Welcome to the latest REED Rendering issue, a series of blogs where we bring your attention to interesting trends that we see in the data and the stories behind those trends.

As we push through the final months of summer, battered by record heat waves, the energy grid is put to the ultimate test. The increase in demand on the grid is usually passed on to us, the consumer, as a higher energy bill. How can we keep cool while also reducing our energy costs, and in turn, our energy usage?

Here are ten tips to help you beat the heat, save money, and reduce your carbon footprint:

Updated energy codes are critical to ensuring that all new construction homes or renovations are built to be efficient, comfortable, and safe. The conversation, however, gets more complicated when examining how energy codes, or a lack thereof, affect underserved populations.