Green Building News

Among the most important benefits of homes that merge affordability with ambitious energy efficiency standards are, of course, satisfied homeowners and their reduced carbon footprint. But another, far-reaching potential upside is that such projects can illuminate potent strategies and techniques for future projects.

There’s nothing new about the notion that many people respond to economic uncertainty by trying to live more economically. This week, one research company reaffirmed that notion with a take on the market for energy-efficient products and clean-technology services. Another research firm, meanwhile, has been examining consumers’ thinking behind these green purchases.

One key requirement of the stimulus-funded Weatherization Assistance Program is that agencies in each state meet certain goals by September 30 to qualify for further federal funds. Their goals were set last year, when the state agencies submitted their WAP proposals for approval by the Department of Energy.

By December, all participants knew where they stood, or should be standing.

The Solar Decathlon’s biennial presentations on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., have become high-profile showcases for the academic institutions that participate in them. Each of the 20 or contestants – teams that include various combinations of students and faculty – apply all the brainpower they can muster to design, build, transport, and eventually display sustainably built, comfortable, PV-equipped, net-zero-energy dwellings no larger than 800 sq. ft. apiece.

There’s a slightly competitive tone to last week’s announcement by Massachusetts’ department of Energy and Environmental Affairs that the state has established new energy efficiency standards and, to help meet those standards, will commit about $2.2 billion to home energy audits, weatherization, and appliance rebates.

Back in August, we noted that the New American Home 2010, originally scheduled for completion well before January’s International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas, was stuck in construction limbo because the lender for the project’s builder, Domanico Custom Homes, fell victim to the credit crunch.

At least three stories published this week home in on problems associated with climate change, with one story focused on the politics of climate change legislation, another aimed at challenges to limiting greenhouse gas emissions caused by home energy use, and the third on what the science community says will happen should we fail to significantly reduce emissions sooner rather than later.

Beazer Homes announced earlier this month that it is expanding its menu of eSmart energy efficiency and indoor-air-quality options, and that it has launched a website designed to help market its products and demystify the systems and components intended to green its lineup.

Will 2010 be the year stimulus-funded green programs finally produce their intended results? If recent stories about weatherization and green-jobs programs in Georgia and Minnesota are any indication, we may be on the verge of finding out.

Even though some folks have questioned the market viability of green prefab construction, its design aspects still have legs, especially if we’re talking about the net-zero-energy design concept being developed by Specht Harpman, an architecture firm with offices in New York City and Austin, Texas.