You do not always have to start from scratch when you want to save energy. While it is true that building a LEED certified building from the ground up can net you the best energy efficiency for your heating and cooling needs, you can get really close to that same efficiency by investing in new gadgets to modernize your existing home. The EPA encourages people to get to know their programmable thermostats.

EPA’s research has shown that most consumers with programmable thermostats do not know how to use them to maximize energy savings. When programmed properly, these products can save about $180 a year on energy bills – but the majority of consumers have not achieved their full energy and dollar savings potential.

As part of ENERGY STAR’s year-long Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR campaign EPA has developed proper use guidelines for programmable thermostats, which include:
- Lower the temperature setting by 8 degrees when you’re away or asleep in the winter.
- Raise the temperature setting by 7 degrees when you’re away and 4 degrees when you’re asleep in the summer.
- Save even more by using the “Vacation” and “Hold” features to manage temperatures while you’re away from home for an extended period.

Starting June 5th, EPA will also provide consumers with valuable tips and resources to help them get on the right track. The following info will be available at www.energystar.gov.

If you prefer a visual tutorial on thermostats, check out this video from the EPA.

To improve the efficiency of your lifestyle in other ways, you can find more strategies and product recommendations here [www.energystar.gov].

AUSTIN, Texas, March 26, 2008 (ENS) – To spread the gospel of energy efficiency, the state of Texas is making Memorial Day weekend a tax holiday for many Energy Star products.

Texas shoppers get a break from state and local sales and use taxes on purchases of certain energy efficient products from 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 24 through 11:59 pm on Monday, May 26, which is Memorial Day.

The products qualifying for the exemption are:

* air conditioners priced under $6,000, both room and central units
* clothes washers, but not clothes dryers
* ceiling fans
* dehumidifiers
* dishwashers
* light bulbs (incandescent and fluorescent)
* programmable thermostats
* refrigerators priced under $2,000

Tax savings can mount up. State Sales and Use Tax is imposed on all retail sales, leases and rentals of most goods, as well as taxable services. Texas cities, counties, transit authorities and special purpose districts have the option of imposing an additional local sales tax for a combined total of state and local taxes of 8 1/4 percent.

The Energy Star logo will identify
products that qualify for
the tax holiday

Qualifying products will display the Energy Star logo, which may appear on the appliance, the packaging or the Energy Guide label.

Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. Earning the Energy Star means a product meets energy efficiency guidelines set by these two federal agencies.

There is no limit on the number of qualifying items one can purchase during this sales tax holiday, and an exemption certificate is not required.

The tax-free holiday also applies to Internet and catalog sales of eligible products, provided that the items are both paid for and delivered to the purchaser during the exemption period; or the purchaser orders and pays for the item and the retailer accepts the order during the exemption period for immediate shipment, even if delivery is made after the exemption period. Layaway plans can be used to take advantage of the sales tax holiday.

Delivery, shipping, handling or transportation charges connected to the sale of a qualifying item purchased tax free during the sales tax holiday also qualify for the exemption.

Charges for installation of qualifying items purchased during the sales tax holiday may qualify for exemption depending on whether the items are permanently attached to or installed in real property and whether the realty is residential or nonresidential.

Items that are free-standing or mobile, such as clothes washers, dehumidifiers, refrigerators, portable dishwashers and window or room air conditioning units are tangible personal property. If an item retains its identity as tangible personal property after installation, then installation charges billed by the seller of the item also qualify for the sales tax holiday exemption – even if the installation is performed after the holiday period is concluded.

Labor charges are not taxable on new construction and residential repair and remodeling jobsites. Therefore, no tax is due on charges for installing items such as ceiling fans, programmable thermostats or central air conditioning units in residential property or during a new construction project.

Sellers may not advertise or in any way promise to pay or not charge sales tax that is due on the sale of taxable items. Sellers may, however, advertise that tax is included in the sales price of the taxable items that they sell.

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WASHINGTON, DC, February 25, 2008 (ENS) – As part of their focus this year on clean energy, the nation’s governors Saturday announced a partnership between the National Governors Association and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. that is intended to reduce the overall energy consumption of state capitol complexes.

Under the Greening the Capitols [www.nga.org] partnership, a team of Wal-Mart energy experts will conduct a clean energy audit of up to 20 state capitol complexes during 2008 and 2009. They will identify energy efficiency improvements that could provide a return on investment within five years.

In addition, the Wal-Mart team will demonstrate the anticipated cost savings and greenhouse gas reductions each state could experience by implementing the recommended improvements in the state capitols, many of which are more than 100 years old.

In 2005, Wal-Mart announced its sustainability policy which the company says incldues, “Aggressively pursuing regulatory and policy changes that will create incentives for utilities to invest in energy efficiency, to use low or no greenhouse gas sources of electricity, and to reduce barriers to integrating these sources into the power grid.”

The Minnesota State Capitol
building in St. Paul was built
in 1905. (Photo credit unknown)

The company will work with states to survey their state capitol facilities and suggest energy efficiency improvements based on technologies Wal-Mart has deployed in thousands of its buildings around the world.

The audited areas will include lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, refrigeration, programmable thermostats, and building structure, insulation and windows.

There will be no up-front costs to the states for the audits. In addition to recommending efficiency improvements, Wal-Mart will provide estimates of the carbon dioxide emissions reductions that could result from increasing the energy efficiency of the state buildings.

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices will help identify states for participation in the Greening the Capitols partnership and then will catalog the successes each participating state experiences.

The partnership with Wal-Mart was announced during the National Governors Association, NGA, winter meeting that wound up today in Washington, DC.

“From the discussions we’ve had these past three days, it’s clear that governors are leading the way to Americanize this country’s energy future,” said NGA Chair Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. Each incoming NGA chair chooses an issue to work with during his or her term of office – Pawlenty’s is the Securing a Clean Energy Future Initiative [www.nga.org].

“This Initiative is not just about improving the way we produce energy in this country,” Pawlenty said, “it’s about improving our national security, our economic well-being and our overall quality of life.”

All governors are asked to help make the United States a global leader in energy efficiency, clean energy technology, energy research and the use of alternative fuels.

The governors are receptive. In their 2007 State of the State Addresses, 45 out of the 50 governors discussed initiatives to develop alternative sources of energy or promote conservation.

“We’re on the verge of an energy revolution in this country,” said NGA Vice Chair Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell. “And it’s clear that charting our own energy future will require every available resource at America’s disposal, from clean coal and nuclear to biofuels and renewables.”

Today, the NGA officially released “Greener Fuels, Greener Vehicles: A State Resource Guide,” [www.nga.org] a new report from the Securing a Clean Energy Future Initiative.

The report provides an overview of the economic and environmental implications of an oil-dependent transportation sector and looks at state policy tools that can encourage greener transportation.

It describes the core barriers preventing wider consumption of alternative fuels and production of alternative vehicles, as well as examples of promising state policies designed to overcome these specific barriers.

Governor Pawlenty also shared with his colleagues the recently released Securing a Clean Energy Future Initiative publication, “A Call to Action,” a report declaring America’s current energy path unacceptable because of escalating economic risk and serious environmental consequences.

R. James Woolsey, venture partner with Vantage Pont and former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, addressed the governors about the “critical need to develop alternatives to imported petroleum,” the prospects for current and near-term technologies to reduce America’s oil demand and how states can serve as catalysts to advancing these technologies in the marketplace.

John Doerr, partner with Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers, articulated how the investment community views the market for clean energy technologies, identified some of the most promising clean energy technologies and offered suggestions on what role states should play in spurring clean energy innovation.

“We know there is no silver bullet to solve this crisis,” said Governor Rendell, “but when we add up all the steps states and individuals are taking across the country, we can begin to see the start of our energy revolution.”

The nation’s governors next convene for the National Governors Association Centennial Meeting July 11-14, in in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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TALLAHASSEE, Florida, January 28, 2008 (ENS) – The City of Tallahassee’s Solid Waste Services Administration building has received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, LEED, Silver certification from the United States Green Building Council. It is the second municipal building in Florida and the first in North Florida to earn the distinction.

LEED certification is the points-based benchmark for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. It promotes sustainability by recognizing a building’s performance in five areas – sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.

“Earning this award is a true feather in the City’s green cap,” said Mayor John Marks. “We’re not simply saying we want to reduce our carbon footprint, we are doing it. As a whole, our community is making great strides in the right direction, and I’m proud that our local government is leading by example.”

When the city government decided to upgrade the 30 year old Solid Waste Services building to make more space, it made the decision to do so in the most ecologically friendly way possible.

The city opted to renovate the existing structure, instead of demolishing it and starting from scratch. Over 75 percent of the debris generated from renovation was salvaged and reused or recycled, keeping it out of the local landfill.

The new building boasts new, eco-smart features such as occupancy sensors on lights, programmable thermostats and low-mercury fluorescent lamps.

The Tallahassee Solid Waste
Services Administration building
(Photo courtesy City of
Tallahassee)

With waterless urinals, drought tolerant native landscaping and low-flow toilets that use only 0.8 gallons of water per flush, the building’s water usage has been reduced by 69 percent in five months compared to that same time frame in the old building two years ago.

Grant funds to offset the additional costs of the project were provided by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection through an InnovativeRecycling Grant.

Grant funds for Florida-friendly landscaping were provided by the Florida Organics Recycling Center for Excellence.

“This was no small task,” said Reginald Ofuani, general manager of Solid Waste Services. “We knew it would be a challenge, requiring an enormous amount of cooperation, patience and dedication, but the final product makes it obvious that we made the right decision. The new building is a testament to the resolve of this city to be at the forefront of the green movement.”

The city will host a celebration in late February or early March to commemorate this achievement. Tours of the new facility will be given during the event.

The SWS building is part of the city’s overall “Go Green Tallahassee” initiative to promote and encourage environmental responsibility in the state capital.

Through projects such as CANpaign, a community recycling challenge; Fleet Management’s biodiesel fuel production facility; and the Tram Road Reuse Facility, which will provide reclaimed water for public irrigation, the city is attempting to become an eco-conscious community.

In addition, the Water Utility’s Wastewater Division has become ISO Certified for its Environmental Management System. This internationally recognized accomplishment helps protect the region’s natural resources and places the city’s wastewater utility as the first such facility in the state to receive the designation.

An extensive photovoltaic solar energy system at Trousdell generates power for the city’s electric system.

Earlier this month, Tallahassee won the Green City Local Government Standard Award presented by the Florida Green Building Coalition, Inc. for outstanding environmental stewardship. Tallahassee is only the second city in Florida to receive the honor.

“I’m incredibly proud to receive this designation on behalf of the City of Tallahassee’s elected officials and staff,” said Mayor Marks. “The Green City award is an outstanding affirmation of our organizational commitment to environmental stewardship, but also represents the efforts to partner with our citizens and other agencies to protect Tallahassee’s beautiful natural assets.”

As part of its efforts to go green, Tallahassee maintains an environmentally preferable purchasing program for local government.

New employees are given an overview of the city’s environmental activities. They learn what employees can do at home and at work to reduce energy, waste, and water consumption and they are given a reusable water bottle or mug to prevent them from tossing disposable paper or styrofoam cups.

Recycling of city obsolete electronic equipment is maintained and a policy developed for equipment energy conservation measures and features when not in use by employees.

The city uses energy efficient lighting and controls for outdoor courts, parks and playfields and offers green power to residents.

Residents can get free compact fluorescent lamps and energy audit kits to low-income customers through the home energy audit program.

Tallahassee has a curbside recycling program for residents and offers commercial recycling collection services to businesses. The city tracks the types and amounts of waste disposed and recyclables processed and implements a comprehensive education program for the management of solid waste and waste reduction and recycling.

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