A New York City roof covered in a white synthetic membrane was on average 43 degrees F cooler than surrounding black tar and asphalt roofs during times of peak heat last summer, according to a study by scientists from Columbia University and NASA.

On the hottest day of the summer — July 22, 2011, (more…)

In October, the United Kingdom will embark on a national program to make millions of homes and businesses more energy efficient. Until then, officials are busy educating the British public about the Green Deal—a program giving people access to funding for energy efficiency upgrades at no up-front cost—and answering queries from foreign businesses (more…)

Building energy codes that require increased energy efficiency are one of the most effective mechanisms for reducing energy consumption of our building stock. It has been stated that building energy codes are the “quickest, cheapest and cleanest way to improve energy efficiency in the building sector.”  (more…)

The city of Sacramento is the capital of the state of California. It is the sixth largest city in the state and houses the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state. Sacramento is also one of the most racially and ethnically integrated cities in the United States. Sacramento quickly rose to fame during the Gold Rush era as it was a primary distribution point. Today, (more…)

A house is not merely the sum of four walls and a roof. As urbanization, rural development, and economics continue to change the way people think about homeownership globally, new formulas for home design, technologies for efficiency, and home value are emerging. (more…)

Owners can spend a lot on sustainability measures that don’t yield much benefit, or they can spend very little and improve properties a lot. If the second option sounds more appealing, here are three key ways to make sure you’re getting the best results at the lowest cost: (more…)

A UK report says that nearly half of the electricity consumed by British businesses is wasted when employees are not at work.

In an analysis of more than 6,000 smart meters, British Gas found that 46 percent of electricity use occurs from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m., when most businesses are typically closed. Common examples of (more…)

The building equipment and services industries have always been highly fragmented. While leaders such as Honeywell and Johnson Controls have large, multinational presences, most of the market is divvied up among thousands of smaller companies with a relatively narrow regional or technological focus. Even CB Richard Ellis, the real estate firm with (more…)

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs allow local governments to loan money to homeowners to do energy efficiency projects.  The PACE loans are generally repaid as a property tax line item.  PACE programs were initially very popular, and more than 25 states passed PACE-enabling legislation.

(more…)

The ever-changing solar market continues to move ahead with enormous strides. While such innovations such as the new “plug ‘n’ play” solar panels are creating buzz, there are a number of other significant innovations that are helping homeowners fulfill their energy-saving goals. (more…)