"Making something beautiful is one of the most sustainable things you can do." - Sarah Susanka, Author of The Not So Big House. "Making something beautiful is one of the most sustainable things you can do." - Sarah Susanka, Author of The…
It's a pretty safe bet that the vast majority of air conditioners are oversized. ACCA developed its Manual J protocol for heating and cooling load calculations to help HVAC contractors put in correctly sized equipment, but there are a couple…
Spray foam insulation is a great product. Homes insulated with it can be some of the most efficient and comfortable homes built. I've been in plenty of these homes and can tell you that a typical spray foam insulated house…
My dissertation in grad school was called "Flat or Lumpy." (Of course, it had the requisite incomprehensibility in the subtitle, with words like 'heteroepitaxy.') Those two words in the title, which cut to the heart of what my surface physics…
Here's another item for the myths of energy conservation category: In most homes, ceiling fans do NOT save energy. It's not that they can't save energy; it's just that most people don't understand how to use them to do so,…
What pops into your mind when you hear the term 'modular home'? Cheap? Flimsy? Ugly? Trailer? Energy hog? Boxy? Cramped? Well, let me try to bring you up to speed in the field of modular, and especially green modular homes.…
Yesterday, I heard a law student tell a story about some advice she gave to her friend about a recent break up. Her friend was having trouble letting go, and instead of saying something simple like, "you need to move…
Home Star, the program working its way through Congress, will be a boon to homeowners and will give a big boost to the home energy efficiency industry. Called variously the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act, Home Star Retrofit Rebate Program,…
My company is a HERS rating provider, and there are a lot of duties and responsibilities that go along with that. This morning, Chris and I are heading out for a three day trip to Hilton Head and Charleston, South…
It's been hot and muggy in Atlanta the past few days. Now I'm not your typical Atlantan who says that lightly. I grew up in Houston and south Louisiana and spent nine years in Florida, so I know hot and…