Lifecycle Cost Analysis

Lifecycle Cost Analysis for Appliances
The Energy Star Website has lifecycle cost analyses calculator available for estimating the savings on various Energy Efficient items such as refrigerators or dishwashers on their web site. They are in Excel spreadsheet format. For example, the one for Refrigerators is here: http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/bulk_purchasing/bpsavings_calc/Consumer_Residential_Refrig_Sav_Calc.xls
and Dishwashers are here: http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/bulk_purchasing/bpsavings_calc/CalculatorConsumerDishwasher

How to Get Green Power for your Home

http://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/buying_power.shtml

Energy Efficiency Incentives

Top Resources for Incentives Information for Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy

• The Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency: http://www.dsireusa.org/ Contains both state and federal incentives information such as rebates, grants, loans and tax incentives. Search by incentive type, eligible sector, implementing sector, technology or state.
  

• Energy Star. Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits
  

• Tax Incentives Assistance Project: http://www.energytaxincentives.org/
  

• Grants.gov: http://www.grants.gov/
  

• Alliance to Save Energy. Energy Efficiency Home and Vehicle Tax Credits: http://www.ase.org/content/article/detail/2654
  

• U.S. Department of Energy. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Financial Opportunities: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/financing/
  

Also see:

• Summary of Tax Incentives in P.L. 110-143, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act: http://www.energy.gov/media/HR_1424.pdf
  

Index to Green Jobs Reports

For an excellent index to green jobs reports, please see: http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/contentpub/GreenDigest/Green-Digest-Index.pdf

Green Everything!

The world is going "green." Once things were called "environmental" or "natural," but now the vocabulary is changing. We now refer to these things as "green." Environmental jobs are now called green jobs. The Energy Independence and Security Act, passed December 19, 2008, has a Title X on Green Jobs. There is also green investing (also referred to as Socially Responsible Investing or SRI by some), and green mortgages and green building. This blog is an attempt to track the trend and discuss some of the issues that surround "green."

"Green" Investing
The line between what is "socially responsible" and what is "environmental" investing is a bit fuzzy, since environmental would seem to be socially responsible but socially responsible might not be traditionally "environmental." There is no firm definition of where "environment" and "society" end and begin, making this distinction a tricky one, and a very subjective one. Dow Jones even has a sustainability index that started back in 1999. The criteria used to measure sustainability is economic, environmental and social. The Social Investment Forum site lists some criteria that might typically be used to identify SRI's.