Stimulus Plan

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Stimulus Plan Includes Tax Credits For Green Remodeling
At 1,588 pages, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is quite an undertaking to read. Most people probably wouldn’t take the time to read the whole thing, but there are some tax credits they might be missing out on. The economic stimulus package lengthens the Energy Efficiency Tax Incentives first enacted in 2005 and even creates some new ones for those who remodel their homes using more energy efficient and eco-friendly materials.
Some of the measures eligible for tax credits are:
· Replacing windows and skylights, and exterior doors which are equal to or below a 0.30 U factor and a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) of 0.30.
· Sealing cracks in the building shell and ducts to reduce infiltration and heat loss - these should be sealed so as to be consistent with the 2009 IECC.
· Window films certified by the manufacturer that the product meets the requirements of a "qualifying insulation system."
· Pigmented metal roofs, or an asphalt roof with cooling granules must meet Energy Star requirements.
· Adding insulation to walls, ceilings, or other part of the building envelope that meets the 2009 IECC (& supplements) specifications.
In addition to the tax credits, eco-friendly products can cut energy costs by 25 to 35% per year and, in some cases, making these types of modifications to your home are better for your health and safety as well. Asbestos, for example, was widely used as insulation in homes for most of the 20th century. Exposure to asbestos is the only known cause of an aggressive type of lung cancer known as pleural mesothelioma. Unfortunately, this type of cancer is hard to treat effectively as mesothelioma symptoms do not usually show up until about 15 to 25 years after exposure. By the time a diagnosis is finally made, the cancer is usually in its advanced stages.
There are a number of alternative types of insulation that can be used that are more eco-friendly than asbestos and don’t pose any danger to your health. The United States Department of Energy has a list of insulation “Energy Savers” you can use when making plans to remodel your home.