Gadgets for Green

Geothermal gets a real tax credit....

A modified tax credit is now available for home and commercial building owners who install geothermal heating and cooling systems.  Anyone who has an old HVAC system should absolutely take this option to put in geothermal (Don't forget insulation at the same time).  If you have a younger system, you should give some serious consideration to geothermal especially if your system is configured for R401.

The feds, under H.R. 1424, offers a one time tax credit of 30% of the total investment for all residential ground loop or ground water geothermal heat pump systems installed in 2009. Credits differ for commercial.  It seems you can also apply the credit to properties other than just your primary residence.   Some key requirements include:

• The systems must meet or exceed EnergyStar requirements
• Must be installed after December 31, 2007
• Units installed in 2008 are subject to a $2,000 cap on the credit
• Make sure your contractor provides a detailed bill listing "Geothermal Heat Pump that Exceeds requirements of Energy Star".

The tax credit is available through December 31, 2016. Talk to your account though.  Other resources include:

• IRS Form 5695*: Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit
• More Information about the "Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit"
• Find additional tax incentives that may be available in your state - www.dsireusa.org

Google PowerMeter.....

In a move that should not surprise anyone, Google entered the energy business today with their concept of a web based power meter, leveraging their marketing power to offer a solution that is sure to cause investors to question investments in companies like Tendril, GreenBox, etc.  It is not clear what the scope of Power Meter is, but it seems to be focused on leveraging the planned installation of several million Smart Meters proposed under the stimulus package.

For those that have followed the smart meter market, efforts to implement smart meters over the last 10 years have been met with great promise but little success.  The barriers perhaps being a combination of Silicon Valley optimism vs. the practicality of running a utility.  There have been a range of Smart Meter efforts ranging from simple low cost solutions to bold power over power line broad band game changers.

I believe real time information to end users is absolutely critical to solving the energy problem, I wonder about how this is being done. Al Gore, John Doerr and others from Kleiner Perkins have been talking to Pelosi etc about how to deal with the Green issue, making several recommendations via testimony to congress.  Someone put into the legislation that all meters need to be "IP based and Open".  Interesting, one of the few truly open meter infrastructure solutions is Silver Springs, a Kleiner backed company.  The head of Google.Org's, Dan Reicher, is a primary advocate for the Google solution and was the Obama transition chief for the presidents energy team.

Saving energy is a big important thing.  I think a great deal of Google, Keliner, and other players here.  I am disapointed about how this looks and how it may effect the market and other innovators if industry percieves you need to be "in the club" to access opportunity.