(Reuters) – A steep decline in solar panel prices is helping solar installers attract new capital, a trend likely to trigger consolidation in the fragmented industry and drive down the cost of putting the renewable energy system on rooftops. Panel … Continue reading
By now, photovoltaic (PV) panels are familiar to most Americans. You’ve seen them on your hand-held calculator, on top of illuminated highway signs, and maybe even on your neighbors’ roofs. With PV systems becoming more common, perhaps you’ve been dreaming of making … Continue reading
By Sahely Mukerji, Opinions differ among glass and glazing professionals regarding whether Congress should have extended tax incentives used by developers and remodelers that, in turn, influenced the glass industry. The incentives in question: the New Energy Efficient Home Tax … Continue reading
If you focus only on the reasons why European home builders are a decade or more ahead of the United States in the quality and performance of sustainable housing, you’ll miss the available, proven, and affordable technologies and tactics that … Continue reading
The most recent economic crash should come as no surprise to history buffs. Reader and financial blogger Philip J. Anderson sent us an illuminating analysis of real estate bubbles through U.S. history. “For the first 144 years of real estate enclosure in the U.S., … Continue reading
The international symbol for Texas’ energy-guzzling habit is a monster pickup truck — pulling another pickup truck. But homes and other buildings are also big offenders, accounting for roughly 40 percent of the state’s overall energy use. The opportunity for … Continue reading
“Housing is a giant job creator,” said Scott Norman, an Austin mortgage broker and past president of Texas Mortgage Bankers Association. “There are a lot of people whose livelihoods depend on a house being bought and sold.” Contributing factors Several … Continue reading
The nation’s home appraisal process is behind the times and needs a major, long-term overhaul, according to a white paper prepared by appraiser Joan Trice and members of the Collateral Risk Network, whose more than 300 members represent lenders, government agencies, … Continue reading
Government agencies say the benefits of energy-saving construction are recognized by private lenders, but builders say otherwise. Last week, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu met at an energy auditing company on Long Island … Continue reading
By PAUL SPERRY, FOR INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY President Obama says the Occupy Wall Street protests show a “broad-based frustration” among Americans with the financial sector, which continues to kick against regulatory reforms three years after the financial crisis. “You’re seeing … Continue reading