Cash For Caulkers Program

Recently, President Obama made a new program proposal that could help homeowners be greener and boost the economy, too. This "Cash for Caulkers" program would reimburse homeowners who purchased insulation, energy efficient appliances, and other green home improvements. It would encourage people to buy needed green additions to their homes, and help them save money in the long run.

Currently, we don't have details from the Obama administration. However, the administration has stated that it'll work with Congress to put together the legislation. According to officials assisting with the bill, homeowners could be eligible to recieve up to twelve thousand dollars worth of rebates, depending on the improvements they make.

This proposal is part of the larger spending program suggested by the President. Other spending includes offering money to small businesses, to the renewable energy sector, and to help support and expand infrastructure. These areas are being supported because of the great role that energy efficiency and infrastructure play in our lives. More efficient policies create jobs, help families save money, and reduce pollution and waste.

There are two main parts to the program. They include money for companies in the efficiency and renewable energy industry and money for homeowners embarking on efficiency projects. The plan will probably allow audits to be conducted by private contractors, who then purchase the appropriate items and install them. Coverage is likely to be available for washers, dryers, windows, insulation, heating and cooling and other important, but expensive, items.

The suggestion currently is for consumers to be eligible for a fifty percent rebate on both installation and purchase of equipment, up to a total of twelve thousand dollars. A household could spend up to twenty-four thousand in improvements, and expect to receive half back. For many, that will reduce the overall cost enough to encourage more improvements and larger purchases.

Homeowners who take full advantage of this proposed program will benefit in other ways, too. Energy bills could drop up to twenty percent due to greater efficiency and lower levels of waste produced by newer appliances. This could be a real help for homeowners in the long run, as long as the program is well planned.

Currently, it's not clear how this plan will be administered. Tax credits, direct rebates, or state agencies are all options. The current projected cost for the program is in the ten billion dollar range. Critics note that people who have to spend a lot up front to receive the rebate may be reluctant to participate, and that fraud may be an issue.

If well planned and well administered, this program could be a big economic boost and a great encouragement for people to go green. It all depends on how the final legislation comes out. If you're considering improving your home and making it a little greener, be sure to keep an eye on this interesting program. It could be a real help in your efforts to green your lifestyle.

Clean Energy to Get a B$G Boost

Three new venture capitalists have recently pledged $12.2 million to the PACE solar funding initiative, a venture founded by Cisco DeVries with Berkeley First. PACE stands for Property Assessed Clean Energy and is a program that assists homeowners in making solar power affordable and convenient. Basically the PACE program is a way for local governements to use a land secured bond financing schematic to loan low interest, long term loans to homeowners in a specific geographic area. The loans are then used solely for the purchase and setup of photovaltaic arrays and equipment. The homeowner is then able to eliminate or significantly lower their electric bill, and instead pay on the loan for the solar array. This financing model has allowed numerous areas of the United States to make solar energy use affordable and simple to implement. Draper Fisher Jurvetson, New Cycle Capital, and RWE Ventures are businesses that plans to infuse PACE programs with $12.2million in the coming years in order to finance new PACE supported programs across the United States.

In addition to the PACE program, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been providing many cities and municipalities insightful ways to fund new clean energy, efficiency, and conservation programs. As one of the main components of the ARRA is to provide new jobs and to stimulate the economy, and the fact that green technology and renewable energy are some of the "hottest" industries right now, it is no wonder that the Federal government finds it prudent to invest this market. The Department of Energy currently has the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant under advisement. The EECBG is an umbrella grant program that provides money to state programs, which then disseminates the funds to other local and regional programs to achieve the goals of their overall State Energy Plan. Earlier in 2009, states submitted State Energy Plans (SEPs) of which most have were approved for funding from the EECBG. Each state program has specific energy conservation and efficiency goals, which can be achieved through state incentive programs, municipal building retrofits, and/or the purchase or creation of specific energy credits.

The clean/green energy industry is an extremely volatile industry that is absolutely exploding right now. Numerous start up companies are providing new and innovative ways of not only providing renewable energy, but also the financial resources to obtain it. This has ushered in a completely different type of business model in which a company not only markets to potential customers or clients, but also develops relationships with governmental entities that can assist both the client and company through a variety of funding options. It is this type of all encompassing cooperation between government, corporate entities, and individuals that will ensure the long term viability of the alternative energy market.