Summary of Why Do American Homes Suck?
The video discusses the lack of energy efficiency in American homes compared to European homes, focusing on factors such as window construction, insulation, and airtightness. American homes are criticized for using outdated and inefficient building techniques, resulting in higher energy consumption and costs. The lack of national energy reduction targets in the U.S. is highlighted, along with the patchwork-like efficiency of state energy codes. The importance of energy efficiency in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and long-term operational costs is emphasized. The video also touches on the historical context of energy efficiency in the U.S. and other countries, pointing out the lack of political will and investment in clean energy. The presenter, Matt Ferrell, explores the reasons behind the inefficiency of American homes and discusses the potential for improvement.
Presenters/Contributors
- Matt Ferrell
Notable Quotes
— 11:21 — « Its not that high performance homes cost too much. Its that our idea of a fairly priced new home is based on a history of building houses to meet embarrassingly low performance benchmarks. »
— 12:44 — « Building codes clearly make a difference. So why are they so sparsely implemented in the U.S.? Well, the most significant obstacle to prioritizing energy efficiency _anywhere_ is political will and money. »
— 14:59 — « We just dont take home building, in particular, as seriously as other countries do. The standards that we have in our building codes are just too low. »
Category
News and Commentary