The market for LED lighting is expected to double, from 16 million units in 2012 to a forecasted 33 million in 2013, and will nearly triple by 2016, according to the NPD DisplaySearch “LED Lighting Market and Forecast Report.”

Building code requirements limiting energy and water use and government initiatives encouraging conservation are becoming increasingly important as population growth and electrical consumption increase demand on water and energy supplies.

An on-demand tankless water heater can help.

Backed with money from Kickstarter, the online funding platform, the creative minds behind a new brand of bulb have set out to change how the world views the light bulb.

The new energy-efficient LED wonder, called LIFX, is a Wi-Fi-enabled, multicolor bulb that the consumer controls with a smartphone.

"The light bulb hasn't changed much in over 125 years, and the smart bulb revolution is just beginning. It's an incredibly exciting time to give people a clean energy alternative and help make their homes smarter," said founder and CEO Phil Bosua.

A recent report for the U.S. Energy Information Administration found that big is not as bad for the electrical grid as you might think — maybe even not bad at all, particularly when modern building technologies are at work.

Analysis from EIA's most recent "Residential Energy Consumption Survey" (RECS) shows that U.S. homes built since 2000 consume only 2% more energy on average than homes built prior to 2000, despite being on average 30% larger.

Dow Building Solutions, a business unit of the Dow Chemical Co., and Cobblestone Homes, a Great Lakes Bay Region home builder, have joined together on a living case-study to broaden awareness of opportunities for energy efficiency in retrofits.

Stevensville, Md.-based home builder NEXUS EnergyHomes teamed with the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) to provide new home buyers a measurement of long-term energy performance of each new home the company builds.

The intent of the agreement is to raise consumers’ knowledge of new home energy performance by using RESNET’s HERS Index. 

In Asheville, N.C., the combination of modern building techniques meet the centuries-old idea of sustainability in Deltec Homes’ new award-winning Solar Homestead.

The Solar Homestead is a self-sustaining dwelling designed to produce as much energy as it consumes. The home’s fully panelized building kit can be shipped anywhere in the world, and its sleek and functional layout and technology help maximize energy savings and minimize their impact on the environment, according to the Deltec Building Co.