Posted March 19, 2013 by Philip Henderson in Green Enterprise, Living Sustainably, U.S. Law and Policy
A new study from economists at University of North Carolina found very strong evidence that a homeowner with lower energy expenses will be a better mortgage borrower -- lower risk of delinquency, default, and prepayment. The report is titled "Home Energy...continued→
Posted January 10, 2013 by Philip Henderson
In the State of the Union address, President Obama issued a new goal for America: "Let's cut in half the energy wasted by our homes and businesses over the next twenty years." Here's one place the Administration should focus: Improving the...continued→
Posted December 27, 2012 by Philip Henderson in Solving Global Warming
Houses in America (and the people, machines, and devices in them….) use a lot of energy, year in and year out. The massive quantity of energy used is often expressed in measures that are abstract to most people -- megawatt hours,...continued→
Posted August 13, 2012 by Philip Henderson in Green Enterprise, Solving Global Warming
On-bill financing is a very promising way for utilities to help their customers invest in energy efficiency improvements, such as adding insulation, installing new lighting, or upgrading to a high-efficiency air conditioner. It is simply a loan to a utility...continued→
Posted June 28, 2012 by Philip Henderson in Solving Global Warming
What a news day! Yesterday, the Supreme Court issued a pivotal decision on health insurance, Italy beat Germany (on the soccer field), while Germany worries about Spanish and Italian banks at the European Summit. With all that as competition, it...continued→
Posted May 25, 2012 by Philip Henderson in Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming
The New York Times today published a very nicely argued Op-Ed that describes a reality obvious to anyone who has shopped for a house -- houses in more "walkable" locations are more expensive. You can read it here. Many thanks...continued→
Posted May 15, 2012 by Philip Henderson
The General Services Administration (or GSA) -- the agency that manges most of the federal government's buildings and leases -- announced today a plan to invest in systems to monitor and measure energy use in certain GSA buildings. These investments...continued→
Posted February 10, 2012 by Philip Henderson in Green Enterprise, Solving Global Warming
My electricity bill looks like it was designed to confuse customers. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in feeling this way. Fees with seven decimal places, a "multiplier," distribution, transmission, generation charges, a single "kwh" usage amount. My home address...continued→
Posted January 12, 2012 by Philip Henderson in Living Sustainably, Solving Global Warming
A recent Yahoo survey about the American consumer's evolving view of housing provides interesting and strong evidence of a definite market trend. According to the Yahoo survey, energy efficiency is a top hallmark of the "dream home" -- more consumers cited...continued→
Posted December 2, 2011 by Philip Henderson in U.S. Law and Policy
If anyone needs evidence of a smart federal initiative, one with bang-for-the-buck, take a look at President Obama's Better Buildings Initiative. Today the President announced two new elements in the ongoing effort that will deliver budget savings, create new jobs,...continued→
Posted October 24, 2011 by Philip Henderson
Several good news reports describe new legislation to correct how mortgage lenders treat homeowner energy expenses -- the Save Act (S. 1737) introduced by Senators Bennet (D-Co) and Isakson (R-GA). Here's a link to a very good article on the bill: The Idea...continued→
Posted October 18, 2011 by Philip Henderson in Curbing Pollution, Green Enterprise, U.S. Law and Policy
U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D - Colorado) and Johnny Isakson (R - Georgia) are expected today to introduce a bill titled "The Save Act." This bill can be a challenge to explain, as you'll see below, becasue it involves both mortgage...continued→
Posted June 13, 2011 by Philip Henderson in Green Enterprise, Solving Global Warming
The White House today released a report (titled "A Policy Framework for the 21st Century Grid") (here's the fact sheet) that provides provides a compelling vision and addresses challenges of modernizing the electricity grid. One point stands in very high relief...continued→
Posted May 25, 2011 by Philip Henderson in Green Enterprise
Today, once again, a New York Times editiorial lodged a complaint about the Administration's signature mortgage modification program. The program essentially pays mortgage lenders and servicers to reduce the borrower's loan payments in an attempt to prevent or forestall defaults. The Times's complaint, in...continued→
Posted March 8, 2011 by Philip Henderson in Green Enterprise, Living Sustainably, Solving Global Warming
Cities and states seeking to find smart and incisive ways to spur economic growth should explore implementing Building Ratings, and the best place to start is our new website BuildingRating.org. First things first -- What are building ratings and why are...continued→
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