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The problem with contemporary wood-frame buildings has less to do with the construction method than with the materials used.Let’s start with the wood itself. When “stick-framing” developed in the mid-19th century, builders still had access to old-growth forests with which to mill their studs, joists and beams. Old-growth timber is ideal since it has grown very slowly and sheltered from direct sunlight. It has very tight grain and relatively low moisture content. It’s therefore quite stable when properly dried. That is, it’s pretty robust and resistant to bowing, cupping and twisting. A frame built from such material will last a very long time.Today, almost all framing materials are culled from plantations or re-forestation in clear-cut fields. Where an old-growth tree might have been growing for 50 years or more, today’s trees are culled when they’re very young and still rich with resin. Moreover, plantation trees grow very tall, very fast as they’re open to sunlight. These factors combined result in timber that is open-grained and moisture heavy.Even when kiln dried, today’s studs are highly prone to deforming as they dry. We old carpenters have a saying: “a house is square for 24 hours”. In other words, even as they’re fastened those studs will start to move and move a lot. Such tendency has serious impact on the building’s structural integrity. One critical effect of such movement is that window and door openings will also change shape increasing the risk of moisture seepage and outside air infiltration. The upshot is higher energy bills, drafts and health-threatening mold behind the walls.Beyond this problem is the use of composite materials for critical external applications. Today’s roof sheathing, for example, is almost universally wood chips bound by glue and compressed under heat. Even 40 or 50 years ago, sheathing was plywood, a very stable water-resistant material. Despite the promotion of particle board as a cheaper solution, no one really knows how resilient it will be after 30 years strapped to a building that’s constantly shifting and subject to the stress of extreme temperature changes. I know about glues of all kinds. Hell, I’ve used everything from fish and hide glue to the most advanced epoxies. I wouldn’t stake my future on any lasting until my mortgage was paid off.Window frames today are typically vinyl-clad. Even if they have a wood core, it’s bound to be finger-jointed wood bits held together by yet more glue. Studies show that vinyl is highly vulnerable to splitting from the heat-cold cycle after about 10 years. A failed window mounted in a twisted frame is a recipe for physical discomfort along with higher maintenance costs and utility charges.Not that many years ago, window frames were well-dried solid wood highly resistant to buckling and twisting under the steady load of a building in constant motion.I could on and on about many the changes in building technology over the past 5 decades. They have helped to keep home construction costs down. And there’s no question that the newly-built home today is aethestically appealing to the new buyer. The question, though, is how long will that home be as environmentally and structurally sound as the day you walk in with the moving van outside and the heady aroma of fresh paint? Thirty or forty years is a very long time.That’s not to say that every home built over the centuries was meant to last the ages. There are records of complaints against building contractors written by Romans a thousand years ago. And that lovely ornamental woodwork in those romantic old Victorian homes was designed to conceal construction flaws as much as it was to delight the eye (sorry but it needs to be said).That said, I’ve worked on buildings dating from the 18th to the 21st centuries, and I’d rather not invest my life savings in today’s pretty cracker-box pile in the ‘burbs. Sorry, but this too needs to be said.

A different spin...Energy storage may NOT really be "such a big problem." My reply differs a bit from some of the previous answers. Depending on the scale you may be talking about, the challenges of energy storage will vary. The USDOE seems to have a placed a priority on the development of utility-scale energy storage in order to provide a "flywheel" to temper the variable nature of renewable energy resources. For mass deployment of renewable energy, used in conjunction with smart-grid technology, energy storage is seen as a critical component. It may take awhile; but, I believe (with USDOE efforts and support) it will be made practical.In my reply to your question, I'm going to follow up on Mr. Hench's answer, where he takes a sojourn into the world of "off-grid" systems. I'm also (for simplicity's sake) going to focus on off-grid, solar-PV.The USA pioneered solar-PV, with Bell Labs developing the first practical solar cells in the 1950s. As solar-PV was deployed into the public sector, there was no such thing as "grid-tied" systems. All privately-owned, solar-PV systems were stand-alone (off-grid) systems. Energy storage for these systems was pretty well worked out within the industry, and proved both reliable (with proper battery care) and "affordable" (depending on the specific application).The old, standard, 36-cell, solar-PV modules were actually designed to be nominal 12VDC battery charging sources. The workhorse battery was the true-deep-cycle, lead-acid battery. Charge-control electronics (to prevent battery over-charge) became well refined; and, low-voltage disconnect controls were used to prevent excessive battery discharge. The heart of the system was the lead-acid battery pack.The "affordability" of battery storage is dependent on the user's needs and application. Here's one example: A customer wants to have a more self-reliant lifestyle in a rural area, so they purchase 10 acres in a remote area and plan to build a new home. Initially they may not be thinking of going solar because of the perceived, high, front-end cost. They clear a construction site for their new home, about 0.25 miles back from the County road, and their contractors are using engine-generator sets to start the home's construction. After the house is framed, and the electrical rough-in is completed, the customer decides to call the utility company to provide electric power to the new home site. The utility sends out an agent to inspect and measure the site. Then, the utility informs the customer they'd be happy to run a power line to the home site for about $40,000.00. "$40,000.00!?!?" All of a sudden, stand-alone solar is affordable. This is just one example.Lead-acid battery technology is very old, very established, and quite well-refined. Lead-acid batteries are recyclable. With proper selection and proper care, I've seen lead-acid battery packs provide 15-20 years of reliable service.Sadly, the new generation of renewable-energy companies and technicians are not trained or experienced with the design and use of battery-based systems. For us old guys, that's all we knew; and, they were NOT "such a big problem."

REPUTATION -every time talk to people in the area and see if there is a local firm that's done building before, then contact them and get some addresses of the jobs they have done. Post a note through the door and ask the owners to contact you explaining that your thinking of using the same builder.Also speak with the building , tell him your going to check him out and find out what his work load is like,Your could also contact the local council and see if any company comes up a lot when the building applications are issued.Also check out Project Managers or local Architect firms, however be aware that some of these get a back hander for using certain builder.Finally do the work under some kind of written contract. if there a good builder this will not upset them.