When Above Average Is Not Good Enough

Let’s imagine two neighboring families on a residential block—the Joneses and the Smiths. Their homes are of comparable size and age, and both are families of four, living typical middle-class lifestyles. ...

Keep Reading

FILTER ARTICLES

Comparing Your Home's Energy Use to Others

free CONTENT

June 16, 2001

Do you know how well your house is doing in terms of the energy it uses? Is your house operating efficiently or inefficiently? [continue reading]

The Current State of Duct Leakage Measurement: Field Evaluation of Five Methods

Author: Paul W. Francisco

premium CONTENT

March 01, 2001

A study of test methods for duct leakage revealed that there is room for improvement in this evolving field. [continue reading]

Duct Leakage: How Much

Author: John Proctor

premium CONTENT

January 01, 2001

Q:Is there a standard for energy-efficient ducts? I was called to a home built in 1955 that is under a warranty from a recent sale. The customer wanted us to “fix the ducts.” ... [continue reading]

Refrigerator Monitoring, A Sequel

Author: Larry Kinney

premium CONTENT

September 01, 2000

How briefly can you monitor refrigerator energy use and still get valid results? Home Energy takes another look at this timely topic. [continue reading]

Energy Ratings for Rental Units

Author: Kathleen Greely

premium CONTENT

July 01, 2000

If a property’s energy use were made visible, would that be sufficient incentive to convince landlords to invest in energy-efficient capital improvements? That’s the question ... [continue reading]

Weather Data Getting Cloudy

Author: Joe Huang

archive CONTENT

September 01, 1999

In the last two decades, researchers have relied increasingly on computer programs such as DOE-2 and BLAST to analyze building energy use. For example, simulations can be used to extrapolate building energy performance from limited measured energy data, or to weather normalize predicted savings in energy management or shared savings contracts. [continue reading]

Calculating Water Heater Energy Use

Author: Steven Bodzin

archive CONTENT

July 01, 1999

Have you ever wanted to calculate how much energy a water heater would use annually in a given household? To make this task easier, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has developed a straightforward equation that produces results close to those of simulation programs--without their baffling complexity. [continue reading]

Program Assesses Contractor Work in California

Author: Scott Matthews

archive CONTENT

May 01, 1999

A new project will use building diagnostic equipment and techniques to assess the installation quality of energy features in new California homes. [continue reading]