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March 1st, 2010
As businesses find new ways to streamline operations and trim costs, new equipment is often the last priority. Yet business owners overlook a significant opportunity for long-term savings when they outright eliminate all equipment expenditures. Many purchases require an initial investment, but provide reduced costs over time. One such purchase is energy optimization equipment, which allows business owners to reduce their overall utility costs and reduce maintenance downtime and repair costs.
Tax Incentives for Green Energy Purchases
The “Worker Homeowner and Business Assistance Act of 2009” was introduced by the federal government in November 2009. Intended to stimulate the economy by providing tax relief for both businesses and homeowners, the Act modifies how businesses can carry Net Operating Losses (NOL).
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Tags: energy optimization, energy savings, go green, power factor correction
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February 24th, 2010
Saving energy literally translates into dollars and cents for conscientious homeowners. Not only can homeowners save money on their electric bills, but they can also qualify for tax breaks for environmentally friendly equipment and improvements. Through energy optimization, any homeowner can maximize savings in five simple steps.
Replace major appliances with energy-efficient models. Energy-efficient appliances are usually more expensive up front. However, they quickly pay for themselves through energy savings—and recently introduced tax breaks for green home improvements. Although most homeowners think to upgrade their refrigerators, washers, and dryers, they often overlook the hot water heater. Yet this appliance usually accounts for at least 25% of residential electricity usage. Even older hot water heaters can be retrofitted with a device like the AirTap, which uses heat pump technology to reduce energy use by up to 70%, without sacrificing temperature or capacity.
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Tags: energy efficient lighting, energy optimization, surge protection
Posted in Lightning, energy optimization, energy savings, surge protection | No Comments »
January 26th, 2010
Power factor correction is an easy way for consumers and business owners to optimize their electricity usage and significantly reduce their electricity bills. Yet this method of energy conservation is often overlooked because few people understand how it works.
An Overview of Power Factor Correction
Power factor is the ratio of real power to apparent power used by a circuit. When someone plugs an appliance into an electrical supply, the power factor varies based on the amount of electricity that the appliance requires. That fluctuation causes instability in a home’s power grid and leads to wasted electricity.
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Tags: energy consumption, power factor, power factor correction, reduce energy, TVSS
Posted in TVSS, energy optimization, energy savings, go green, power factor correction | No Comments »
January 15th, 2010
During the winter, heating the home can cause energy expenses to skyrocket. This winter, however, homeowners can actually save money on energy. The right maintenance and strategies can drastically improve a home’s energy efficiency.
Complete Energy-Saving Home Maintenance
It’s never too late to prepare a home for winter. Weatherproofing a home keeps the cold air out, and the heated air in. Homeowners who follow these energy-saving techniques will be well prepared to enjoy decreased energy expenses in every season.
- Check the exterior of the home for holes or gaps. Seal small openings with caulk, and patch larger holes with drywall or sheetrock.
- Inspect the weather-stripping around doors and windows. If necessary, reapply caulk around the windows and replace the foam around doors. Add sweeps to the bottoms of exterior doors.
- Use window locks to keep windows sealed as tightly as possible.
- Clean heating equipment regularly, as clogs can decrease output. Replace the filter furnace as needed.
- Inspect insulation in the basement, attic, ceilings, and exterior walls to ensure that it reaches recommended levels.
- Cover the pool and run the filter for only two hours per day.
- Place aluminum foil on the walls behind each radiator, to reflect heat back inside the room.
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Tags: energy saving, energy tips, go green, home energy, reduce energy, residential energy
Posted in General, energy savings, go green | No Comments »
January 4th, 2010
Every year many businesses in communities around the country support our Total Energy Concepts Green Initiatives by installing energy optimization and power factor correction units to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption. And each year we at Total Energy Concepts are proud to give back to the communities that give so much to us.
This year is no different. We are proud to share that this year the following organizations received sizable cash donations to support their cause.
- McLean County Resource Center - North Dakota
- Ruth Meyers Hospitality House - North Dakota
- Sharing and Caring Hands - Minnesota
- Harry Chapin Food Bank - Florida
- St. Matthew’s House - Florida
- American Business Club BSO – Illinois
- Northern Illinois Food Bank – Illinois
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Tags: charity donation, energy optimization, go green, green initiative, power factor correction
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December 22nd, 2009
During this time of year, many of us are buying toys of all kinds for our children. There are hundreds of toys available and the new ones just keep coming. Toys can be very beneficial in a child’s development but each year it is proven that toys can be dangerous by the sheer number of kids treated for toy-injuries. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has specific regulations put in place and closely monitors all toys made in and exported in to the United States to protect your children. The CPSC Toy Regulations have improved the safety of toys and reduced the number of recalls substantially over the last few years. You can be more confident than ever when buying toys, but these regulations are only in effect for toys made after 1995, so be careful when buying or accepting used toys and make sure they are in good condition and are safe.
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Tags: christmas toys, go green, green toys, safe toys, toy safety, toy tips
Posted in General, go green | No Comments »
December 3rd, 2009
Effective November 6th, 2009 under the “Worker, Homeowner, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 – WHABBA for short”….all US Businesses of every size can now carry back Net Operating Losses (NOL’s) up to FIVE years. A Net Operating Loss is the excess of the taxpayer’s business deductions over its GROSS Income. The previous legislation allowed businesses with less than $15 Million in gross receipts to carry back a NOL two years.
IMPACT FOR BUSINESSES – A business that carries back a NOL to a prior profitable year can obtain a quick refund from the IRS for that prior year. This will provide additional cash that the business can use to pay expenses, maintain operations, and make new investments.
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Tags: bonus depreciation, carry backs, net loss, tax advantage
Posted in General | 3 Comments »
December 1st, 2009
Everybody these days is focused on “Going Green” and even organizations and government agencies are addressing the need to Go Green to protect our environment. Sure, Going Green means we are saving our environment, but another major benefit is to the business owners as by Going Green they are drastically reducing their energy expenses meaning they are improving their bottom line, and these days…improving your bottom line ensures your future.
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Tags: energy efficiency, energy optimization, go green, green building, green certification, green regulations
Posted in General, Green Building Regulations, energy optimization, go green, green certification | 4 Comments »
November 24th, 2009
During this time of year we gather with friends and family to give thanks for what we have. I can picture my family now, standing around the table, holding hands and giving thanks for our family, friends, fortune, food, and safe travels. But I can’t picture someone saying I’m thankful for our environment. But why not? Our environment is how we survive, the healthier the environment, the healthier we are.
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Tags: energy tips, go green
Posted in General, energy savings | 3 Comments »
October 28th, 2009
Lightning is one of the most common weather occurrences and can happen just about anywhere, but most commonly in moist warm climates. Lightning strikes every day of the year in the United States and is most prevalent in Tampa Bay, which is known as the “Lightning Capital”. Just in the U.S alone there is an average 20,000,000 lightning strikes that touch down per year.
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Tags: energy savings, go green, lightning protection, surge protection, transient voltage
Posted in Lightning, energy savings | 1 Comment »
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