Green building - also known as sustainable or high performance building - is the practice of:

1. Increasing the efficiency with which buildings and their sites use and harvest energy, water, and materials; and
2. Protecting and restoring human health and the environment, throughout the building life-cycle: siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and deconstruction.

Smart growth is development that serves the economy, the community, and the environment by supporting healthy communities while creating economic development and jobs. Sustainability, or sustainable development, is the ability to achieve continuing economic prosperity while protecting the natural systems of the planet and providing a high quality of life for its people.

Green building fits nicely with these concepts, as it promotes building practices that conserve energy and water resources, preserve open spaces through brownfield development, and are accessible to public transportation.

A green building may cost more up front, but can save money over the life of the building through lower operating costs. These savings may be more apparent through life-cycle assessment (LCA).

Cost savings are most likely to be fully realized when incorporated at the project's conceptual design phase with the assistance of an integrated team of building professionals. The integrated systems approach aims to design the building as one system rather than a collection of potentially disconnected systems.

There are a variety of private and non-profit green building certification programs in the marketplace including Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Green Globes. The Public-Private Partnership for Advancing Housing Technology maintains a list of national and state Green Building Certification Programs for housing.

There are 100 base points; 6 possible Innovation in Design and 4 Regional Priority points

1. Platinum 80 points and above
2. Gold 60-79 points
3. Silver 50-59 points
4. Certified 40-49 points

Incentives start at $200 and are capped at $1,000. The amount of the incentive is determined by the amount of energy saved by the homeowner. These incentives may be adjusted based on market demand.

The Pennsylvania Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS) requires that an annually increasing percentage of electricity sold to retail customers in Pennsylvania is from alternative energy sources. The program requires that retail energy suppliers utilize Alternative Energy Credits (AECs) for demonstrating compliance with the standard. An AEC is created each time a qualified alternative energy facility produces 1,000 kWh of electricity. The AEC can then be sold or traded separately from the power. In other words, credits are worth money! If you participate in the Pennsylvania Sunshine Program, it is likely that your system will generate AECs. However, you must register your system with the Pennsylvania AEPS administrator to start earning credits. For more information about system registration and current AEC values, please log onto www.paaeps.com

If you meet the qualifications and apply to be a qualified installer in the program, you may self-install a solar system on your home or small business. Installer requirements and registration forms are available at www.depweb.state.pa.us/pasunshine

To ensure that all installed systems comply with the eligibility requirements of this program, applicants may not receive reimbursements for systems installed before the opening of the rebate program. Once program guidelines have been published, and the program begins accepting applications, applicants may begin incurring costs. However, all costs incurred prior to receiving confirmation of a reservation are incurred at the applicant's risk.

The Sunshine Program has $100 million in funding. The department expects strong initial demand for rebates, however it is anticipated that the funding will be available for three to four years. The department will provide spending updates on its website so that the public can see how quickly funding is being depleted.

When the Sunshine Program is finalized, you may choose an installer from the department's qualified installer list. That installer will submit a pre-installation application on your behalf. When the pre-installation application has received department approval, then a reservation will be made for your rebate.

Homeowners and small businesses are eligible for this rebate program.

Residential Applicants:

Residential applicants must be Pennsylvania residents. The applicant must be the owner of the home where the project will be installed. All residential projects must be completed on the homeowner's primary residence. Vacation homes and investment properties will not qualify for funding as a residential project.

Small Business Applicants:

Small business applicants must be a for-profit business located within Pennsylvania. To qualify for small business funding, the applicant must be a separate legal entity with no more than 100 full-time employees. The term includes an agricultural producer of a farm commodity.

Applicants must not have any outstanding obligations to the commonwealth, including but not limited to outstanding taxes.