Green Tax Credits, State Rebates and Grants

http://www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm This is a list of federal tax credits offered for making energy improvements on your home.  Don’t forget to check out the Energy Star program as well for rebates and credits offered on their certified products.

NES in Home Energy Evaluation This is a new program from TVA and NES  that cost $150 for an in home energy evaluation done by a qualified auditor who will then give you a comprehensive list of energy improvements you can make.  If you make $150 worth of improvments, they will refund you the $150 for the inspection and offer 50% rebate of up to $500 in additional improvements.

DSIRE - stands for Database of State incentives for Renewables and Efficiency just click on TN

http://energytaxincentives.org/consumers/insulation_etc.php

Great Local Resources

http://www.energyright.com/ This is a fantastic program through TVA to do an evaluation of your home energy use.  There is a free one you can do on line that is fantastic or you can have an inspector come and do a more thorough evaluation of your home for a refundable fee (provided you do some of the recommended work).

http://www.nashville.gov/beautification/index.htm Metro Beautification is a fantastic resource for easy green initiatives you can integrate in to your daily life. They offer  assistance with everything from composting and rain barrels to litter and vacant lots with trash.

http://www.nashville.gov/recycle/recycle.htm Want to know more about what our friend Curby picks up and when he comes to your house? This will also show you alternative stations that you can drop off glass and aluminum

http://www.nashville.gov/green/forms/pledge.aspx This is the pledge set forth by Mayor Dean by recommendation of his Green Ribbon Committee.  It’s a very good starting point.

Green Permits link to Davidson County’s green building permitting program

Household Toxins

http://www.epa.gov/ This site is a must read for anyone in the market for a home.  Lead, radon, and mold are all common household toxins and I found the’s EPA’s site to be straightforward and informative with regards to the risks, what to look for, and how to fix it.

http://www.state.tn.us/environment/swm/directory.shtml#remediation So you think you might have something funky growing in your basement, don’t panic! Here’s a local listing of state certified companies that can provide remediating services for toxins such as mold or lead.

Local agriculture and Farmers Markets

Localtable.net is a wonderful website with information about local farms, markets, and restaurants that support them.

Nashvilles Farmers Market - I have watched it improve over the years and it’s definitely worth a visit.  Look for the “Grown in TN” sign at the stalls that actually have local produce.  Some of them are just wholesalers.

Why should I care about my carbon foot print?

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html This is an eye opening website with a calculator for you to figure how much carbon emissions your home is creating. These calculators are all over the internet these days, give it a try, you’ll be shocked!!

http://www.kilowattours.org/ Jeff Barrie created an amazing documentary about how electricity is generated and what that means to us in our daily life.  This really breaks it down to the basics but will open your eyes to how wasteful we are and how easily we can fix it.

Consumer guides for green products and services

http://pluggreen.com/ Great website with local roots. This will help you find local vendors with green values including boutiques, realtors, gardeners, etc…

http://www.greenerchoices.org Hosted by Consumer Reports, this site provides performance ratings on a large variety of green products from cars and appliances to cleaning products. There is a trend called “green washing” where products are being misleadingly marketed as eco friendly and healthy. This is a great way to do your homework before you buy.

http://treehugger.com/ For one thing, I love the name.  It’s also a great just all around get informed, find new products, get great household and travel suggestions kind of website.