All new buildings, starting in 2010, to be 30% more energy efficient, according to Alliance to Save Energy.

Historic Preservationists are becoming the true pioneers of the green building movement. The Alliance to Save Energy is calling for all new buildings starting in 2010 to be 30% more efficient.

Take a look at this Green Buildings video from the beta site, Clean Skies, The Energy and Environment Network. A great resource. If you can't play the video above, here's the link: Green Buildings cleanskies.com

Brought to you by Marshall Mechanical, your Richmond VA Green Building and Energy Efficiency Experts, for all your residential and commercial building HVAC and plumbing needs.

$28 million in Stimulus provides RVA Homeowners with Energy Efficiency Rebate of up to $2,000; Federal Tax Credits of 30% of purchases

If you caught NBC WWBT 12's new story this morning, you already know that Virginia is receiving $28 million from the Federal government to help homeowners become more energy efficient in the form of an energy rebate of up to $2,000. According to the news story by Laura Geller, if the stimulus program is successful, Virginia is apt to receive another $35 million.

These Virginia state rebates are in addition to the Federal Tax Credits we told you about earlier this year.

If you own an existing home, you can qualify for Federal Tax Credits of 30% of the cost, up to $1,500, in 2009 and 2010, for replacement windows and doors, insulation, roofs, HVAC, water heaters (non-solar) and biomass stoves. For HVAC, this means energy efficient air conditioners, heat pumps, climate controls or programmable thermostats, etc. Sure, up to $1,500 credit is really good but listen up.

Here's the unbelievable news... If you are a homeowner of an existing home OR if you are building a new home, Federal tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, WITH NO UPPER LIMIT for the following: Geothermal Heat Pumps, Solar Heat Panels, Solar Water Heaters, as well as small wind energy systems and fuel cells.

This is in addition to the Virginia State rebate on energy efficiency just announced, of up to $2,000. As soon as the details of the stimulus rebate are posted on the VA Stimulus website, we will post again to give you that link.

Marshall Mechanical is experienced in installing Geothermal Heat Pumps by WaterFurnace and is a WaterFurnace HVAC dealer right here in Richmond VA. WaterFurnace has helpful information on their website to educate the home owner about using the 30% tax credits.

Like to know more about what the U.S. Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has to say about the Return on Investment of Geothermal Heat Pumps? You can read the full article right here. What you need to know is that while the installation price is of a geothermal unit is higher than that of traditional air-source systems of the same heating and cooling capacity, the additional costs are returned to the homeowner in energy savings in as little as 5-10 years. System life is estimated at 25 years for the inside components and 50+ years for the ground loop.

At Marshall Mechanical, we are your Richmond VA Green Home and Energy Efficiency experts. We will help you navigate through the Virginia State Stimulus Rebate for Energy Efficiency and we will help you get the paperwork right to apply for the Federal Tax Credits. Most of all, we will work with you one-on-one to take the time to answer all your questions about what HVAC units or programmable thermostats are best for your home. We can even give you a estimated calculation of Geothermal heat pump monthly savings for your home in just minutes.

Your Richmond area home is an investment. Let us help you maximize it. Call Sean Cantrell or Mike Smith at 804.323.0189 today to help you take advantage of the Virginia energy efficiency stimulus rebates and Federal tax credits. And then enjoy your comfortable home and your energy savings for years to come.

Celebrate Earth Day and save over $150 by installing a Lennox programmable thermostat in your home!

In celebration of Earth Day, Marshall Mechanical is making it very easy for you to do your part to not only save energy but also save money for years to come.

From now until April 30, 2009, you can purchase the Lennox® ComfortSense(TM) 5000 Series Touchscreen energy-saving Thermostat for $25 off the retail price with free installation! That's right, for just $199 installed, you can have an effortless and efficient temperature control that automatically controls your energy cost all year round. This is a savings of $150 off our regular price!

We can help you calculate your specific savings by using the EPA's Energy Star Lifecycle cost estimate worksheet for a quality programmable thermostat. What you need to know is that an average home can save up to $269 per year every year, compared to a regular thermostat.

Summary of Benefits for 1 Programmable Thermostat(s)* Heating Energy Cost with Energy Star T-stat:

• Heating Savings: $210 yr
• Cooling Savings: $59 yr
• Life cycle savings 15yrs: $2,989
• Life Cycle energy saved (MBTU)-includes both Heating and Cooling: 195
• Simple payback of additional cost (years): 0.3
• Life cycle air pollution reduction (lbs of CO2): 27,287
• Air pollution reduction equivalence (number of cars removed from the road for a year): 2
• Air pollution reduction equivalence (acres of forest): 3

So get a great Earth Day deal -- save money now with our free installation offer, begin saving both money and energy immediately after installation and reduce your carbon footprint for years to come!

This is yet another way Marshall Mechanical is your full service Richmond heating, cooling and plumbing partner. We know your home is an investment and we help you maximize it. And we help you give back to the environment at the same time.

But hurry, this Earth Day offer expires April 30th, 2009*. Call or email Sean Cantrell or Mike Smith today at 804.323.0189.

*This offer is for the Lennox brand of 5000 series thermostat. If customer prefers, certain models of the Honeywell brand of thermostats can be installed in place of Lennox. Call Mike Smith for details.

How to GREEN UP your next Easter: great suggestions on how to reduce your environmental impact!

Low Impact Living » Blog Archive » How To Make Your Easter Green

Yep, even us HVAC guys love this article from Low Impact Living because of all the creative suggestions on how you can reduce your environmental impact and still have a great time celebrating the Easter holiday. Everything to make your spring celebration eco-friendly -- from eggs, candy, food and even the egg hunt -- and teach your children to be "Green" in the process. Chances are, your kids will have a few ideas of their own.

You can buy organic eggs, use natural food dyes, use reusable and biodegradeable wicker baskets. You can even grow your own grass inside your easter basket which then doubles as a great springtime decoration. Using fair trade, organic chocolate is pretty cool too.

And even for the holiday meal, you can check out a local organic farmer or farmer's market, or maybe consider a vegetarian feast (ok, maybe not for us HVAC guys but we do like to eat healthy when we can).

Bridgette Steffen, who posted the article, also went so far as to talk about how Easter is a time of the celebration of regrowth, renewal and life. And what better time to reduce your environmental impact by growing new plants, cleaning up the neighborhood, using more national ingredients.

This article is just filled with tips and links to help you have a greener Easter and Spring season. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

At Marshall Mechanical, we're here to help you keep your home green and healthy all year long. Don't forget to hit the tell-a-friend button and bookmark this article for future use!

Right-sized HVAC units and Geothermal or Solar Heat/AC options for your home.

News : Trends : Heating and Cooling Go Green : HGTVPro.com

Right-sizing of HVAC system

I heard a story through a friend of a friend that a homeowner in Chesterfield had to replace his HVAC unit. The house was about 14 years old and, from what I understand, the unit just wore out. The homeowner had four HVAC contractors give him an estimate for the replacement and all four of them said the original HVAC unit that the builder installed in the home was definitely too small for the square footage of the home.

In fact, one of the HVAC contractors was from the company that originally put the unit in the home for the builder. So when the contractor told him that the unit was too small, the homeowner asked him why his company installed it that way. The HVAC contractor swore that there was no way they would have put that unit in that sized house but the homeowner had the original paperwork to prove it. The HVAC contractor then said it must have been installed prior to the time he was personally working for the company.

Mis-sizing of heating and cooling equipment is an all-too-common occurance, especially if homeowners are buying spec houses in which the builder wanted to save money. Or perhaps his builder didn't order accurate load calculations from the original contractor. In addition, it is tempting for homeowners to purchase replacement systems that are too small because they cost less. On the flip side, sometimes both builders and homeowners can install units that are too large for the home. Since recent technology has improved, new smaller units can often be more energy efficient and therefore the appropriate solution. In this article from HGTVPro, writer Rob Fanjoy clearly states how the right-sized HVAC equipment can save homeowners money and can create a more energy-efficient and comfortable home. An excellent write-up that all homeowners should read.

Geothermal heat pumps: Digging deep for green

The HGTVPro article goes on to talk about the benefits of using the new geothermal HVAC units. While more expensive at retail cost than a non-geo unit, they come with energy tax credits up to 30% with no limit and "they have the biggest upside in terms of energy savings and environmental consciousness. They use the earth's natural below-surface temperature of about 55 degrees to provide heating or cooling to spaces above ground." The article goes on to say that the EPA "estimates annual heating savings of as much as 70% and cooling savings of close to 50%." These are significant savings for the homeowner, especially when annualized over the life of the unit.

Need assistance?

If you're a homeowner in the Central Virginia area, specifically Richmond, and you find yourself in the position of having to replace your HVAC unit, please call us to discuss your needs. First, we'll make sure that your unit requires replacement -- that may not be the only solution. Second, if it is determined that your unit does need to be replaced, we'll make sure that you not only get the right-sized unit for your home but that you also are presented with options including geothermal units and even the new Lennox solar-assisted units. These may not only make your home more energy-efficient and "green" but also more appealing to a home buyer in case you need to sell your home in the future.

I am a licensed professional mechanical engineer and started Marshall Mechanical in 2005 to service both residential and commercial clients. Previous to starting Marshall Mechanical, I worked for 15 years at the premier architecture firm in Richmond, designing HVAC systems for some of Richmond's largest companies, including the Dominion Energy Trading Floor, MCV's Gateway Building and Owens & Minor.

You deserve to call someone you can trust to help you make the right decisions to protect the investment you've made in your home. Call or tweet us anytime -- even if you just have a simple question about heating, cooling, plumbing, air filtration or moisture control. We're here for you and we pledge never to forget that.

- Sean Cantrell, 804.323.0189. You can find both me and Mike Smith on Twitter and LinkedIn

Alternative Energy Revival by Stimulus

Stimulus Appears to Be Sparking Alt-Energy Revival: Scientific American

Excellent article from Scientific American technology section about how President Obama's stimulus plan is sparking an alternative energy revival.

It starts out with...

"NEW YORK—There are signs that the federal stimulus might be pumping a little life into the alternative-energy industry.

Financiers and law firms specializing in renewable energy say they see growing interest in reviving moribund projects and breaking ground on new deals. And while big banks that have braced the industry's backbone are still on the fence, some hedge funds and private equity and venture capital firms are cautiously looking to take advantage of stimulus provisions that temporarily eliminate the need for tax equity financing, which has long been a mainstay for renewable energy projects."

Excellent read for anyone wanting more information and resources on renewable and alterative energy. If you have any specific questions relating to residential or commercial energy consumption, please call Sean Cantrell or Mike Smith at 804.323.0189.

Indoor Air Quality: An often-overlooked danger and what you can do about it.

The Environmental Protection Agency has a great resource on educating yourself about the quality level of your indoor air. It's called "The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality" and it covers all aspects including causes, identifying problems and measuring pollutant levels. It also provides a complete reference guide for certain types of pollutants such as radon, tobacco smoke and formaldehyde, as well as certain types of stoves and heaters.

Another article chocked full of explanations and references about indoor air quality is one that appeared on MSN Green recently by Barbara Card Atkinson entitled "Sweet Green Air." In the article, she sums up information published by the American Lung Association about how typical household products such as cleaning solutions, pesticides and paints contribute to having toxins in our living spaces. Trichloroethylene (TCE), benzene and formaldehyde seem to be the ones lurking most often in common products or building materials.

In the same article, Atkinson also lists the top 10 houseplants that naturally help fight off formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide from the air. They are:

Pot Mum -- Chrysantheium morifolium
Bamboo Palm -- Chamaedorea Seifritzii
Chinese Evergreen -- Aglaonema Modestum
English Ivy -- Hedera Helix
Gerbera Warneckii -- Dracaena "Warneckii"
Daisy -- Gerbera Jamesonii
Peace Lily -- Spathiphyllum
Janet Craig -- Dracaena "Janet Craig"
Marginata -- Dracaena Marginata
Mass Cane/Corn Plant -- Dracaena Massangeana

Marshall Mechanical can also help you improve your indoor air quality by taking simple measures of regularly cleaning air ducts, providing recommendations on the right air cleaner for your home's size, and ensuring that your heating and air conditioning systems are set up for optimum performance. It's yet another reason why scheduling regular preventive maintenance on your HVAC systems makes good sense.

If you believe you are experiencing problems with your indoor air quality, please contact Sean or Mike at 804.323.0189. We'll be happy to answer any questions you have and/or schedule an inspection visit at a time convenient for you.

How big is your Carbon Foot Print?

Carbon Foot Print-what is that you may ask? It is a representation of the effect human activities have on the climate in terms of the total amount of greenhouse gases produced (measured in units of carbon dioxide). In laymens terms--the amount of carbon dioxide a person or household produces by the use of electricity, fuel oil, natural gas, and gasoline. Some things that contribute to "your" carbon footprint are;

• Driving a vehicle
• Turning on lights
• Using any electrical appliance
• Cooling and heating your home

So, why does the size of your carbon footprint matter to you or anyone else? Well, greenhouse gases are contributing to the changes in our earths atmosphere. Did you notice how warm this past January was, perhaps your children notice there wasn't any snow at all this winter. Maybe you remember how hot last summer was or the increase number of hurricanes over the past couple of years. There are plenty of published scientific reports stating why the climate is changing and just as many saying the climate is not changing. There is a plethara of information on the subject of global warming that one can peruse. Since there has been so much published on global warming and climate change perhaps we should pay attention to our carbon footprint.

Think about it, what could it hurt if we paid attention to our carbon footprint? Nothing, we might actually save some money by not driving as much, keeping our lights turned off when we aren't in room being used, and keeping our thermostats a degree warmer in the summer and a degree cooler in the winter.

Come back for more tips on what you can do to reduce your carbon foot print.