One way is through designing buildings and residences using Passive House standards, a green building-certification program focused on energy efficiency. Developers are interested in how Passive House buildings can help save energy, emit fewer greenhouse gasses, and deliver lower utility bills. A Passive House is more akin to a thermos," Ken Levenson, the executive director of the Passive House Network, a nonprofit that educates the real-estate and construction industry on the standards, said. Passive House standards don't require that electricity come from renewable-energy sources, but they do encourage it, Levenson said. He said there weren't any major cost increases due to designing to Passive House standards.

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Persons: Ken Levenson, Levenson, Kent Gonzales Organizations: Service, Passive House Network, Residents Locations: New York, Massachusetts, Europe, Newton , Massachusetts, Northland, New York City, Boston