Residential Buildings
Solutions for India’s Cooling Quandary
Last month consumers across India received a jolt when they were delivered their electricity bills. The combined effects of stay-at-home measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the sweltering heat of the Indian summer, and increased usage of energy intensive appliances such as air conditioners resulted in electricity bills being up to ten times higher than normal.
How COVID-19 Is Pushing Cities to Change Solar Permitting for the Better
In order to meet social distancing requirements brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, cities across the United States are moving permitting services, including solar, online. The International Code Council (ICC) recently surveyed its members and found that 65 percent of local code permitting officials have moved to remote work…
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…