Guide to Residential Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energy Incentives
EcoAction Partners has built this guide to help residential property owners and renters make their homes more energy efficient, help you access resources for installing solar power, and help you understand the world of electric vehicles. Please contact us via email here with any questions or call 970.728.1340.
Click on a topic to jump for more information, or download the full guide via the button below.
WEATHERIZATION UPGRADES
Before you invest in new efficient technologies, appliances, and renewable energy, it makes sense to make your building envelope as efficient as possible.
Energy Assessment Programs- There are programs and contractors who can assess your building’s energy use and assess where you could make your building more efficient.
CARE: Colorado’s Affordable Residential Energy Program helps income qualified residents access free energy audits, weatherization, and energy upgrades.
DIY Weatherization: Making hot or cool air requires a lot of energy. Keeping that air where you want it makes a lot of sense. A well sealed and insulated space takes dramatically less energy to heat or cool.
Seal cracks and gaps between the inside and outside of your building
Add insulation in walls, ceilings, and crawl spaces
Use energy where and when you need it
Programmable thermostats help you manage your energy use based on when and where you need it.
Consider occupancy switches or timed lighting systems
LED bulbs are ultra efficient and an easy cost savings strategy
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Solar panels continue to become more efficient and solar installations are becoming a common feature in our landscape. You can access renewable(solar?) energy through a home installation or investment in community solar. You can also access a variety of incentives that will make your solar energy less expensive.
A solar array on your home can offset your energy bill and create clean energy for your consumption.
Here are resources to help you access rebates, incentives, and tax credits to make your investment less expensive
ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND CHARGERS
Electric vehicles generally have about half the carbon footprint of a combustion engine vehicle. The advantages of EVs can be difficult to understand without becoming informed about how they work and how they may or may not be the right choice for you. There are also tax credits and rebates available for EVs. Plug in hybrids do not qualify, even though they are pretty awesome for our area.
ELECTRICAL SERVICE/PANEL UPGRADES
As people move to electric vehicles and efficient electric appliances, their electric service equipment may need to be upgraded to handle the extra load. If your service panel/breaker box is more than 20 years old, less than 100 amps, or if all of the spaces in the box are full. You will probably need to have an electrician install a larger service panel. This can be expensive but there are rebates and tax incentives that can offset the cost.
OUTDOOR ELECTRIC POWER EQUIPMENT
New battery technology has made electric outdoor power equipment a great option. Imagine not having to struggle to start your old lawnmower or chainsaw. You can give your lings a break by not breathing all of that exhaust, too. Rebates on this equipment include battery and plug in models.
Colorado will begin a rebate program later in 2024
EXAMPLES OF HOW REBATES AND TAX CREDITS CAN BE APPLIED
RESIDENTIAL SOLAR PANELS CASE STUDY
Here is an example of an actual solar project bid for a home in Ouray. Every project will be different depending on the household energy use. This project is slightly oversized to accommodate a future electric vehicle charger and electric thermal storage space heater.
Typical Residential System= 3.6kW
Estimated cost without rebates= $20,000
SMPA Rebate= $300
Federal Tax Credit= 30% of Investment = $6000 Tax Credit
$20000-($6000+$300)=$13,700 Estimated cost cost of project
The system will eventually pay for itself in about 10-15 years and will ultimately have a positive cash flow before the end of its lifespan. Here is SMPA’s page on NET METERING.
You can estimate the production of a possible solar array here. You can calculate your carbon footprint offset here.
If your system generates 5180kW per year it will offset 3.7 Metric tons of CO2 per year. That is the equivalent of 9400 miles of travel in your typical car.
You can also add the cost of the project and its energy production to your total home equity.
AN EXAMPLE OF INVESTING IN HEAT PUMPS
These numbers are estimated. Check with an HVAC provider to get accurate numbers.
A typical “3 ton unit”, which can heat/cool 1500 sq ft will cost around $6-$8,000
SMPA offers a rebate of up to $3000. This brings the cost down to around $4,000-$5,000
Federal Rebate. A tax credit covers 30 percent of the costs of purchase and installation, up to $2,000 per year.