The 3 Rules of Air Sealing
It's not that hard really, at least in principle. You want to reduce the air leakage in your home so you keep the conditioned air inside and the cold air outside this winter. What's the advice of all those stories…
The Energy Vanguard Blog
Building Envelope or Building Enclosure: Which Is the Better Term?
If you travel down into the building science vortex, you start discovering that people argue over a lot of things that most people never think twice about. Wait. Most people probably never think once about these things. Earlier this year…
Why Does the US Green Building Council Seem So Out of Touch?
Yesterday I read a short interview with Rick Fedrizzi,* the CEO of the US Green Building Council (USGBC), and it got me to thinking about that organization. They're probably the largest, most well known green building organization in the world.…
Don’t Kill Your Air Flow with This Flex Duct Disease
I like flex duct. Really! In fact, I did an interview yesterday for the Energy Saving in the Home Radio Show and surprised the host, I think, when I said that to him. He's an HVAC contractor himself and is…
Words That Turn Home Energy Pros Into Building Science Dorks
"Ma'am, we've just tested your house and found your infiltration rate to be 16.7 ACH50, your R-values to be only 26% of the IECC limits, your duct Qn to be 0.42, and windows to have improper SHGCs. Furthermore, your drainage…
Habitat for Humanity Leads the Way to Affordable, Green Homes
Habitat for Humanity is showing that affordable housing and high-performance homes isn't an either/or choice. They've been doing great work and going in this direction for a long time, but in the past 5 years, they've really stepped it up…
Why Don’t More HVAC Contractors Own Duct Leakage Testers?
HVAC contractors own a lot of equipment. Of course, they have the pressure gauges to test refrigerant charge in air conditioners and heat pumps and many more pieces of technical equipment. One piece that few contractors own, however, is a…
ACEEE’s 2012 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard Has Your Number
ACEEE's 2012 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard came out last week, and if you haven't seen it yet, download it now and have a look. Massachusetts, which stole the top spot from California last year, held onto the title of the…
Popular Chain Restaurant in SC Has Ducts That May Be Illegal
One of the things that happens when you learn building science and HVAC design principles is that you can no longer go into any building without looking at the building envelope and mechanical systems. Now that my smart phone doubles…
Time for a Reality Check on Our 8 Day HERS Rater Training
We've been teaching our Home Energy Rater training class for over two years now. Because I'm like Sweetwater beer, a local favorite here in Atlanta, and "don't float the mainstream," I spread the material of the class out over 8…