When you think of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), do you think of atomic clocks and hunks of metal that serve as standards of mass and length? Or do you think of cutting edge research in net…
Let me ask you a question: Would you rather I gave you $100 one year from now or $100 right now? No brainer; it's easy to see that $100 right now is worth more than $100 in the future. Another…
Every business has slow periods. New businesses often have plenty of non-billable time, when the owner(s) and employees can work on things that help ensure success but that are often difficult to find time for once the jobs start rolling…
Texas is a hot state, right? Certainly then, homes in my original home state use more energy for air conditioning than for heating. That's why they need such massive air conditioners, like the one you see here. Right? Not so…
When I'm explaining home energy ratings and the HERS Index to people, I often get asked, "How accurate is a HERS rating? Will my energy bills really be close to what it says?" In the mind of the questioner, that's…
![Coal-fired Power Plant [by Stanze, From Flickr.com]](jpg/coal-fired-power-plant.jpg)
When does saving one of anything ever result in actually saving three or four? When we're talking about electricity, of course. The reason is simple: Most of our electricity comes from the burning of fuels like coal and natural gas.…
ACEEE's 2012 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard came out last week, and if you haven't seen it yet, download it now and have a look. Massachusetts, which stole the top spot from California last year, held onto the title of the…
I was in one of the big box home improvement stores yesterday and thought I'd take a look at ceiling fans while I was there. Ten years ago when I was building a house and buying a bunch of ceiling…
ENERGY STAR. LEED for Homes. Builders Challenge. HERS. It's easy to fall into the wrong line of thinking about this. I did it myself when I was new to the HERS rating industry. It's even easier now that RESNET is…
Energy Vanguard is pleased to announce that it has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a 2012 ENERGY STAR Leadership in Housing Award. This award recognizes the important contribution Energy Vanguard has made to energy-efficient home…