Save Money This Spring With Home Energy Improvements!

If you are looking to cut your energy bills or just to improve the comfort of your home year round, take a look at New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program! This spring, NJ homeowners can save money and improve their home’s energy usage and comfort with the incentives from the program’s Home Performance with Energy Star (HPeWS) promotion.

Homeowners can obtain rebates as well as loans to perform energy improvements on their home such as air sealing, insulation, hot water heaters, furnaces, and air conditioners. 

Basement before insulation

After insulation

The first step to obtaining these incentives is to get an energy audit from A&E Construction, a certified contractor.

With over 25 years of experience in building and construction, A&E has performed numerous home energy improvements in the local Princeton area, including Hamilton, Ewing, Lawrenceville, Pennington, and Hopewell. Our team of experts can guide you through the process of making energy improvements as well as utilizing all financial incentives available through HPeWS.

The Energy Audit is a series of tests to assess the health and efficiency of your home. During the audit A&E’s auditor will also test the efficiency and performance of your appliances.

After the audit, we will provide a comprehensive and detailed report of your home's energy losses or problems outlining recommended measures as well as how to qualify for the financial incentives of the HPeWS program.

A strong advantage of selecting A&E to perform your energy improvements is that we bring excellent knowledge of your home’s construction and systems, thus being able to better analyze where energy is lost and how to make the most out of the improvement. 

In addition to being in our 4^th year participating in the HPeWS program, A&E Construction is a Building Performance Institute (BPI) certified contractor with a qualified team. Our BPI certified energy professionals are trained and certified in building analyst, envelope, heating, air conditioning & heat pump, and whole house air leakage.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule an energy audit, contact us today. 

Attic Before

Preparing to blow in cellulose insulation

After cellulose insulation is blown in

Old air conditioner

New energy efficient American Standard air conditioner

New Energy Tax Credits available for 2013

Home Energy Efficiency Tax Credit                   Photo Credit: Google Images

If you have been thinking about making energy improvements on your home, now is the time to get started! By making a qualifying home energy improvement in 2013, you will be eligible for an energy tax credit of up to $500. In addition to the new 2013 tax credit, energy improvements can help reduce your energy bills and increase the comfort and efficiency of your home.

Air Movement in House

The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was just passed by Congress earlier this month.

This Act provides extensions of energy tax credits under IRS code section 25C that previously expired at the end of 2011. 
 

The new retroactive tax credit makes qualifying energy improvements completed in 2012 eligible and extends the tax credit for new work completed through 2013!

The maximum tax credit for all qualified home energy improvements under this legislation is $500.  If you have claimed $500 or more in home energy tax credits in any previous tax year, you are not eligible for this tax credit.  

Here is an overview of eligible home energy improvements and their associated tax credit allowance:

 

·         Insulation for walls, attic or basement: 10% of material costs only up to $150 maximum
                                                           

·         Front Door: 10% of material costs only up to $150 maximum 
 

·         Energy Star Replacement Windows: 10% of material costs only up to $200 maximum
 

·         95% Efficient Furnace (natural gas or propane): $150
 

·         95% Efficient Boiler (oil, natural gas or propane): $150
 

·         Qualifying Air Conditioner and Electric Heat Pump: $300
 

·         Electric Heat Pump Water Heater (2.0 energy factor): $300
 

·         Natural gas, propane or oil water heater with .82 energy factor: $300
 

Click here for additional details. The first step to making an energy improvement on your home is getting an energy audit. Schedule an energy audit with A&E Construction's BPI certified energy professionals and learn about the potential cost savings you can earn on your improvement. 

A&E New Year Reminders

A&E: New Year Reminders

A&E Volunteers Help Deliver Generators to Staten Island

Hurricane Sandy left thousands of people without power and homes. A&E employees, along with local Pennington high schoolers, volunteered to help set up and deliver gas generators to Staten Island families in need. 

A&E Volunteers

Power Your Home with an Emergency Backup Generator

After Sandy, we had an influx of clients looking to install emergency backup generators in their homes. Please contact us via our website or call us at 609-737-4425 if you are interested in installing an emergency backup power system in your home.

An emergency backup system with a transfer switch outlet will allow you to power your primary circuits such as heat, sump pump, well pump, refrigerator, lighting, or the T.V.  

Sub Panel

Installing an emergency backup system with a transfer switch is safer and more convenient than running multiple extension cords around your home. 

Unlike extension cords, a transfer switch system can run devices that are not connected to a cord such as heaters and well pumps. 

When your power returns, other appliances or lights that are not run through the emergency generator will turn on; thus alerting you to flip the transfer switch back to the normal position.

 Read More

Be Comfy and Save Money in the New Year

Princeton Blower Door Test

From now until June 2013, New Jersey's Home Performance with Energy Star(HPwES) program will give homeowners rebates of up to $5,000 and a 10 year no interest loan for qualifying home energy improvements. 

Make a New Year's Resolution this year to cut down on your energy bills! The first step to energy savings is filling out anenergy audit questionnaire.

New Year's Resolution That Will Keep You Comfy & Save You Money

Make a New Year’s Resolution to cut your energy bills and spend no out of pocket money on your home improvements with New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program. 


This winter, NJ homeowners can save money and improve their home’s energy usage and comfort with the new incentives from the program’s Home Performance with Energy Star (HPeWS) promotion.  With rebates of up to $5,000, 10 year no interest loans and energy savings of up to 30 percent, it’s prime time to make home improvements and get rewarded for it.

To give you an idea of how the program works, if a homeowner attains total energy savings of less than 20% and more than 10%, they can qualify for up to $2,000 in rebates and a 10 year no interest loan up to $5,000. This includes work such as air sealing, insulation, hot water heater, duct sealing, and duct insulation. 

Therefore, a homeowner could potentially receive free money, cut monthly energy bills, and pay about $40 a month towards the loan for their improvements. For homeowners who make increased energy savings of 20% or greater, the incentives are raised even higher with rebates of up to $5,000 and a 10 year no interest loan up to $10,000.

The new 2012 incentives are better than those offered in all previous programs and really give homeowners a golden opportunity for lowering their energy bills while increasing the comfort and efficiency of their home. The program kicks off starting January 1st and will be available for the entire year. 

The first step to obtaining these incentives is to get an energy audit from a certified contractor like A&E Construction.

With over 25 years of experience in building and construction, A&E has performed numerous home energy improvements in the local Princeton area. Our team of experts can guide you through the process of making energy improvements as well as utilizing all financial incentives available through HPeWS.

Energy audits typically take between three to four hours to complete and include multiple assessments of heating and cooling equipment, insulation, air sealing, windows, doors, appliances and lighting.  For safety concerns, we also perform a carbon monoxide and gas leak test. A&E’s auditor will perform a thorough exam of the house by looking for areas where a homeowner can save on their bills as well as testing equipment and identifying moisture and air-flow issues. 

After the audit, we will provide a comprehensive and detailed report of your home's energy losses or problems outlining recommended measures as well as how to qualify for the financial incentives ofthe HPeWS program.

A strong advantage of selecting A&E to perform your energy improvements is that we bring excellent knowledge of your home’s construction and systems, thus being able to better analyze where energy is lost and how to make the most out of the improvement. 

In addition to being in our 3^rd year participating in the HPeWS program, A&E Construction is a Building Performance Institute (BPI) certified contractor with a qualified team. Our four BPI certified energy professionals are trained and certified in building analyst, envelope, heating, air conditioning & heat pump, and whole house air leakage.

DIY: How To Winterize House

The Abominable Ice House!                          

At this time in the year, it’s a good idea to start thinking about preparing your home for winter.  Even though we’ve had a brush of winter this week with 30 degree temperatures and a forecast of snow in the future, it’s still going to be fall for a few more weeks.  Take advantage of the weather and perform some routine maintenance on your home that will ensure comfort for the coming months.  Read A&E’s 10 tips for winterizing your house

1. Have your furnace tuned and cleaned.  You should replace furnace filters about every 2 months. Dirty filters can increase energy use and restrict airflow so replacing filters will help you save on heating costs.  Be sure to keep extra filters on hand for the winter months.

2. Drain garden hoses and shut off water to outside faucets in order to protect your pipes. Don’t forget to insulate any water lines that run along exterior walls.  This will help you avoid frozen pipes that can burst.  

3. Poor fitting windows can have air infiltration through drafts coming in and heated air escaping.  Caulk and weather-strip around the windows and doors to reduce energy loss.

4. Consider replacing any windows that have broken panes or sashes that don’t shut properly and install storm windows if you own them.  We recommend Andersen low-E windows.  These low-emittance (low-E) glass windows block a significant amount of radiant heat transfer which ultimately reduces the total heat flow through the window.

5. For proper drainage of snow and rain, it is important to clean out your gutters now and install gutter guards so that melting snow and ice will flow freely.  This will help prevent ice damming, which occurs when water freezes and seeps into the home, causing damage to ceilings and walls.  


As we mentioned in our previous basement flooding post, make sure downspouts are carrying water away from the house’s foundation to avoid flooding.

6. Trim trees and remove dead branches that hang close to the house.  Ice, snow and severe wind can weaken trees and break branches off, potentially damaging the exterior of your home and your car.

7. Test your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms and check the age of these devices.  We recommend replacing batteries or even the entire unit if it’s older than 5 years.  Install a carbon monoxide detector on every floor in your home.

Pennington Fireplace

8. Clean out your fireplace and cap or screen the top of the chimney to keep animals out.  Inspect the damper to see if it’s in good working condition for proper opening and closing.

9. Install door sweeps on the inside of exterior doors as well as on the interior doors to an unfinished basement or attic.

10. Before adding more insulation to your home, get a professional home energy assessment from a BPI certified home performance contractor.  

A&E Construction performs comprehensive home energy audits and provides homeowners with a detailed report and an energy savings analysis so that you’ll know all the facts before you consider home energy improvements. Remember, the NJ Home Performance with Energy Star Fall Promotion is still available for homeowners interested in making energy improvements.  

This means you have until December 31^st of this year to get savings of up to $15,000 on your improvements.  If you've been thinking about upgrading HVAC equipment or insulating an attic, this is the best time to act for getting discounts and rebates on your investment.

Summer Energy Promotion Ending 9/30!

We at A&E would like to inform homeowners interested in energy efficient upgrades that the 2011 Home Performance with Energy Star Summer Promotion will be ending in just 3 weeks on September 30th.

Home Performance with Energy Star Summer Promotion

A&E Kitchen

While the original Home Performance with Energy Star rebates will still be available up until the end of this year, the additional summer discounts from $500 to $1,000 will no longer be available after September 30th.

If you are interested in qualifying for the NJ Home Performance with Energy Star summer promotion, we highly recommend beginning preparing within the next couple of weeks.

The following list details the 3 main steps that are required before your energy efficient upgrade can qualify for the HPwES promotion:

1. Get an Energy Audit (if you haven't already).  This is the first and most important step. A&E's energy audits provide a comprehensive and detailed report of your home's energy losses or problems.  We will completely outline the scope of the project as well as what bracket of savings you are in and the maximum rebate you can qualify for.  From here, you can choose which upgrades you would like to go forward with. 

Remember, if you choose A&E to perform energy efficient upgrades on your home, we will completely refund the energy audit fee. 

2. Financing Approval: This generally takes about two days and involves getting pre-approval for the proposed upgrades and registering your home improvement under the HPwES summer promotion. 

3. Signed Contract: Once you sign a contract with A&E, we will submit it for review by HPwES and claim the incentives for your project. 

Scheduling an Energy Audit

Check out A&E's Common House Problems for an informative diagram of common causes of high energy costs and problems in home energy loss and leakage. 

Go Green, Save Green: Summer Home Improvement Incentives

This summer, NJ homeowners can save that extra green...while going green with New Jersey's Home Performance with Energy Star Summer Promotion. 
We'll give you the need-to-know details on the special summer 2011 promotion. If you're thinking about doing work on your house this summer, consider scheduling an energy audit to see how you can save thousands of dollars on your home improvements.

The HPwES summer promotion gives NJ homeowners the following incentives:

• Qualify for up to $5,000 in financial incentives.
• 0% interest financing (up to $10,000).
• Get a 10 year no interest loan when you qualify for energy savings of 20% or more.

Energy Savings:      Program Incentives:       Summer Discount:

10-19.99 %                                      $1,000                                              $500

20-24.99%                                       $3,000                                              $750

25% +                                              $4,000                                              $1,000

The summer promotion is currently running till September 30, 2011.  The first step to your home energy savings is scheduling an energy audit.

A&E is a certified Home Performance Contractor under the Building Performance Institute accreditation.  We have performed several energy audits and energy-efficient upgrades in and around the Pennington area.

    

A&E Construction's home energy audits determine where homeowners are using the most energy and where they are losing energy. 

Our energy audits typically take 3 to 4 hours to complete as we comprehensively test heating and cooling equipment, insulation levels, air sealing, windows, doors, appliances and lighting. A&E’s energy audits cost $225, but this audit fee is completely refunded if you choose A&E to complete the energy related improvements on your home.

Immediately following the audit, A&E will provide you with a 2 page summary report.  One week later, we'll provide you with a more comprehensive report including a proposal for your renovations as well as all energy efficient upgrades that qualify you for the financial incentives available with New Jersey's Home Performance with Energy Star solutions. 

Check out A&E's Energy Audit FAQ page for any questions you may have about the HPwES program as well as how to prepare for an energy audit.

Design your Door Interactively

Therma Tru Virtual Designer

If you've ever had trouble picking out a new door for your house or you're in the process of narrowing your choices down, we have a solution for you.  Visualize it out loud on paper and not just in your head with Therma Tru's picture perfect virtual designer.  And do it for free with A&E.  

Front Door Addition

A&E's door additions let you experiment with various door designs so you can choose the door that fits your entryway best.  


Send us images with our contact form or come in with photos of your door choices and we can provide you with a virtual portfolio of each door.

In addition to a virtual viewing of your selections, with the Federal tax credit incentives, you can qualify for major tax credits when you install a new door on your house.  

Get up to 10% of the cost up to $500.  The tax incentive applies to past years so you can take advantage of it now if you haven't in previous years.

Wooden Patio Porch Doors

New doors can dramatically change the interior and exterior design of your home while also helping you save on energy bills with efficient air-sealing.  From contemporary to classic looks, A&E's design team will help you choose the look of your door by providing you with top door designers and giving you virtual visualizations along the way.  

Wrap-around windows in study

Wrap-around windows and patio slide doors, featured here, are great for creating extra natural lighting and a beautiful, open floor plan.

If you have any questions about energy tax incentives, fill out an energy audit questionnaire or check out our energy audit page for constantly updated information on auditing and tax incentives for homeowners.  And be sure to check out A&E's door & window installation gallery for a portfolio of our past work.

Energy Audits with A&E Construction!

Now is the best time to make your home energy efficient and enhance the comfort of your living space while saving money with the generous incentives from the 2011 New Jersey Home Performance with Energy Star program (HpwES).

Listed below are the requirements and incentives for the 2011 HPwES Program.

Tier 1 Requirements:                                         

• Estimated total energy savings (TES) of at least 10% and less than 20%: Install air sealing and/or insulation, with the option of installing duct sealing and duct insulation measures.

           Incentives:

• $1,000 cash rebate, not to exceed 50% of cost of the measures used to calculate TES. No loan option available.

Tier 2 Requirements:                                         

•  Estimated TES of at least 20% and less than 25%:Install air sealing, insulation, HVAC, DHW and/or other eligible measures. (Measures NOT eligible are appliances, lighting, doors and windows)

           Incentives:

• $3,000 cash rebate, not to exceed 50% of cost of the measures used to calculate TES, 
  And 0% interest loan up to $10,000 available through Energy Finance Solutions (EFS).

Tier 3 Requirements:                                         

•  Estimated TES of at least 25% or greater: Install air sealing, insulation, HVAC, DHW and other eligible measures. (Measures NOT eligible are appliances, lighting, doors and windows)

           Incentives:

• $4,000 cash rebate, not to exceed 50% of cost of the measures used to calculate TES, 
  And 0% interest loan up to $10,000 available through Energy Finance Solutions (EFS).

Here's a potential savings example to consider with the HPwES program:

The Jones family has an A&E audit performed and audit information shows a potential energy savings of 25% or greater. The Jones family qualifies for a 50% cash rebate, up to $4,000* and a 0% interest loan from the NJHPwES program.


The first step to energy savings and HPwES rebates is to schedule an audit and learn more about what you can do reduce your carbon footprint while saving money on your utility bills.

Be sure to contact us or check out our Clean Energy Page for any other questions and tips on preparing for your energy audit.

Clean Energy Incentives for 2011

     Looking to improve your home's energy efficiency this year?  New Jersey Home Performance with Energy Star has designed entirely new homeowner incentives for 2011.  After completion of a Home Energy Audit, A&E Construction can provide you with a proposal which determines the possible energy savings for your home.  Based on this percentage you can qualify for a cash rebate of up to $4000 and a 0% interest loan!!  This chart from NJ's Clean Energy Program shows the different tiers that you as a homeowner can qualify for:

  

Find out more about these incentives, energy audits, or various other clean energy solutions by contacting A&E Construction at 609-737-4425 or visit our website.