The Meaning of Rejected Energy
I love the US energy flow charts published by the Lawrence Livermore National Lab each year. The chart for 2021 came out in April, and you can see it in its full glory above. (Right click to download the full…
energy conservation
How’s the New Home Electrification Movement Going?
On the new home electrification front, the Home Innovation Research Labs released some interesting data this month. You may have noticed that going all-electric with buildings and transportation has become a thing in the past few years. Climate change is…
Home Performance Tools on Amazon Prime Day
In case you haven't heard, Amazon is having its Prime Day sale today and tomorrow. Occasionally, I write about tools and products we use in our work or homes and provide affiliate links* to the ones we like. I've also…
2 Decades of Danny’s Home Energy Data
Danny Orlando, a manager in the ENERGY STAR program at the US EPA, walks the talk. He's been steadily improving the energy efficiency of his home over the past couple of decades and also monitoring his energy use data. The…
A Beautiful Solar Home in Utah Nears Net Zero Energy Use
I'm writing this on St. Patrick's Day so let me tell you a wee bit about the O'Mearas. Kevin and Svetlana O'Meara live in a beautiful home in Utah that's oh-so-close to being a net zero energy home. After I…
What Is the Difference Between Energy Efficiency and Efficacy?
When I was doing research for my recent article on ceiling fans, I noticed that they don't have energy efficiency ratings; they have efficacy ratings. There's certainly confusion in terminology among different sources, but since light bulbs are also described…
When It Comes to Ice Dams, You CAN Fix Stupid!
They say you can't fix stupid. They're wrong. When it comes to ice dams, we know how to fix what is the most common cause.† If you know a little building science, you can look at the photo below and…
Passive House — The Only Place Where Real Innovation Is Happening?
Last week, Joe Lstiburek gave the fifth annual twitterview† from his crawl space. (When he gets back from sailing this week, Peter Troast of Energy Circle has promised to publish the transcript.) One of the pearls of wisdom dispensed by…
The Electricity Multiplier Effect for Home Energy Efficiency
When does saving one of anything ever result in actually saving three or four? When we're talking about electricity, of course. The reason is simple: Most of our electricity comes from the burning of fuels like coal and natural gas.…
Not All Knowledge Comes from College
Do you really need to go to college? If your heart's not in it, you can't find a field of study that excites you, and your college degree doesn't help your job prospects, the answer may be no. But what…