The Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule has been one of the most highly debated policies in the building and construction industry for years. We’ve seen it change forms and evolve over time. Most everyone in our industry remembers the about-face that occurred when the EPA withdrew its opt-out clause – and the controversy […]

A new report commissioned by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) revealed some surprising statistics, indicating that: consumers are concerned about the environment but aren’t necessarily acting, and there is a disconnect between “living green” and the benefits of green building. According to the report, respondents viewed “living green” as recycling, composting, using reusable grocery […]

In my last post, I talked about two energy bills making progress in the House and Senate for the first time in a long time. Today, I am happy to report that one of those bills is continuing to move forward. The Portman-Shaheen Bill is one that has been around for as long as I […]

With budget cuts and trade tariffs taking center stage lately, I couldn’t remember the last time I was able to report on energy legislation reaching the floor of the House or Senate. Looking back, it was early in 2017 when I gave my last federal legislation watch list. Today, I am finally able to report […]

In June 2019, the UK passed historic legislation that will require net-zero carbon emissions by 2050—making compliance legally binding. And the plan is said to come at a relatively low cost. Some of the tactics for achieving this bold measure include the electrification of cars, decarbonization of heating systems, carbon capture, setting thermostats no higher […]

The first time I learned about the Passive House rating system, was some time in the mid-1990s. At the time it was being developed in Germany and was primarily a Western European initiative. I remember thinking that it would be seemingly impossible to apply the same standards in the U.S. and certainly unachievable in commercial […]

Potential homebuyers are finding themselves priced out of the new home market before they even get started, leaving them to choose between continuing to rent or purchasing from the inventory of aging home stock in the U.S. According to a recent report compiled by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Oak […]

On July 9, the CEC (California Energy Commission) held its High-Performance Windows Forum workshop at the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District building. With regional and national builders and window manufacturers in attendance, the purpose of the meeting was to introduce the concept of “Skinny Triples” (also referred to as “Thin Triple”) and to present an economic […]

Of late, home prices have climbed while wages have failed to keep up, leaving a gap between the current housing market and affordability. According to Lending Tree analyses of the homebuying market, home prices have increased by 44% while wages have only gone up by 15% since 2012. Further, a Freddie Mac survey on housing […]

Market Research Future (MRFR) released a report last week that shows the green building market growing at a faster rate than conventional construction. North America holds a lion’s share of the market, owning just over 29% of green building globally. The report credits “technological superiority and a high level of environmental awareness” for driving domestic […]