Let's get back to the Pretty Good House concept now. Last month I wrote part 1, called What Would a "Pretty Good House" Look Like? There I discussed mainly the design, building envelope, and heating and cooling systems. Here I'll…
The air has been thick with spring for weeks — and I do mean thick. The pollen count in Atlanta this year has set records, our highest getting over 9000. We had a warm winter and a condensed spring. Now…
Reading Allison's recent article about his experience building a green home brought back memories of my own similar experience back in 1999. Like Allison's home, mine was designed to be high performance, although maybe not so green. (Get more details…
What is it about Maine? Some of my favorite people in the home energy pro community live there. We just signed up our first HERS Rater from the state (Diane Milliken of Horizon Residential Energy Services). Now, some folks there…
A few months back, I received the following email about payment to design the HVAC system for a new ENERGY STAR home. The author of the email is a home energy rater, and my client. The “HVAC guy” is the…
Some people argue against thermostat setbacks, saying they don't save energy anymore. The reasons behind that thinking, however, are flawed. Setting back your thermostat when you're away or at night definitely can save energy (depending on a few factors, as…
2011 was a good year for Energy Vanguard. Our workload increased to the point where we needed more help, and at the start of the new year, we just brought in two new employees. 2011 was a good year for…
2011 was a good year for Energy Vanguard. Our workload increased to the point where we needed more help, and at the start of the new year, we just brought in two new employees. 2011 was a good year for…
In addition to getting out and enjoying some sunny January weather, I did a little reading this weekend. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) just released a new report, The Long-Term Energy Efficiency Potential: What the Evidence Suggests,…
Last Saturday, I was doing some stuff around the house, and my wife had the radio tuned into one of those home repair talk shows. I don't listen to those shows much because they usually say something that drives me…