Spotlight Article:
New Legislation in the House
There is cause for celebration this spring for all players in the home performance industry, as H.R. 1315 was introduced in the 116th Congress on February 27, 2019. New legislation that would support training for home ...
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Accountability for the Future: The 2016 Habitat X Strategic Plan
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The Habitat X Summer National Conference provides a collaborative meeting place for leaders from the energy efficiency, building performance, and utility industries. Now in our fifth year, we’ve become increasingly focused on creating ... [continue reading]
How to Become a Home Performance Superhero
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What do Home Performance Contractors (HPCs) do? Fundamentally, they ask homeowners what heating, cooling and ventilation problems they have and take care of fixing them. As with other services an HVAC contractor provides, it boils ... [continue reading]
Comparing and Contrasting Residential Green-Building Certifications
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In residential construction—much more than in commercial construction—there are a surprising number of green building rating systems. These systems have different criteria to rate green buildings. This leaves homebuyers, builders, and ... [continue reading]
Training in the 21st Century: From Sage on the Stage to Guide on the Side
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Imagine you have just walked into the classroom. Right now the teacher is standing at the front, explaining some of the finer details of the second law of thermodynamics. The students are sitting at tables, ... [continue reading]
Beyond Building: Training for the Green-Collar Economy
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Ely Flores, a 2005 graduate of a YouthBuild program in Los Angeles, is a Grid Alternatives outreach manager and works with low-income families to install solar panels to reduce their home energy costs. At Greenbuild 2012 in ... [continue reading]
Laying a Foundation with the SWS
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The Standard Work Specifications (SWS) for Home Energy Upgrades were developed by DOE, its Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), and its National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to set the standard for high-quality work in the weatherization ... [continue reading]
Jim Hughes
How to start a Construction Business: Things to Consider
Construction can be a rewarding business, especially for startups. This especially so due to the ever-growing need for housing as ...
Jim Gunshinan
Is Energy Efficiency an American Value?
Energy efficiency is good for the economy, good for families, good for workers, and good for the environment.
