Now

Under “Next”, and in the News section, we cover, to the best of our present knowledge, the things that are coming in home design, in heating and cooling systems, and in Renewable Energy.

Under "Now" we talk about the home that you are in, or that you will buy next, that was sited, designed, and built by someone else. The builder made sure that the building codes in effect at the time were met, and those codes have been upgraded often over the years.

However, there are still problems with today’s building stock. First of all, over half of  today’s houses and condominiums were built before today’s codes on things like insulation were in place. Secondly, as of May, 2006, energy costs have risen so far so fast that the codes have no caught up.

So, the home that you are in, or the next one that you buy, will not be as energy-efficient as it should be. Or should we say “as it must be”?

Given the way things are, the best Return on Investment in “Alternate” or “Renewable” energy is to button up the house that you are in.

In fact, it is the best investment that you can make, period!  The return will invariably exceed stocks or bonds or annuities. It is tax free, and it will last as long as the house does. Finally, you’ll be on the side of the angels, reducing the country’s dependence on fossil fuels, and slowing down the degradation of the environment.