Building Analyst Training

This past week concluded the first half of the "Home Performance with Energy Star" training. Once I have three mentored field sessions, as well as, a final field exam, plus passing the written test, I will be a Building Analyst with the Building Performance Institute. Cool, huh?

I will let you know the results once they are mailed to me. Can't wait!

Ikea

Ikea is investing in a new product line:

"Ikea GreenTech plans to focus on five areas — solar panels, alternative light sources, product materials, energy efficiency, and water saving and purification."

Also, I didn't know Ikea manufacturers pre-fab homes in Europe as well. Makes sense though:

"Empyrean's Turkel believes that Ikea -- whose worldwide sales totaled $15.5 billion in 2004 -- helped build the market for prefab homes. After all, homes made from a kit have the same quasi-do-it-yourself, modular quality and streamlined design as an Ikea bookshelf or chair, albeit on a larger scale. Ikea also proved that inexpensive products don't have to look cheap."

Bail-out Tax Incentives

Here's an article the has the figures for energy efficient tax incentives for 2009.

One of my favorites is the following:

"The bill extends for another eight years a tax credit that covers 30 percent of the cost of new photovoltaic solar power systems on homes.

The existing tax credit, which was capped at $2,000, would have expired at the end of 2008. Now, it's good through 2016 - and there's no longer a dollar cap on the 30 percent rebate."

Don't forget to check State Incentives and Assistance Project too.

From Crap to Bling

It's only a matter of time before every kind of waste conceivable will become a form of energy able to be used for something. Check out
"9 Unusual Alternative Energy Options."
The price of a barrel of oil is high, which causes these experiments and ideas... but gas has been going down, maybe not low enough like it was two decades ago. I really hope people start to think of the long term and really want to become independent of foreign energy sources as soon as possible. Like most industries, it'll have to be the government that subsidizes alternative energy so that it can compete with oil, etc... Exciting times! Can't wait until I have a vehicle that runs on solar, like the one just made in China.

Top 18 Green Building Blogs

These are wonderful with tons of resources listed in one spot. Know of any other sites with top ten lists of blogs and useful green building sites? This one come to me by way of Google Alerts.

Cheap Solar in a Decade

MIT discovers a way to store solar energy unleashing the industry!

Until solar is cheap, why not rent from a company?

Also, that giant bail-out package renewed solar's tax credits.

I can tell I'm going to continue adding onto this particular post because today I just read how solar cells are even becoming much more efficient.