"Well it looks great - must be so satisfying as well. Hope to do the same some day. Keep us posted as you settle in and go through a few seasons!"
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Greg La Vardera
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Greg La Vardera's Discussions
New Construction: Easing Builders into High Performance Construction
21 Replies
I've started a short video series to explain my work in high performance wall systems.Some quick background - my colleague Scott Hedges and I have spent some time studying home building practices in…Continue
Started this discussion. Last reply by Greg La Vardera Jul 11, 2012.
Greg La Vardera's Page
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Greg La Vardera replied to James McGarvey's discussion Energy Efficient Design for the not so rich in the group Energy Efficient DesignGreg La Vardera replied to James McGarvey's discussion Energy Efficient Design for the not so rich in the group Energy Efficient Design"I understand what you are saying - your poles are inboard of the exterior walls, so yes, you don't have temperature gradient across the diameter of the pole, but no, you have a gradient over the length of the pole which at the exterior…"
Greg La Vardera replied to James McGarvey's discussion Energy Efficient Design for the not so rich in the group Energy Efficient Design"Pole foundations are affordable, but I have to wonder if you would have been better off stopping them at the floor. We put so much effort into isolating the thermal bridges created from studs, and here you have these large diameter poles passing…"
Greg La Vardera joined Chris Laumer-Giddens's group
Energy Efficient Design
Energy efficiency starts at the drafting table...How architects and designers can help buildings reach high-performance standards.See More
Greg La Vardera commented on Lenka Rihova's blog post PassivHaus – Is it the Future of Home Building?"Tom, I think I've clearly agreed with your description. In fact I don't think anybody here has disagreed with that. There is no argument about that, at least not here.
If these facts were enough to convince people to build this way they…"
Greg La Vardera commented on Lenka Rihova's blog post PassivHaus – Is it the Future of Home Building?"David, you mis-understand my posts. You are reacting to my comments about the fictional spray foam.
We do have everything we need to build high performance houses today, and yes they cost somewhat more, and yes energy savings pay for that…"
Greg La Vardera commented on Lenka Rihova's blog post PassivHaus – Is it the Future of Home Building?"If there was such an insulation, it would be expensive - because it was doing something that other insulations could not. And the manufacturer would know it, and they would price it accordingly. That is the way the world works, unless you want to…"
Greg La Vardera commented on Lenka Rihova's blog post PassivHaus – Is it the Future of Home Building?"I find that to be a pretty meager improvement over 40 years.
And Code does not provide for retrofitting of the vast body of existing houses which are the ones using all the energy. Building codes are just not the way to make a difference. You need…"
Greg La Vardera commented on Lenka Rihova's blog post PassivHaus – Is it the Future of Home Building?""Stricter codes are the only answer"
And how has that worked for you for the past 40years since the global oil crisis made the man on the street realize energy was an issue? That was in the mid 70s, and how much progress have we made with…"
Greg La Vardera commented on Lenka Rihova's blog post PassivHaus – Is it the Future of Home Building?"Right - codes bring up the rear. This is why the notion of instituting a leading edge certification like Passive House as a code is preposterous. PH advocates really don't need to delude themselves this way. There are so many more productive…"
Greg La Vardera commented on Lenka Rihova's blog post PassivHaus – Is it the Future of Home Building?""the DOE has integrated Passive House into their "Challenge Home" standard"
That is not quite how your link reads. It simply states cooperation, and explains that the Challenge Home Standard is a bit less stringent than Passive…"
Greg La Vardera commented on Lenka Rihova's blog post PassivHaus – Is it the Future of Home Building?"On a practical level Passive House is a Custom Designed House paradigm. The question "PassivHaus – Is it the Future of Home Building?" is the same as asking "PassivHaus – Will Builders Be Willing to Spend Thousands on…"
Greg La Vardera commented on Lester Shen's blog post Combi System Animations"Bill, the Triangletube products seem to have stainless steel innards, look like a high-end product, but even their combination products hardly feel like "appliances" to me.
When we say "appliance" I'm thinking this is…"
Greg La Vardera commented on Lester Shen's blog post Combi System Animations"Wait - the description in the above post says "dual integrated appliances". But everybody is talking about cobbing together systems that were not manufactured for that purpose.
Nobody has an example of a US manufacturer offering an…"
Greg La Vardera commented on Lester Shen's blog post Combi System Animations"So who offers such appliances here in the US. Last time I checked, nobody."
Greg La Vardera commented on Chris Laumer-Giddens's blog post Designing for High Performance: Slab-On-Grade, Part I – Controlling Moisture Flow"Chris, I have to say that this assembly is hardly "High Performance". 1" of foam thermal break between the slab and foundation stem wall? R5? Nothing under the slab?
Could you at least qualify this by stating what climate zone it is…"
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Greg La Vardera's Videos
Comment Wall (1 comment)
- At 7:29pm on February 6, 2012,
Diane Chojnowski said… Hi Greg,
Welcome to Home Energy Pros! Feel free to join the conversation in the Forum and Groups. And share your energy efficiency photos, videos and upcoming events. If you're blogging about home performance, this is the place for you!
Thanks!
Diane, HEP Moderator
Home Energy Pros
Home Energy Pros was founded by the developers of Home Energy Saver Pro (sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) and brought to you in partnership with Home Energy magazine.
Latest Activity
Bud Poll replied to Bachi Brunato's discussion Boxing and Insulating Around Non-ICAT Cans"This is a topic I have discussed many times, but unfortunately cost is all too often the deciding…"
Sean Lintow Sr replied to Bachi Brunato's discussion Boxing and Insulating Around Non-ICAT Cans"If you can't talk them into replacing with IC rated...
Look into Tenmat - those are designed…"
Bachi Brunato posted a discussionBoxing and Insulating Around Non-ICAT Cans
I have a client with 16) 4" halogen recessed light fixtures in the attic.I'd like to cover the cans…See More
Dennis Heidner replied to Patrick Michaelyan's discussion Hot Upper Stories"Could you have them make a simple two line graph of the outside temperature, noting sun/clouds,…"
Bob Blanchette replied to Jose Macho's discussion Why Are Energy-Saving Home Inprovements Down??"You make some valid points, especially with the base rate charges. Increasing the base rate instead…"
Bob Blanchette replied to Jose Macho's discussion Why Are Energy-Saving Home Inprovements Down??"Amen, make energy show it's true cost instead of subsidizing it.
We have some of the lowest…"
Dennis Heidner replied to Jose Macho's discussion Why Are Energy-Saving Home Inprovements Down??"The press report really doesn't give enough information to clearly answer why they are…"
Edward Foskey commented on Edward Foskey's blog post Preparing to Update the Heat Pump"Gustavo,
Thanks for the input. I agree with you in that I will be waiting till my system's…"
Gustavo Melo commented on Edward Foskey's blog post Preparing to Update the Heat Pump"Any system that is out of warranty is really a coin toss as to whether it is financially better to…"
Dennis Heidner replied to J.C. Martel's discussion Disasters & sustainable energy"Such as Greensburg…"
Tom Delconte commented on Edward Foskey's blog post Preparing to Update the Heat Pump"Thanks, Ed, I get it now. I would just put in what my hvac guy tells me to put in: a $17,000…"
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