Encourage zero energy houses
Builders ignore new technology that returns investment within a few years. Examples:
- Use ground water heat pumps (3-1 energy return)
- Orienting the house to get sun
- Instant water heaters
- Solar sheets
- Both 120vAC and 24vDC wiring, e.g. for LED lights
- Smaller, not too big
- Rainwater collection
Tax builders based on how much energy the house will use, reducing and ultimately giving a break if zero net energy usage.
Buyers have no real choice when buying. With this, the incentive would be on slight redesigns that would have enormous savings long run (5-10 years).
thf
shared this idea
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mamabear
commented
Instead of taxing builders, i think homeowners should get property tax breaks for more energy efficient homes. This way, buyers will want things built more efficiently, and this would encourage the builders to make them this way.
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AnonymousCoward
commented
Encourage GOOD DESIGN. Possibly by giving out pamphlets outlining these things with whatever documents get passed between the local governments and home/property buyers.