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The next regularly scheduled Standard Work Specifications (SWS) comment review event will occur on March 19, 2017. This event will be held in conjunction with the HPC National Home Performance Conference and is open to the public. All new comments must be received by January 20, 2017 in order to be reviewed at this meeting. All comments submitted after this date will be reviewed at a later time. [continue reading]
Each year, EPA honors a select group of organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. [continue reading]
When E4TheFuture decided to explore the health co-benefits of energy efficiency in its November 2016 white paper Occupant Health Benefits of Residential Energy, we had a particular reason for doing so. Our initial focus was to document studies that could help inform cost-effectiveness screening—specifically, to help make the case that important health co-benefits of efficiency exist, and their value is not $0. We were excited to piggyback on a broader research effort undertaken by ... [continue reading]
The whole point of the process described in this series of articles (see Part 1 and Part 2) is that it is now yours. Do what you want with it. Augment it and make it your own. Show others that they are critical to the design process. It is that connection that makes all the difference. [continue reading]
For most American households, a 5-30% savings on energy bills is possible by making home energy upgrades typically identified in a home energy assessment. State and local governments, utilities, and nonprofits across the nation offer programs that allow home owners to upgrade their home to reduce energy use. Through the Better Buildings Home Upgrade Program Accelerator, DOE is working with partners that offer these programs to help increase the number of services offered to homes ... [continue reading]
“Saving” can be defined as setting something aside for use in the future, such as depositing money into a savings account. With electricity, despite widespread claims of saving, only a battery saves energy for use in the future. A consumer isn’t assured anything about future energy bills after installing an “energy saving” product, such as an LED or Energy Star appliance. Since energy is measured through a single meter, ... [continue reading]
ASHRAE has announced the topics and a call for presenters for its new Building Performance Analysis Conference, formerly known as the ASHRAE Energy Modeling Conference. [continue reading]
A new duct sizing calculator from ASHRAE and the Air Distribution Institute (ADI) allows HVAC air distribution system designers to more accurately size ducts, especially flex ducts under varying amounts of compression, based on research results. [continue reading]
On December 14, 2016, the Portland City Council unanimously adopted an ordinance requiring home energy scores for single family homes listed for sale. This innovative new policy will help Portland create jobs for its home performance contractors and assessors, reduce carbon emissions, and help the city's consumers save money on energy. The Home Performance Coalition (HPC) collaborated with the Home Performance Guild of Oregon (HP Guild), Earth Advantage and other stakeholders to support the Ordinance’s ... [continue reading]
A home is intimately tied to the health and wellbeing of its residents. It is where people go to take care of themselves and seek comfort. People in the United States spend approximately 70% of their time at home, which means that ensuring homes are a healthy refuge is vitally important. Evidence in a new, groundbreaking DOE report, Home RX: The Health Benefits of Home Performance, shows that home performance upgrades can improve the quality of ... [continue reading]
