Residential Buildings

New Resources for Cities to Unlock Housing Improvements

As we all spend significantly more time inside our homes during COVID-19 shelter-in-place and stay-at-home orders, understanding how our homes perform (and the implications for affordability, comfort, and health) has arguably never been more important. And yet in most parts of the country, the status-quo is that residents…

Video Check-ups for Home Improvement and Resilience

Kristin Dupre’s energy programs at Energy New England had ground to a halt. They had a full season scheduled ahead, but due to the coronavirus, all that work went on hold. However, they found a way to adapt and the results look very promising. Other companies are rolling out variations…

Sheltering in Place: Are Our Homes the Shelter We Need?

Much of the world is now focused on “sheltering in place.” This phrase was once lingo used almost exclusively by the people whose job it is to prepare for emergencies. Now, we all have that job. Yet most shelter-in-place conversations have very little to say about a critical part of…

Keeping Your Home Healthy During the COVID-19 Crisis

As COVID-19 spreads, more and more states are enacting “shelter in place” and “stay at home” orders. We are all in being pushed to extremes—emotionally, mentally, and physically. In these trying times, it is important to stay healthy, and take good care of yourself and your family. We are also…

Adapting to Fire: How Cities Can Enhance Resilience with Distributed Energy

As California experienced uncharacteristically low precipitation in February, normally its peak rainy season, parts of the state are moving into drought conditions. This is likely to increase wildfire prevalence in the state in 2020, and it underscores the point that communities need to be thinking about a range of…