courtesy archwayconstruction.com

1) Purchase windows that meet the following requirements: U factor less than or equal to 0.30; SHGC less than or equal to 0.30. I’m not going to try and explain this, just make sure that you ask for windows that meet these specifications. Otherwise, you won’t qualify for the rebate.

2) Have the windows installed between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010.

3) Claim the tax credit on your 2010 income tax statement. Click here for the form instructions. It is a Federal Rebate, so it works in any state (for example, Alabama, Texas, etc).

4) Remember that this is a tax credit, and will not be refunded to you. In other words, if you don’t owe any money in taxes, this program does not mean the government will pay you more money on your tax rebate. But, if you owe money in taxes, then 30% of the cost of your windows will count as paying taxes. So, you would owe less taxes and therefore get a rebate (perhaps – ask your tax preparer).

5) This can only be done on your principal residence. So, you rental property gurus out there cannot get a tax credit for windows replaced in your rental properties.

As a Christian who cares about God’s Creation, the environment, I applaud any efforts to save resources and lower emissions – especially while improving the appearance of your home!! Follow these instructions and the cost of those new windows will be much less than you thought!

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We liked the fact that this film was highly reflective. If you don’t like that, you can choose other films. Back in the old days, Aluminum Foil might have been my choice. It would reflect everything. But, you can’t look out a window with Aluminum foil on it. My daughter wants to look out her window, so we chose this film. To illustrate it’s reflectivity, I took the following photo of a reflection off my window onto the street, near sunset.

As you can tell, the window film reflects a good amount of the light hitting the window. In fact, the company says, “Reflect up to 72% of sun’s heat to keep inside cool; Light tint won’t block your view; Blocks up to 99% UV rays to reduce fading.” As a personal testimony, I can say that there is now no noticeable difference in the temperature of the rooms with film covered windows. So, it has made a HUGE difference in comfort for us. I’m also sure that it is going to impact my electricity bill, since my Air Conditioner won’t have to work as hard to keep those rooms cool.

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Now to the performance. Setup was easy, but to be fair I know what I’m doing with a router. I skipped the “basic” setup using the CD, and jumped into the device itself via http. I had it up and running in no time. I like having 2 different networks off of one router. It gives you a 2.4ghz network that you can set up as b/g/n, and 54/150/300mpbs if you want. Then you have the 5ghz radio that sets this device apart. It allows for a/n and up to 300mpbs. But the beauty is that 5ghz networks don’t get the interference that 2.4ghz networks do. For example, most cordless landline phones are 2.4ghz, so is your microwave, so are most video game controllers, bluetooth devices, etc. Not to mention the 13 other wifi networks that I pick up at my house (I guess my neighborhood is pretty “unwired”).

The main reason I bought this thing, and the real test that I gave it was streaming media to my Xbox 360 via the media center extender feature. I have a dual tuner video card in my PC, that I use to record TV. Then I use the Xbox to watch everything on the TV via Media Center Extender. I bought the wireless N adapter for the console this summer because I moved into a house where running  a LAN cable was going to be tough in that location. My previous N router wasn’t up to the test of streaming content of HD quality though. When I ran the bandwidth test from the Xbox, it always gave me a message saying HDTV wouldn’t work. I bought a cheap wireless G access point off ebay, and it was able to mostly handle the throughput… mostly. But, I wanted to really take control of the problem with my new WNDR3700 – and it does. I get a perfect signal to my xbox on the 5ghz channel, and it gets a throughput at nearly 300mpbs… which streams HDTV jitter free…

The WNDR3700 fits my criteria of providing an eco-friendly solution to my networking needs. As a christian who cares about God’s creation, environment, I want my purchases to reflect my convictions. This one met my criteria, my needs, and goes well beyond. It even provides the ability to create ‘guest’ networks if one so desires. The device has way more features than I need right now, which is nice because I usually end up learning how to use them and then deciding I do need them later.

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Before we Remodeled:

After Remodel:

I’ll answer any questions or comments ASAP.

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my new dishwasher

Today we had our new dishwasher installed. A few weeks back I was able to get one of the Texas Appliance Rebates – one for a dishwasher. You can read all about that crazy event if you want.I ordered a GE GLD6968RSS from Best Buy – they had the same low price as everyone else, the cheapest install price, and offered recycling, which saved me another $75.

Today at 7:04am – yes AM… the install man showed up. He was kind, big, talkative, and very AWAKE!!!! He was the install guy that Best Buy contracts out in the DFW area. The guy was really nice and gave me some tips for installing one myself next time I purchase a dishwasher (which will hopefully be a LONG TIME). He had the old machine out and the new one in within 30 minutes. After testing the connections to make sure there were no leaks, he left.

I immediately loaded it up, got it ready to go and then… waited for Rachel to get home at 4:10pm so she could hear it on it’s first cycle. We got this machine because it was supposed to be quiet – something our old Hotpoint (you know, the cheap-o appliances that come with cheap houses) was not. The old machine was so loud that had trouble watching TV while it was on. Let’s just say we were pleasantly surprised. The new GE is quieter than my air conditioner. Yes, I mean I could actually hear the air blowing through the ducts louder than I could hear the dishwasher. And of course it gets the dishes clean too!! Another bonus is that this new machine matches the color of the other appliances in the kitchen, black and stainless.

As a Christian who cares about God’s creation, the environment, I was planning to upgrade this dishwasher anyway. But, when I heard about the Texas Appliance Rebate program I was really excited to find that the government and I actually agree on getting better appliances. I am VERY PLEASED with my GE GLD6968RSS.

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1. READ THE PACKAGES:

These bulbs usually contain a conversion number on the package which will say something like “13watt CFL = 60watt incandescent”. So if you are wanting to replace a 60watt bulb, a 13watt CFL is for you. UNLESS, it lists ‘lumens‘. Usually, 900 lumens is the measure of brightness a 60watt bulb will produce. So, even if it says 13watt, make sure it is 900 lumens if possible. Then, check the package for “color”. You’ll notice it’s listed in degrees Kelvin – which may seem intimidating since you probably don’t remember high school physics very well. All you need to know is that there are three main levels of color, pink, yellow, and blue-ish. The lower number (2,700K) is pink, the middle is yellow, and the highest (6,000K) is blue-ish. I like the middle ones – they look like regular light bulbs. Oh, and don’t forget to look for something like “instant on”, cheap CFL’s take a while to warm up.

2. DECIDE HOW MANY WATTS YOU NEED.

Are you putting four bulbs in a ceiling fan? If so, four of the 13watt CFL’s will probably do the trick. Does your wife want a lot of light in the closet so she can see her shoes? You better get the 27watt (100watt equivalent) CFL’s.

3. DO YOU NEED A DIMMABLE LIGHT?

CFL’s won’t actually dim, but there are some which are advertised as ‘dimmable’. This means that they will work with a dimmer switch. If you really want to be able to dim the lights at the dinner table… stick with regular light bulbs for now. Or, if you have lots of cash, check out good LED lights – not cheap ones, you won’t be happy with ‘em.

4. WHAT SIZE BULB DO YOU NEED?

Some ceiling fans need special sized lights (the stem is smaller than a normal bulb). Also know that some cheaper CFL’s are a bit larger than normal light bulbs. If you aren’t sure grab a normal light bulb from nearby in the store and hold it up next to the CFL you want to purchase to make sure that your new CFL won’t stick up out of the lampshade. Your wife won’t like that.

5. DON”T GET OFF BRAND BULBS

I’ve done it, even though I know better. I always get suckered in to a dollar cheaper bulb. Then get it installed, and it takes 3 minutes to get bright, or has a weird delay in turning on. Brands that you know, like Phillips, GE, etc, are the best bets. Great Value brand may be cheaper, but if you throw it away because it annoys your wife or kids, it isn’t cheaper.

Use your new knowledge of CFLs to make a difference in your own energy use!!

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Here is the breakdown on the item and the amount of credit you can get:

• Refrigerators – $240
• Freezers – $180
• Room air conditioners – $45
• Clothes washers – $150 or $180
• Dishwashers – $110 or $140
• Central air conditioners – $600, $800 or $1,000
• Heat pumps – $1,200 to $1,600
• Water heaters – $255 to $640

All of these items are eligible for an additional $75 credit if you can prove that the company which hauled the old machine away recycled it.

This government program will allow me to make a purchase on a more efficient appliance, which will lower my monthly bills (just a bit), and lower my impact on God’s creation. I’m all for leaving a smaller environmental footprint.

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2010 Tax Credits:

1. Biomass Stoves
2. Ventilation and HVAC upgrades
3. Insulation (Attic)
4. Roofs
5. Water Heaters (both solar and non-solar)
6. Windows and Doors

The above are up to $1500

1. Geothermal Heat Pumps (really cool stuff!)
2. Small Wind Turbines
3. Solar Energy Systems

The above are 30% of cost with no upper limit

1. Fuel Cells for heating/energy (up to $500)

Of course you can still get a credit for buying a Hybrid Car, or converting your HEV to a PHEV. So, these are the federal tax credits, but what about state tax credits for efficiency? Most USA readers are from Texas or California, so we’ll look at those two specifically.

Texas 2010 Tax Credits:

One of the best tax credits you can get in Texas is a property tax exemption. So, you will be delighted to know that any renewable energy upgrade to your home is exempt from property tax. So, if (when) it increases the value of your home, it will not effect the value for property tax purposes. You can also view local incentives (by county or energy company here).

California Tax Credits:

In sunny California you can receive several tax credits for installing a solar energy system on your house. Once again, there are many more local initiatives and credits available and listed here.

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My second green toy was my new laptop. My old one died (which reminds me don’t buy and HP). It’s an ASUS 1101HA. I love it because it has an 11.6inch screen, and gets 10hrs of battery life. I’m going to install Ubuntu Linux on it ASAP and see how much more battery life I can squeeze out of it.

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The paint is all Sherwin Williams Harmony paint. It was great that the paint had no smell and will not emit any VOC’s in the future. I have really enjoyed the process of doing the work myself – especially knowing that we were saving money!!

The only frustrations have been the plumbing and cooling systems since they sat unused for a very long time. I would guess this would be a problem with most foreclosures. Thankfully, the plumbing has been easy to fix myself – mostly just new shut-off valves and toilet parts. The A/C was replaced by a great company, Eco Air. They came back and cleared the drain line for me when it backed up after three days. They also helped me when I was frustrated with the cooling performance to pinpoint the thermostat as the problem. I changed that thing out for a new programmable one and have seen instant change.

The main thing that surprised me was the amount of waste generated from packaging materials. Thankfully almost everything was recyclable. But, my town is behind and has no curb-side pickup – so I’ve made several trips to the recycling bins.

No for the theological, or spiritual impact this process has had on me. So far – I’m very happy with the Green Remodel that we have done. As a Christian who wishes to honor God and his creation, I know that this has benefitted the environment. I have been able to enjoy restoring a house to it’s potential and will get to enjoy it with my family in the future. In addition, I know that we caused as little harm to the environment as we could have. All through the process I really did feel like I was honoring God (worship?) by caring for his creation. I felt connected to God in that I was forming something with my own hands – in a similar fashion to Gen 2. I only wish that my attitude had been better some of the time. It really is hard to have a great attitude when I’m sleepy and worn out. That’s where humility comes in. I had to do a lot of apologizing for my attitude and words at the end of the days.

I hope that God was glorified in the process and will continue to be glorified as I keep up the work.

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