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With winter around the corner some homeowners may be thinking about plugging all the leaks in their home to make them less drafty. Imagine if every homeowner in the country did that—how much energy could be saved? Using physics-based modeling of the U.S. housing stock, researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) found in a new study that upgrading airtightness to a uniform level could achieve as much as $33 billion in ... [continue reading]
The Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI) recently announced the national rollout of its advanced Home Energy Professional (HEP) certifications. The four HEP certifications—Energy Auditor, Retrofit Installer Technician, Crew Leader, and Quality Control Inspector—demonstrate advanced competency through work experience prerequisites, as well as rigorous written and field exams. These are the only home performance certifications that are both supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and accredited by the American ... [continue reading]
Home performance pros hear it all the time: “I had no idea I was using that much energy!” Homeowners are often unaware of just how much energy their appliances, electronics, and systems are using. This is the reason behind many marketing campaigns from utilities that urge homeowners and renters to be more aware of what’s going on in their homes. If occupants save energy, they’ll save money, and sometimes ... [continue reading]
When I was still active as a minister in the Catholic Church, I did not enjoy very much presiding at weddings. I had an inkling of the reason at the time, but now I can admit clearly that I was jealous. I didn’t want to bless someone else’s sacramental union as much as I wanted to be in a sacramental union. [continue reading]
The first-ever Housing Innovation Awards were presented in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013 and XPO on October 4 in Irvine, California, and focused on four building categories: DOE Challenge Home Builders, Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Participating Contractors, Excellence in Building Science Educator of the Year, and Building America Top Innovations. The Housing Innovation Awards recognize a diverse group of industry leaders who are helping communities across the country save money ... [continue reading]
Thirteen New England contracting companies were honored for exceptional work promoting energy efficiency services by the Massachusetts/Rhode Island COOL SMART program. The awards were presented during the New England Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) annual golf tournament held recently in Stow, Mass. Specializing in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), the businesses were honored for significant contributions to the COOL SMART program through quality installation of energy efficient systems this year. COOL SMART ... [continue reading]
Today the opening ceremony kicked off the Solar Decathlon in sunny Irvine, California. While the crowd listened to the major sponsors of the event welcome us, we heard excitement and anticipation in their voices. After all, this has been an event two years in the making. [continue reading]
Hawaii recently topped the national rankings for energy saving initiatives for the second year in a row. In August, the Energy Services Coalition (ESC) granted the state its ‘Race to the Top’ award for modeling excellence in energy and water efficiency. ESC’s Race to the Top challenge ranks states based on investment per capita in energy savings performance contracting. Hawaii leads with $132.25 per capita, followed by Ohio with $108.58 and Kansas with $97.77. ... [continue reading]
The common wisdom in the housing industry is that custom homes are expensive, and custom green homes are even more so. But several Boise-based organizations have teamed up to prove the common wisdom is wrong—and to set up a pilot project to provide Idahoans with affordable, eco-friendly homes within the city limits. [continue reading]
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) was budgeted $2.5-billion by Congress in 2013. The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) was allowed $68-million. Does anyone see a contradiction here? [continue reading]
