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Registration has opened for the upcoming 2015 Race to Zero Student Design Competition. The inaugural year of this program (formerly known as the DOE Challenge Home Student Design Competition) brought together 28 university teams to compete to design cost-effective zero energy ready homes for mainstream builders. The winning teams produced market-ready, state-of-the-art zero-energy-ready design solutions for high-performance homes that are energy efficient, comfortable, and durable. Teams competed in a high-energy juried event at the National Renewable Energy ... [continue reading]
The September/October 2014 issue of Home Energy marks the magazine’s 30th year in print. To celebrate that milestone, an industry-wide call for nominations found noteworthy professionals in home performance who were 30 years of age or younger. The feature article introduces the young people who the industry can count on to lead the home performance industry for the next 30 years. [continue reading]
Condensation is a persistent and often misunderstood issue. Homeowners sometimes think their windows are defective when they discover condensation on them, but it’s actually caused by high humidity in their homes. [continue reading]
People often avoid ventilating rooms during the cold season to avoid loss of heat. But this, the German Energy Agency (dena) warns, brings a big risk with it: mold. [continue reading]
EcoFactor recently announced third-party measurement and verification results from its deployment of NV Energy’s mPowered residential integrated demand side management (IDSM) program, with more than 22,000 customers so far. The report, filed with the PUC of Nevada by NV Energy, confirms that in 2013 EcoFactor reduced A/C usage by 11%. The EcoFactor solution accomplished all of this while maintaining consumer comfort and saving them an average of $100 per year. [continue reading]
Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc., the electric distribution utility serving more than 52,000 customers in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, recently announced it is launching CEIVA Energy’s home energy management system that will provide customers with easy-to-understand information about their household’s energy usage, right on their kitchen counter. Several large utilities in the United States have already deployed CEIVA Energy’s home energy management system platform, but Guelph Hydro is the first Canadian ... [continue reading]
The board of directors of the Home Performance Coalition (HPC) announced today that its search for a chief executive officer has concluded and that Brian T. Castelli has been named to the position. [continue reading]
If you work with homeowners who live somewhere inland, one of their top considerations when choosing new windows for their home is probably efficient insulation. However, homeowners who live close to the coast in states like South Carolina and Florida most likely have two top considerations: insulation… and protection against hurricanes. They’ll need windows that are going to help keep their home energy efficient, but that can also hold up against hurricane-force ... [continue reading]
Homeowners are often aware of the different problems they experience in their homes: uncomfortable rooms, high utility bills, poor indoor air quality, etc. However, homeowners are generally unfamiliar with the concept of home performance, the whole house approach, and how energy efficiency upgrades can address these concerns. We regularly hear these stories and find that by listening, asking the right questions, educating, and providing guidance, we can help homeowners feel comfortable with a whole home ... [continue reading]
Here are the final numbers for my Energy Upgrade California home retrofit. Table 1. Air Leakage (CFM50) Test-in air leakage Test-out air leakage 1,850 1,530 Table 2. Duct Leakage Test-in duct leakage *Test-out duct leakage 22% 10% *Note: The duct leakage is a percentage of the rated flow of the air handler. The measured air flow at the return grill was somewhat lower, so the percent leakage was actually higher. According to the EnergyPro software used in the Energy Upgrade California (... [continue reading]
