validate that you got what you paid for by re-running our blower door and combustion safety tests.
If you or your friends are shopping for Energy Auditing services, ask our competition how much they charge to include all the things we do in every audit, and you'll see that ecobeco provides the best value in the area.
Starting August 1st, customers in Maryland can purchase audits starting at $349. Customers in DC and Virginia can purchase audits starting at $449. These differences in rates are due to auditor incentives sponsored by the EmPower Maryland program that do not exist in DC or VA. You can get more details on the pricing and our surcharges for larger homes, for homes needing combustion safety testing, and for long distance travel by going to www.ecobeco.com/schedule. Just sign up on-line for your preferred dates and we'll be in touch with you.
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CFLs for 99 cents and Dimmable CFLs!
Your incandescent lights are heating your home! Make the switch now!
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As it warms up, it's time to stop using your incandescent lights as heat sources. You know you do. Everyone does in the winter. But in the spring and summer, the extra heat from standard incandescent bulbs causes your air conditioner to run longer than it should, and that costs you money! So replace those bulbs today with CFL bulbs that emit much less heat (less than 1/4 the heat of an incandescent).
ecobeco is happy to announce our participation in PEPCO's Change a Light Bulb Campaign. You may have seen us mentioned in PEPCO's February bill insert. PEPCO has provided ecobeco with subsidized compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs.
A 60Watt replacement is only 99 cents.
A 100Watt replacement is only $1.99.
Limit 25 bulbs per household.
These bulbs are rated to 8,000 hours (if you use the bulb 3 hours per day every single day, they can last up to 8 years!), which means they should last 8 times longer than a standard incandescent bulb, and they use only 1/4 of the wattage. The math on these make changing to CFLs a no-brainer, and because you change them less frequently, you can spend more time having fun!
ecobeco also carries a large selection of Greenlite bulbs. This brand features CFLs with warranties as long as 9 years. They come in standard spiral shapes, reflectors (such as what is in your recessed lights), candelabra, and even outdoor lighting. We even have R30 and R40 dimmable bulbs for your recessed lights.
Visit us on-line or call us at the store (240) 396-2141 x2 to learn more.
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Tax Incentives for Energy Efficiency
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The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act included substantial spending on energy efficiency related items. Part of the legislation includes an increase in the tax deductions for purchases of energy-efficient appliances, insulation and windows.
Please click the links provided and consult your tax advisor for more information.
Taxpayers can deduct up to $1,500 of deductions for s pecific energy-efficient product purchases made in 2009 and 2010.
Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit
Taxpayers can deduct 30% of the installed cost of solar PV, solar hot water, wind, fuel cells, and geothermal heat pump with no maximum limit.
Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
The DSIRE database also includes incentives specific to your state and county, so be sure to check for those programs as well by navigating back to the home page and then clicking on your state.
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ecobeco Partners with PEG Environmental Solutions to Launch Energy Efficiency Audits and Education Programs for Condominiums / Multi-Family Residences.
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ecobeco and PEG Environmental Solutions have teamed to launch a comprehensive set of solutions for condominiums and multi-family residences.
Building retrofits that improve
energy efficiency have the benefits of lowering operating costs, improving the
comfort of interior spaces, and reducing the building's environmental
impact. Additional benefits include the
sense of well-being and pride that residents feel knowing that their building
is making a serious contribution towards a sustainable future.
PEG Environmental Solutions is a
premier engineering, environmental solutions, and risk management consulting
firm. PEG's staff includes Building Performance Institute for Multi-Family
Buildings-certified Building Analysts and Building Operations Specialists, LEED
for Existing Buildings Accredited Professionals, and environmental and mechanical
engineers. Read
more about PEG at www.pegenv.com.
Condominium owners and building managers can select from the following 3 programs.
Program
1 - Tenant Education and Home Product Upgrade Program provides a best practices education program to residents along with an opportunity for condo owners to have an individual visit from an ecoAdvocate.
Program
2 - Common Area Optimization Program. This looks at the lobby, common rooms, hallways, garages and other areas where lighting and temperature controls can be optimized, and windows and doors weatherized. Several apartments are analyzed using blower door testing and an infrared camera to develop energy-saving opportunities for individual condo owners.
Program
3 - Building Baseline Energy Efficiency Analysis Program. This is an Energy Audit based on workups of the building envelope, detailed apartment examination, and detailed evaluation of central plant.
Contact us at (240) 396-2141 for more information about this exciting product.
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MONTGOMERY COUNTY RESIDENTS GET $250 OF FREE ENERGY-EFFICIENCY PRODUCTS
We'll show you how to claim your Property Tax Credit!
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If you are a Montgomery County Home Owner (you pay property taxes), you can take advantage of the Property Tax Credit for Energy Conservation Devices. This credit refunds 100% of your spending up to $250. CFLs, Low-Flow Showerheads, Programmable Thermostats, and Smart Powerstrips are the easiest and most essential items for any energy-efficient home. And there are many more products that qualify as well. Schedule your in-home visit today and we'll help you determine exactly which products you need today.
ecobeco will provide you with the forms you need to fill out and will coach you on how to fill them out to ensure a smooth claim process.
There's no better time than now to schedule your in-home ecoAssessment or Energy Audit. The tax credit is limited to $250,000 of total benefit for the entire county for fiscal year 2009, so make your purchase now and submit your application as soon as possible to ensure your refund. There is no income exclusion or residency requirement for this credit.
Call us at the store (240) 396-2141 x2 to learn more.
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Store Hours
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Our regular hours are:
Monday - Friday: 3pm - 7pm
Saturday: 10am - 2pm
We are also available by appointment, and of course we are open during all of our special events. |
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Thanks,
Brian, Reuven, Curt, Elena, Jonathan, Mike, Daniela and Liam
(240) 396-2141
info@ecobeco.com
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