Long before any dirt is moved, developers make a choice that affects the cash flow of the eventual residents of the new community they're planning. They've got a piece of land, the survey is done, and then they sit down…
Although I rarely get to listen to it these days, I love the show Science Friday with Ira Flatow on NPR. It's always interesting, and you get to learn cool new science stuff. This past Friday, they covered a topic…
Ten years ago, I spent a fair amount of time up on the roof of the SIP house I was building. Now, Martin Holladay, the famous Energy Nerd of Green Building Advisor, has an article titled Martin’s Ten Rules of…
Don't you just love to strip down to your socks and jump on the bed? As a kid, you may not get away with it, but you're a grown man or woman now, so who's to stop you? And then,…
A few days ago I ran across an article about gas fireplaces on Bob Vila's website. Naturally, I wanted to read their take on vent-free gas fireplaces (sometimes called ventless, unvented, or just plain stupid). "Vent-free technology, once considered controversial,…
I talk about homes here in the Energy Vanguard blog all the time - new ENERGY STAR homes, HVAC systems to heat and cool homes, home energy audits... Today I'm going to talk about the homeless. I talk about homes…
I just finished teaching another ENERGY STAR Version 3 class for HERS raters. As usual, the new HVAC requirements generated the most discussion and raised the most concerns. I haven't heard any hard numbers yet, but I'm wondering how much…
I'm embarrassed to admit it, but yes, that photo is the gas furnace and water heater in my condo. It's an 80 AFUE (80% efficient) furnace and natural draft water heater. Notice also that they're common vented, which can be…
Fire is just so dang interesting! Its discovery by our early ancestors changed the lives of humans forever. Who doesn't love a good fire?! When I was about 8 years old, I got so fascinated with it that Bubba, my…
For about the same price as you'd pay for an iPad, you can buy a home energy audit to give to a loved one this holiday season. Yes, the iPad is sexier. Yes, the iPad is more fun. Yes, everyone…