Spring GreenFests 2013
Please join us at these four upcoming green festivals featuring fun activities for the whole family.
Howard County GreenFest 2013
Howard Community College Burrill Galleria and Quad
10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD
Saturday, April 13, 10 AM to 4 PM
One of the best green festivals in the area, the 6th Annual GreenFest will focus on alternative energy, energy efficiency, water conservation, and water reuse. As is their tradition, other “green” themes will also be presented, such as green buildings, green consumer products, green landscaping, environmental education, and children’s activities.
We Have a Winner
Congratulations to Meredith of Baltimore for winning a $100 gift certificate to Woodberry Kitchen – our favorite sustainable restaurant**.
As part of our regular effort to monitor and improve the quality of our service, we survey all of our audit and contracting customers. Each quarter we hold a drawing to select one of the respondents as a winner. And luck of the draw went to Meredith for the first quarter of 2013.
When we wrote to tell her she’d won, Meredith wrote back, Read the rest of this entry »
Putting a Local Face on Climate Change
Ernie Hilsenrath convenes last Saturday’s forum.
Sustainability in Howard County
There is no doubt that the climate is changing.
According to the National Climatic Data Center, the first 8 months of 2012 were the hottest ever recorded in the U.S., while June, July and August were the third hottest summer months ever.
In addition, NASA satellite data shows rising sea levels, decreasing land and sea ice, increased vegetation in Polar Regions, rising global temperatures and increasing humidity in conjunction with extreme weather events. All of which are occurring at a rate unprecedented in any previous time.
We can’t (or at least shouldn’t) deny that climate change is happening. So now, the US debate centers on whether or not humans are causing climate change and global warming (the rest of the world has gone beyond this discussion).
Join us In Howard County
Beyond Fossil Fuels:
Energy Solutions for You & Your Community
Date: Saturday, March 23, 2013
Time: 9 AM to Noon
Place: Howard Community CollegeFind out how both you and your community benefit from energy efficiency and clean energy sources, including solar, geothermal, wind and more.
Hear local energy experts from environmental groups, government and the green business community explain how to make the switch to sustainable energy today for our homes, businesses, and institutions. Read the rest of this entry »
Howard County Climate Conference
TerraLogos Energy Group is proud to announce we have been invited to participate in the “Weather to the EXTREME” conference hosted by Howard County Conservancy and the Howard County Public School System on March 3, 2013.
Weather to the EXTREME
Educational Conference for High School Students with Industry Leaders
Howard County Conservancy
10520 Old Frederick Road, Woodstock, MD 21163
Wednesday, March 13, 2013, 9 am to 1:30pm
The conference will include presentations from TerraLogos, as well as various other notable speakers including meteorologist Ava Marie from WBAL-TV, along with representatives from Northrop Grumman, REI, Bartlett Trees, the University of Maryland Extension Service, NOAA and BGE. 100 Howard County high school freshmen will be participating. Read the rest of this entry »
Retrofit Baltimore Promotes Home Performance
Connecting the Dots to Energy Efficiency
Civic Works, Baltimore’s urban service corps, is ramping up a great new project that will help homeowners improve the energy efficiency of their homes while creating green jobs for Baltimore.
Called Retrofit Baltimore, this not-for-profit project focuses on educating the public about the benefits of home energy improvements. TerraLogos Energy Group is proud to announce that we were recently selected as one of three contracting partners in the Retrofit Baltimore program.
Already, over a hundred homeowners have participated in the program, Read the rest of this entry »
Spring GreenFests for 2013
Please join us at these four upcoming green festivals featuring fun activities for the whole family.
Davidsonville Green Expo
Ruritan Community Center
3358 Davidsonville Road, Davidsonville, MD
Saturday, March, 16, 10 AM to 2 PM
This 4th annual event sponsored by the Davidsonville Area Civic Association looks to inform visitors on energy saving-techniques and sustainability, while allowing attendees to connect with local watershed groups. Read the rest of this entry »
2012 Angie’s List Super Service Award
Reflects Consistent High Level of Customer Service
TerraLogos Energy Group has earned the service industry-coveted 2012 Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor awarded annually to approximately 5 percent of all the companies rated on Angie’s List, the nation’s leading provider of consumer reviews on local service companies.
“This award means a great deal to our company,” said SusanVan Buren, Vice President of TerraLogos. “We always strive for 100% customer satisfaction with our work. We are proud to receive this recognition and thank our customers for taking the time to provide the reviews that earned us this award.”
“It’s a select group of companies rated on Angie’s List that can claim the exemplary customer service record Read the rest of this entry »
Federal Energy Tax Credit Extension
A Thank You Gift from Congress
Something good came from our cliff walk. As part of the “fiscal cliff deal” that just passed, Congress voted to extend the tax credit for energy efficient home improvements, such as insulation and air sealing.
Good for Both 2012 AND 2013
The residential energy efficiency tax credit covers 10% of the cost of some energy efficient home improvements, up to a cap of $500.
For those of you that have completed energy improvements in 2012, Congress has given you a thank you gift. Your projects qualify for this federal energy tax credit which you can apply when you file your taxes for 2012.
PLUS, energy improvement projects that are completed this year before 12/31/2013, are also eligible for this tax credit.
The Details
New Boiler Rebates
Be SMART Program Fills Gaps
The utility-sponsored Home Performance Rebate Programs have helped many homeowners with subsidized audits and rebates on many of the most commonly recommended energy improvements (more incentive details here). However, to be eligible, these programs required the home to have either central air conditioning or electric heat (or gas heat in the BGE territory).
So, if your home had window ACs (or no AC at all) and oil/propane heat (or outside BGE territory, gas heat), you were on your own.
MD State’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) filled this gap with their Be SMART Home Energy Efficiency Rebate Program. Kicked off in June of this year, the program provides almost identical incentives to these once-excluded homeowners. Read the rest of this entry »