NAPSI)—Even as federal tax credits for traditional heating and cooling systems have decreased, incentives for geothermal systems remain considerably higher—at 30 percent of the installed cost of the system with no limit. In fact, homeowners can take advantage of the federal residential renewable energy tax credit through December 31, 2016. What’s more, the credit is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2009 and can be used in combination with utility rebates and state tax incentives to make geothermal systems more affordable than ever.

The savings associated with operating a geothermal system are just as attractive. By taking advantage of the abundant source of free solar energy stored in the earth to heat and cool a home, a geothermal heating and cooling system can save homeowners as much as 70 percent on their cooling bills in summer. The system can also provide supplemental hot water, saving homeowners even more. Instead of being extracted from the ground to preheat hot water, the heat comes from the house.

A geothermal system offers a number of other benefits, including even distribution of heating and cooling for improved comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, improved indoor air quality, quiet operation, little to no maintenance and a life span that exceeds 24 years.

To qualify for the tax credit, residential systems must meet ENERGY STAR requirements. Homeowners can file for the credit by completing the Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit, Form 5695. A copy of the form, as well as an informative brochure that explains the federal tax incentive and a listing of those products that qualify for the tax credit, is available on the WaterFurnace website at www.waterfurnace.com.

To learn more about federal tax credits and the many other benefits that a geothermal system offers, visit the site or talk to a WaterFurnace expert at (800) GEO-SAVE.

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Save money with an ‘enlightened’ roof – and decorate too

(ARA) – Enlightenment isn’t just a state of mind – it can also be an important energy-saving state of being for your home’s roof. By “enlightening” your roof, you can use less energy, save money, and dress up the interior of your home at the same time.

All roofs protect us, and the interiors of our homes, but they can do so much more. They can be the collection and distribution point for an inexhaustible supply of free natural light and energy.  

A roof that uses Energy Star qualified venting skylights, for instance, admits healthful natural light while providing passive ventilation through the natural “chimney effect” of rising air. This is not an insignificant consideration especially in kitchens and baths that have higher moisture and humidity levels than other areas of the home.  

Another kitchen- and bath-specific issue that skylights help address is the need for privacy. Many modern homes are built on small lots, in very close proximity to neighboring houses. “Light from windows is rarely enough, especially in places where lot sizes are small,” says Jennifer Powers of design firm Scott-Ulmann.

Areas of the home where traditional skylights with blinds might not work – such as hallways, closets and small, interior baths – can still admit natural light through less expensive Sun Tunnel tubular skylights. And optional light kits turn these units into 24-hour sources of light.  Low-profile flat glass models that blend unobtrusively with the roof, and domed models, all offer a fast, easy, less expensive way to transform a home with natural light.

In addition to light and ventilation from above, if you add an Energy Star-qualified solar water heating system your roof will work even harder for you. And, in addition to monthly power bill savings, these solar thermal systems qualify for tax credits and other savings that significantly reduce the payback time it takes to recover the initial cost.

Solar power attic fans are also a cost-effective roof addition that helps to reduce mechanical cooling costs while removing damaging moisture from the home.

In addition to the functional qualities these and other roof improvements offer, there are also aesthetic considerations.

Skylights offer room-changing drama and decorating flair while adding natural light from above.  And skylight blinds are now available in colors and pattern choices to mix and match with room decor giving homeowners another interior design tool. Blinds not only dress up a room but also provide light control while increasing the energy efficiency and usefulness of skylights.  

According to skylight manufacturer, Velux America, the addition of blinds can increase the overall energy efficiency of the units by 37 percent. They recommend closing the blinds on high heat/sun days in the summer to reduce potential solar heat gain and, on cold winter nights, closing them to provide an extra layer of thermal insulation to keep warm air indoors. Skylight blinds, as well as the units themselves, can be controlled manually or with a remote.

Modern, low profile skylights are unobtrusive and as dependable as vertical windows.  Information about units with a 10-year no-leak installation warranty, plus an installer locator, is available at veluxusa.com. There’s also a free mobile phone app there to help homeowners see how skylights and blinds would look in rooms in their own homes.

The Velux Skylight Planner App is available for iPhones, iPods, iPads and Android phones.

For government information on window and skylight energy efficiency visit energystar.gov, and for independent agency information visit nfrc.org or efficientwindows.org. For remodeling information visit nahb.org/remodel or greenhomeguide.org.

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Thanks to Christopher Mitchell, Director of the Telecommunications as Commons Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance for his contributions to this article. You can follow his reporting on public networks at www.muninetworks.org.

Conservatives would have us believe the public sector can’t compete with the private sector. The private sector itself knows better. Nowhere is this more evident than in the telecommunications sector.

People hate their telecommunications companies. The poster child for poor customer service in the public sector may be the Department of Motor Vehicle Bureau, but its unresponsiveness and arrogance pales into insignificance to those of Time Warner Cable, Comcast, and AT&T. In 2010 Comcast, the largest cable company in America bested 31 other companies from all sectors to win Consumerist.com’s Worst Company in America award.
As if to prove it was worthy of the award, Comcast recently pulled $18,000 in funding for a girl’s summer camp because one of the organizers had disapprovingly tweeted about Commissioner Meredith Baker’s jump from the FCC to Comcast just four months after approving Comcast’s $13.75 billion union with NBC. In an e-mail to the group, Steve Kipp, a vice president of communications for Comcast explained, “Given the fact that Comcast has been a major supporter of Reel Grrls for several years now, I am frankly shocked that your organization is slamming us on Twitter. I cannot in good conscience continue to provide you with funding — especially when there are so many other deserving nonprofits in town.” (The resulting uproar from the mainstream media’s reporting led Comcast to rescind the cutoff.)

The increased importance of high speed broadband in everything from business to education to entertainment coupled with soaring prices, slow speeds and bad service from private providers finally led cities to take matters into their own hands and build their own broadband networks.

Today, over 54 cities own citywide fiber networks. Another 79 own citywide cable networks. Over 3 million people have access to these networks. Hundreds more own and/or operate network connecting only schools and municipal buildings. An interactive map showing these networks can be found at Community Broadband Networks, a project of the Institute for Local Self-Realiance.

Cities now view high speed broadband networks as essential infrastructure like water, sewer, and roads. Says Doug Paris, assistant to the city manager in Salisbury, which launched its Fibrant network in 2010, “It’s really not a luxury anymore. It’s a necessity.”

For Harold DePriest, head of Chattanooga’s state of the art broadband network and its municipally owned electricity company an even more fundamental issue is involved. Who will write the rules for our information future? “(D)oes our community control our own fate, or does someone else control it?,” he asks.

Soaring telecommunication rates are straining already stressed public budgets, leading many cities to build networks for their own use. Montgomery County, Maryland’s network allowed it to stop leasing lines to schools and public buildings, resulting in remarkable savings.

Read More:HUFFPOST MEDIA

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The national lighting design competition, Lighting for Tomorrow, hosted by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency and the American Lighting Association will feature guest judge, Chad Ray, owner of Zebulon based multitude of sustainable companies, Shields of Green (

http://www.shieldsofgreen.com).

Chad Ray is co-owner of the Shields of Green companies (
http://www.shieldsofgreen.com), a multigenerational and family owned multitude of companies all focused on sustainability, energy conservation, and stewardship. The Shields of Green companies include Ray Family Farms, a Bunn, NC based organic farm, Olde Heritage Builders, a Zebulon based Green home building company, Build Trust Contractors, a group of sustainable construction experts, Energy Savers of NC, a residential energy auditing company, and many more. In addition, Chad Ray, known as “the green building guy”, is a Green consultant with years of experience as a speaker and advisor on sustainability efforts throughout the building process.

Ray has been invited to judge this year’s national lighting design competition, Lighting for Tomorrow. The efforts of the Lighting for Tomorrow Competition are to advance the energy –efficient lighting industry and encourage innovation in the new use of light sources. This competition is backed by about two dozen energy efficiency organizations from the US and Canada who have pledged over $150,000 to help fund this national competition.

This year, Lighting for Tomorrow is designated into two specific categories, lighting control devices and solid state lighting fixtures and replacement lamps. The lighting control category will be judging the products based on functionality, ease of use and installation, innovation and ability to work with other systems and existing lights. These specific lighting control devices must be compatible with both LED and florescent technologies.

The solid state lighting competition division is in its fifth year, and will feature designs judged on the basis of performance, style and energy efficiency of the lights. This competition is open to a very broad range of residential lighting applications and fixture types as well as replacement lamps.

The Lighting for Tomorrow winners will be announced at the American Lighting Association Conference in Palm Beach, Florida from September 11th-13th. Winners will be promoted by energy efficiency programs across the US and Canada.

For more information about Lighting for Tomorrow, visit
http://www.lightingfortomorrow.com. For more information about Shields of Green, visit
http://www.shieldsofgreen.com
SOURCE:WidePR.com

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Collaboration with professor to help increase stormwater control area success.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation and N.C. State are combining forces to improve stormwater control in an area affecting N.C. State, Meredith College and the N.C. Museum of Art.

“By combining our resources with the renowned research capabilities of N.C. State University, we are developing innovative solutions for improving water quality – and in turn, helping to protect one of our state’s most valuable resources,” said Matt Lauffer, program manager for NCDOT’s Highway Stormwater Program, in a press release.

The project aims to benefit the House Creek watershed, an area that collects pollutants from cars and other ground sources when it rains. House Creek is one of several stormwater control projects NCDOT monitors annually. The construction is taking place near the intersection of Wade Ave. and Interstate 440.

Dr. Bill Hunt, assistant professor and extension specialist with the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, will be working with NCDOT to develop methods to reduce the amount of pollutants.

Dr. Hunt has assisted since 2000 with the design, installation, and monitoring of over 90 stormwater best management practices (BMPs), including bioretention, stormwater wetlands, innovative wet ponds, green roofs and permeable pavement.

Julia Merchant, NCDOT communications officer, said this is not the first time NCDOT has partnered with N.C. State. Past collaborations involved, among others, breakthroughs with biodiesel research conducted by the University.

According to NCDOT, for the $300,000 House Creek project, funded through the Highway Stormwater Program, engineers will use stormwater filtration methods such as a bioretention basin, which will use sand to filter out pollutants in the water.

After installation of the stormwater control measures is completed, which will take approximately three weeks according to NCDOT, N.C. State researchers will continuously monitor the system’s effectiveness at improving the House Creek water quality.

SOURCE:Technicianonline.com

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Make a splash – how you can attract new birds to your yard this summer


(ARA) – When summer really heats up, there is nothing more refreshing than drinking a tall glass of ice water, taking a quick dip in the pool, or running through the backyard sprinkler with the kids. But what many people do not realize is clean, fresh water is as important to birds and other wildlife as it is for humans. Not only that, but birds actually enjoy splashing around and frolicking in the water just like we do.

With this in mind, create an inviting habitat for feathered friends right in your backyard or on your patio or balcony. It is easier than it seems, and there is no need for a big backyard to do it. Just providing the basic elements birds enjoy will establish your setting as a wildlife habitat. Water is one of the important resources birds need, along with food, shelter and a place to nest or raise young. For a quick and easy bird-friendly habitat, simply put out a bird feeder, hang a bird house, provide some nesting materials, and set up a watering place to drink and splash.

“Water is one of the most frequently overlooked resources we can add to our backyard to attract more birds and other wildlife,” says John Robinson, chief ornithologist at Scotts. “Every year, I am astonished by the new species that appear in backyards when owners are willing to share this simple yet critical resource with their feathered friends.”

Providing a source of water need not be a big endeavor. Water can be provided using a mister, slow drip, saucer, bird bath or pond. Below are some simple ways to incorporate water into your backyard.

Bird baths and saucers:
Water in a saucer or bird bath will quickly and easily give area birds the water they need, even when placed on a balcony or patio. Stones with depressions that collect water will also help attract small birds and butterflies. Keep in mind you may need to change the water and clean the bird bath every few days to keep it fresh. In hot weather, it may even be necessary to refill the container every day.

Drippers:
A great way to attract birds and other creatures to the backyard is to add a water drip feature to the bird bath. Because of birds’ heightened senses of hearing and sight, drippers are inviting. Create a drip feature by hanging a bucket or plastic milk jug with a tiny hole over the bird bath so water drips down into the bath slowly throughout the day. Or, hook up a garden hose to a specially designed drip tube you can purchase at local hardware stores or garden centers.

Misters:
Another water feature gardeners often employ is a mister. A mister hooks to a garden hose and sprays a gentle mist over a garden or bird bath. Humans enjoy being cooled off by misters at amusement parks, and plants enjoy the refreshing spray of moisture, too. Birds enjoy frequenting misters to cool down and pollinators, like butterflies and bees, enjoy areas being misted because of the tiny water droplets the mist leaves on flowers. Misters can generally be found at local hardware store and garden centers.

Ponds:
Whether large and elaborate or small and quaint, a backyard pond is guaranteed to attract birds and other wildlife. Most ponds found in urban or rural backyards are on the small side, most no larger than 3 to 4 feet in diameter. Ponds with a fountain are best because the sight and sound of splashing water will attract visitors, and moving water is less likely to become a breeding ground for mosquitoes or other insects. The addition of logs, rocks and other in-water structures provide a drinking and basking habitat for songbirds, as well as other wildlife such as turtles and butterflies. Aquatic snails or tadpoles are fun and natural ways to limit the growth of algae in the pond, and add an interesting element for kids to watch and enjoy.

This summer, when planning the water fun for the kids, don’t forget the birds. Water is very effective in drawing birds and wildlife to your backyard and is also a relaxing, scenic addition that can provide interest and enjoyment for the whole family. With the addition of a simple water source, you never know who may stop by your backyard habitat for a quick swim or a refreshing drink.

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(NAPSI)—With more than 500 million active users spending over 700 billion minutes a month on its site, Facebook has become a premier platform for socializing, sharing, searching and, now, shopping online. The emerging trend of selling and buying merchandise through Facebook and other social media platforms is here and it’s exploding. Booz & Company estimates that the dollar volume of goods sold through social media overall could increase sixfold, from $5 billion in 2010 to $30 billion in 2015. Businesses and consumers alike refer to this paradigm as “Social Commerce,” a fusion of social media and e-commerce that enables consumers to shop directly through their social networks.

Many stores are leveraging social networks to allow consumers to execute transactions in the comfort of their own Facebook pages, where attention is high and the user’s likes and dislikes are clear. The Social Commerce premise is that the focus is on people instead of products. There is a treasure trove of data based on users’ interests on their Facebook pages, and businesses can finally tailor the presentation of merchandise to offer a truly customized shopping experience. Businesses can now sell consumers exactly what they want, and consumers are reaping the benefits.

Social Commerce helps businesses offer consumers exclusive deals and special promotions while enabling them to connect with, listen to, understand and engage with their customers to improve the overall shopping experience. Furthermore, the information and content on Facebook is “shared,” meaning that friends can update each other on their recent online shopping sprees.

But in addition to benefits and opportunities, emerging communications channels always come with some new potential risks, and Social Commerce is no exception. The main concerns for consumers are security and privacy. Especially when phishing scams, identity theft and hackers are constantly in the headlines, consumers are more aware than ever of the need for online security and identity protection. With Social Commerce, cybercriminals are more likely to exploit the inherent trust that social networking sites enjoy. So how can consumers gain confidence in Social Commerce?

To know if a website, link and transaction are safe, the first thing to look for is an SSL Certificate, a technology that enables encryption when users connect to a website. When the lock icon appears in an Internet browser, this means SSL is in place, encrypting the site visitor’s information.

Symantec, the provider of VeriSign® SSL, has been working with a number of social commerce platform providers to offer enhanced security to organizations with a fan store on Facebook. When fans visit a fan store protected by VeriSign SSL, they will see the familiar “VeriSign Trusted” seal that more than 100,000 online businesses choose to show that their transactions are secure.

When consumers buy directly on their Facebook pages and see SSL, they know they can trust the businesses they “like” and that their transactions are protected with the most advanced and proven security technology.

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(NAPSI)—The nation’s leading emergency and resuscitation experts are working together to improve survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

The Problem

Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart abruptly stops beating because of abnormal heart rhythms. Each year, an estimated 295,000 Americans die from SCA, as reported by the American Heart Association’s Heart Disease and Stroke Statistical Update.

For three decades, there’s been no improvement in the national survival rate of 8 percent for SCA, and depending where you live, the survival rate could vary greatly.

The Solution

The HeartRescue Project is a new initiative to improve SCA procedures in three critical areas of response: bystanders, emergency medical services and hospital emergency rooms. To educate people and encourage the proper response to SCA, the Medtronic Foundation committed more than $15 million to initiate the HeartRescue Project. The project assembles the country’s leading emergency and resuscitation experts to expand successful response programs in five pilot states. The goal is to improve out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates by at least 50 percent in five years in these states.

HeartRescue partners at the Universities of Arizona, Duke, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Washington and their partner agencies will coordinate proven protocols and high-tech treatments that show SCA is treatable.

“There is a 500 percent variation in survival after cardiac arrest,” said Dr. Graham Nichol, a HeartRescue partner at the University of Washington. “Many people don’t realize that cardiac arrest can be treated. In many regions, bystanders, emergency response and hospitals are not working together to help the patient.”

What You Can Do

Success begins with public bystanders. Communities with higher bystander CPR participation have higher SCA survival rates. Bystanders can take the following three steps to increase survival rates: Recognize the signs of SCA and call 911, begin CPR and find an automated external defibrillator (AED).

• Recognize the signs of SCA—If you see someone suddenly collapse, lose consciousness and stop breathing, that person could be experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. Immediately call 911.

• Perform CPR-Begin hands—only CPR: Push hard and fast on the chest-about 100 compressions a minute. Let the chest rise completely between compressions.

• Find an AED—Continue chest compressions until emergency personnel arrive. If possible, have someone get an automated external defibrillator, turn it on and follow the directions.

More Information

You can learn more about this initiative at www.medtronic.com/foundation and www.heartrescueproject.com.

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(NAPSI)-If you’re like most people, you’ve been hearing about the new electronic readers and may be wondering if you should buy one. Here are five reasons you may care to consider:

• Lots of choices. There are several types of e-readers available, so you can probably find one that fits your needs and lifestyle. The e-readers that are simplest and easiest to use are the ones designed just for reading, so you’re not distracted by other technologies.

• You can now read in color. Reading a recipe in a cookbook with photos in black and white, or reading a children’s book to your kids with the illustrations in black and white, just isn’t the same as enjoying them in full color. Luckily, some of the newer e-readers let you read in full color, so you can enjoy the complete reading experience.

• Portable library. Imagine being able to take all your books with you when you go out or on vacation. You can do this with an e-reader, which stores all your books so you have a portable library. In addition, they’re small and lightweight so you can easily carry them in your purse or luggage.

• Great gifts. An e-reader makes an excellent gift for friends and just about everyone in the family, young or old, who loves to read. And it’s a suitable gift for all occasions, including Christmas, Hanukkah, birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and for graduation. Consider giving an e-reader together with an e-book from the recipient’s favorite author.

• They’re affordable. The first e-readers were fairly expensive but nowadays you can find one for $160 and under. And the savings don’t stop there. The e-books themselves, which you buy through an online bookstore, typically cost under $10, much less than you’d probably pay for a new hardcover book. If you prefer to get your reading materials from the library, many now lend out e-books.

One new wireless color e-reader that’s considered simple, affordable and stylish is the Literati by The Sharper Image. With it, you can read and enjoy your e-books on a vibrant 7-inch color screen. When you’re ready for new reading material, you connect wirelessly to the built-in bookstore, where you can browse through millions of books and magazines before making your purchase. As a bonus, the e-reader includes 150 free books (all classics) and a stylish carrying case. You can find the e-reader at major retail stores and online at www.LiteratiReader.com.

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(NAPSI)—For small and medium-size businesses, e-mail is one of the primary ways to communicate and connect with customers, not to mention an important tool for storing and organizing information. Not all e-mail systems are created equal, though, and compromising on your e-mail system could put essential information at risk.

Here are the top 10 e-mail features your business needs to succeed:

1. Security—Viruses and spam can slow down e-mail, steal confidential information and use your computers to attack websites. Ensure that your information is safe with built-in anti-virus and anti-spam filters that are constantly updated.

2. Reliability—Growing businesses can’t afford downtime. Insist on 99.9 percent uptime with a financially backed guarantee.

3. Backup—Losing information due to a power outage or accident can be catastrophic to a business. Make sure your provider routinely backs up data to multiple geographic locations.

4. Support—Problems arise with any system. Confirm that you have round-the-clock phone support for your e-mail.

5. Storage—For many, e-mail is a default storage system. Look for systems with generous e-mail box sizes in the 20?25 GB range and the ability to send and store large attachments.

6. Compatibility with mobile devices—With more and more phones able to connect to e-mail, it’s important to ensure they’ll work well with your business e-mail system. Make sure your e-mail provider has support for Windows Phone, iPhone, Android and Blackberry, among others.

7. Web access from different browsers—Particularly if you travel, it’s important to make sure your e-mail system allows easy access from a PC, phone and a variety of Web browsers including Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox and Chrome, so you have uninterrupted access.

8. Offline support—If you use Microsoft Outlook, make sure your provider has full support for its features, including offline access, so you can continue to be productive even without an Internet connection.

9. Control—It’s your e-mail, so even if you don’t manage servers in-house, confirm that your e-mail system gives you the ability to manage things like security settings, distribution groups and shared address book information over the Web.

10. Easy to use—For a tool you use every day, it has to include features that make your life easier. Look for the latest features, such as:

• Ability to sort e-mail the way you normally work-by date, sender or subject;

• Shared calendaring, so users can see their colleagues’ schedules to book meetings;

• The ability to include conference rooms and equipment when scheduling meetings;

• Shared mailboxes that multiple people can access and respond to, such as customer service e-mail accounts.

Free e-mail systems generally don’t provide the security and reliability needed for business e-mail, but Microsoft has recently made available new versions of Microsoft Exchange Server and Exchange Online, part of the Microsoft Online Services suite. Exchange Online is their hosted e-mail that offers secure, reliable e-mail for businesses for as little as $5 a month.

By making sure your e-mail makes the grade in these categories, you can have the confidence of knowing your system is secure and will run smoothly while you get on to the more important work of growing your business.

More information is available at www.microsoft.com/online/exchange-online.aspx.

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