I spent this week at the 15th Annual Westford Symposium on Building Science (aka Building Science Summer Camp). Great event. Great people. Lots of learning and thinking and networking. I spent this week at the 15th Annual Westford Symposium on…
Well, my first day of the 2011 Building Science Summer Camp, officially called the Fifteenth Annual Westford Symposium on Building Science, has come to an end. It's been a great day up here in Westford, Massachusetts, (right next to Chelmsford,…
Guest Post. Today's article is a guest post by Paul Raymer, one of the top guys I know on the topic of getting fresh air into homes. Guest Post. Today's article is a guest post by Paul Raymer, one of…
Here's an easy thing you can do to keep your air conditioner running as efficiently as possible: Don't crowd the condensing unit, the outdoor part of your AC. In the photo at left, you see a common problem. I took…
Yesterday was a special day in the Energy Vanguard blog. You may not realize it, but it was the 211th article we've published here since I started it 16 months ago. Does that number mean anything to you? Yesterday was…
Michael Blasnik, in case you don't know, is a home energy geek's home energy geek. He's a building science nerd's building science nerd. He's known for analyzing data on home energy efficiency and laying bare some of our most-cherished assumptions…
As the Quality Assurance Designee for our HERS rating providership, I do something that isn't healthful. I know it's probably driving up my blood pressure and taking years off my life. But I do it because I have to. It's…
In the guest post I wrote for Bob Borson in his blog Life of an Architect, I gave an overview of the types of attic insulation. I didn't discuss radiant barriers in the article, but it's a hot topic, so…
The first bit of sleuthing you may need to do here is to figure out what the heck a DET verifier is. Well, we have a new energy code here in Georgia, and the requirement that all new homes (and…
Whenever I see an older home being remodeled, especially if it's an extensive renovation, I always wonder if the homeowners and the contractor know what a great opportunity they have to make the house tighter. Whether they're opening up walls…