Federal Renewable Energy Tax Grant has been extended!!
Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010As 2010 comes to a close, great news comes in from DC! With the passage of the Federal Tax bill, President Obama also signed an extension of Section 1603, the renewable energy Tax Grant Program. 
This extension is a boon for businesses that want to put up renewable energy on their property. Currently, a commercial entity interested in installing a renewable energy system is eligible for a 30% federal tax credit on all expenditures related to the installation. This tax credit, by the way, is called the Business Energy Investment Tax Credit (ITC). Section 1603 is super cool because it allows the entity to receive that 30% federal tax credit as a cash grant. Since its launch in 2009, this program has been incredibly successful and, to date, has helped encourage more than 4,000 clean energy projects.
Section 1603 is only available to businesses who install one of the qualified renewable energy sources, which include solar, small wind, fuel cells, microturbines, and Combined Heat and Power. There are size and financial caps for each technology, so read the IRS’s literature about the program before you start your renewable energy project.
If you have a company in New York and are interested in installing renewable energy, now is the time to do it! In addition to the federal tax program, NY state also has a host of financial incentives for renewables available through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
For more information about Section 1603, check out the IRS website.
There is also a really great write-up about the program from Green Tech Media.
For more information about NYSERDA’s programs, you can contact one of the Energy $mart Communities Coordinators, whose contact info is here.
You can also check out NYSERDA’s Renewable Energy website: PowerNaturally.org.
Posted in Clean Energy Connections Blog, Energy, Energy $mart Communities, NYSERDA, Photovoltaics, Photovoltaics, Renewables, Solar One, Solar Power, Technology | Permalink
NASA’s Earth Observatory Charts a World of Change
Friday, December 17th, 2010Check out these extremely interesting satellite photos of different areas of the planet and how they’ve changed over time. While some climate change, like the seasonal expansion and contraction of Arctic sea ice is natural, more and more scientists agree that many of the changes to our climate are man-made.
Some of the pictures map positive changes, like the reclamation of Mesopotamian marsh lands in Iraq, but most show more sinister changes like the growing hole in the ozone, the shrinking of the Aral Sea in central Asia and other harbingers of potentially catastrophic climate change. Fascinating, albeit scary, stuff!
Posted in Global Warming, Pollution, Sustainability, Water | Permalink
Community Access to Green Technology
Wednesday, December 15th, 2010Please join the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) for a free day-long event to learn how to access important information on the internet.
Our very own NYSERDA Energy $mart Communities Coordinator, Sara Jayanthi, will be on hand in the morning to educate the attendees on how to access information about NYSERDA incentives and other energy efficiency tips.
Community Access to Green Technology
Friday, December 17
11am-4pm
The Armory Foundation 216 Fort Washington Avenue @ 168th St.
Contact: 212.568.4396
Learn how to access the web and internet. Join NoMAA and participate in a raffle for a computer!
Posted in Energy $mart Communities, Energy Efficiency, New York City, Solar One | Permalink
Staten Island JCC Goes Solar!
Tuesday, December 14th, 2010The Staten Island Jewish Community Center, a good partner of Solar One’s NYSERDA Energy $mart Communities program, is featured in this video from NY1. The JCC will soon be installing new solar thermal and photovoltaic systems on their roof (among other energy efficiency and greening initiatives), and was one of the inaugural member agencies of the Jewish Greening Fellowship.
Posted in Solar One | Permalink
Intro to Green for Coops & Condos
Friday, December 3rd, 2010| January 20, 2011 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 9:00 pm |
Posted in Energy $mart Communities, Energy Efficiency, New York City, NYSERDA, Solar One Events, Sustainability | Permalink
