October 5, 2016

Deliver Energy Efficiency, Motivate with Health


As you know, energy upgrades often improve indoor air quality. When you’re assessing a home, be sure to point out health hazards, like dust allergens or moisture. To help you start the conversation, we’ve compiled the latest home health stories from the past two weeks.When it comes time to talk with your clients about the benefits of energy efficiency improvements, don't forget that this is a great opportunity to talk about health and safety, too.

  • Healthy Homes & Home Performance: WE HAVE NO BUSINESS MODEL - Part 1 (Energy Circle Blog)
    Energy Circle CEO Peter Troast, an expert on home performance marketing, is optimistic about the potential for health issues to drive demand for home performance/energy efficiency services. But, for now, a viable business model has not yet emerged. Read Troast’s assessment of the challenges of healthy homes, including competition from a popular homeowner solution: air purifiers.

  • Advocating for Clean Air in Homes (EcoBuilding Pulse)
    Bill Hayward, CEO of Hayward Healthy Homes, argues that the building industry has a responsibility to educate and support homeowners about how to address indoor air quality and install fresh air systems. Read more about his approach to building and retrofitting healthy homes.

  • Toxic Dust: The Dangerous Brew in Every Home (Green Building Advisor)
    A troubling new study coordinated by the Natural Resources Defense Council finds that dust in U.S. homes is full of hazardous chemicals, including phthalates and flame retardants, which pose health hazards like cancer, hormone disruption, and toxicity to the reproductive system.

In addition, a new indoor air quality (IAQ) scoring system is in the works from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientist Dr. Brett Singer. Last week, during a U.S. Department of Energy webinar, Dr. Singer gave attendees a preview of the IAQ score—an asset rating system for professionals that helps address ways to achieve good indoor air quality. The system will be released for beta testing in mid-2017. Build It Green will keep you updated.