EPAct builder tax credit extension

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lorna G. Fear on December 31, 2010 at 9:32am

John, I missed this. Will you please post the RESNET message here? 

 

Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Hunter Dendy on December 31, 2010 at 4:56pm

I'm also finding it very difficult to find anything about this other than second hand. Is it official, what are the qualifications and tax credit amounts etc.? I keep finding links to Energy Star, which is only showing credits for consumer products. I have a client inquiring about this and it's embarrassing to say that I don't know.

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Permalink Reply by John Shillito on January 1, 2011 at 2:49pm

Also check the DSIRE website link given by Vivek Mohta (which answers my original question: there are no changes from the expired program).  This should be real good news to HERS raters.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: RESNET a href="mailto:sbaden@resnet.us">sbaden@resnet.us>
Date: Fri, Dec 17, 2010 at 10:19 AM
Subject: Congress Extends Federal Tax Credit for Energy Efficient Homes and Other Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credits
To: dmitri@greenstarwi.com

Congress Extends Federal Tax Credit for Energy Efficient Homes and Other Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credits After hard work by RESNET and its strategic allies, last night Congress  extended the $2,000 federal tax credit for builders who build energy efficient homes. The extension is from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2011.  The extension was part of a sweeping tax package negotiated by the White House and Republican Congressional leaders.     The legislation also includes a provision that extends the tax credit for consumers who purchase qualified energy saving products, but lowers the credit to its pre-economic recovery act levels.  The new bill extends the credit to the end of 2011, but reduces the incentive to the original 10% up to $500. Included are provisions limiting window incentives to $200, oil and gas furnace and boiler incentives to $150-200, and water heater and wood heating system incentives to $300. As part of the legislation, Congress tightened the specifications for oil furnaces and boilers and gas boilers to 95% efficiency, up from the 90% efficiency in current credit.   The tax credit for highly energy efficient appliances was extended for one year, and the efficiency criteria and incentives have been updated to provide incentives only for products that are significantly more efficient than today's average new product. The credit goes to manufacturers.   President Obama is expected to sign the legislation into law this week.   A priority of RESNET is 2011 is to work to have Congress enact legislation for performance based tax credits.  This would include creating a performance based credit for comprehensive energy performance upgrades and a higher tax incentive for builders who build homes that are rated a 50 on the HERS Index or lower.  There will be a session focused on this at the 2011 RESNET Building Performance Conference.  For a schedule of sessions that will be offered at the conference click on 2011 RESNET Conference

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Permalink Reply by Hunter Dendy on January 1, 2011 at 4:34pm

I saw Vivek's post earlier and it is exactly what I was looking for.  Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Vivek Mohta on January 1, 2011 at 10:27am

"The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 reinstated this credit retroactively for homes acquired after December 31, 2009 and before January 1, 2012." Details at DSIRE, probably the best site on Federal and state incentives: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=US4...

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Permalink Reply by Hunter Dendy on January 3, 2011 at 6:33pm

I still wonder why this doesn't show up on the Energy Star or RESNET websites.  I know it's not directly linked to either, but still seems like a huge benefit of going through their systems/requirements.

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Permalink Reply by Evan Mills on January 4, 2011 at 5:24pm

These links may be helpful:

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index

http://www.eereblogs.energy.gov/energysavers/post/Federal-Tax-Credi...

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Permalink Reply by Hunter Dendy on January 4, 2011 at 5:54pm

Yes, but still don't see any mention of the $2000 tax credit for builders building to 50% of the current energy code, as mentioned on the IRS site.

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Permalink Reply by Lorna G. Fear on January 4, 2011 at 6:55pm

Since the credit has been made retroactive and extended (as opposed to being amended or appended), I suspect the forms and procedures for claiming it will not be changed. We should be able to find out most things by referring to the existing documents.

The form used for claiming this tax credit in 2009 is located at the following URL.

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8908.pdf



Before the credit is approved, a home energy rating must be performed by a HERS rater using specific software tools that are "best tested." Below are the vendors, their products/version numbers, and personnel contact names. The top tool costs around $250 and is available only to accredited HERS providers. Here's a URL where you can "try it free for 15 days."

http://www.energygauge.com/usares/trial.htm


1.  Florida Solar Energy Center
EnergyGauge® USA version 2.5
EnergyGauge® USA version 2.6
 Tei Kucharski
 
 
2.  Architectural Energy Corporation
REM/Rate v.12.2
REM/Rate v.12.3
REM/Rate v.12.4
REM/Rate v.12.5
REM/Rate v.12.6
REM/Rate v.12.7
REM/Rate v.12.2 - 12.9
 V. Robert Salcido, P.E., LEED AP


3.  Enercomp, Inc.
MICROPAS7 v7.1
MICROPAS7 v7.3
MICROPAS7 v7.4
 Ken Nittler and Robert Scott

 
4.  Energy Soft
EnergyPro v4.4
 Martyn Dodd
 

5.  Recurve
 Chris McClellan

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Permalink Reply by Lorna G. Fear on January 4, 2011 at 6:56pm

Straight out of the IRS' Notice 2006-27 are the following instructions for filing for the tax credit

.

Ensure certification contains all of the following:
.01 The name, address, and telephone number of the eligible certifier.
.02 The address of the dwelling unit.
.03 A statement by the eligible certifier that--
(1) The dwelling unit has a projected level of annual heating and cooling energy consumption that is at least 50 percent below the annual level of heating and cooling energy consumption of a reference dwelling unit in the same climate zone;
(2) Building envelope component improvements alone account for a level of annual heating and cooling energy consumption that is at least 10 percent below the annual level of heating and cooling energy consumption of a reference dwelling unit in the same climate zone; and
(3) Heating and cooling energy and cost savings have been calculated in the manner prescribed in section 2.02 of this notice.
.04 A statement by the eligible certifier that field inspections of the dwelling unit (or of other dwelling units under the sampling protocol described below) performed by the eligible certifier during and after the completion of construction have confirmed that all features of the home affecting such heating and cooling energy consumption comply with the design specifications provided to the eligible certifier. With respect to builders
4
who build at least 85 homes a year or build subdivisions with the same floor plan using the same subcontractors, the eligible certifier may use the sampling protocol found in the current ENERGY STAR® for Homes Sampling Protocol Guidelines instead of inspecting all of the homes. The sampling protocols can be found at the following web address:
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=bldrs_lenders_raters.pt_homes...
.05 A list identifying--
(1) The dwelling unit’s energy efficient building envelope components and their respective energy performance rating as required by section 401.3 of the 2004 IECC Supplement; and
(2) The energy efficient heating and cooling equipment installed in the dwelling unit and the energy efficiency performance of such equipment as rated under applicable Department of Energy Appliance Standards test procedures.
.06 Identification of the listed software program used to calculate energy consumption (see section 5 of this notice).
.07 A declaration, applicable to the certification and any accompanying documents, signed by a person currently authorized to bind the eligible certifier in these matters, in the following form:
“Under penalties of perjury, I declare that I have examined this certification, including accompanying documents, and to the best of my knowledge and belief, the facts presented in support of this certification are true, correct, and complete.”

 

Here's the URL.

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-06-27.pdf

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Permalink Reply by Lorna G. Fear on January 4, 2011 at 6:58pm

And here's the link to eQuest, the DOE's free building energy analysis tool so you can start practicing. I hear that eQuest is about to get approved for HERS rater use, at least in California.

 

http://doe2.com/equest/

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