We all knew that plants will increase oxygen levels in homes, but recent studies find that they do far more. It only takes a few ordinary houseplants to reduce levels of benzene, formaldehyde, toluene and other common yet dangerous air contaminants. To find out more, such as which plants  work best with which chemicals, check out our new article on plants and indoor air quality.

Did you know that homeowners can get a mortgage that factors in the costs of energy-efficient improvements? 1% of all mortgages do just that, and big banks like Wells Fargo have spent billions in these types of loans. The banks know that borrowers will spend less on utilities if their homes are energy efficient, meaning they can afford a higher mortgage. To find out more, check out our new article on energy-efficient mortgages.

Have any idea how to reduce static electricity in homes? There are in fact a number of ways, some of which you might not have known. Learn why it forms in dry weather, how it can be avoided and the dangers in our new article on static electricity.

Learn how by reading our new article: Inspecting EPDM roofing.

Solar arrays used to power homes can cost tens of thousands of dollars and they are new enough that most homeowners don’t realize how easily they can be stolen. A new wave of solar thieves have been plucking panels from unsuspecting buildings by night, leaving in financial ruin the owners who only wanted to promote sustainability or be independent of the grid. To learn more about why and where this is a problem, as well as what homeowners can do to protect their solar panels, check out our new article on solar panel theft.

This course teaches the inspector ot perform inspections of Chinese (tainted, contaminated) drywall at residential properties using visual-only inspection techniques.

CLICK HERE to take InterNACHI’s Inspecting for Chinese Drywall online video course.

InterNACHI’s free, online video Inspecting Portable Fire Extinguishers course has just been released.  This course teaches the student  to perform monthly inspections of portable fire extinguishers in residential and commercial properties.  The course was developed in cooperation with NACHI.TV using their hi-resolution, online video course system.  Take InterNACHI’s Inspecting Portable Fire Extinguishers course now.

It seems almost too good to be true, but a practice known as net metering allows homeowners to sell back to the electric utility the energy they generate with solar panels, wind turbines or other power generating systems. Net metering is legally mandated in some form by almost every state, although some states impose considerable limitations. To learn more about net metering and why it’s practiced, check out our new article on net metering.

Find out what “ghosting” means.  CLICK HERE to read this new inspection article about ghosting.

The solar panels you see on a client’s house may look expensive, but they might not have even paid for them. A handful of companies in the solar industry have realized that most homeowners just don’t have the kind of money needed to purchase solar panels, so the panels are now being offered for rent. The homeowner just pays a deposit which they will get back, with interest, when the contract expires. During that time, they will buy the energy generated from the panels at a fixed rate. It’s an interesting way to make solar more affordable, but like actually purchasing the panels, renting poses its own challenges. To find out more, check out our new article on solar panel rentals.

Solar water heaters use the sun’s rays to directly heat water, so unlike photovoltaic systems, electricity is not produced. It’s a remarkably simple idea that’s caught on in the United States and become practically mandatory in some other countries. To find out more about their operation, history and inspection tips, check out our new article on solar water heaters.

Solar panels can be ugly, but most “green” homeowners won’t mind because aesthetics aren’t as important to them as the advantages afforded by the panels. Many homeowners associations, however, find them too obtrusive or ugly and fear lowered property values. Cases have cropped up across the country of disputes between homeowners and their associations and although laws tend to favor the homeowner, stubborn HOAs have been going to court over it anyway. To find out more about homeowners’ rights to solar power generation, check out our new article on homeowners associations vs. the green homeowner.

To complement our recent article on the disadvantages of solar energy, we’ve created an article that highlights the technology’s good points. Solar is clean, silent, low-maintenance and it relieves our dependence on foreign oil. Mostly, though, it’s great because sunshine is available anywhere, and only a minuscule portion of it can power humanity forever, if we learn to harvest it correctly. To find out more, check out our new article on the advantages of solar energy.

Solar power is touted by some to be the answer to our energy problems, but it’s far from perfect. Solar panels don’t work at night, they are large, costly, inconsistent and they pollute in ways you might not have thought of. Everyone knows why solar is great, but it’s best to have a balanced perspective. To find out more, check out our new article on disadvantages of solar energy.

Can’t figure out exactly how to say it?  Read this new inspection article:  Writing Report Narratives.