Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency

Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency : ENERGY STAR.

Here’s the site with the requirements for the “green” federal tax credits.

Mosier Creek Homes

We passed this development when passing through Oregon a couple weeks ago. I’m in love with it! The design and the solar panels scream “sustainable building” when you drive past and it made me smile. What a view of the river they have, too…gorgeous! Maybe sometime we can stop and get a tour…I can’t afford to live in them, since the town houses are around $400K, but I’m sure it would be neat to learn things and see the see the “solar system” in action.

Parans: fiber-optic solar lighting

Saw a blurb in dwell magazine about Parans lighting. It uses a solar collector on the outside of the building which conveys the sunlight through fiber-optic cables to various fixtures. Some of the fixtures also include fluorescents to provide lighting when there’s no sun, and vary according to the amount of natural light available.

I like the idea of using natural light, both for health reasons and to reduce energy costs. I’ve seen daylight fixtures that use mirrors such as Solatube before, but the cabling thing looks interesting and more flexible.

Anyone have experience with daylight fixtures of any sort?