The Search for Thermal Comfort

In the beginning there was woman and man, naked; I assume. The body’s core temperature is stable at about 98 °F. In an outdoor environment with a temperature between 65 to 102 °F, a ...

Steve Mann is a HERS rater, Green Point rater, LEED AP, remodeler, and long-time software engineer. Home performance analysis, HERS ratings, and green building ratings like Energy Star for Homes and LEED for Homes all ... [continue reading]

REM:Rate 12.5 - A Versatile Energy Application

Author: Steve Mann

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September 07, 2008

Steve Mann is a HERS rater, Green Point rater, LEED AP, remodeler, and long-time software engineer. As many Home Energy readers know, the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) is a U.S.-based, national standards-making ... [continue reading]

What Were They Thinking?

Author: Bruce A. Barker

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September 07, 2008

Here are a couple of those situations where, as home performance professionals, we scratch our heads and ask, What were they thinking? Rocket Scientist Not Required It doesn’t take a rocket scientist, or ... [continue reading]

Naturally Circulating Hot Water System

Author: Steve Greenberg

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September 07, 2008

Steve Greenberg is a facilities energy management engineer at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a technical editor at Home Energy. Q: I have been having a discussion with a fellow worker concerning our house heating ... [continue reading]

Kansas City's Water Heaters

Author: John Quimby

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July 01, 2008

I work for Neighborhood and Community Services in Kansas City, Missouri, in the Minor Home Repair and Weatherization program. I have worked in weatherization since 1986, and performed energy audits prior to that in Fairbanks, Alaska. ... [continue reading]

What Were They Thinking?

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January 27, 2008

When my family stayed in a condo in Tahoe over the summer, I was checking out the closets and found this. I called the rental agency and they sent out their handyman, who manhandled the ... [continue reading]