If executed properly, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1.) has the potential to lay the foundation for a more sustainable future by stimulating the demand for clean technologies, improving the performance of buildings, and creating green collar jobs.
With $5 billion allocated to improve home weatherization systems, $2 billion to lengthen and increase the existing homes energy tax credit, $2.25 billion to improve the performance of affordable housing and HUD projects, $300 million for renewable energy tax credits, and $300 million for smart appliance rebates, companies in the green building sector have reason to feel excited about the future.
While Federal programs are a good start to lead the housing industry down the path of greater sustainability, they are only the tip of the iceberg. The long-term responsibility belongs to us, the industry professionals, to ensure that we utilize these programs to round out the full sustainability story, focusing not just on energy or performance measures, but on enduring building solutions that will improve our housing stock for generations to come.
There is a short window of opportunity for manufacturers and building professionals alike to put their stake in the ground and become leaders of this transition. Now is an excellent time to get in front of your target market and community with educational solutions. Need help figuring out your green message? Write to us at
sara@greenbuildermag.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
Posted: 4/10/2009 12:00:00 AM by
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