SubscribeI was researching something on the energycodes.gov website the other day and came across a tidbit of information I wasn’t aware of. There are only a few states with no energy code on the books, one of which is Kansas. It takes this alternate route:
Homebuilders or realtors must disclose information about the home energy [...]
DemandSideSolutions
energy issues in the built environment
Category: the market
Kansas: Lessons Learned?
Millennials
Interesting commentary from ENR on future trends in the A/E/C world:
Call them Millennials, Generation Y or Generation Next—all these names are used—but demographers interviewed by ENR and many Millennials themselves agreed the names all try to classify a distinctive group of Americans born after about 1980 who are part of a wave [...]
Driving Demand Part Deux
Via Will at Energy Circle Pro, comments on Part 2 of the LBNL “Driving Demand” study:
Market segmentation is an important concept for any industry; but it’s especially relevant to the home performance industry. And, in our opinion, our industry has a tendency to think in overly broad brush strokes about what messaging [...]
Standard Reporting Format
From Tony:
On Thursday, February 10, 2011, ASTM will publish its long-awaited Standard E2797-11, Building Energy Performance Assessment (BEPA). The consensus standard was two years in development by a Task Group consisting of more than 220 professionals, including consultants, engineers, architects, attorneys, real estate service providers, real estate investors, building owners [...]
Disclosure as Total Cost of Ownership
From Laura Stukel via GreenHomes America:
For years, mortgage lenders have trained us to focus on PITI. We figure out how much home you should buy based on Principal, Interest, Taxes and Insurance. But that is only part of the picture. For example, the Institute for Market Transformation notes that energy costs are a significantly larger [...]
Return of PACE?
Via David Wogan:
Yesterday, Texas State Representative Mike Villarreal (D-San Antonio) introduced legislation to bring back PACE financing. PACE, which stands for Property Assessed Clean Energy, would make it easier for homeowners to invest in renewable energy systems for their homes by tying the cost of a renewable energy system to a home’s [...]
Risk Management in EE Projects
Via EETD, this from Technology Review:
Project developers typically guarantee certain savings, some or all of which are used to pay the cost of installing and maintaining the equipment; on the assumption that customers will use less energy, the developer charges them less than they would pay the utilities. If the money [...]
The Limited Value of DC Commercial Disclosure
The Washington, DC, commercial building energy disclosure law was great news when it passed in 2008 and I’m happy to see it coming in to effect. It will be interesting to see how it affects leasing and development in the DC market. Beyond DC though the comparisons will be weak, so says the always insightful [...]
The HPC Lobby Responds to the HUD PowerSaver Program
Not long after I linked to the LBL publication on the HUD PowerSaver loan program, EfficiencyFirst (EF), the home performance lobby, posted their recommended changes. If you recall, PowerSaver is part of the package of initiatives rolled out by the President’s administration with the Home Energy Score. PowerSaver is administered by HUD, and has the [...]
Housing Market Prospects
I don’t generally follow the housing market too closely, but it’s good to stay up on what’s going on. Those who are in the home performance contracting business need a stable, if not growing, housing market. If people aren’t confident in their house as an investment with strong resale potential they probably aren’t going to [...]