Earth Linked Energy's Blog

Off-topic: Insurance

earthlinkedenergy — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:06:48 +0000

No one wants to think about insurance BUT I’ve just run across a great website for you Iowans looking for Iowa auto insurance quotes. Check out TrueNorth — they can give you an instant quote online!

Earth Linked Wind Solutions opens Ohio Office!

earthlinkedenergy — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:02:44 +0000

Are you looking for professional, experienced help with your Ohio wind turbine project? We can help! We have just opened a new office in Ohio and are ready to assist clients looking for small and medium-sized wind turbines. We have a huge variety of brands and models, ready to suit your needs. And the service doesn’t stop at the sale — we service and maintain turbines as well. Contact Earth Linked Wind Solutions for more information!

Iowa Tax Credits for Wind Turbines

earthlinkedenergy — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:27:41 +0000

The 2009 legislative session in Iowa can be called nothing short of a victory for Iowa wind turbine projects. We thought we should summarize the changes to one of the state of Iowa tax credits in this post.

HF 810- This bill allows for the creation of “small wind innovation zones”. A small wind innovation zone is a political subdivision of the state of Iowa (cities, townships, school districts, colleges, associations, etc.) that enacts a model law that expedites the wind system approval process. Once a law or ordinance has been enacted, the municipality can apply to the Iowa Utilities Board to become a small wind innovation zone. Wind energy systems within small innovation zones that are rated at or below 100kW are then eligible for a tax credit of one and one-half cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity.

This was the most significant bill dealing with smaller scale wind turbines. Other bills affecting wind energy in Iowa were:

SF 456- This bill increases the number of tax credits for larger scale wind farms. It also allows schools and colleges to receive the tax credit, provided the energy is used solely for their own facility. Finally, the bill allows small producers an extra twelve months to become operational if the delay is because the necessary equipment isn’t available.

HF 817- This bill adds an additional $1 million in funding to a program that promotes “next generation” wind power technology.

SF 452- Appropriates four percent of the Iowa Power Fund towards the creation of the Energy Efficiency Community Grant program.

We are excited to see the continued investment in wind energy by the state of Iowa. Contact us today to take advantage of these generous Iowa wind turbine tax credits.

Federal Tax Credits for Wind Turbines

earthlinkedenergy — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:31:12 +0000

We’d like to devote a post to just talking about the federal tax credits available for wind turbine projects. All wind turbines rated at or below 100kW qualify for a federal tax credit of 30% of the cost of the project, including installation costs. Unlike some other forms of renewable energy, there is no maximum tax credit for the installation of a residential wind turbine. Also unlike some other efficiency tax credits, the wind turbine tax credit applies to new construction in addition to existing homes. One of the few provisions in the tax credit is that the residence must be a principal residence or second home to qualify for the tax credit (Rentals do not qualify). More information is available at the government’s energy STAR website: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index. Contact us today if you would like to talk about eligibility requirements or just learn more about the tax credits or about wind turbines in general.

U.S. Treasury Department Offers Renewable Energy Grants

earthlinkedenergy — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:15:56 +0000

The US Department of Treasury and the US Department of Energy are now accepting applications to receive funding of at least $3 billion for the creation and placement into service of approximately 5,000 renewable energy facilities. The funding was made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. According to a Program Guidance document issued by the Treasury Department earlier in July, the “program will temporarily fill the gap created by the diminished investor demand for tax credits.” Since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2008, the number of renewable energy installations has decreased, as companies have encountered difficulty in locating funding for them.

Formerly, companies engaged in renewable energy technologies could apply for tax credits to cover portion of the cost of the project. ARRA has authorized direct payments in lieu of tax credits to companies that create and place in service renewable energy facilities beginning January 1, 2009. According to the guidance document, “Qualified property must be originally placed in service between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2010, (regardless of when construction begins) or placed in service after 2010 and before the credit termination date if construction of the property begins between January 1, 2009, And December 31, 2010.”

In some cases, qualified properties include expansions of existing properties. The percentage of eligible cost for projects that qualify for payment ranges from 10% to 30%. The credit termination date ranges from January 1, 2013 for large wind projects to January 1, 2017 for solar and other projects. The Treasury Department directs applicants to its Application Submission Page for instructions relating to the program at https://treas1603.nrel.gov/

Earth Linked Wind Solutions has a wealth of experience in grant writing and offers a complete wind turbine project grant writing package tailored to your needs. If you need assistance with your wind turbine project, contact us today!