Clik here to view.
Insulating Stud Cavities in Existing Homes
Subtitle: Should you choose cellulose, blown-in fiberglass, or injection foam? Images: I was about to launch into an article on insulating empty wall cavities in an older house when I realized that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ventilation Requirements for Weatherized Homes
Subtitle: Is the ASHRAE 62.2 ventilation standard too complex and expensive? Images: I went to school with Cajuns in south Louisiana, and fights were a big deal. They happened frequently, and when...
View ArticleClik here to view.
After a Bumpy Start, a Passivhaus Success Story
Subtitle: Sometimes it’s hard to find the right experts for a green remodeling project Images: In 2006, when we bought our house in Mamaroneck, New York, it was all about location: views on Mamaroneck...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Good Time for Energy Audits and Weatherization
Subtitle: The best time to think about an energy audit is when few other people are thinking of one Images: Wait a second. Spring has barely sprung, and you’re saying we need to start thinking about...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Energy Upgrades for Beginners
Subtitle: Advice for homeowners: to improve the energy performance of an older house, start with a thorough inspection Images: Owners of older homes often contact GBAGreenBuildingAdvisor.com and ask,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
My First Energy Audit
Subtitle: This old house was so leaky that the blower door couldn’t depressurize it to 50 pascals Images: I conducted my first paid energy auditing gig a few months after I’d completed the Maine State...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Weatherization Funding Has Been Slashed
Subtitle: After trumpeting a huge increase in federal funding for the weatherization assistance program in 2008, most news sources have ignored recent deep cuts in the program Images: On February 17,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why Weatherization Isn’t Enough
Subtitle: It’s hard to reduce residential energy consumption without paying attention to house size and plug loads Images: Ask almost any building performance expert what you should do first to cut...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Plugging Air Leaks Would Save Billions
Subtitle: Researchers say that bringing U.S. homes to a uniform level of airtightness could save $33 billion in energy costs annually Images: Bringing all U.S. homes to airtightness levels spelled out...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Deep Energy Retrofits Are Often Misguided
Subtitle: It’s time for energy retrofit specialists to overcome their prejudice against PV systems Images: All through the 1980s and 1990s, a small band of North American believers worked to maintain...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How an Efficiency Program Killed My Business
Subtitle: Utility-sponsored rebate programs encourage small jobs — and contractors are discovering that it’s hard to build a successful business on small jobs Images: Note to Homeowners: This article...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Designing a ‘One Knob’ Incentive Program
Subtitle: A proposal for a better way for utilities to subsidize energy-efficiency upgrades Images: Author's note: This series is aimed at the home performance industry. My company values...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ Fallacy
Subtitle: Small weatherization jobs that aim to pick the ‘low-hanging fruit’ seldom deliver remarkable results Images: First, a definition. The phrase “energy efficiency programs” (or just “programs”)...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hard Truths of Home Performance
Subtitle: Residential energy retrofit work isn’t cost-effective Images: If you've been reading my blogs, you know that I have learned some hard truths. You read the warts-and-all implosion story of my...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Program Details of the One Knob Proposal
Subtitle: Can we envision a better incentive program for residential energy-efficiency improvements? Images: Has your experience working with an energy-efficiency program felt like the scene depicted...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Blows Against Two Carbon Reduction Strategies
Subtitle: Environmental groups challenge assumptions used to justify biomass fuel while economists lambaste federal weatherization program Images: Two important underpinnings of government efforts to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is Weatherization Cost-Effective?
Prime: prime Subtitle: A recent study claims that weatherization measures cost more than they’re worth — but the study’s analysis is flawed Images: A recent paper on the cost-effectiveness of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
GBA Prime Sneak Peek: Is Weatherization Cost-Effective?
Subtitle: A recent study claims that weatherization measures cost more than they’re worth — but the study’s analysis is flawed Images: GBAGreenBuildingAdvisor.com Prime subscribers have access to many...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Retrofits versus Reductions
Subtitle: It’s possible to achieve significant energy savings without a deep energy retrofit Images: Anyone who is contemplating a deep energy retrofit has to consider multiple approaches and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Weatherization Assistance Program: Getting the Facts Straight
Subtitle: A synthesis of studies shows that weatherization saves families an average of nearly $300 a year and cuts carbon pollution Images: Years of hard work collecting and analyzing an enormous set...
View Article
