January 25, 2024

Heat Pump Clothes Dryers: Low-Impact Laundry

Heat pump clothes dryers are an exciting, relatively new electrification technology. One can cut perhaps 10% of your household energy use.

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January 19, 2023

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.

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January 2, 2023

Cold Climate Heat Pumps Warm Homes on the Coldest Days

We know that decarbonization requires electrifiction, and we know that heat pumps work in many situations. But many people still wonder: Will heat pumps work in cold temperatures?

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February 23, 2022

How To Pay for Energy-Efficient Renovations? On-Bill Payment Can Help.

Can "On-Bill Financing" Help You Renovate to Zero? Find out how homeowners, including those with low incomes, and renters can save money while making their residence more energy efficient.

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September 20, 2021

Thinking Inside the Box

Factory-built homes show great promise for zero energy housing. This company is combining high performance and small size with low cost to meet the housing challenges of the coming decade. 

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April 16, 2021

Do Your Green Check!

Transparency is one cornerstone of a free market. Today, the real estate market is failing to provide homebuyers with the information they need to make sound purchasing decisions. At the same time, sellers are failing to realize the full value of their homes. One essential solution is to make energy disclosures readily available and to include them in a national database of green and energy-efficient homes.

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April 8, 2021

Millennials in a Housing Crisis

Homeownership has been the core of the mythical American Dream, but it has been slow to take hold within the millennial generation. Perhaps the housing sector has not been meeting their needs for small, energy efficient, well connected homes. Well planned zero energy homes can make homeownership more accessible to millennials.

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March 18, 2021

Factory-built Homes — Another Path to Zero

The future of residential construction will include more factory buildings. BrightBuilt Home builds modular homes that are modern, durable, and zero energy ready. The precision of factory construction is a perfect match for zero energy homes, and BrightBuilt has been building zero energy homes this way since 2010.

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February 5, 2021

Want an Eco Home? Here’s What You Need To Know about Real Estate To Actually Get One

Home buyers can have a daunting task when looking for a home that is green, healthy and energy efficient. Much of the available real estate sales information ignores vital metrics in these areas. But if you’re looking to buy or sell a home with exceptional environmental and energy efficient features, here is an online tool that will help.

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January 12, 2021

Brightleaf Homes Gets High Value Appraisals 

Brightleaf Homes used zero energy ready homes to break into the Chicago home building market. Building higher value high performance homes was just the beginning. Then they had to make the extra cost work for buyers. Here’s how they do it.

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December 8, 2020

Causes for Optimism

One thing everyone agrees on: 2020 has been hard to take. In spite of protests, pandemic, and politics, there are some spots that burn brighter amidst the darkness. Here are a few developments on the path to zero that deserve our gratitude, support and celebration.

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October 19, 2020

SelahVista Homes Start with Health

While health is always on the list of zero energy home benefits, it was the motivating force that prompted Steve Weise and Brenda Nunes to develop this 60-unit neighborhood in Central Washington. All homes in the development include a comprehensive package of proven features that protect health, maintain durability, and guarantee zero energy ready performance. But Steve and Brenda are taking the health of their homes to a higher level.

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