Incentives

Benefits to the individual owner and the community:

• Increased Home Value: Green homes are typically worth more than standard homes in the re-sale market. Documented operating costs can increase the value to perspective buyers. Savvy buyers in the marketplaceare looking for high performance homes.
• Lower Maintenance Costs: Green homes are built better with higher quality materials, which therefore require less maintenance. Lawns require less watering and weeding. The homes heating and cooling systems are used less often, thus filters and upkeep are dramatically less.
• Healthier Living: The materials used in a green home are held to high standards for toxicity. Features such as low or no VOC paints and finishes all but eliminate off gassing in the home. Important aspects such as moisture control and ventilation are used to decrease the need for heating, cooling and humidification.
• Lower Operating Costs: Homes built with green technology require less energy to heat and cool. Appliances and light fixtures are more efficient. Interior plumbing fixtures and landscaping materials are designed to decrease water use while maintaining usability and beauty.

Federal Incentives

Cobble Creek Incentives

• pay your first electric bill
• Free low-usage water irrigation system
• Free 42″ green tv
• Federal Rebate Filing

Ground-source heat pumps are characterised by high capital costs and low operational costs compared to other HVAC systems. Their overall economic benefit depends primarily on the relative costs of electricity and fuels, which are highly variable over time and across the world. Based on recent prices, ground-source heat pumps currently have lower operational costs than any other conventional heating source almost everywhere in the
world. Natural gas is the only fuel with competitive operational costs, and only in a handful of countries where it is exceptionally cheap, or where electricity is exceptionally expensive.[2] In general, a homeowner may save anywhere from 20% to 60% annually on utilities by switching from an ordinary system to a ground-source system.[20][21]

Capital costs and system lifespan have received much less study, and the return on investment is highly variable. One study found the total installed cost for a system with 10 kW (3 ton) thermal capacity for a detached rural residence in the USA averaged $8000–$9000 in 1995 US dollars.[22] More recent studies found an average cost of $14,000 in 2008 US dollars for the same size system.[23][24] The US Department of Energy estimates a price of $7500 on its website, last updated in 2008.[25] Prices over $20,000 are quoted in Canada,[26] with one source placing them in the range of $30,000-$34,000 Canadian dollars.[27] The rapid escalation in system price has been accompanied by rapid improvements in efficiency and reliability. Capital costs are known to benefit from economies of scale, particularly for open loop systems, so they are more cost-effective for larger commercial buildings and harsher climates. The initial cost can be two to five times that of a conventional heating system in most residential applications, new construction or existing. In retrofits, the cost of installation is affected by the size of living area, the home’s age, insulation characteristics, the geology of the area, and location of the home/property. Proper duct system design and mechanical air exchange should be considered in the initial system cost.

Capital costs may be offset by substantial subsidies from many governments, for example totaling over $7000 in Ontario for residential systems installed in the 2009 fiscal year. Some electric companies offer special rates to customers who install a ground-source heat pump for heating/cooling their building.[28] This is due to the fact that electrical plants have the largest loads during summer months and much of their capacity sits idle during winter months. This allows the electric company to use more of their facility during the winter months and sell more electricity. It also allows them to reduce peak usage during the summer (due to the increased efficiency of heat pumps), thereby avoiding costly construction of new power plants. For the same reasons, other utility companies have started to pay for the installation of ground-source heat pumps at customer residences. They lease the systems to their customers for a monthly fee, at a net overall savings to the customer.

The lifespan of the system is longer than conventional heating and cooling systems. Good data on system lifespan is not yet available because the technology is too recent, but many early systems are still operational today after 25–30 years with routine maintenance. Most loop fields are warrantied for 25 to 50 years and are expected to last at least 50 to 200 years.[20][29] Ground-source heat pumps use electricity for heating the house. The higher investment above conventional oil or electric systems may be returned in energy savings in 2–10 years for residential systems in the USA.[3][21][29] If compared to natural gas systems, the payback period can be much longer. The payback period for larger commercial systems in the USA is 1–5 years, even when compared to natural gas.[21]

Ground-source heat pumps are recognized as one of the most efficient heating and cooling systems on the market. They are often the secondmost cost effective solution in extreme climates, (after co-generation), despite reductions in thermal efficiency due to ground temperature. (The ground source is warmer in climates that need strong air conditioning, and cooler in climates that need strong heating.)

Commercial systems maintenance costs in the USA have historically been between $0.11 to $0.22 per m2 per year in 1996 dollars, much less than the average $0.54 per m2 per year for conventional HVAC systems.[12]

Governments that promote renewable energy will likely offer incentives for the consumer (residential), or industrial markets. For example, in the United States, incentives are offered both on the state and federal levels of government.[30]

www.cobblecreek.com/greenliving 866.964.4947