Government Grants for Building Earth Friendly Homes

Green frenzy is not merely cultural propaganda, but a necessary gift to a heat-increasing planet.

Over the past decade, the global definition of sustainability has gradually been shape-shifting its traditional hierarchical order of man to beast, to include a more interdependent view. The earth is the hottest it has been in four-hundred years, according to the U.S. National Research Council, the federal go-to organization for science policy. The results of "human burning of fossil fuels, industrial, farming, and deforestation activities" have served as a global rooster awakening a chain of green-friendly behavior. Included in the frenzy are government grants which aid in making our immediate living spaces earth and human friendly.

Renewable Energy

Most government financial assistance for green home construction is allocated as state initiatives and can be located at the US Environmental Protection Agency website under Green Building Funding Opportunities. Building grants are exclusively reserved for businesses, though financial assistance may be found in the form of home additions. If you are adding energy efficient systems to your home, federal tax credits are available at 30 percent cost and no upper limit for "geothermal heat pumps, solar energy systems, wind energy systems, and fuel cells" through the year 2016.

Energy Efficiency

The Database of State Incentives for Energy Efficiency offers a list by state of energy efficiency grants, rebates, loans, and green building. Currently, eighteen states offer energy efficient grants for home owners and builders. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 offers state-allocated appliance rebates for replacement of existing appliances through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for ENERGY STAR appliances; funds have been reserved at a fixed limit through February 2012. Do not discard old appliances and systems before incentives; most renewable energy and energy efficiency programs require their relinquishment before releasing rebates.

Green Roof Grants

Green roofs reduce heating and cooling costs by 30 to 40%.

While utilized throughout Germany for thirty years, green roof technology is a recent implant in American construction. Section 319 of the Environmental Protective Agency's (EPA) Clean Water Act states that green roofing elements in residential and business construction may be eligible for grants and matching funding through local agencies. Aside from the benefits of air filtration, the EPA states that "the insulation benefit alone can save 30 to 40 percent on heating and cooling costs."

Weatherization Grants

These grants are geared toward low income households which have a high rate of energy loss due to poor insulation and overall air escape. Weatherization grants are awarded annually by the DOE to state agencies at a fixed rate; individual home eligibility may be located at the Department of Natural Resources for each prospective state and also at the DOE's Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program under "Projects."

References

• Stanford Solar Center: Global Warming
• Department of Energy: Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency
• Environmental Protection Agency: Funding Opportunities
• The Database of State Incentives for Energy Efficiency: Financial Incentives for Energy Efficiency
• Department of Energy: Approved Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Programs