5 Reasons You Need Solar Battery Storage with Your PV Panels
New technologies that integrate solar battery storage into home solar installations have finally made the leap to completely meeting homeowners’ needs.
Energy Efficiency – Designing, Inspecting, and Testing For it, Part 1
A home is given a numerical score, called the HERS Index Score, which indicates the home’s energy efficiency. The Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) introduced the HERS Index many years ago.
A lower HERS Index score means a more energy efficient home. And the lower the HERS score, the lower your utility bills and the more comfortable the house will be. Like the miles per gallon tells how efficiently a CAR uses fuel, the HERS Index Score tells how efficiently a HOUSE uses fuel.
Energy Efficiency – Designing, Inspecting, and Testing For it, Part Two
The Manual J calculation is the first step in designing a new heating and air conditioning system. The “J” in Manual J stands for Joule, which you might remember from your science classes. A “Joule” is a unit of energy. Manual J calculations determine how much cooling a house actually needs.
18 Inexpensive Sustainable Homes Almost Anyone Can Afford
According to HomeAdvisor, the typical new home built in the United States in 2023 was $121,099 to $502,765. And because buyers continue to outnumber sellers, that figure is rising. For buyers seeking a more affordable and sustainable new home, check out these alternatives.
Create Your Home Electrification Plan: A Step-By-Step Guide
Your values guide you. But with a clear home electrification plan, you can budget for upgrades, replace appliances before they fail, and maximize incentives.
Climate Change and the Resilient Response
In the wake of tragic wildfires, we have an imperative to rebuild more resilient, decarbonized buildings made from materials that are abundant, renewable, and healthy. We can’t bring back lives that were lost in these past events, but it’s critical we rebuild homes which will save lives in the future.
Casa Zero: A Home Where (Microscopic) Life Flourishes
Focusing on craftsmanship, salvaged materials, and biophilia, CarbonShack’s first branded home achieved LEED Platinum with a West Coast–shingle mashup style.
Fernwood Demonstrates Affordable Net-Positive Eco-Renovation
A modest, Arts and Crafts–style home was lovingly renovated to the highest green standards. Today it’s healthy, beautiful, and budget-friendly.
5 Ways Community Solar Empowers Solar for All
The benefits of solar aren’t just limited to those who install solar themselves. Community solar allows almost anyone to reap the rewards with no upfront costs.
Resilient Solar Town Rides Out 1-in-1,000–Year Hurricane
This resilient community thrives on 1500MW of solar power, its own water-treatment plant, and surrounding wetlands for natural beauty and stormwater management.
Green Concrete: The Foundation for a Sustainable Home
New, green concrete options are emerging to help lower the embodied carbon of homes and buildings and achieve global climate goals.
Electrifying? You May Not Need an Electrical Panel Upgrade
Abandoning gas for all-electric appliances? The electrical panel is the unsung hero of any home electrification project.
Home EV Charging Made Simple (But Do Hire an Electrician)
Home EV charging setups can be tricky. So we’ve developed a primer: from model options and safe installation, to pricing and solar storage.
Synergies in Sustainable Modular Homes Bring Savings
Recent advances in sustainable modular home construction can achieve the eco home of your dreams, with quality, tight construction always top of mind.
Heat Pump Clothes Dryers for Low-Impact Laundry
Heat pump dryers are an exciting, relatively new electrification technology. One can cut perhaps 10% of your household energy use.
Decarbonize Your Home to Support a Greener Grid
Energy storage and controls can reshape your home’s electricity demand to harmonize with a clean, decarbonized electricity supply.
Cosentino Surfaces Were ‘Going Green’ Ahead Of Their Time
Built on a foundation of innovative technology and forward-thinking manufacturing, surface giant Cosentino has been considering the planet since its inception.
Electrification: The Nexus of Individual and Policy Action
Energy Innovation encourages you take advantage of home electrification, and then share your story with your community and, most important, local policymakers.
What Homeowners Need to Know from the UN Climate Report
We can limit climate change to 1.5 ℃! The IPCC calls us to reduce our home’s eco impact, use renewable energy, and deploy energy efficient solutions. Now!
Four Ways Solar Panels Increase Your Home’s Value
Solar panels will increase your home’s value in several ways. These lend confidence in your solar investment and may motivate prospective buyers and lenders.