Monthly Archives: October 2011

Higher value of PV homes

The National Bureau of Economic Research and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory  are reporting that houses with solar panels sell for an average of 3.5% more than comparable houses without PV.  This difference is on average $17,000.   The studies showed that … Continue reading

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Florida Green Home program

The Florida Green Building Coalition, a non profit organization that promotes sustainable building, announced that “Florida Green” home certifications for 2011 have hit 750 for the year. That is an all time high.

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Big Changes in Passivhaus program

Germany based Passivhaus Institute has severed ties with the four-year old Passive House Institute US, which was the only Passive House certifier in the United States.  The reported reason for the suspension of ties was breach of contract issues and … Continue reading

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The PrimeStar Solar facility

General Electric announced that it will soon begin construction on the nation’s largest thin-film solar manufacturing plant and initially employ about 355 people.  The PrimeStar Solar facility aims to produce 400 megawatts of photovoltaic capacity annually using cadmium telluride (CdTe) … Continue reading

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A new program from DOE

A new program from DOE will complement the Energy Star Portfolio Manager, which building managers use to track and score actual energy performance on as-built buildings.  The new asset rating will give potential buyers or tenants information on how energy … Continue reading

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PACE energy efficiency loans

Under a proposed bill, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac  would be forced to stop blocking state and local financing programs that offer low cost PACE energy efficiency loans. The loans are actually an assessment to the property paid through property … Continue reading

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