How do you improve the energy efficiency of apartments and other rental units when renters don’t own the property or appliances and landlords don’t see the benefits in their pocketbooks from improvement because they don’t pay the utility bills? It’s a much-debated conundrum that even has a name: the “split incentive” problem.

Shopping for a home that’s energy efficient isn’t always easy. While hardwood floors, two-car garages, and swimming pools are typical searchable attributes, energy efficiency data and green building certifications are not so easily found.

After reading this month’s Powering Progress and discovering how essential building codes are to a modern community’s safety and energy efficiency, you’re undoubtedly wondering, Whence came building codes?

Last week, the Department of Energy announced its first-ever Apps for Energy competition, challenging software developers to build apps that help consumers understand their electricity use.

Anyone who has built a new home or made a major home renovation knows that legal rules called codes help influence many aspects of the project—from how efficient your furnace should be to the proper way to install electricity.

Buildings consume a lot of energy. The more than 5 million commercial buildings and 115 million residential households in the United States consume around 40 percent of the nation’s total energy and 70 percent of all electricity. That’s a lot of energy—specifically, a lot of wasted energy.

It’s important that pro-energy code stories are present in the media. If you believe that Minnesotans want new homes built to energy efficient standards, write a letter to the editor.

When it comes to choosing lighting for your home, choosing the right light bulb can be a little confusing. The important part is seeing the big picture; otherwise, you could end up kicking yourself later for spending a lot more money in the long run.

Saving energy is kind of like exercising. (Bear with us here.)

Earlier this year, Fresh Energy wrote about the amazing success of the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, whose energy-efficient building upgrades earned top achievements in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Battle of the Buildings.