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March 21, 2010  |  Login
Finding Rebates and Incentives
By Eric Corey Freed
 

Numerous financial opportunities and incentives exist for greening your buildings. These incentives tend to center around energy (efficiency or production), but sources exist for educational programs, community building, and renovating your home. Most of these programs exist at the local level, so contact your local public utility commission, building department, and energy sources. In the meantime, the table below lists general national sources for various building types and uses to get you started.

 

Rebates and Incentives for Green Building and Remodeling

 

SourceName of ProgramEligibilityUse of FundsAmountResource
Home DepotThe Home Depot FoundationNonprofit organizationsEnvironmental grants encourage green building and sustainable design in affordable housing.Grants typically range from $5,000 to $25,000.http://www.homedepotfoundation.org
FederalSolar and Geothermal Business Energy Tax CreditCommercial/industrial sectorsSolar water heat, active solar space heat, solar thermal process heat, photovoltaics, geothermal electric$25,000 per year plus 25 percent of the total remaining after the credit is taken.http://www.mdv-seia.org/federal_incentives.htm
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)Renewable Energy Research And Development GrantsFor-profit organizations, private nonprofit institutions, intrastate, interstate, and local agencies and universitiesResearch and development of solar buildings, solar electricity, solar thermal, biomass, alcohol fuels, wind, hydropower, hydrogen, and geothermal technologies.$10,000 to $100,000http://www.cfda.gov/static/81087.htm
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) ProgramsSmall businessesSTTR grants must involve a substantial cooperative research collaboration between a small business and a nonprofit research institution.
Energy efficiency and renewable energy; zero net energy buildings; low-cost power electronics and sensors for distributed energy resources; bioproducts and bioenergy research; heat transfer research; recovery; recycle and reuse of energy intensive materials; reactive separations.
SBIR Ph I: Up to $100,000
SBIR Ph II: Up to $750,000
STTR Ph I: Up to $100,000
STTR Ph II: Up to $500,000
sbir.er.doe.gov/sbir
Kresge FoundationGreen Building InitiativeNonprofit organizationsGrants to fund the planning/design of green buildings; educational materials and green building workshops also available to nonprofits.Varieshttp://www.kresge.org/initiatives/
Enterprise FoundationGreen CommunitiesAnyoneGrants to fund community building projectsVarieshttp://www.enterprisefoundation.  ....read more
 
 

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