There is one major obstacle to the widespread transition to zero energy homes: The mortgage industry has been slow to recognize their higher market value and reluctant to finance the additional upfront cost of financially sound energy efficiency features. One solution is a system to create mortgage backed securities specifically for energy efficient homes. 

Ten years ago, making a home or building generate as much energy as it uses over the course of a year seemed an immense challenge. Tens of thousands of these advanced energy-efficient structures have been built. But they need to be better to meet the challenges of climate change, health, security, and resilience. So what’s next? Zero 2.0! 

There’s still time to slow the impact of climate change, but America must act… and fast. This requires a rapid shift to using electric power for everything from household equipment to personal transportation. There’s good news. If done correctly, the transition can save everyone money and create more jobs. We can choose: crisis or opportunity. 

Transparency is one cornerstone of a free market. Today, the real estate market is failing to provide homebuyers with the information they need to make sound purchasing decisions. At the same time, sellers are failing to realize the full value of their homes. One essential solution is to make energy disclosures readily available and to include them in a national database of green and energy-efficient homes.

This six-video mini course from Project Drawdown presents a comprehensive overview of available solutions to the climate crisis. The entire set of videos runs only 90 minutes and is packed with facts, making it a great resource for teachers, decision makers, and just about everyone. Unlike many other attempts to describe the climate crisis, these videos are focused on the positive climate actions we can take and it reveals a few surprising facts.

Electric vehicles are rolling off assembly lines and onto American roadways in ever increasing numbers. This is not a random economic shift. Significant government support over the last decade has greased the skids. Now it’s time to apply the same financial incentives and regulatory support for zero energy homes.

He may no longer be the world’s richest man, but he still has some big ideas about reducing greenhouse gases. Gates’ latest book describes an ambitious, well-thought-out, set of climate actions needed to get to zero by 2050. Building efficiency and electric vehicles are just the “easy” part. Here are highlights from his plan for what must be done and how to make it happen. It's a must read for all who want to help avoid a climate disaster.

Much has been said about the Texas electric utility grid’s failure to handle the cold arctic blast in February 2021. But there’s more to the story than electric supply. There are many measures that reduce electricity demand, support grid resilience as well as keep family's warm and safe.

Two trends are now converging that will promote a zero energy lifestyle. First, electric vehicle sales are poised to grow dramatically. Second, positive energy homes are growing in popularity. These homes create enough energy to supply all at-home energy use and much of the transportation energy for households. It's time for building professionals to build positive energy homes for homebuyers who will soon be driving and charging electric vehicles.

Home buyers can have a daunting task when looking for a home that is green, healthy and energy efficient. Much of the available real estate sales information ignores vital metrics in these areas. But if you’re looking to buy or sell a home with exceptional environmental and energy efficient features, here is an online tool that will help.

The sixth annual inventory of zero energy homes has just been released. It shows considerable growth to almost 28,000 units. Projections indicate the number could double in 2021.

Brightleaf Homes used zero energy ready homes to break into the Chicago home building market. Building higher value high performance homes was just the beginning. Then they had to make the extra cost work for buyers. Here’s how they do it.