Green Building Optimism for 2025 and Beyond - December 2024 Green Building News

Rate It Green Members and Friends - 

Happy New Year!!  I hope this year has delivered progress on key goals and wishes and that you remain solidly optimistic about the future of green building in 2025 and beyond. If yes, let's discuss. And if no, let's also discuss.  That's the idea of building a community together where we can grow as we support our mutual goals, and we also support each other's growth as well. 

Our team is excited about 2025, even though I also remain anxious short-term about environment-related policies and programs, including tax credits and financial incentives.  I had hoped that 2024 would be a year where bipartisan support could solidify behind the green building industry, including clean energy and energy efficiency as well as for a host of related industries and segments.  If you're reading this email, chances are you well understand that better built buildings mean breathing improved indoor air quality and health, and saving energy and money, in addition to supporting sustainability goals for ourselves and future generations. I firmly believe we CAN have it all.

Let's review some Key Reasons for Green Building Optimism and for keeping our determination and forward focus. To summarize:

• Green building is already established as a market-driven movement and won't disappear
• Energy codes have significantly improved and are adopted at the state and local level
• Renewable energy and energy efficiency efforts will continue to expand
• Awareness and interest in health and comfort will only grow from here 
• Frankly, roo many commitments are already baked into this green building cake...

We're also excited to look ahead to our next year! Expect to see:

• A renovated Rate It Green - we welcome feedback and your ideas as we work together to enable connections and information sharing, to ensure a better built environment for everyone
• Back to Basics content - We plan to focus on more higher level focused explanations and examples, and on providing clear examples and solutions to specific challenges
• All about HVAC - We will continue our focus on HVAC and Indoor air quality, because these systems are so important to energy consumption, as well as health and comfort. A key goal is to make HVAC content more approachable and therefore actionable for everyone. I'm sharing my personal projects as well!
• Electrification - For health, safety, and energy consumption and efficiency, we will continue to report on building decarbonization, or reducing and eliminating on-site fossil-fuel combustion. Top electrification topics include HVAC systems, water heaters, and dryers, including heat pumps; induction stoves; lighting; and EVs and charging. Renewable energy and storage, and energy efficiency, also play significant roles as part of the  decarbonization imperative. 

It's been wonderful to see diverse organizations and people Joining Rate It Green as Community Members in 2024. A top goal in 2025 is to inspire more of you who are already Members to actively connect and talk to each other. We warmly encourage you to voice what you're thinking and to walk us through what you're working on, for yourself and others out there as well. A bigger and more active green building industry and community benefits us all!  Thanks especially to our Premium Members to helping to make these connections and content possible.  We look forward to sharing and promoting your green building stories, news, and events in 2025! 

Thank you,
Allison Friedman, Matt Hoots
& The Rate It Green Team




To read the full news: 2024 Green Building News, Happy New Year!