The global climate crisis, C02 reduction, energy efficiency, and resource management are being discussed and argued at all social and political levels.
As citizens, consumers, and entrepreneurs there is much more we could be doing than many of us realize. Beyond reducing fossil fuel dependence while reinforcing cleaner and less wasteful habits, our continued quality of life as well as physical and environmental health are impacted by many other factors too. What is missing is a way to quantify and address those factors. Home Performance Attribute Certificates (HPACs) are what Building Change, Inc. is developing to address this gap.
Find your way with Wayfinder
The Wayfinder Initiative is a developing home performance data interface and market. HPACs are the units of measurement that facilitate exchange of data in that marketplace for funding of vital improvements to the comfort, efficiency, health, and safety of homes and other built environments. Instead of social media data mines owning and profiting from our personal data, the Wayfinder marketplace provides a proactive platform through which we can permission and profit from access to data about our lifestyle. Imagine a world in which homeowners and occupants no longer need to acquire debt to turn aging buildings into better homes and businesses. Imagine public built environments such as medical centers, schools, or shopping centers that are clean, health supporting, and energy self-sufficient. Wayfinder and HPACs are creating that world!
ESG – SDG
HPACs will be generated for many different attribute classes that align with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) targets in commerce, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) globally. For instance, factors that impact human health and performance, such as indoor air and light quality, can be audited and valuated as home performance attributes. Indoor air quality not only impacts overall health through levels of humidity, respiratory irritants such as decaying building materials or mold, the quality of our sleep is also affected. Sleep deprivation contributes to increased work and school absenteeism, traffic, and work-related accidents, as well as mental health crises and domestic violence. The quality of indoor light impacts academic and vocational performance as well as eye health and vision problems.
DEI
For financial institutions as well as individuals or philanthropies HPACs provide additional categories of investment in ESG/SDG goals that also support Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Underserved communities stand to benefit exponentially from Wayfinder and HPACs. Improvement projects not only raise property values in areas where housing and commercial buildings are aging, they also create quality jobs for local trades. Savings generated by healthier and more efficient households and businesses help revitalize local economies. Educating the population in the importance of regular home maintenance and replacement of appliances or other systems before they fail also contributes to prosperity for trades and local merchants.
CSR Institutional Grade Data and Mission Alignment
Many stakeholder groups benefit from HPACs. Through their Wayfinder interface homeowners and occupants can be informed of opportunities available to monetize their home or building performance attribute data and exchange HPACs for cash, discounts on products or services, or potentially even tax credits. Investors, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and philanthropic organizations can access sources of valuable institutional grade HPACs that align with mission goals. Advertising interests can pay participants in the Wayfinder ecosystem for the right to send them promotional materials. Academics and research scientists can access quality-controlled data to support their work. Health care networks and insurance companies can gain insights as to aspects of the built environment impacting risk and service usage. There are myriad potential benefits to be imagined and explored.
The slow road for S-RECS
It has taken more than a decade for S-RECS (Solar Renewable Energy Certificates) to gradually gain momentum. There is still considerable ground to cover before S-RECS are embraced and traded nationally. In her 2021 book “Short Circuiting Policy”, Dr. Leah Cardamore Stokes explores why many (commercial and political) interests have contributed not only to that time lag but to obstruction of other significant environmental measures. Solutions are barred from deployment, and previously implemented programs derailed and dismantled at an alarming rate. HPACs provide citizens a workaround as a versatile value instrument to swap, and the Wayfinder interface makes it possible for stakeholders to connect easily and anonymously if desired. By simultaneously facilitating the flow of data and funding, Wayfinder provides not only thought leadership but practical guidance for this emerging marketplace. To find out more about HPACs and the Wayfinder interface visit www.buildingchange.net