The Evolution of Smart Home Performance and Its Benefits to the Grid

As the number of residential demand-response programs and the use of smart home technologies has grown over the last several years, an important opportunity has emerged in home performance to increase residential energy savings. Namely, ...

Keep Reading

FILTER ARTICLES

Massachusetts Audits: MORE SMILES THAN SAVINGS

Author: Sandy Cataldo

archive CONTENT

July 01, 1998

Massachusetts is the hold-out. When the federal Residential Conservation Service law expired in 1990, most states got rid of mandatory home energy audits. But a 1980 state law still requires Massachusetts electric and gas utilities to provide home energy audits to customers on demand, paid for by a surcharge on energy bills. [continue reading]

Contractors Profit in Open Market

Author: Sheryl Carter

archive CONTENT

July 01, 1998

Faster than you can caulk a windowsill, California is restructuring its electric industry. In the process, the state is radically changing the way efficiency services are funded and delivered. [continue reading]

New Jargon for the Trades

Author: Steven Bodzin

archive CONTENT

July 01, 1998

Today, you may be an insulator, HVAC technician, or builder. Maybe you're a lighting designer, or a publicist for efficient buildings. But in the new market, you will be an energy efficiency service provider. [continue reading]

High-Efficiency Homes: Moving Markets, Updating Codes

Author: Deborah Rider Allen

archive CONTENT

May 01, 1998

Builder education takes many forms. One of the most effective ways for builders to learn new techniques is to walk a construction site ask questions. When the site turns into a home where residents feel comfortable and save money, the students use the techniques they learned. [continue reading]

Efficient Cooling: Making It Happen

Author: Craig Sherman and Eric Hildebrandt

archive CONTENT

March 01, 1998

As part of its efforts to promote energy-efficient residential HVAC systems, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) looked into air conditioner sizing. [continue reading]

Promoting Profitable Home Power

Author: Thomas J. Starrs and Howard J. Wenger

archive CONTENT

January 01, 1998

Renewable energy advocates struggle daily to introduce practical applications for solar and wind power. [continue reading]

Working the Utility/Contractor Connection

Author: Gregory Thomas

archive CONTENT

November 01, 1997

Moving into increasing deregulation of utilities, home performance specialists and utility companies alike wonder what their role in the new market will be. [continue reading]

Will Customers Pay for Residential Energy Efficiency Services?

Author: Paul Berkowitz

archive CONTENT

November 01, 1997

Nobody really knows how the utility or home performance industry is going to sell unsubsidized energy efficiency services to residential customers. [continue reading]