Residential Buildings
Zero-Energy Homes Are Ready for Mainstream Markets
Zero-energy (ZE) homes—efficient homes that produce or procure as much renewable energy as they consume over the course of a year—are often marketed as luxury homes, only available to the select few that are willing to pay a significant premium to do the right thing for the environment. In keeping…
The Consumer Connection: A Consumer-Centric Approach to Delivering Home Energy Services
Two-thirds of US homeowners consider home energy performance a top priority, but few actually take action to improve home energy use. And those who have implemented efficiency improvements seldom invest in whole-home energy upgrades. In sum, a large gap exists between intentions and actual investments, signifying a market failure to…
Energy and Affordability in Housing Finance
Utility costs place a significant financial burden on the 35 million very low- to moderate-income (LMI) single-family households in the United States. On average, low-income households spend three times as much to heat and cool their homes as the average household—from 20 percent to 50 percent of their…