Cheap solar electricity, on-site energy storage and electric vehicles will reshape the 21st century economy. Will today’s electric utilities position themselves wisely in this technology triangle? Or will they miss a golden opportunity?

Energy efficiency pays for itself. If you design well, build smart and finance correctly, energy savings will take you all the way to a zero energy home.

Whole neighborhoods of zero energy homes are springing up around the country as consumers embrace the trend. Several national homebuilders have joined a growing number of smaller production builders to make zero energy homes the norm.

High-performance homes have many cool features that are not always obvious to buyers. As a builder, you want the effort and expense you’ve invested in the home to be effectively represented to potential buyers. That means engaging real estate brokers and appraisers who have the training, knowledge and experience to recognize these features and communicate the benefits effectively.

It’s the time of year when houses reveal a dirty little secret. They show a key thermal weakness by growing long icicles attached to damaging ice dams. Get better energy performance and prevent ice dams with these simple construction practices.

Home energy ratings are gaining acceptance, because they benefit consumers and housing industry professionals alike. Ratings support the value of efficient homes in the market, give builders a tool to optimize their designs, and support energy improvement financing.

There’s a misconception that saving energy is bad for business. To the contrary, there is a strong business case for high-performance buildings, as illustrated by this small sample of recently completed zero energy buildings.

Energy purchases are the second largest line item in most school budgets. That’s like throwing money away. Schools that have embraced high-performance improvements \save money and improve learning outcomes. Financing is the key to their success.

Most buildings that use forced-air heating and cooling run the ducts outside the building’s thermal envelope. That’s crazy! Save energy, save money and improve performance by designing and building with ducts inside. Here’s how.

Uncertainty looms ahead for the zero energy movement. Don’t get discouraged. Get active! We’ve got 7 close-to-home actions you can take now to propel the movement forward.

A zero energy home doesn’t have to be new construction. Zero energy principles can be applied to existing buildings, too. By applying the scale and efficiency of industrial methods to housing, housing agencies in Europe are taking energy retrofits in giant leaps.

Better comfort sets zero energy homes apart from conventional ones. Add the concept of radiant temperatures to your sales pitch.