Carbon-free buildings

Carbon-free buildings

NYC’s big building-decarbonization law faces its first major test

Landlords and climate activists are sparring over the future of Local Law 97 — the country’s most ambitious citywide mandate to clean up building emissions.

By Jeff St. John . 20 September 2023
Heat pumps

Heat pumps outperform boilers and furnaces — even in the cold

Some utilities and fossil-fuel interests like to say heat pumps don’t work in the cold. A new study provides yet more evidence to debunk that myth.

By Alison F. Takemura . 13 September 2023
Electrification

Your cheat sheet to the climate law’s consumer incentives

The Inflation Reduction Act has a bevy of programs to help you install everything from a heat pump to better insulation. Here’s how to navigate it all.

By Alison F. Takemura . 17 August 2023
Electrification

Chicago to fund electric stoves and heat pumps for lower-income homes

The $15 million initiative is expected to help remove fossil fuel appliances from at least 200 households that might not otherwise have the means to do so.

By Kari Lydersen . 11 August 2023
Guides and how-tos

So you want to electrify your home. Do you need a panel upgrade first?

If your home’s running on 100 amps or below, you might want an electrician to upgrade your panel and electrical service. Here’s what to know.

By Alison F. Takemura . 31 July 2023
Heat pumps

Heat pumps sold so fast in Maine, the state just upped its target

The chilly New England state blew past its goal to install 100,000 heat pumps by 2025. Now it's pledging to install 175,000 more by 2027.

By Alison F. Takemura . 27 July 2023
Guides and how-tos

DOE's new tool helps you get your share of the climate law's billions

The Biden administration launched a hub to walk you through the process of accessing Inflation Reduction Act incentives for energy audits, heat pumps, EVs and more.

By Alison F. Takemura . 14 June 2023
Geothermal

Why this NYC apartment complex will use a giant underground heat pump

Join our reporter as she steps inside the muddy construction site at 1 Java Street to learn the benefits and barriers of harnessing the earth's heat to decarbonize buildings.

By Maria Gallucci . 12 June 2023
Heat pumps

This new training program will put people to work as heat-pump installers

A Philadelphia nonprofit is gearing up to prepare its first group of trainees for one of the energy transition's most crucial jobs.

By Alison F. Takemura . 26 May 2023
Electrification

How do induction stoves actually work?

We dig into the nerdy nuts and bolts behind induction cooking and how exactly it creates a speedy, precise and fossil-free cooking experience.

By Alison F. Takemura . 23 May 2023