Concentration of CO2 in the Atmosphere

New Hampshire Net Metering Cap Increase Imminent

Exeter, NH (April 11, 2016) – Solar policy in New Hampshire is now on a more secure foundation. The New Hampshire Senate has passed HB 1116, legislation which increases the statewide net metering cap from 50 to 100 megawatts. Regulators have also been directed to open a proceeding to develop an alternative rate structure […]

Green Building Targets the Indoor Environment as Health Becomes a Top Priority

The Melody’s amenities include a gym, outdoor fitness circuit, playground, music- and art-filled stairwells, and signage to promote smart exercise choices – earning it the nation’s first LEED innovation credit for Active Design.

By Heather Breslin, Steven Winter Associates

Close to 90% of our lives are spent indoors. This statistic should mitigate any […]

Cities Across America Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Boston and NYC Make the Top Dozen of U.S. Cities with the Most Energy Star Certified Buildings

Boston skyline. Photo source: www.vsmodels.net

On March 30, 2016, the EPA released its annual list of U.S. metropolitan areas with the most certified Energy Star buildings in 2015. Boston is in the top dozen of national […]

Efficient Window Performance

By George Harvey

Choosing new windows for a retrofit or new building can be a daunting experience for an ordinary person. There are numbers of choices that seem to go on endlessly. We can choose among installers, manufacturers, and designs. We can pick different materials, components, and construction.

On top of […]

What in the World am I Doing?

Bill McKibben presented the keynote address at Efficiency Vermont’s Better Buildings by Design’s (BBD) Conference that was held on February 3-4, 2016, in Burlington, VT. Photo courtesy of Greg Whitchurch.

By Michael Goetinck

I went to the Better Building by Design Conference in Burlington, VT this February. Attendees who heard Bill McKibben give […]

Antioch Climate Change Preparedness Conference Update

Courtesy Photo

By George Harvey

The beginning of April saw a Climate Change Preparedness Conference in Baltimore. It was put on by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Center for Climate Preparedness and Community Resilience (CCPCR) at Antioch University New England (AUNE). It served EPA regions 1 through 4, which […]

The True Scope of Earth’s Fresh Water Crisis

10 Shocking Facts

The California drought and Flint’s lead problem are just part of the bad news about world water supplies.

The map plots fresh water availability per capita in terms of thousands of cubic meters per person. The per capita volume of water resources available is a good indicator of […]

The Best Three U.S. States for Solar ‘PV’

Who would have guessed that the best three states across the U.S. for putting solar panels on the roof would be in the Northeast? Credit: Nick Normal, FlickrCC.

By Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss

In the United States, whether or not it is easy and economical to “go solar” depends more on state […]

Top 10 Reasons Why Solar PV Has Reached Escape Velocity

And why SolarCity and net-metering subsidies are distracting outliers

Solar Panels. Photo courtesy of Living Off Grid via Flickr, Creative Commons license (CC BY 2.0).

By Laurie Guevara-Stone

With Nevada rolling back net-metering and solar company stock prices falling, one might think the solar industry is in big trouble. In fact, a New […]

Homeowners’ Associations Can Rule Out Solar

Just for the Look of It

From Joan Rech

As solar power systems have become more affordable, more homeowners are installing such systems to meet some or all of their homes’ electrical needs. But others face a major obstacle – their homeowners associations (HOA’s). Many HOA’s were incorporated before solar was a realistic possibility, and […]