@RobinLeBaron profile picture
Robin LeBaron @RobinLeBaron

Entrepreneur at the intersection of energy efficiency, renewables, contracting, utility policy and real estate. Former anthropologist. Erringtonian.

Joined September 2009
  • Tweets 1,346
  • Following 1,724
  • Followers 1,242
18 Photos and videos
So if you spends 28% of gross household income on the mortgage, you need $103,029 / yr to afford that median-priced home. But the median U.S. household income in 2020 was $67,527, and would be spending almost 43% of gross income on that median home. #realestate #affordability
JTE Elms@jteelms
3 Jun 2022
The monthly mortgage payment on the median-asking-price home — which has risen to $408,458 — has hit a record high of $2,404 at the current 5.27% mortgage rate, per Redfin. #realestate
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Demand for grid electricity hits record low in New England on May 1: more than 1/3 of the region's power comes from distributed #solar 80% of Vermont's power generated by #renewables (w/ #energystorage) Rooftop solar really does make a difference... powermag.com/vermont-and-iso…

Vermont and ISO-New England Provide an Interesting Renewable Energy Transition Case Study

Vermont doesn’t get a lot of attention outside of Bernie Sanders, but the state’s power system is worth taking a look at as it has undergone a notable shift toward renewable energy. About 80% of

powermag.com
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Pamela Brookstein of ⁦@ElevateNPO⁩ speaks to the need for engaging marketing materials that communicate the benefits of #highperforming features in the home sale — e.g. a ⁦@pearlcert⁩ home sells for a higher price due to the certification. ⁦@JoinBPA⁩ #CEFH conf
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Pamela Brookstein’s follow-up: home buyers don’t understand #energyefficient #highperforming home FEATURES and don’t rank them highly. But they love — and rank highly — the BENEFITS. @JoinBPA #CEDH conf @ElevateNPO
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“Don’t bury the lede.” ⁦@wcaseymurphy⁩, Senior VP at ⁦@pearlcert⁩, discusses how #energyefficiency and #solar contractors need to connect with homeowners over the things owners care about — not usually energy efficiency or savings. At ⁦@JoinBPA⁩’s #CEFH conf
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Robin LeBaron retweeted
E4TheFuture@e4thefuture
31 May 2022
A great value! #HomePerformance and #EnergyEfficiency / Weatherization orgs will benefit from getting involved.
Building Performance Association@JoinBPA
24 May 2022
We are pleased to announce our new Allied Partner Network! Members of this network will help support our mission to advance the industry by delivering improved energy efficiency, health, and environmental performance of homes and buildings. Learn more: bit.ly/bpa-allies
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Historic Cali drought halve summer #hydropower output, driving spikes in NG usage, gas prices, & #CO2 emissions. @UtilityDive: CA faces perfect storm regulators have little control over. Mostly true, but the #solar net metering IS under CPUC's control... utilitydive.com/news/califor…

California drought could halve summer hydropower generation, leading to more natural gas, EIA finds

The increase in natural gas generation, in turn, could contribute to higher wholesale electricity prices and carbon emissions, the analysis from the U.S. Energy Information Administration found. 

utilitydive.com
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Winter storms intensify in the southern hemisphere; reaching intensities not predicted until 2080 by previous climate change models. Effects could include more rapid warming of south pole, as well as more storm damage in southern hemisphere countries. #climatechange
More than 60 businesses call on state gov'ments to invest $billions of new Federal funds in #energyefficiency initiatives, including #hvac upgrades, efficient water heating, & #weatherization of low-income homes Signatories include @CeresNews @johnstoncontrols @ikeausa @JoinBPA
Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP)@sweep_org
25 May 2022
An important letter to governors and administration officials in several states today — calling on them to expand #energyefficiency programs to create green jobs, reduce pollution, and cut energy costs. bit.ly/3NytfpR (via @CeresNews)
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Global heat pump market posts rebound in 2021: expands by 15% in the US, and by about 25% in Europe. Interestingly, in Europe the coldest countries have been driving the fastest growth. #energyefficiency #heatpumps #HVAC carbonbrief.org/guest-post-h…

Guest post: How heat pump sales are starting to take off around the world - Carbon Brief

Until recently, the heat pump market has been growing far more slowly than required in the IEA or CCC scenarios.

carbonbrief.org
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Just figuring out how to incentivize duct sealing and insulation could save up to 2,148 million kWh, according to @NREL's ResStock tool. There's lots more savings in attic and wall @insulation Paying for performance is a fine approach. #energyefficiency renewableenergyworld.com/sol…

Texas grid regulator eyes big changes for DERs

Largely because of the colossal failures of February 2021, local sources of power, usually referred to as DERs, are now getting a moment in the sun.

renewableenergyworld.com
#Energyefficiency measures reduce energy consumption -- but often not much as predicted, UCLA study finds. Shocker: engineering models get human behavior wrong. The take-away: don't abandon efficiency programs, but quantify the savings -- and redesign if the savings aren't there
Magali Delmas@maggiedelmas
25 Apr 2022
Great write-up from @LA_Colgan on our forthcoming article in @JaereAere newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/c…
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I respect the Biden admin's commitment to the rules. But the some of rules for this #solar #tariff case were enacted during Prohibition, when the world moved at very different speed This issue needs to be wrapped up quickly: we need the #cleanenergy and the jobs #renewables
Canary Media
@CanaryMediaInc
26 May 2022
The Commerce Department’s #solar tariff investigation is already leading to a huge dropoff in solar installations. So why is the White House letting it happen? Read the latest on the Auxin Solar tariff saga from @JulianSpector: bit.ly/38pEZfu
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For #energyefficiency and #renewables colleagues, this is admittedly not a cliffhanger, but utterly foundational to the work of building a cleaner energy system. Congratulations on publishing this, @SynapseEnergy #cleanenergy #DERs
National Standard Practice Manual for DERs@NSPM_DERs
31 Mar 2022
We are excited to announce the publication of our Methods, Tools & Resources handbook - companion resource to the NSPM. Check it out here: bit.ly/DER-Impacts
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Robin LeBaron retweeted
National Standard Practice Manual for DERs@NSPM_DERs
31 Mar 2022
We are excited to announce the publication of our Methods, Tools & Resources handbook - companion resource to the NSPM. Check it out here: bit.ly/DER-Impacts
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Agreed! Buyers want #energyefficient, high-performing homes w/ #renewables, and they want to find them easily. And... associations and agents need a business model that makes selling high-performing homes a great opportunity. And we need more #HP homes on the market! #HPHomes
Meg Garabrant@MegGarabrant
25 May 2022
This system is broken. It's getting worse, actually. It is so easy to fix and presents one of the easiest and most impactful #opportunities to support a thriving #realestatemarket. #realtors #transparency #homeperformancedata #healthyhomes
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In from Panana Beach: home buyers want #energyefficient homes and homes with #solar Panhandle Realtors see 30% jump in number of brokers and agents who helped client buy or sell a green home in the past 12 months #HPHomes #VisibleValue @pearlcert newsherald.com/story/busines…

Sustainable 'green features' becoming more popular as Bay County home prices continue to rise

There was a more than 30% jump from 2021 to 2022 in the number of real estate agents and brokers who were involved in sales of "green" homes.

newsherald.com
Insights about the homeowners most likely to make #energyefficiency improvements -- and what motivates them -- from @sheltongrp For once: don't follow the money. The motivations are usually creating a healthy home and a healthy planet. #HighPerformingHome #VisibleValue
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Arkansas court preserves current net metering rules: full credit for energy generated by rooftop #solar that flows to the #grid continues Grid charge created, but set to zero; could be hiked if unreasonable cost-shifting seen #DERs #netmetering pv-magazine-usa.com/2022/05/…

In a big win for solar, Arkansas judge upholds full rate net-metering and denies a grid fee - pv...

In the Land of Opportunity, the Arkansas Court of Appeals ruled in favor of solar companies by upholding net metering compensation and simplified approval process for small systems.

pv-magazine-usa.com
California conference on energy affordability addresses LI ratepayer challenge: electricity or groceries. Proposed solutions: different funding for some programs, more #electrification, and income-based fixed charges #equity utilitydive.com/news/califor… via @UtilityDive

California's 'affordability crisis' attracts innovative ratemaking and regulatory proposals

Double-digit year-on-year spikes in electricity rates are leading California regulators and stakeholders to search for ways to protect climate goals and rate affordability.

utilitydive.com
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