Responsible for nearly 40 percent of global climate emissions, buildings are critical to the government’s response to climate change. As lawmakers and climate advocates look for new policies that will curb greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment, the old rallying cry for energy efficiency is being replaced by calls for policies that...

Despite the ongoing pandemic, 2021 was a record-breaking year for investment in the energy transition and renewable power, battery storage, and sustainable transportation, according to the 2022 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook, published by BloombergNEF (BNEF) and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE). This tenth annual edition...

This week, Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) reported that 313,153 homes received a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Score in 2021. The number of HERS homes continues to break records, having eclipsed the 299,775 in 2020. More than 3 million homes have been rated since the inception in 1995 of HERS scores, which are a home’s equivalent...

According to a report issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) this week, 2021 was the sixth warmest year on record.[1] Further, the hottest decade ever recorded occurred between 2009 and 2019.[2] The planet’s warming trend is forcing home builders globally to get creative to address the challenges we’re confronting....

E2 has published new, interesting data on clean energy jobs by congressional districts. Clean energy employment[1] (jobs in renewable energy and energy efficiency) accounts for 3 million U.S. jobs, and the sector will likely grow following the passage of the massive infrastructure bill. E2’s searchable database allows users a closer look at where...

Each year since 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Housing Innovation Awards recognize forward-thinking builders who construct homes that are Zero Energy Ready (with net zero achievable with the addition of solar panels). Among the winners of the 2021 Housing Innovation Awards is Milwaukee-area builder Tim O’Brien Homes, which took a top...

In home construction, getting great air sealing and insulation are the Holy Grail in delivering a high-performance home with an effective thermal envelope. The prevailing belief among many in the building industry is that only spray foam insulation can deliver the thermal performance and airtightness that is required but that simply isn’t true....

New analysis from the American Council for an Energy-Efficiency Economy (ACEEE) reveals that energy efficiency investments could result in massive job growth while simultaneously reducing carbon dioxide emissions and saving consumers money.

Addressing CO₂ emissions in the built environment is critical in combatting climate change. Yet despite the urgency of the effort and the potential benefits to building occupants, roughly 80 percent of the energy savings potential in buildings globally remains untapped, according to the World Resources Institute (WRI).[1] In response, WRI has...

An increasing focus on mitigating climate change and constructing sustainable, resilient buildings has created a green buildings industry exploding with job opportunities. However, many job seekers simply don’t know those occupations exist.