If you have been considering reducing your energy costs, and your carbon footprint, at home by shifting to renewable sources of heating, cooling and electricity, federal tax credits make this less expensive. We live in a 1960 ranch house that has been well insulated and uses electric heat pumps and a wood stove to heat our main living area. This non central heating system allows sufficient heat to flow through the hallway to our cooler bedrooms.

To conserve more heat, we decided to invest in 5 new bedroom double pane windows to replace the single pane and inefficient storm windows in place. Since we put in the windows ourselves, we can claim $600 of the $1,600 window costs as federal tax deductions. Each year you could claim 30% of costs of up to a total $1,600 tax credit for windows and doors.

The federal tax credit for home energy efficiency improvements, which includes electric panel updates, insulation, and efficient doors and windows, is capped at $1,200 annually. A good energy audit that monitors air as well as heat movement in the house, will show you the most cost-effective improvements to make to reduce that invisible heat loss.

Federal tax credits through the Inflation Reduction Act also include $2,000 for a heat pump water heater or electric heat pump, and 30% residential clean energy credits for installing renewable energy systems. Home solar, solar water heating, fuel cells, geothermal heat pumps and small wind energy qualify for a total of $1,200 in residential renewable energy credits. You can find more details at www.energystar.gov and how to apply for the credits.

We expanded a home built solar hot water system to bring water in to barrels in my greenhouse as space heating for winter comfort and starting spring seedlings for flower and vegetable gardens. We placed this system on the lower part of our south facing greenhouse wall below the plastic windows. If you have a south facing outer wall, you also could consider installing a prefabricated solar greenhouse/sunroom. It will add both heat and winter comfort to a room.

If you have been watching the success of electric vehicle use and geometrically expanding electric charging system throughout Maine, look into President Biden’s Clean Vehicle federal tax credit. The IRA’s $7500 credit is for electric vehicles with at least 7-kilowatt-hour batteries, and for vans, SUVs, cars, and pickup trucks under certain price limits. The batteries must meet source requirements for critical minerals and vehicle assembly made in the U.S, Canada or Mexico. A Buyer’s adjusted gross income limit applies. This year you can transfer your tax credit to the dealer at the time of sale, reducing the initial cost of the car.

As the market for used Electric Vehicles expands, a $4000 credit for 2-year-old electric cars under 7 tons that cost less than $25,000 will be useful for lower cost electric car purchases. We find our Ioniq 5, with a large 77-volt battery, has a 200-mile range on 20-degree days, and 280 miles in the summer. It’s convenient to buy a home Level 2 charger and pay an electrician to install it for you in your 240-volt outlet. You can reduce some of these costs using IRA’s Electrification Incentives which provide tax incentives for installing a home electric vehicle charger, electric wiring, upgrading your electric panel, or installing energy storage equipment. Some popular American made electric vehicles that qualify for these tax credits include the Ford Lightning, the Chevrolet Bolt, Tesla models 3, Y and S, the Lucid Air sedan and Rivian R1T and R1S pickup trucks.

We still have our second Chevrolet Bolt and have been completely happy with both. I find the screen simpler and the car easier to operate than the more expensive Ioniq and easier to read my miles per kilowatt. Outside we installed a 240-volt Level 2 charger, which powers the Ioniq 5 for use by two people. We recharge the Bolt more slowly overnight with a 110-volt regular circuit. The size of the battery and type of charger determine the rate of charge. For charging away from home, there is a web resource, www.Plugshare.com, that lists each charger that is operational, which company owns it, and if it is in use nationwide. This resource, available on your cell phone, will help you plan trips successfully.

Nancy Chandler studied Animal Behavior and Anthropology at Stanford University, then received her master’s in biology education in her home state of North Carolina at U.N.C. Chapel Hill. She is passionate about teaching energy conservation and hopes to get you thinking about how to use energy use efficiently to save both money and reduce greenhouse warming gases.

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