I like to go to Waffle House. Over the past few years, it seems, I've gone so often that I even order my breakfast in their special code: "Triple scramble wheat plate," which translates to three scrambled eggs, whole wheat…
Do you know how most HVAC contractors charge for installing HVAC systems, especially in the case of new home construction? By the ton of installed air conditioning capacity. If you've read any of my previous articles about Manual J and…
Yesterday was an exciting day at Energy Vanguard. Chris and I worked really hard in May to finish up and submit our application for Energy Vanguard to become a HERS rater training provider, and yesterday the answer arrived. RESNET informed…
"Making something beautiful is one of the most sustainable things you can do." - Sarah Susanka, Author of The Not So Big House. "Making something beautiful is one of the most sustainable things you can do." - Sarah Susanka, Author of The…
It's a pretty safe bet that the vast majority of air conditioners are oversized. ACCA developed its Manual J protocol for heating and cooling load calculations to help HVAC contractors put in correctly sized equipment, but there are a couple…
Spray foam insulation is a great product. Homes insulated with it can be some of the most efficient and comfortable homes built. I've been in plenty of these homes and can tell you that a typical spray foam insulated house…
My dissertation in grad school was called "Flat or Lumpy." (Of course, it had the requisite incomprehensibility in the subtitle, with words like 'heteroepitaxy.') Those two words in the title, which cut to the heart of what my surface physics…
Here's another item for the myths of energy conservation category: In most homes, ceiling fans do NOT save energy. It's not that they can't save energy; it's just that most people don't understand how to use them to do so,…
What pops into your mind when you hear the term 'modular home'? Cheap? Flimsy? Ugly? Trailer? Energy hog? Boxy? Cramped? Well, let me try to bring you up to speed in the field of modular, and especially green modular homes.…
Yesterday, I heard a law student tell a story about some advice she gave to her friend about a recent break up. Her friend was having trouble letting go, and instead of saying something simple like, "you need to move…