2011′s alarmingly warm autumn has many Vermonters reexamining their carbon footprints. Though the Farmers’ Almanac predicts some more white stuff  for January, winter seems to come later and later each year. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, average temperatures across the Northeast have risen more than 1.5 °F since 1970, with winters warming most rapidly (4°F) between 1970 and 2000.

Vermonters aren’t likely to take this information sitting down, as mountains and winter make us who we are. There are many ways Vermonters can make a difference protecting their environment. You don’t have to buy a green home to make a difference, but it certainly has a significant impact.

Making your current home more energy efficient is key. The Vermont agency of natural resources has easy suggestions for the homeowner:

• Replace light bulbs with compact florescents or LEDs
• Set thermostat limits (65F in winter, 75F in summer) and use a programmable thermostat
• Adjust hot water heater temperature to 120F (set it on a timer that corresponds to your usage)
• Compost Organic Waste
• Get an energy audit and upgrades (Efficiency Vermont)
• Consider renewable energy

In some ways the ski industry has more at stake than your average Vermont homeowner. According to Protect Our Winters, a national organization that mobilizes the winter sports community against global climate change, skiing as we know it is on borrowed time. “In the Northeast, by 2039, the average ski season will be less than 100 days and the probability of being open for Christmas will decline below 75%.”

One important thing skiers and riders can do to reduce their impact on the environment is live closer to the slopes. The automobile is the primary means of transportation used by leisure travelers in the US; our cars are the second biggest contributors to our individual carbon footprints. We use in excess of 430,000,000 gallons of gasoline every day. American car travel generates nearly 1.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year.

Make 2012 the year you make a difference: live where you play.  Contact me for more information about Stowe Ski Homes and Vermont vacation properties.

”Mountains make us who we are.”

Like the news in all New England states, Vermont news is filled with controversy – even about things that may seem irrefutably good for us like sustainable energy. The wind power debate in Northern Vermont is particularly fractious. With the approach of one of Vermont’s favorite, unifying holidays, Thanksgiving, let’s take a look at a green energy topic that sparks less controversy: energy conservation.

Energy conservation in Vermont homes is like Shakespeare’s notion of greatness in Twelfth Night: “Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them”. Those energy efficient homes that are born great are the brain-child of architecture. The homes designed by Vermont architect Joan Heaton are the quintessence of this kind of greatness. Joan integrates sustainable design principles and green building practices into all of her projects. If you’re going with a born-efficient home, you’ll need to site it on some great Vermont property.

The Vermont homes that have achieved energy-efficient greatness are those that have had efficiency modifications and additions. These green homes range in energy efficiency from mere eco-friendliness to LEED Certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) to Energy Star to total sustainability.

The homes that have greatness thrust upon them are those that need an energy-efficiency intervention. These may include fixer-uppers or anything built before 1990. Many of the Vermont historic homes I show have had some energy improvements, but there are some out there that will bring out your inner Bob Villa. In the case of  revamping a home for better energy, Efficiency Vermont is an excellent resource for technical advice. You might even be able to take advantage of their of incentives programs.

Remember the rules of engagement at the dinner table this Thanksgiving. Don’t talk about sex, money, politics, religion or wind. Energy conservation is probably a safe topic. Now you can enjoy your meal.

image credits: epa.gov

Middlebury College placed fourth in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon! When I read the headline, I imagined Middlebury College students racing full-tilt against Toyota Priuses or pedaling solar vehicles with Wright Brothers-like PV panel wings. The event is even better: it’s about green homes.

It is an international competition that challenges 20 college teams to design, build, and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar-powered house. The Middlebury students called their home ‘Self Reliance‘ and modeled it after the traditional New England Farmhouse. Take a look:

The house is designed in the Vermont Vernacular: “We have distilled the architecture of the New England farmhouse into a pure gable form. Tradition guided our design, but still allowed us to innovate. We drew primarily upon the gable roof, a regional form, to help us deal with the climatic burden of snow and rain. The gable is an appealing, recognizable element that helps identify our structure as a home. The solidity of the form reads as shelter — a home’s most basic purpose.”

The Middlebury team believes that “architecture has the potential to end irresponsible energy consumption” and create a comfortable and sustainable environment. Self Reliance proves that an environmentally responsible home can be beautiful, comfortable and even affordable for a family. More and more green homes in Vermont are starting to prove the same point.

Take a look a these green homes. But if you have your heart set on an historic home or a ski home or even a condo, you can turn it green with a little help from Efficiency Vermont. Efficiency Vermont offers many rebates and incentives to help Vermonters make energy efficiency improvements to their homes. You might not win the Solar Decathlon, but you will enjoy lower fuel bills and feel good about reducing your impact on the environment.

Green Up’s mission is to promote the stewardship of our state’s natural landscape and waterways and the livability of our communities by involving people in Green Up Day and raising public awareness about the benefits of a litter-free environment.

This year Vermonters will celebrate 40 years of Green Up day. A tradition across the state, Green Up day brings neighbors together to create a more beautiful state. There will be a public celebration on the state-house lawn from 3pm-530pm on Saturday, May 1st with live music and food. After a day of cleaning, grab your friends and head down to meet your fellow Vermonters.

You can participate on your own or join in with a group in your town. To find a coordinator in your area, click here.

Energy Efficiency Tax Credit for 2009

There’s never been a better time to improve the energy efficiency of your inn, bed and breakfast or home. During 2009/2010, you can recover part of your investment by:

• Lowering your energy bills now and every year after
• Save up to $1,500 on your tax bill.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 establishes tax credits for many energy efficiency improvements to your home. Homeowners may claim up to 30% of costs of all equipment purchased during the aggregate two-year period of 2009 and 2010, up to $1,500 total.

Tax credits for installations made in 2006 and 2007 are still limited to the previous law’s $500. Purchases made in 2008 is not eligible for this tax credit.

Eligible Improvements

Owners of existing homes can qualify for a tax credit worth 30% of the cost of energy efficient upgrades to their home. Cost includes labor for installation. Qualifying energy improvements are listed below:

• Installation of improved insulation materials and system
• Exterior doors and windows (including skylights)
• Roofs (metal and asphalt) with cooling technology
• Electric heat pumps
• Central air conditioners
• Natural gas, propane or oil water heaters
• Natural gas, propane or oil furnace or hot water boilers
• Electric heat pump water heaters
• Biomass stoves that use renewable plant-derived fuels

The Energy Efficiency Tax Credit eligibility performance and quality standards vary by technology chosen. Visit the Energy Star web site for detailed information on products that qualify. Click here for complete details on the Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit (Source: DSIRE)

What is a Tax Credit?

The difference between a tax credit and a tax deduction is very important. A tax credit is worth more then a tax deduction. A tax credit comes directly off your total tax liability. While a tax deduction just reduces your taxable income before the tax liability is calculated. The bottom line is you save substantially more with a credit.

Interested?

If you are interested in an already energy efficient and ‘green’ inn/home, check out the Churchill House Inn, a Green Hotel located in Brandon, VT.

Image by Dominic’s pics via Flickr

Good news for Vermonters and those looking to own homes in Vermont! On May 27th, 2009, a law was passed allowing a feed-in tariff for those who use small-scale renewable sources of energy in their homes. This means that those using wind turbines, solar panels or biogas will be paid competitive, fair-market prices on the excess energy they sell back to the energy companies, provided they are connected to the grid. Vermont is the first state to pass such a law (a similar law exists in Ontario, Canada) and will hopefully stimulate greater interest and use in small-scale renewable energy in homes. To learn more, check out these articles from Chelsea Green:

Can Feed-In Tariffs Power a Renewables Revolution?

The Mouse That Roared: Vermont Feed-In Tariffs Become Law

Image by clemente via Flickr

On June 1st, H.466, or the ‘Right to Dry‘, as it is now known, took effect in Vermont . The law prevents anyone, such as housing associations, from banning “solar collectors, clotheslines or other energy devices based on renewable resources.” Considering home dryers account for about 15 percent of domestic energy usage, this law now gives all Vermonters the chance to cut their home energy usage, decrease their carbon footprint and save on their energy bill!

To read more, check out Ken Picard’s article in Seven Days

And, from Project Laundry List, the top 10 reasons why you should hang your laundry out (or in) to dry.

10) Save money (more than $25/month off electric bill for many households).

9) Clothes last longer. Where do you think lint comes from?

Clothes and linens smell better without adding possibly toxic chemicals to your body and the environment.

7) Conserve energy and the environment, while reducing climate change.

6) It is moderate physical activity which you can do in or outside.

5) Sunlight bleaches and disinfects.

4) Indoor racks can humidify in dry winter weather.

3) Clothes dryer fires account for about 15,600 structure fires, 15 deaths, and 400 injuries annually. The yearly national fire loss for clothes dryer fires in structures is estimated at $99 million.

2) Can be an outdoor experience that is meditative and community-building.

1) Demonstrates that small steps can make a difference. Don’t have to wait for the government to take action!

Image via Wikipedia

Composting is one of the best things you can do for your garden and the environment. According to Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources, just 30 percent of total waste is recycled in Vermont and at least half of all waste going into landfills is compostable organic material. For a home compost, any kitchen scraps, (except for meat or dairy), including egg shells, can be composted, as well as any lawn and garden waste. Adding layers of manure, dry leaves and dry grass clipping to your compost pile will increase the rate at which it decomposes as well as help keep odor down.

The spring issue of edible Green Mountains has a wonderful article (pg. 19) about the benefits and purpose of composting and highlights the work of the Highfield’s Institute in Hardwick, VT. Highfield’s was developed ten years ago and offers technical advice to businesses and communities that want to compost, as well as workshops for farmers with large-scale composts (including ‘animal mortality’ – the official term for leftover animal parts or dead animals) and backyard composters.

To learn more about Highfield’s Institute, visit their website.

To learn more about starting your own home compost check out eartheasy’s guide to composting.

This coming Saturday, May 2nd, is the 39th annual Green Up Day in Vermont. Started in 1970 as a way to clean up roadsides after the winter snow had melted, Green Up Day is a state-wide effort to pick up litter wherever volunteers can find it. Each year, more than 40,000 bags of trash are collected by 15,000 volunteers.

Beyond the benefit of cleaning up our state, Green Up Day is also a wonderful opportunity for community members of all ages to work together and to enhance respect and appreciation for the environment.

To find out what’s going on in your community, contact your area’s coordinator here and check out their participation guide to see how you can help.

We’re all about supporting a greener environment and way of living here at Vermont Lodging Properties. While you’re here, check out some of our Green Homes, as well as past posts on Green Living in Vermont.

The last Tuesday of each month brings together environmentally-minded community members for a time where they can meet new people, share ideas and, of course, share some drinks. Green Drinks, an international movement created as a sort of social time for workers in environmental fields, is hosted by the Skinny Pancake, located on the corner of College and Lake Streets in Burlington, VT from 5:30 – 7:30 the last Tuesday of each month (that means it’s happening tomorrow, 4/28!).

So what makes this different from any other night in downtown Burlington? Well, a few things. First, there is a different sponsor each month. This month it is the Vermont Earth Institute, an organization that engages and supports Vermonters in reducing consumption and adopting environmentally sustainable practices in all areas of their lives. VEI will be talking about some of the classes they are offering, as well as local initiatives. Second, there are free drinks. Sponsors provide the first $200 of drinks, which give you all the more reason to show up at 5:30 ready to mingle.

This event has been drawing more and more people each time it happens, so plans are being made for a bigger venue and more sponsors. Keep an eye out for more info in the future. To receive mailings about Green Drinks, visit the Skinny Pancake’s site, and sign up for their email list located on the right hand side with “green news” demarcated.