Blog

While HB&C’s primary focus is moving capital to clean energy projects, we frequently encounter a related and more fundamental challenge, lack of projects.   In the non-residential sector OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), ESCos, contractors and utilities have been very successful serving the MUSH  (municipal, universities, schools and hospitals) market with performance contracting but less soRead more

On Aug 11, 2015, HB&C principals Matthew Brown and Dave Carey gave a presentation to New York State’s investor owned utilities, sponsored by the New York Green Bank. This presentation was the focus of a half-day convening among the Green Bank and the utilities to discuss how they might develop an on-bill financing program for energyRead more

At Harcourt Brown & Carey we specialize in combining clean energy finance with program design and policy to help our clients meet their energy and energy-cost reduction goals. Whether GHG reductions are your goal or not, promoting and implementing the proper clean energy financing mechanisms is a critical aspect of the effort to reduce globalRead more

In 1883, Warren Johnson, a school teacher from Milwaukee and soon to be founder of Johnson Controls, invented the thermostat.  It was a simple device that responded to falling temperature by activating a light in the boiler room, indicating when janitors should shovel more coal into the furnace. Thus building controls and automation were born.Read more

As we’ve written in previous posts, when it comes to residential energy efficiency finance, having a well trained and quality controlled contractor network is everything.  Whenever a client comes to us with an interest in marketing, promoting, or increasing uptake in a residential lending product, access to quality contractors is part of our consistent messaging. PowerSaver, a long-timeRead more

How’s this for a bit of levity?  This week our blog post is about a neat mental-math trick to quickly calculate compound interest rates of return using the “Rule of 72”. This is how it works:  Suppose you want to quickly understand how long it will take for you to double your money at a certainRead more

In the wake of Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, a blog on resiliency seems appropriate. Resiliency is simply defined as the ability to recover quickly from some disruptive change. That disruptive change could mean eating too much turkey, spending too much money, or in the case of this blog, disastrous climate events like SuperstormRead more

Are you a program administrator or home performance professional struggling with a residential energy efficiency program? Do you wish there was one place with all of the solutions to your questions? It’s not the Holiday just yet, but your wish has already come true! Last month, The Department of Energy released a new resource calledRead more

A recent article in the Asset Backed Alert titled “Agencies Stop Opposing Clean-Energy Loans” reports that FHFA may have reached an agreement to begin purchasing mortgages on homes with PACE liens again.  This potentially represents a major development in the world of clean energy finance as it would provide for a rebirth of residential PACE financing, which has beenRead more

Recently, I was attending an energy efficiency focused conference. I was slated to speak later that day, but was listening to Suzanne Shelton talk about market segmentation, and how to talk to different segment “types” about energy efficiency. Her thesis revolved around the fact that utilities, governments, and private organizations spend billions of dollars everyRead more