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tag: energy efficiency
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Home Energy-Efficiency Upgrades for Beginners
Advice for homeowners: Inspect your house for these common energy problems to get a better idea on where your money is best spent
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A Shortcut for Air-Sealing Houses
Researchers who developed a method of sealing leaky air ducts set their sights on a whole-house treatment that should make it easier for builders to make tight houses
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The "Lexus" HVAC system - Variable Refrigerant Flow Technology
Air Conditioners are sized for the Hottest day of the year. This results in rather uncomfortable AC about 70% of the time, as well as electric bills that are needlessly high. Enter Variable Refrigerant Flow Technology. This allows your AC to run at any capacity from 15% up to 100%. Join me for a system overview
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Southern HVAC Best Practice Videos
This is my collection of my 9 best HVAC related videos. Most will be relevant no matter your climate but many speak specifically to best practice for the Southern US.
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Ventilation Strategies for Houses in the Hot-Humid South: Good/Better/Best
Build tight, ventilate right. I learned that from building science guru Mark LaLiberte. But what is the right way to ventilate a house in Texas (or anywhere in the hot/humid South)? I'll give you my recommendations for three strategies.
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Indoor-Air Quality and Ventilation for Homes in Hot-Humid Climates
1 commentThe weather in the Southern United States poses a unique challenge to the issues of ventilation and indoor-air quality. Here are my opinions and suggestions on how to address these issues if you are building or remodeling in the South.
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Nest Review - Builder Perspective
3 commentsThe Nest thermostat has a ton of buzz, but is it worth the price? In this review you'll hear my perspective as a builder.
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Building Energy 13: Old Hippies Conspire to Save the World
After a visit to the annual conference and trade show of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, editor-at-large Kevin Ireton reports on the business of energy-efficient home building, deep-energy retrofits, and more
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How to Do Everything: The Energy Nerd's Greatest Hits
1 commentIf you plan to design, build, or remodel an energy efficient house, Energy Nerd Martin Holladay's collection of how-to articles is a must-read
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High-Performance Homes Dos & Don'ts: Mark LaLiberte Seminar Notes
2 commentsMark LaLiberte is an amazing building-science teacher. Read my blogging notes from his seminar titled "Building High-Performance Homes Dos & Don'ts," which I attended in Austin, Texas. Remember that this is focused on Texas construction, but there is plenty to learn here for anyone in the U.S.
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Blower Doors Have Become Essential Home-Building Tools
2 commentsUse one to measure a building’s airtightness, to locate leaks, or to comply with a green building program
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Kohler's New Musical Shower Head
I attended a builder luncheon the other day and was blown away by this cool new shower head called the Kohler Moxie. It has a magnetic bluetooth speaker that magnet holds into a standard shower head. The sound was fantastic and I love the idea.
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Modern Hardie Siding Details w/ Exterior Rigid Foam
In this video I'll show you some modern hardie siding details we used to overcome the issues encountered with exterior rigid foam installation.
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Coming Soon: 2013 Northeast Sustainable Energy Association Conference in Boston
An all-star roster of experts will present workshops at the Building Energy 13 conference in early March
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Airtight Wall and Roof Sheathing
13 commentsIn the early 1970s, residential builders knew almost nothing about air tightness. Nowadays, there's plenty of data showing why it's so important to air-seal houses.
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Spraying Polyurethane Foam over an Existing Roof
2 commentsSpray foam isn't just used for insulation--it can also be used for roofing.
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Major Thermal Bypasses: Energy-Wasting Holes in Your House
4 commentsDon’t worry about the cracks around your windows until you’ve sealed all of the big holes in your house
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Energy-Efficient San Francisco Remodel
1 commentThe Kumar Residence, nestled in the hills of Belmont, CA is an 1100 square foot addition and remodel of an existing 1950′s mid-century modern ranch house that needed updating, and more living...
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Can Steel Framing Be Used in High-Performance Houses?
4 commentsLight-gauge steel framing has several advantages in residential construction: it's straight, light and cost competitive with dimensional lumber. It's also an excellent heat conductor, and that has a builder wondering whether steel framing has any place in his energy-efficient home.
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Bargain ERV for Hot Climates - Panasonic's Whisper Comfort Review
In our Hot Humid Texas climate an ERV does a great job of bringing in Fresh Air but rejecting the humidity (Energy) that typically comes with that air. Panasonic's bargain priced ERV is a great choice for fresh air in our climate.
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How to Paint Fiber-Cement Siding
Painter Jim Lacey shares some tips for caulking and painting fiber-cement siding. read more
