Reducing Our Carbon Footprint—Part Two
Boulder County’s Climate Smart loan programPart Two: A deeper level of action The first major step toward reducing your carbon footprintAmount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that a...
View ArticleKnock-Knock, ClimateSmart Calling!
Leaders of the carbon reduction effort in Boulder, Colorado, want to jump start energy efficiency improvements among homeowners by going door-to-doorMany homeowners have at least considered...
View ArticleGetting Ready for Winter?
But summer has hardly started!As we fire up the grill and hope that the rain will let up enough for us to enjoy summer, we should also remember that the days are now getting shorter, and in just a few...
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Last-Minute Shopping List for Christmas
Images: You’re down to the last few days before Christmas. You’re looking for that meaningful, special gift for a family member, special friend, or co-worker. Buy a gift that keeps on giving—by saving...
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Green building assessments versus energy audits
Subtitle: How whole-building performance evaluation avoids unintended consequences Images: Energy audits can be a single slice evaluation of home performance, just looking at energy, albeit in a...
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The Home Stretch for HOME STAR?
Subtitle: Proposed incentives for residential energy efficiency retrofits would help create green jobs nationwide Images: I participated in a really interesting webinar the other day about the new...
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An Energy-Auditing Class in Montana
Subtitle: At a five-day course in a rural setting, four women learn to operate blower doors and infrared cameras Images: When I arrive for the five-day energy-auditing course at the Pure Energy Center...
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An Introduction to Thermal Imaging
Subtitle: An infrared camera can help diagnose a variety of home-performance problems, including air leaks, missing insulation, or thermal bridges Images: Energy auditors and insulation contractors...
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Essential Energy-Audit Equipment
Subtitle: Erik North describes the tools that energy raters and auditors use to inspect a home Images: I thought I’d put together a list of all of the tools and equipment I use during an energy audit....
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Calling all Weatherization Workers
Subtitle: The DOE wants to interview weatherization workers and home performance contractors to find out more about the ‘values, opportunities, and challenges’ of their work Images: The U.S....
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ACCA vs. BPI: The Brouhaha Over Energy Audit Standards
Subtitle: Thirteen organizations ask ANSI to cancel BPI’s accreditation Images: Probably the biggest news I heard at the 2013 RESNET conference this year was that the Air Conditioning Contractors of...
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The Worst House I Ever Audited Was Built in 2008
Subtitle: It was a nice home — except for the damp basement, the dripping windows, and the leaky tongue-and-groove ceiling boards Images: One thing that sets my teeth on edge as an energy auditor is...
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Energy Audits in New England
Subtitle: Here, buildings are both old and cold Images: Home energy audits in cold, northern climates are very different from those in hot climates. Different regions of the country have different...
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A Good Time for Energy Audits and Weatherization
Subtitle: The best time to think about an energy audit is when few other people are thinking of one Images: Wait a second. Spring has barely sprung, and you’re saying we need to start thinking about...
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Energy Upgrades for Beginners
Subtitle: Advice for homeowners: to improve the energy performance of an older house, start with a thorough inspection Images: Owners of older homes often contact GBAGreenBuildingAdvisor.com and ask,...
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My First Energy Audit
Subtitle: This old house was so leaky that the blower door couldn’t depressurize it to 50 pascals Images: I conducted my first paid energy auditing gig a few months after I’d completed the Maine State...
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Deep Energy Retrofits Are Often Misguided
Subtitle: It’s time for energy retrofit specialists to overcome their prejudice against PV systems Images: All through the 1980s and 1990s, a small band of North American believers worked to maintain...
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An Energy Upgrade On a Budget
Subtitle: A homeowner has to choose among recommendations from an energy audit: More insulation, new windows, or an air-source heat pump? Images: Christian Rodriguez has taken an important first step...
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Connecticut Starts an Energy Label Program
Subtitle: The Home Energy Score is designed to tell homeowners and home buyers how energy-efficient a house might be, and how to improve performance Images: Connecticut residents are being introduced...
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