Solar power with no upfront payment

PACE (property-assessed clean energy) programs that were alive in no fewer than twenty-seven states before they were killed by the overlords of Fannie Mae and Freddie Macnow have a chance of being reborn. PACE, you'll remember, are programs in which local government bodies fund, through private investment, energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements on residential and commercial properties; owners then repay the government body through property tax assessments over twenty years, with new owners becoming responsible for unpaid balances on the assessments. In this way, homeowners can have solar arrays, for example, installed with no upfront cost. A bill was recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives aimed at satisfying the concerns of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which effectively strangled PACE programs last year over concerns about superiority of liens. FHFA was, and is, worried that the lien associated with the mortgage would take second place to the lien belonging to PACE money. This, they thought, would jeopardize the bank's chances of repayment in the event of default. The huge error in this line of thought is that PACE programs aren't loans at all, but tax obligations. And the most innovative and popular method we've seen for financing rooftop solar atrophied for a full year because of this error. Hope, as they say, springs eternal, and you know where. The new, very bipartisan bill - the PACE Protection Act of 2011 (HR2599) would prevent the FHFA from adopting policies that work against local PACE laws, so long as certain provisions applied to applicants, e.g: the proposed energy efficiency or renewable energy installation could not cost more than 10% of the value of the property; the property owner had more than 15% equity in the property; PACE-financed projects have positive savings-to-investment ratios. Everything about PACE should appeal to legislators on both sides of the aisle. The programs are based on private capital, not subsidies from ratepayers, government funds or the taxpayer. They're also based on state and local government initiatives, not federal mandates. And they serve to deploy more distributed clean energy resources, reducing carbon emissions and saving homeowners money. What's not to like? Congresspersons will likely be debating the PACE Protection Act after the summer recess, which makes this a perfect time for letters to be appearing in their hometown papers. Can you write one or more of those letters? We've provided some 'talking points' on the next page for you to mold into a suitable letter-to-the-editor, calling on your Congressional delegation to vote PACE back to life! For more information, check out the PACE support site here; and press Go! below to TAKE ACTION NOW! 

Solar power with no upfront payment

Energy Saving Window Replacement JOB

Nonrandex Custom Replacement Windows

• Energy Star
• Dual Pane
• Low E Glass Coating
• Argon Gas
• Tilt In for Easy Cleaning and Maintenance

Weatherized and Air Sealed against the Elements with: Dow Great Stuff Window and Door Sealer

• Dow Great Stuff commented on your photo.
  Dow Great Stuff wrote: "Looks like you know what you're doing! Thanks for using GREAT STUFF!"
  
  

  See the comment thread

Job Notes: 

1. Replaced Existing Windows in Lower Level of Home with Nonrandex Custom Windows.  
2. Estimated Energy Savings 30% on Energy Costs (note: the Customers and I will be monitoring the new Utility Bills for Actual Energy Savings for Real Time Energy Savings). 
3. More Job Site Photos will be available soon. 

Emergency Letter to Obama: You Can't Cut Social Security

Sign the petition

The petition reads:

“Dear President Obama, I’m writing because this is an emergency: the GOP is holding our parents and grandparents hostage to the debt ceiling – and the rumor is you’re about to go along with it.

This is simply not acceptable. The President of the United States does not negotiate with hostage takers – especially over Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare, the most significant progressive achievements of the last 100 years.

Fight for me, and I’ll keep fighting for you.

Sincerely, [your name here]”

Complete the following to sign. You’ll also receive periodic updates on activism opportunities.

First Name

Last Name

Email

Zip

Emergency Letter to Obama: You Can’t Cut Social Security

…and then ask us for financial and volunteer support.

The New York Times and the Washington Post are reporting that President Obama may offer cuts to Social Security and Medicare to the GOP in their Debt Ceiling deal. This is an “All hands on deck” moment for every progressive in America. The same Republicans who raised the debt ceiling 5 times (and by nearly $4 Trillion) under George Bush in order to give HUGE tax cuts to the super-rich and mega corporations are now telling America that we can’t afford to take care of our parents and grandparents in their old age.

The Tea Party Congress is not even remotely interested in making compromises or doing what’s right. They are out to destroy America’s greatest social contract and promise to the American people: The New Deal. They are holding our parents and grandparents hostage right now to protect the wealth of the Wall St. tycoons that sabotaged our economy in the first place.

The President of the United States does not negotiate with hostage takers.

Sign our emergency letter to President Obama today: Protect Social Security and Medicare benefits – or don’t ask for grassroots help.

The Other 98% of America needs Obama to take Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare off the table with the GOP. If the Obama and the Dems expect us to fight for them next year then we had better see them fight for us right now.

Lighting Design Basics

ELECTRICAL: Lighting Design Basics
	AMBIENT HOUSE LIGHTING Ambient light (or fill light) is the soft, general illumination that fills a room and softens the shadows. As a rule, the fixtures (often called luminaires in the lighting industry) used to provide ambient light should not draw attention to themselves. Ambient light is best provided by opaque wall sconces, cove lighting, torchiere floor lamps (which point upwards), or dish-shaped hanging fixtures (called indirect pendants). Wall Sconces  Wall sconces should be opaque, not transparent, so that the light will be softer and will not draw the eye to the fixtures. Sconces almost always come in pairs, and they typically are used to flank a door, fireplace, or console table. Two sconces are adequate to provide ambient light in an average size room, but four will be much more effective at providing even, balanced lighting. Cove Lighting  Cove lighting is installed near the ceiling, behind a cornice or ledge. Suitable fixtures include strip lights with miniature incandescent or xenon lamps, compact fluorescents, or standard-length fluorescent tubes. For cove lighting, plan on using either xenon or fluorescent lamps, between 20 to 30 watts per foot for either type. Place the lamps behind the cove as shown in Figure 5-56. If a room has a 9-ft. ceiling, cove lighting can be installed between 12 and 24 in. down from the ceiling. In a room with an 8-ft. ceiling, cove lighting is typically installed 12 in. down. (Note: This may leave the center of some rooms rather dark; the solution here is to include an indirect pendant fixture in the center of the ceiling.)

*Scott's Contracting*

Green Me UP-Scotty
scottscontracting@gmail.com
http://stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com
http://scottscontracting.wordpress.com
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