Great results on a job from last week! And here’s a fun, but slightly long webinar on zonal pressure diagnostics with a blower door. Zone Pressure Diagnostic Webinar
All posts in Energy Efficiency
Testimonials
Just received this in an unsolicited (I swear) email from a customer: “Just wanted to let you know we got our rebate check today exactly 2 months as you promised. We see a big improvement in our home with it staying warmer and in warmer weather house seemed cooler. Thanks again.” Pre and post blower door #’s from the job […]
Category Energy Efficiency, Testimonials
Tags
Hot Water
Here’s some stuff we probably should have been offering years ago in conjunction with hot water heater replacement. Thermostatic Mixing Valve These are installed at the hot water supply line as it leaves the tank. Good idea for a few reasons: We can greatly reduce the potential for scalding people in buildings. Sort of a big deal for making things […]
Category Energy Efficiency, News
Tags Comfort, Hot Water, Water
Net Zero Energy Houses
I recently enrolled in Marc Rosenbaum’s Zero Net Energy Homes class, which is starting on October 1st. Marc’s blog is here. I’m a fan. As part of the class, I’m designing a zero net energy tiny house on a trailer. Depending on cash flow, Abel and I are hoping to build the house in the fall. If you’d like a […]
Category Energy Efficiency, News
Tags Custom, Design, Efficiency, Performance
Accuvents
Much of the traffic on this blog arrives here by searching for information about Accuvent ventilation baffles. We don’t have any commercial interest in Accuvents or the company who makes Accuvent, which is Berger. We use a fair number of Accuvents, but we never – yes never – install them to the manufacturer’s standard. In doing so we always – […]
Category Energy Efficiency, News
Tags Duct, Efficiency, Performance
FTC Smacks Down Replacement Window Hucksters!
According to the Federal Trade Commission, replacement window companies “must have scientific evidence before making marketing claims.” Apparently a lot of replacement window companies didn’t realize that lying is frowned upon. Here’s a link to the FTC press release. One interesting point, even claiming “up to” x percentage of energy savings incurred the wrath of the FTC. This could have […]
Category Energy Efficiency, News
Tags Efficiency, Windows
Insulated Attic Storage
Storing stuff in unconditioned attics isn’t a great idea. Typically attic storage requires access to the unconditioned space via a big hole – usually attic stairs – which are hard to make air-tight or insulate well. Things that are stored in unconditioned attics don’t fare very well. Attics have really big temperature and humidity swings, which is bad for almost […]
Category Energy Efficiency, News
Tags Attic, Comfort, Efficiency, Insulation
Blower Door Guided Air-sealing isn’t Real
I really like blower doors.There are a lot of building diagnostic tools that most people have probably never heard of that I like. Duct-blasters and flow plates to name a couple of more. For readers who are interested in conserving energy who haven’t heard of a blower door, check out Martin Holladay’s article on blower doors here. Blower doors are […]
Category Energy Efficiency, News
Tags Air Sealing, Comfort, Efficiency, Technical
Frameworks for Improving Building Performance
I have two mental models for understanding and improving building performance. The first model I’ll call “Everything is Sort of Bad”. This model says that a building is pretty bad – but not horrible – pretty much everywhere and in most of the building systems (thermal boundary, pressure boundary, ducts, water-resistive barrier, etc). The second model I’ll call “Everything is […]
Category Energy Efficiency, News
Tags Air Sealing, Efficiency, Insulation, Technical
Holiday Gift Ideas from Tay River
With the holiday season fast approaching, what better way to celebrate than by stringing your attic with flexible duct that’s sort of connected to your bathroom fan and then sort of pointing it to a gable vent! Make this year special! Give the gift of right-sized, properly ducted bathroom ventilation.
