Nathan Christensen's Blog (9)

Yesterday I received an email forwarded to me from a co-worker. The email itself was a request from a journalist seeking information on a variety of topics related to eco-friendly housing from both an owner and builder perspective. Some of the questions of interest to me included “Does a small budget limit going green or can a little go a long way?” and “Where is… Continue

A short while ago I was in a meeting that centered on creating a flexible winter weatherization plan that would have a wide degree of application.  While such plans are not uncommon in the least, I was surprised to hear that we, as inhabitants, came up as a serious aspect of energy inefficiency.

As someone who works with material and energy inefficiencies,…

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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…

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Green is almost undeniably one of the most marketed colors as it relates to the environment, sustainability, and energy. But what exactly does “green” mean in relation to environmental and energy issues?



More importantly, can a modern product or process really be considered green, and if so, by what benchmark? For example, we know that CFLs use less energy than incandescent lights, but does consuming less energy really make a product greener?



To begin, the word green has… Continue

In my previous journal entry, “Let’s Talk Preservation: Part 1”, I briefly touched on why Energy Star certified homes, despite their high levels of efficiency, still inflict considerable damage to the

environment.

We know that Energy Star homes reach their certification by making use of high efficiency windows, appliances, insulation, and HVAC systems. However, regardless of how little energy a new home consumes,

it still requires exceptional levels of energy to…

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Every day, while traveling to or coming home from work, I hear an advertisement for new Energy Star homes under construction or ready for purchase. While I have the utmost respect for what Energy Star

certification stands for and hopes to accomplish, I don’t believe I could ever own one myself. Energy Star and other similarly accredited homes offer quite a bit in terms of energy efficiency, but in terms of lessening the homes impact on the environment…I’m not entirely…

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A few months ago I had lunch with a friend of mine who recently bought

an older historic home in southern Ohio. The subject of insulation and

heating costs came up and we engaged in a bit of a debate over what kind

of insulation to use. Now, I don’t believe either of us won, primarily

because I don’t think an ultimately right answer exists for the topic

we were debating. The topic you ask? “How big of a role does the

R-Value really play in insulation on an… Continue

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but in the next few weeks, old man winter will make his annual appearance once again. Unfortunately (or fortunately, if you like winter), with his arrival, snow and cold winds are close to follow.

To prepare for the oncoming winter months, use this time in late fall to find weak areas in your homes thermal shell. (For the sake of clarification, I define “Thermal Shell” as the…

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