Rebates hoped to boost number of ‘green’ homes in California
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- Category: Energy Efficiency
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10 Apr 2012
- Published on Tuesday, 10 April 2012 19:14
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Residents of Los Angeles County in California can receive up to $8,000 in rebates for energy efficiency upgrades in their homes.
Homeowners can qualify for the rebates under the "Energy Upgrade California" program administered by the California Energy Commission in partnership with public and private utilities, the California Public Utilities Commission and participating counties.
GreenPoint Rated, an initiative of nonprofit membership organization Build It Green, helps homeowners make their homes meet the high environmental standards required to take advantage of the rebates
Their rating system assigns points based on five categories – energy efficiency, resource conservation, indoor air quality, water conservation and community benefits.
A house is awarded a GreenPoint Rated label if it gets verified as using green construction practices and sustainable materials that exceed California's residential building and energy code requirements.
According to the press release, California's 10,000 GreenPoint Rated homes, a figure it met recently, have saved over 112 million gallons of water and avoided nearly 9,000 tons of greenhouse gases, the equivalent of taking over 1,500 cars off the road for a year.
"A green home is good for the planet, healthier for you and your family – and now, with these new rebates, getting the label that proves your home is green is basically free," said Howard Choy, general manager of the County Office of Sustainability, which administers the Green Label Rebate Program and Energy Upgrade California in Los Angeles County.
"We hope these rebates will encourage more Los Angeles homeowners to consider going green." – EcoSeed Staff
