December 2010 Blog Posts (21)

This past weekend Martin Holladay posted a series of "Christmas Carols from the Energy Nerd," classic Christmas songs hilariously rewritten for building energy nerds like us... and probably you, too.

So one of our team members, Greg -- a man of great talent and true genius -- decided to put one of them to a tune.

Special thanks to Martin Holladay for permission to sing his song. In…

While browsing the daily news on Geology.com, I was first startled and then delighted to

see an article on the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. As is the

general rule for government agencies, this one is known by its acronym: DNR.

Do Not Resucitate. After having been the caregiver to two parents--one of whom died

under conditions that were made bearable only by morphine provided by Hospice, and

the other of whom fought like Custer until the…

It's amazing what excuses homeowners will come up with when it comes to avoiding spending money.  Even though I have found that most people in our field truly feel they are helping people, salesmanship (often uneasily) still comes into play based on homeowner perception of sales people (and based on all the BS that floats around out there do you blame them). Getting past objections can sometimes become an art form.

I recently performed a full energy audit on the home of a…

That’s right: Bag your safety gear! No, I don’t mean discard it. A practice I’ve established for myself is using a gear bag for dedicated storage of all my personal safety gear. And nothing else. Keeping everything in a single, protected place means I know where things are when I need them, and nothing gets lost, crushed, scratched, or outright destroyed. Face it; personal safety equipment is vitally important. It deserves its own, dedicated, protective carrier...[…

It took me a while to figure out that a building is basically just a structural framework with control layers. Yeah, there's also electrical, plumbing, mechanical systems, and finishes, but the heart of a building is the stuff that holds it up and that moderates the flows of heat,…

To continue on from our last conversation, I would first like to offer a definition as to what I personally believe a “green product” should strive to do.

A green product can generally be defined as a product that, from raw material extraction, to end-of-life disposal, lessens its impact on the environment as thoroughly as possible.

While being mindful of the previously stated definition, I would like to ask each of you to look around right now, where ever you location, and…

Wouldn't it be nice to have all your sites fully prepared for you before you arrive for an infrared scan? It can be possible if you politely ask your clients to have the home (or job site) prepared for you in order to alleviate any issues during the thermal scan. With the many unprepared infrared scans that I have completed, I have come up with a list in order for you to achieve the maximum benefit of your infrared inspections....

• Plan optimal times of day for your infrared…

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and nowhere is this adage truer than with the assurance of a manufacturer’s compliance with energy efficiency standards and endorsement programs. If any link is broken in this process, then it is impossible to “haul up” those energy savings for the consumer. The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are finally taking actions to repair some of the more fragile links in this chain, beginning with the actual…

As we work to save energy, one of our goals is to save dollars for consumers. But there are other costs that energy professionals can minimize as well, for example, obtaining and transporting energy and building materials. Knowing that we are helping to minimize these 'external' costs will renew our motivation to save energy, and hopefully inspire home energy users to save…

While I was originally planning to do a Cliff Notes version of the Workforce Guidelines, that idea was looking less & less likely after hitting two pages of notes. When I was less than 200 pages in & a computer problem destroyed over three pages of notes, the idea officially hit the scrap bin. As a reminder, the NRRG (National Residential Retrofit Guidelines) is part of the Recovery through Retrofit program and is open for Public Comment until January 7^th as listed…

Federal and state governments are deploying billions of dollars in an unprecedented push to weatherize America’s existing homes in order to save energy and create jobs. However, the programs piloted by the government during the past decade, and more recently by the utilities, do not yet come close to being able to meet these goals. America can no longer afford to measure program ramp-up time in terms of years, nor should the public have to spend thousands of…

Did you know you can test the accuracy of your equipment before you get on site? As a manufacturer, we often get tech support calls from auditors who are on site, and wondering if their equipment is providing an accurate reading. Thankfully, there is an easy way to test both your duct tester and gauge, regardless of manufacturer, before you get on site. There is, after all, nothing worse than showing up on site, and not being…

Henry Gifford, a mechanical systems designer and principal at Gifford Fuel Saving, Inc. in New York City, is suing the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for millions of dollars. Gifford, in the class action suit, claims that the USGBC has committed fraud in the selling of its Leadership in Energy Efficient Design (LEED) program, and has unfairly kept work away from people like him who are not involved in the program. (Photo of Henry Gifford by Travis Roozee.)…

The problem faced by most property owners is that any moisture behind the walls, over ceilings, and under the floors are often impossible to detect until the problem is excessive and obviously visible. But, by then it’s too late and all damaged surfaces must now be replaced, along with the pipes that caused the damage. Small supply pipe leaks or waste line seepage's are common sources of water…

In recent years, the residential design and construction industry has experienced a dramatic transformation. Simply, in the current environment, there are many more complex decisions to be made, even more constraints, and genuine economic, environmental, cultural, and social implications to consider. In addition to micro-level demands,…

Have you noticed that there have been a lot of commercials about electric cars lately? Do you think that electric cars are really the answer to our energy issues and reliance on fossil fuels? I started to think about the process associated with electric vehicles and did some simple research. Following are some simple points to consider.



First let’s look at the manufacturing process. Vehicle parts are manufactured all over the world in…