Read the latest from the Evergreen team.

Fossil fuels are ingrained in our daily lives – but do they have to be?

More than 30 Mainers have vowed to find out by participating in the first Portland No-Impact Week, October 13-20. We're proud to sponsor the one-week carbon cleanse, which challenges people to make realistic behavior changes that reduce their impact on the environment and improve their quality of life.

You probably already know that Efficiency First, the national association for the building performance industry, supports building performance companies in dozens of ways, from national advocacy efforts to live webinars and member education programs. 

We're one week into a collaboration with Midcoast Habitat for Humanity that will raise awareness and funds to support energy efficiency and affordable housing. Throughout August, Evergreen will donate $1 to MHFH for every new “like” it receives on Facebook, up to $500. New Facebook fans have already helped us contribute $10 to Midcoast Habitat, but we want to give more!

One of 8 homes on Merryspring's annual Kitchen Tour boasts more than an enlarged, custom kitchen. The 1880s farmhouse got an energy efficiency upgrade from Evergreen this year, including basement encapsulation and attic insulation that made the home more comfortable and affordable.

When it comes to insulation, we know what we're talking about. We know why cellulose outperforms fiberglass, and why the spray foam we recommend for your basement doesn't make sense in your attic. We understand the importance of air sealing first to ensure that insulation performs its best.

But why does insulation matter anyway? Put simply, insulation is the key to creating a comfortable home and preventing energy waste. This graphic explains what would happen in an uninsulated home:

For more than twenty years, Energy Star labels have helped us identify the most energy efficient appliances and products on the market. In that time, families and businesses have realized an estimated savings of more than $230 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 1.8 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. The program is definitely working.

One of the occupational hazards of building-science-geekery is the professional crush.

While “it could be worse” is hardly a ringing endorsement of energy efficiency across the U.S. economy, it, well, could be worse. ACEEE’s first annual assessment of 15 national indicators showed that we’re moving – slowly and unsteadily – down the right path.

Energy efficiency has been all over the news lately, but among all the headlines, this line made us sit up and take notice:

“Energy efficiency investments can have returns so handsome they will rival those of successful criminal enterprises.”

Say what?

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Case Studies

Matt and Christa knew that the home they had just purchased in the neighborhood they loved -- for the price they could afford -- was going to need a... Read More