At some point, homes can become too broken to fix. Instead of pumping public funds into lost causes, combine existing funding sources to provide new homes that are safe, healthy and dignified for a longer-term, smarter solution.

Efforts to address energy poverty in low-income families by helping to reduce their energy burden have been inadequate. It’s time to make these efforts more comprehensive and more effective.

Organic farming is his first love, but he also has a talent for energy-efficient home design and construction. When clients hire Bud Barta and his sons to build a top-quality home, they get advanced energy efficiency, too.

Builders say they will build what people want. Real estate professionals say they help people find the house that’s right for them. Overwhelmingly, home buyers say they want high-efficiency, healthy homes. So why is the market share of these homes so low? The obvious disconnect between the demand and the supply can only be corrected if consumers use their influence to move the market. Here’s how...

There are many opportunities to improve the energy performance of existing homes. Finding a good home performance contractor is the key. Sara Holman of GreenSavers shares why.

Thick walls hold lots of insulation, but there’s a nagging question about condensation in these cavities. I actually measured the moisture in a 10-inch, double-stud wall in my home in Central Oregon. Here’s what I found.

Home energy conservation meets home automation in this new system. It senses conditions in the home and adjusts equipment to improve comfort and save energy. It can also optimize solar battery operation.

How can can costs be cut on the construction of affordable zero energy homes? This Habitat for Humanity zero energy home demonstration project documented $3,000 in construction cost savings.

Mike and Cindi O’Neil share some lessons from more than 20 years of building high-performance homes. Now the company specializes in zero energy homes. Learn what draws clients to them and how they have made energy efficiency their bread and butter.

Perhaps the biggest barriers to energy efficiency in multifamily buildings are not technology, but business and finance. A new handbook shows you the ins and outs of financing. Written for project owners and lenders, this guide includes many specific suggestions and examples.

Tight homes need efficient, effective ventilation. Until now that has been accomplished by a heat recovery ventilator with an elaborate duct system. Now there is an option that ventilates and recovers heat, without the ducts.

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.