There are a number of decisions that were made in 2013 that I feel point the residential homebuilding industry in a clear direction toward sustainability. Better still, some of these decisions will reinforce the importance of sustainability to homebuyers and homeowners. I’ll break this down into three categories:

Regulation
As I’ve reported elsewhere, building officials voted in favor of adding an ERI compliance path to the 2015 IECC. This is significant on a number of levels, some of which we didn’t delve into until now. Given the flexibility of an ERI, I believe we’ll see many builders choose this option, when states start adopting the 2015 IECC in two to four years. It requires strong performance levels, so the average builder will have to step up in order to comply. Meanwhile, the above-code builders will retain their market advantage by continuing to market their outstanding ERI scores. Also, they will face little to no disruption to their day-to-day business, and could face the very real possibility of expansion.

by Pat Gaylor

Smart move # 1: Combining KBIS and IBS shows to create "Design and Construction Week" in Las Vegas. It was a huge hit, generating not only tremendous crowds, but a fresh, positive attitude about what lies ahead in the industry.

Smart move # 2 - Wearing comfortable shoes. Navigating all three halls of the convention center took every bit of the three day show. So much to see, so much innovation, and just plain pretty stuff. I'm torn between two worlds: that of the designer in me, who wants to keep up with the latest trends in gorgeous kitchen and bath products, and the builder/renovator chic who loves a good looking roof shingle. A house has to be well built and beautiful both inside and out, right?

So I split my time between those two worlds, and saw some pretty awesome stuff. Last year from KBIS in New Orleans I reported a new trend towards texture and mixed finishes, and the emergence of the color grey as 'the new natural'. These trends continued to expand at this year's show, and were even more refined. Simple, clean and uncomplicated design, now with a hidden secret: Convenience. Yes, it's all about that. Saving time, saving money, space, and of course, looking great!

Jack Truong, the CEO of Electrolux, makes an interesting differentiation between creativity and innovation. “Creativity is invention for the sake of discovery, whereas innovation is advancement that adds value,” he told me in a recent interview.

Formerly a Vice President at 3M and Senior Engineer at Polaroid, Truong has focused his career on developing innovative products that add distinctive value and improve consumers’ lives.

Throughout much of Africa, the Post-colonial era has often been shaped by bleak circumstances: poverty, famine, disease and political instability. Such attributes continue to define the continent in the minds of many Westerners. But Africa is changing. It’s hard to generalize about more than 50 distinct countries, but it’s fair to say that across much of the continent, Africans today are making great strides to build a better future. Economic growth is averaging about 5 percent across the continent, and seven of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies are in Africa. Rural populations are urbanizing and the middle class is growing. As a result, the demand for electricity is rising fast.

Africa has enormous unmet demand for power. The entire continent, with over a billion inhabitants, has just 133 gigawatts (GW) of installed generation capacity. For comparison, France, with just 66 million people, has nearly as much—about 124 GW of capacity. According to the United Nations, 600 million Africans lack access to electricity entirely, and many more have unreliable service. Such widespread energy poverty is one of the biggest inhibitors of economic growth.

Reviewing the five-year report to Congress on the economic impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and resulting news reports and sound bites, I began to see through the rhetoric and partisanship.

Regardless of opinions, the fact is that there have been millions of jobs created in the green energy sector, and green building has arrived as the norm rather than the exception. But that is a broad brushstroke; and as the sun begins to set on the US stimulus package (2009-2016), the important thing is to look at what we have gained in the US, and where we're headed.

Incorporated in 1938, Palm Springs, Calif., became known as “the winter playground of the stars.” Stars like Frank Sinatra soon set the stage for modern design in the sunny desert where winter visitors took advantage of natural hot springs and gentle winter weather.

Builder Far West Industries taps into that modern heritage, but combines the classic Palm Springs look with the 21st century power production of Canadian Solar installed by PetersenDean.

Last week, I wrote about the Fossil Fuel Bubble, a possible future economic scenario that could be realized if oil, gas, and coal companies are forced to abandon fossil fuel assets as a result of a potent combination of increased regulation, divestment, consumer demand for renewable energy, and price parity pressure from clean technology.

An interesting phenomenon is happening in the world of philanthropy. 17 large and reputable Foundations, including the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, The Educational Foundation of America, The John Merck Fund, The Russell Family Foundation, The Sierra Club Foundation, and the Wallace Global Fund, with assets totaling nearly $2 billion, have launched an initiative to divest from fossil fuel investments and place those funds into clean technology and organizations that beget a sustainable future.

This initiative, called Divest-Invest Philanthropy, has been created to raise awareness about the importance and urgency of moving away from fossil fuels and towards climate solutions. The Foundations involved in the Divest-Invest Philanthropy are joining environmental activist organizations like Bill McKibben’s 350.org as well as college students across the country (who are questioning en masse the endowment investment practices of their schools) to make a stand.

New reports from GlobeScan.com and GreenBiz.com show yet another way that politicized claims about American “exceptionalism” are not only overblown, but downright wrong on most global measures of progress. This time, it’s growing skepticism about climate change that’s adding yet another ball and chain to our nation’s economic future.

In the eight years since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, public concern about climate change in the U.S. has decreased, while increasing in places such as China and India. But it’s not just awareness of climate change that’s on the rise in these so-called “developing” countries (a term I dislike and rarely use). Their citizens have embraced the urgent need for green lifestyle changes, in everything from home energy use to water conservation.

Some people can’t stand science fiction. When you ask them why, they say it’s too unrealistic, and they just “can’t get into it.” I understand that we all come to the table with different biases and beliefs—I never could watch The West Wing, for example. The idea of the country being led by people with integrity and a sense of responsibility to the public just seemed too far-fetched.

For a few minutes, I’d like to defend science fiction. Can I convince you unbelievers that the world of Star Trek may be far more “real” than you imagine? The line between science fiction and reality is becoming more blurred every day. If you’re not familiar with the work of physicist Michio Kaku, for example, you may want to look him up. He’s one of the theorists who came up with string theory—the idea that the universe is constructed not of matter at all, but of infinitely small vibrating strings. In other words, we’re all made of music. Read his book, Hyperspace, and you’ll soon realize that most of us barely scratch the surface of what we think is reality.