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Working with partners around the world, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have completed five years of work toward helping establish an international quality standard for manufacturing photovoltaic (PV) modules

The Census Bureau today released three additional reports from its 2012 Economic Census Subject Series. The first, Retail Trade — Establishment and Firm Size, presents sales, payroll and employment data for the United States by various categories. For establishments, the categories are sales size, employment size and legal form of organization. For firms, the categories are sales size, employment size, concentration by largest firms and number of establishments operated (single units and multiunits)

Researchers at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the BioEnergy Science Center (BESC) say better understanding of a bacterium could lead to cheaper production of cellulosic ethanol and other advanced biofuels.

The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) was recently issued a patent for a novel method that rapidly characterizes specialized materials during the manufacturing process. This approach significantly improves on standard quality control techniques by allowing for complete monitoring of materials without interrupting workflow

The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) was recently issued a patent for a novel method that rapidly characterizes specialized materials during the manufacturing process. This approach significantly improves on standard quality control techniques by allowing for complete monitoring of materials without interrupting workflow.

Despite various global and domestic hurdles hindering economic growth, steady job gains and stable leasing demand should help keep commercial real estate activity expanding in 2016, according to the authors of an annual report published jointly by Situs Real Estate Research Corporation (RERC)

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Council on Foundations (COF) launched the 2016 HUD Secretary's Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships. HUD and COF are seeking nominations from charitable foundations working with the public sector to improve the neighborhoods and the quality of life for low- and moderate-income residents.

Each year, the National Institute of Building Sciences hosts an Awards Reception and Dinner to recognize individuals and organizations that have provided outstanding service to the Institute, the building community and the nation. On Thursday, January 14, Institute board, staff and members honored the 2015 award winners during an annual awards ceremony atBuilding Innovation 2016: The Institute’s Fourth Annual Conference and Expo, held at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View in Arlington, Virginia.

Building on the Obama Administration’s goal to expand high speed broadband to all Americans, today, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro and Google Fiber Vice President, Dennis Kish, announced that the West Bluff Townhomes in Kansas City, Missouri will be the first public housing development to be connected to Google Fiber’s ultra-high speed (gigabit speed, or up to 1000 mbps) internet through the ConnectHome Initiative.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced the agency is considering a new rule to ensure that individuals and families residing in public housing actually need housing assistance should their incomes grow well beyond the levels required for their initial admission. HUD is seeking public comment on methods to address ‘over-income’ public housing residents who continue to reside in public housing as other families wait for vacant units to become available

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) today published a new consolidated handbook to guide lenders on underwriting all FHA-insured multifamily housing construction and rehabilitation transactions. FHA’s new MAP Guide offers a new operating manual for multifamily underwriting through the Multifamily Accelerated Processing program. Read FHA’s new updated MAP Guide.

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking creative ideas from the real estate development community to redevelop the Thomas J. McIntyre Federal Building in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. GSA will use these ideas for planning purposes and to make strategic decisions regarding the future use of the property while providing the City of Portsmouth a potential economic development opportunity.

Bipartisan reforms to improve the effectiveness of public housing programs were approved by the House on Tuesday by a vote of 427-0. The reforms included in the “Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act” update and improve outdated rules and regulations in order to give state and local housing agencies and private owners more flexibility to meet key program objectives.

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today spoke in support of hydropower as the Senate resumed consideration of her broad, bipartisan energy bill. Murkowski highlighted the bill’s provisions and amendments offered by her Senate colleagues to advance the use of hydropower – a clean, renewable baseload energy resource – in her home state of Alaska and across the country.

Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Sen. Sherrod Brown, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, sent a letter requesting information from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) about the Distressed Asset Stabilization Program and the loss mitigation options available to homeowners whose loans are sold through the program.

U.S. Reps. Bill Pascrell Jr. (NJ-09), Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06), Albio Sires (NJ-08), Donald Payne Jr. (NJ-10), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) sent a letter to Gov. Chris Christie in an effort to understand why New Jersey missed out on over $300 million of federal flood-mitigation funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the National Disaster Resilience Competition.

More than 200 Habitat for Humanity leaders and supporters, including several Habitat homeowners from around the country, gathered in Washington, D.C., for Habitat’s 10th annual Habitat on the Hill conference, Feb. 2-4. The event brings together Habitat representatives to urge federal lawmakers to support programs and policies that promote safe, decent and affordable homeownership opportunities and, in turn, a healthy housing market and economy as a whole

The Subcommittee on Federal Lands held an oversight hearing on issues surrounding the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Draft Resource Management Plans (RMPs) for the Beaver Dam Wash and Red Cliffs National Conservation Areas in Washington County, Utah. The panel received testimony from the Mayor of St. George, the Chairman of the Washington County Commission, local stakeholders and a representative from the BLM

Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a final order settling charges that NXP Semiconductors N.V.’s $11.8 billion acquisition of Freescale Semiconductor Ltd. would likely harm competition in the worldwide market for RF power amplifiers.

Making businesses and homes more energy efficient is a win for jobs and economic growth, operating costs and bottom lines, and the President’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions and fight climate change. That is why, today, as part of the President’s Better Buildings Program, the Administration is announcing