Tax breaks for many energy savings expire 31 December ...

[eppur_se_muova]

Uncle Sam wants to pay you for going green

By Keith Pandolfi (This Old House/CNN)

Ready to take advantage of the federal government? You have until December 31. That's when Washington puts the kibosh on consumer tax credits of up to $500 for energy-saving products such as high-efficiency furnaces, water heaters, windows and insulation.

The good news is that credits of up to $2,000 will remain available for solar upgrades --including solar water heaters and photovoltaic roof panels --through December 31, 2008.

Even if you miss out, there are plenty of other tax breaks, rebates and discounts available to efficiency-minded homeowners through local governments, banks and utility companies.

That's what Mitch Zimmerman and his wife, Michele Freeman, discovered last year when they were looking to weatherize and add a new high-efficiency heating and cooling system to their house in Austin, Texas. The cost seemed off-putting -- until they received a postcard from their local utility company offering details of a program that provides deep discounts and low-interest loans to qualified customers looking to make their houses more energy efficient.

That utility, Austin Energy, eventually provided the name of an approved contractor who inspected the house's ductwork for leaks, added new weatherstripping to the windows and doors, and blew recycled newspaper insulation into the attic, all at a substantial discount.
***
more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/homestyle/10/04/toh.tax.credits/index.html

[Kolesar]

1. One more year for photovoltaics

very good