Spotlight Article:
Vermiculite Attic Insulation, or What's in Your Attic?
Oh, the irony. Zonolite Attic Insulation (ZAI), was once marketed as a perfectly safe, inexpensive, do-it-yourself attic insulation for home improvement projects. Today, the presence of ZAI represents an expensive professional abatement job for a ...
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Unventing Attics In Cold Climates
As Home Energy readers know, venting attics in hot, humid climates brings a great deal of moisture into the structure (see "Conditioned Attics Save Energy in Hot Climates," HE May/June '97, p. 6). Not venting the attic avoids this problem. [continue reading]
Saving Energy with Reflective Roofs
In 11 Florida homes with roofs coated with a white material during midsummer, average air conditioning energy use decreased by 8 kWh/day, or 19%. [continue reading]
PV Roof Tiles Heat Up in New York
The first residential grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) system in New York State has been installed on Long Island. [continue reading]
Conditioned Attics Save Energy in Hot Climates
Do homes with vented attics use less cooling energy than homes with unvented, conditioned attics in hot climates? With little formal research available to answer the question, common wisdom and most building codes have favored venting. [continue reading]
Out, Out Dammed Ice!
Anyone who has lived in a snowy climate has seen ice dams. Thick bands of ice form along the eaves of homes, causing millions of dollars of structural damage every year. [continue reading]
Roofing and Siding Rehabs get an Energy Fix
The old adage says, "Within every problem lies an opportunity." This is certainly the case when it comes to residing or reroofing a home. [continue reading]
Preventing Urban Heat Catastrophes
The heat wave in Chicago last summer created a great deal of human discomfort and, by many estimates, caused over 500 deaths in three days. The overwhelming majority of these deaths occurred in buildings with indoor conditions that were reported as stifling. [continue reading]
Where Radiant Barriers Really Shine
Manufacturers of radiant barrier materials claim that their products significantly cut cooling costs by reducing summertime radiant heat gain through attics and ceilings (see "Conservation Clips: Radiant Barriers Test Well," p. 45). A new study confirms that radiant barriers can indeed conserve cooling energy. [continue reading]
Building Performance Journal Editors
Our Blog Has Moved
Thanks for your interest in contributing a blog to the Building Performance Journal (formerly Home Energy magazine). We’re ...
Jim Gunshinan
Is Energy Efficiency an American Value?
Energy efficiency is good for the economy, good for families, good for workers, and good for the environment.
