The Thermal Bridge To Nowhere
Let's play a little game today. Take a look at that photo above. See anything that bothers you? No? Well, pretend that you're the heat in the house once everything is finished and people are living in it. Does that…
The Energy Vanguard Blog
7 Reasons to Come to the RESNET Conference This Year
I've been going to the RESNET conference at the beginning of each year since 2009. I also went in 2004, and I can tell you that it's a great learning and networking opportunity if you're in the home energy industry.…
Guest Post: What Causes Ice Dams and Icicles?
Guest post from Nate Adams, founder of Energy Smart Insulation in Mantua, Ohio. Guest post from Nate Adams, founder of Energy Smart Insulation in Mantua, Ohio. It's that time of year again: Two nice sized snowstorms have hit here in…
Should Your Business Have a Blog and Use Social Media?
A magician doesn't reveal his secrets, right? So why do those of us who blog and tweet successfully keep telling everyone else not only that they need to jump on the bandwagon but also how to do it. I've written…
Residential Ventilation Smackdown — The Battle Over Simplicity
I went to school with Cajuns in south Louisiana, and fights were a big deal. They happened frequently, and when they did, a small crowd would gather. The noise would grow quickly and soon everyone in the schoolyard would run…
A Ventless Gas Fireplace Is a Liability
First of all, let's call it what it really is. The industry likes the term "vent-free" when talking about gas fireplaces that keep all the exhaust gases in your home. I prefer the term "ventless" or, even better, "unvented." Not…
A Humidifier Is a Bandaid — The Problem Is Infiltration
Does your heating system have a humidifier attached to it? If so, it's most likely there to treat a symptom while leaving the underlying cause of that symptom alone. The symptom is dry air in winter. Unless you're in an…
Forget the People — A Home Energy Rating Is an Asset Label
When I'm explaining home energy ratings and the HERS Index to people, I often get asked, "How accurate is a HERS rating? Will my energy bills really be close to what it says?" In the mind of the questioner, that's…
The 7 Biggest Mistakes That HVAC Contractors Make
Heating and air conditioning contractors, like the rest of us, make mistakes. They make mistakes that hurt performance and efficiency of the HVAC systems they install and maintain. They make mistakes that hurt their customers sometimes. And they make mistakes…
The State of Building Science in the Post-Mayan Non-Apocalypse
2013! Can you believe it? We survived the end of the Mayan calendar and are now living in what I like to call the post-non-apocalyptic world. I think that may well be the next hot genre for literature and film.…