Disclaimer

Last updated: October 14, 2026

1. Educational purpose

Sustainable Fox Valley (sustainfv.org) is operated by the operators of Sustainable Fox Valley as an independent community-education project. Our articles, guides, checklists, the footprint calculator, newsletters, workshop materials, kits, and assessment reports are meant to help people in the Fox Cities and beyond understand sustainability topics and decide what to explore next.

We research our content carefully and try to keep it current, but it is general information. It is not tailored to your home, business, municipality, budget, or legal situation, and it may not reflect the latest developments by the time you read it. You use it at your own discretion and risk. Our Terms & Conditions include further disclaimers and limits of liability that apply to everything on the Site.

2. Not professional advice

Nothing on this website, in our newsletter, or delivered through our services is:

• Engineering, architectural, or building advice. We do not provide stamped designs, structural assessments, load calculations, or code compliance reviews. Questions about roof loading, insulation and ventilation details, moisture, HVAC sizing, or solar array design should go to a licensed professional or certified contractor.
• Electrical or plumbing advice. We are not licensed electricians or plumbers. Electrical and plumbing work in Wisconsin often requires a licensed professional and a permit from your local building inspector.
• Legal advice. Descriptions of ordinances, permits, net metering rules, homeowner association covenants, or municipal processes are summaries, not legal opinions. Consult an attorney or the relevant government office for decisions that depend on the law.
• Financial or investment advice. Payback periods, savings estimates, and cost ranges are illustrative. Your actual costs and savings depend on your home, usage, contractor pricing, utility rates, weather, and many other factors.
• Tax advice. We do not tell you whether you qualify for any tax credit or deduction. Talk to a qualified tax professional and check current guidance from the IRS and the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.
• Medical or health advice. Information about indoor air quality, radon, mold, or food safety is general. Contact your health care provider or local health department for advice about health concerns.

Our Home Energy & Waste Assessment, Natural Step workshops, and municipal consultations are educational and advisory services. They do not replace a certified energy audit with diagnostic testing, a home inspection, a structural evaluation, or any required permit or inspection. Using our content or services does not create a professional-client relationship of any licensed kind.

3. Incentives, rebates and tax credits change

Energy incentives are among the fastest-changing topics we write about. Program budgets run out, eligibility rules change, and laws are amended. A few points worth knowing as of the date at the top of this page:

• The federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Internal Revenue Code section 25D) and the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (section 25C) were ended by federal legislation enacted in July 2025. They are not available for property placed in service, or improvements made, after December 31, 2025. Older articles elsewhere on the internet may still describe them as available.
• Wisconsin’s statewide energy efficiency and renewable energy program, Focus on Energy, offers rebates and incentives that change from time to time. Check its website for current offers and eligibility before you buy.
• Your electric or gas utility may offer its own programs, rates, and rules (for example, for solar interconnection and net metering). Contact your utility directly for current terms.
• Local programs, such as county recycling or composting initiatives and municipal stormwater credits, vary by community.

We do not promise that any rebate, incentive, tax credit, or rate will be available to you, and we are not responsible for decisions made based on incentive information that has since changed. Always confirm with the program administrator in writing before relying on an incentive.

4. Do-it-yourself safety

Many of our guides describe projects you can do yourself. Please treat them as starting points, read the manufacturer’s instructions for any product, and know your limits. You are responsible for your own safety and for complying with local codes and permit requirements.

4.1 Electrical work

• Turn off power at the breaker and confirm it is off with a non-contact voltage tester before touching any wiring, outlet, switch, or fixture.
• Installing new circuits, panels, EV chargers, heat pumps, or solar and battery systems requires a licensed electrician and, in most cases, a permit and inspection.
• Never work on electrical equipment in wet conditions, and use GFCI-protected outlets outdoors.
• Solar panels produce electricity whenever light hits them, even when disconnected from the grid. Leave solar wiring to qualified installers.

4.2 Ladders and roofs

• Falls from ladders and roofs cause serious injuries every year. Set ladders on firm, level ground, maintain three points of contact, and follow the angle and weight rating on the ladder’s label.
• Do not climb onto roofs that are wet, icy, snow-covered, or steep without proper fall protection. In a Wisconsin winter, that means most roofs most of the time.
• Have someone with you when using a ladder, and keep ladders well away from overhead power lines.
• Clearing gutters, installing downspout diverters, and inspecting attics carry fall and heat risks. In attics, step only on joists or a secure platform and wear a properly fitted respirator or mask around insulation.

4.3 Rain barrels and heavy lifting

• Water weighs about 8.3 pounds per gallon, so a full 55-gallon rain barrel weighs roughly 460 pounds. Never try to lift, tip, or move a full barrel.
• Place barrels on a level, solid, stable base, such as compacted gravel or solid concrete blocks, that can hold the full weight. An unstable stand can tip over and cause serious injury, especially to children.
• Secure lids so children and animals cannot fall in, and use screens to keep out mosquitoes and debris.
• Collected rainwater is not safe to drink. Use it for watering ornamental plants and, with care, gardens.
• Drain and disconnect barrels before freezing weather, usually by late fall in northeast Wisconsin, to prevent cracking.
• Lift compost, soil, and kit components with your legs, not your back, and get help with anything heavy or awkward.

4.4 Digging, composting and gardening

• Before digging a rain garden, planting a tree, or setting posts, contact Diggers Hotline (Wisconsin’s free one-call service, also reached by dialing 811) to have underground utilities marked.
• Wear gloves when handling compost and soil, wash your hands afterward, and keep compost bins away from wells.
• Confirm plant identification before handling or eating anything, and be aware that some native plants can irritate skin.

5. Accuracy, estimates and the footprint calculator

Figures such as energy savings, carbon footprints, costs, and payback periods are estimates based on typical assumptions and public data. Your results will differ. The footprint calculator is a learning tool, not a certified carbon accounting method. If you find an error in any of our content, please tell us at [email protected] and we will review and correct it.

6. External links and third-party resources

We link to many outside sources, including government agencies such as the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the US Environmental Protection Agency, UW–Madison Extension, Focus on Energy, county recycling programs, the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, and The Natural Step. We link to them because we think readers will find them useful. We do not control their content, cannot guarantee it is accurate or current, and are not responsible for their privacy practices or for any products or services they offer. A link does not mean we endorse, or are endorsed by, the linked organization. Our Resources page lists organizations as public resources you can contact directly.

7. Affiliation disclaimer

Sustainable Fox Valley at sustainfv.org is an independent community-education project that carries forward the mission of the original grassroots Sustainable Fox Valley initiative, which brought together households, businesses, organizations, and municipalities across the Fox Cities around The Natural Step framework and community study circles.

We are not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any government body, municipality, county, state or federal agency, utility, university, school district, or other organization mentioned on this website, unless we explicitly say otherwise. That includes, for example, Focus on Energy, the Wisconsin DNR, UW–Madison Extension, the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, local utilities, and The Natural Step organization. Names, trademarks, and program names belong to their respective owners and are used only to identify those organizations and their public programs.

We are not a registered charity, and purchases from our shop are purchases of goods and services, not donations. You can read more about our history and approach on our About Us page.

8. Image credits and licenses

Many photographs on this website come from Wikimedia Commons and are used under the license chosen by each photographer. Each image is credited, with its creator, source, and license, on our Image Credits page. The licenses we rely on include:

Images may have been cropped or resized to fit our layout. Some photographs were taken outside the Fox Valley and are used to illustrate a topic; unless a caption says so, images do not show our own projects, events, customers, or participants, and the people and organizations pictured do not endorse us. The full license texts are available at creativecommons.org.

If you are the creator of an image and believe it is credited incorrectly or used outside its license, please email [email protected]. We will correct the credit or remove the image promptly. Formal copyright complaints can follow our DMCA Policy.

9. Views and community voices

Stories, quotes, and suggestions submitted by community members reflect the views of their authors. We review submissions before publishing, but we do not verify every statement, and publication does not mean we agree with every view expressed.

10. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by Wisconsin law and other applicable law, the operators of Sustainable Fox Valley are not liable for any loss, injury, or damage arising from your use of, or reliance on, information on this website, including injuries from do-it-yourself projects, property damage, financial losses, or missed or changed incentives. Full terms are in section 17 of our Terms & Conditions.

11. Changes and contact

We may update this Disclaimer as our content, services, or the law change. The “Last updated” date at the top shows the latest version. Questions or corrections are always welcome at [email protected]. See also our Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Refund Policy, and Accessibility Statement.