ENERGY STAR Version 3 vs. the HERS Index
I'm not on the board or staff of RESNET or the EPA's ENERGY STAR new homes program, so I'm not privy to the discussions they've been having. It would be interesting to be a fly on the wall at the…
The Energy Vanguard Blog
Learn the Lingo – Air Conditioning Terminology & Tidbits
Have you heard your air conditioner repairman use terms you didn't understand? Are you a new home energy auditor or HERS rater trying to figure out how heating and cooling systems work? There's a lot of jargon in the world…
What Exactly is Manual S in HVAC Design and Why Is It Important?
This is a guest post by David Butler of Optimal Building Systems in Arizona and a frequent commenter here in our blog. I've known David for a couple of years now, and I can attest to his expertise in the…
Eccentric Lives, Peculiar Notions, & Building Science Absurdities
Some people, even in modern times, have believed the Earth is flat. Others believe that drilling a hole in their head will make them eternally happy. Some people, even in modern times, have believed the Earth is flat. Others believe…
The Magic of Cold, Part 2 – Intermediate Air Conditioning Principles
Yesterday, I wrote about the refrigeration cycle for beginners. (Another good article that covers basics of the refrigeration cycle as well as answers to some commonly asked questions is Martin Holladay's Air Conditioner Basics.) Today we go a little deeper.…
The Magic of Cold, Part 1 – How Your Air Conditioner Works
If you've wondered how it is that your air conditioner actually keeps you cool in summer, you've found the right place. As Earth-shattering as this sounds, I've actually spent a lot of my half-century living in it! I know, I…
More Insulation or High Efficiency Heating & Cooling System?
Earlier this week, my HVAC guru, David Butler, made a statement in a LinkedIn discussion group that's obvious to those of us who know building science and high performance homes, but it's something that I think may not be clear…
HVAC Therapy for Energy Code Flunkees – “It’s Not Your Fault”
[Guest post by certified HERS Rater Jeffrey Sauls about his experience with the new Georgia energy code requirements for duct tightness testing.] [Guest post by certified HERS Rater Jeffrey Sauls about his experience with the new Georgia energy code requirements…
Should You Get Your Air Conditioner’s Ducts Cleaned?
Sometimes you have to go at something backwards or inside out or sideways. Sometimes you've got to invert the normal thinking. Sometimes you have to invert it once and then invert it again to get something completely different, as Frank…
More Important than Home Energy Efficiency – Location Efficiency
At the 2010 RESNET conference, I heard David Goldstein speak on some of the issues he'd written about in his newly published book, Invisible Energy. Goldstein is the Energy Program Co-Director at the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and president of…