"You absolutely have to identify the source of the moisture. In the winter time, if outside relative humidity levels are low or if below freezing, then the moisture must be coming from the house. Look for bathroom vents or a bypass that could…"
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Joseph Novella
- Danbury, CT
- United States
- Featured Blogs (5)
- Discussions (5)
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Joseph Novella's Page
Latest Activity
Joseph Novella replied to Doug Horgan's discussion Geothermal real-world performance"There was an excellent whit paper from Steven Winter associates a read a couple of years ago that actually did field studies of installed systems in the North East. Bottom line is that the systems performed 20-30% below rated or anticipated…"
Tom Delconte commented on Joseph Novella's blog post Big Oil Propaganda"Joe:
Marketing people and advertising agencies run ads on the media where they think their target audience is.
There is a report which came out yesterday linking global warming to weather catastrophes. That doesnt make it necesssarily true, but it…"
Joseph Novella posted a blog postBig Oil Propaganda
I'm sure most of you have seen the commercials by US petroleum companies extolling the virtues of coal and natural gas. Did you notice that those ads only run on major news organizations TV and radio stations. Why is that?It didn't really strike me until the recent record breaking heat waves across the US. I found it so odd that weather people don't even mention global warming despite the obvious connection.My theory is that the petroleum ads are being run not just to influence the audience but…See More
Joseph Novella commented on Greg La Vardera's video
Learning from Swedish Home Building Part 3
"Good series! I have a few comments though.
I wouldn't dismiss the American advanced wall framing so quickly. Stating that it has not be widely adopted has no relevance to its efficiency. Without doing an energy model I would guess…"
Joseph Novella replied to Craig Bird's discussion What is COSTCO doing?"Here is the DOE Radiant Barrier Article link:
http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11680
"
Joseph Novella replied to Craig Bird's discussion What is COSTCO doing?"The Lawrence Berkeley study is actually on cool roofs which is applying a reflective coating to the top side of roofs to reflect solar load. Lining an attic with tin foil is completely different and making the claim that is works in heating mode I…"
Joseph Novella replied to Craig Bird's discussion What is COSTCO doing?"Has any credible building science study been conducted on the efficacy of radiant barriers in heating climates. I'm sure they work great in Florida to reduce cooling loads but to claim they work during the heating season in New England,…"
Bob Blanchette commented on Joseph Novella's blog post Conventional AC is not COOL"HVAC contractors have an issue with LUX thermostats because of the high failure rate, we change out a LOT of bad ones. Contractors could put MORE in their pocket by installing LUX thermostats, well until they have to run a free service call to…"
Bob Blanchette commented on Joseph Novella's blog post Conventional AC is not COOL"Where did you read the review at? Do you suspect Pexsupply is deleting bad reviews?
Here's what HVAC contractors think about LUX: HVAC TALK"
Joseph Novella's blog post was featuredConventional AC is not COOL
In order to feel comfortable in the cooling season conditioned air has to be at the right air temperature AND relative humidity. Conventional AC dehumidifies when it is running but it is thermostatically controlled by air temperature only. Which means that when air temperature is reached the AC turns off and stops dehumidifying. Not a big problem if you live in an arid climate such as Pheonix but if you live in New England where the summers are very humid and not THAT hot then you most likely…See More
Bob Blanchette commented on Joseph Novella's blog post Conventional AC is not COOL"IMHO the WR 1F95-1291 is a MUCH better stat than the LUXpro. It's easily worth the extra $30.
If somebody was REALLY sharp they could make a thermostat with built in enthalpy compensation. It would reduce/increase setpoint based on the actual…"
Bob Blanchette commented on Joseph Novella's blog post Conventional AC is not COOL"I'd like to see more thermostats implement "minimum run time" as a spec instead of a temperature spread or cycles per hour. Helps a lot with short cycling during low load conditions while not overshooting under moderate/high load…"
Bob Blanchette commented on Joseph Novella's blog post Conventional AC is not COOL"Steven, in the real world it doesn't happen that way with the low airflow. 2 things happen to prevent this. One is the high latent load keeps evaporator pressures high. The other is the unit will rarely cycle longer than 10 minutes at a time…"
Steven Lewis commented on Joseph Novella's blog post Conventional AC is not COOL"GE and other heat pump water heaters will dehumidify the area they are located in and use the heat gathered to heat the water.
Bob, is right Trane VS systems have the capability to vary fan speed to the humidity and work very well in my…"
Bob Blanchette commented on Joseph Novella's blog post Conventional AC is not COOL"Top of the line variable speed systems do the same thing, reduce blower speed in order to help with latent capacity. Not a "jerry rig", they even have a specific terminal on the board for the $20 humidistat to be hooked up to :)
Of course…"
Profile Information
- Company
- Green Star Energy Solutions and Host of Home Energy Radio
- Professional Certification
- BPI Building Analyst, BPI Multi-Family, HERS Rater
- Professional Interests
- Building Performance, Energy Conservation, High Performance HVAC
- Website URL
- http://www.GoGreenStar.com
- Twitter ID
- http://twitter.com/GoGreenstar
Joseph Novella's Blog
Big Oil Propaganda
I'm sure most of you have seen the commercials by US petroleum companies extolling the virtues of coal and natural gas. Did you notice that those ads only run on major news organizations TV and radio stations. Why is that?
It didn't really strike me until the recent record breaking heat waves across the US. I found it so odd that weather people don't even mention global warming despite the obvious…
ContinuePosted on July 10, 2012 at 4:30pm — 1 Comment
Conventional AC is not COOL
In order to feel comfortable in the cooling season conditioned air has to be at the right air temperature AND relative humidity. Conventional AC dehumidifies when it is running but it is thermostatically controlled by air temperature only. Which means that when air temperature is reached the AC turns off and stops dehumidifying. Not a big problem if you live in an arid climate such as Pheonix but if you live in New England where the summers are very humid and not…
ContinuePosted on May 22, 2012 at 6:36pm — 12 Comments
Free Energy Measures
This is one of my "Energy Tip of the Week" articles. If you are an energy pro please add to my free energy measures list below, thanks.
Here are some great FREE ways to make your home more energy efficient and comfortable.
- Close your windows. Sound simple but you have to close AND lock a window for it to protect your home from incoming winter air. This applies to storm windows too.
- Use window…
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 1:00pm — 1 Comment
Only Dummies Replace Windows
It's amazing to me how we keep chasing windows in the Building Performance industry as if they were an important energy component. They are not (except when they are, I'll explain). Let’s look at some basic realities.
Joe’s Crazy Window Facts
- All windows are bad
- There are no HIGH performance windows, it's an oxymoron, refer back to item #1
- Windows are not drafty
- Low E windows don’t save on heating
- Occupants don’t…
Posted on September 26, 2011 at 1:30pm — 3 Comments
Comment Wall (2 comments)
- At 7:25pm on October 12, 2011,
Mike Gilluly said… - Thanks Joe, I'll be attending the "HPAC" / Efficiency First mtg tomorrow
- At 6:08am on June 10, 2011,
Diane Chojnowski said… Hi Joseph,
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!
Don't forget to upload your profile photo. And add your location on our Member Map!
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
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…"
Jim Gunshinan commented on Jim Gunshinan's blog post The Universe Is Made of Stories"Hi Tom,
I'm sorry you didn't think my blog post was helpful or appropriate. I'll…"
Tom Delconte commented on Jim Gunshinan's blog post The Universe Is Made of Stories"Whatever happened to separation of church, state, and scientific home building science? What would…"
Craig Savage's video was featuredWhat is Building America
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Building America program is a source of innovation in residential building energy performance, durability, quality, aff...
Jim Gunshinan's blog post was featuredThe Universe Is Made of Stories
The late poet and political activist Muriel Rukeyser famously said, The Universe is made of…See More
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