Making the Invisible Visible

Sustainability is often about making the invisible visible. It’s impossible to see which house is leaking energy in the winter.  Or where a watershed starts and ends. I love when the invisible becomes visible. Third-party certification for coffee or buildings or cleaning products was created so customers can SEE that one choice is intentionally going […]

EnergyScoreCards Minnesota Launches

I’m excited about today’s launch of EnergyScoreCards Minnesota.  A big, concrete step is being taken to address one of the barriers to improving the utility efficiency in multifamily buildings. I’ve been pondering improving the utility costs of multifamily buildings for what feels like forever – starting in 1996 in my owner-occupied 4-unit home, and affordable […]

Engaging People, Successfully

At Minnesota Green Communities, we’ve been hearing more and more frequent requests for assistance in successfully engaging residents in sustainability living.  Building owners know they – and residents – won’t see the full energy and water efficiency benefits or the health benefits of building green if the residents aren’t on board, too. 

Translating “Expert” into “Homeowner”

After a year of plugging away at an ambitious project, the Green Remodeling Home Guide is live! My task was as expert content adviser to the team, as well as making sure we presented the “whole-building approach” and green building jargon into something accessible to the non-expert homeowner. We had a fantastic team, including intern […]