Hey, Californians, look out. You're not number 1 anymore. Nope. You're number 2 now. In their annual assessment of how the states are doing with energy efficiency, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has pronounced Massachusetts the…
BOO! Not scared? OK, well let me take another hack...uh...I mean, tack. Here are 8 things related to energy, HVAC, or building science that should scare the heck out of you...or at least irritate you once you understand them. Bonus…
I hear a lot of people call themselves building science geeks, energy nerds, home performance dorks, HVAC dweebs, weatherization wonks, and policy poindexters. (It's true! Some of them are imaginary people in my mind and some are aliens, but they…
I love the look and idea of this new thermostat called the Nest and want to install one as soon as I can. It's gorgeous. It's simple. And it's smart. I love the look and idea of this new thermostat…
Recently I came across a LEED certified house that had cardboard return ducts. They were all inside the building envelope, but it seemed clear to me that they could lead to problems. Even if the home builder or HVAC contractor…
If you live in an older house with inefficient, single-pane windows, you may have noticed water condensing on the inside surface of the glass lately. Fall happens to be a pretty good time for that to happen. Do you know…
I've been a big advocate of the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and its adoption by states. We adopted it here in Georgia last year, and it's now fully in effect, including the requirement for Blower Door and duct…
Heating and cooling your home sucks more money out of your bank account than any other type of energy consumption (unless you live in a high performance home, in which case the proportions are different but the total is smaller).…
Ken Fonorow is a friend of mine whom I've known since my days on the Gainesville Energy Advisory Committee when I was in grad school in the mid-'90s. He's also helped build the market for ENERGY STAR and high performance…
In case you haven't heard, version 3 of the ENERGY STAR new homes program requires homes to be more energy efficient and meet higher standards than version 2 of the program. That is as it should be. Energy codes and…