The Most Stringent Building Energy Standard in the World

May 9th, 2014

Passive House (Passivhaus in German) is the most stringent building energy efficiency standard in the world.  It is not just an energy code or energy design but is integrated with the architectural design of the building to create a wholistic approach to reducing the building’s heating losses and thus decrease the need for expensive mechanical heating equipment.  The end result is a house that has a drastically reduced ecological footprint (low carbon emissions), along with superior comfort and indoor air quality.

According to Passive House Alliance United States, buildings that meet this standard use 80 percent less energy than conventional buildings.  Specifically this is achieved through maximizing your gains and minimizing your losses.  The process begins with strategic design and planning to test “what if” scenarios using certified passive house software.  During this process specific climate, siting and sizing is performed to ensure things like windows being positioned to maximize solar gain.  Passive house construction uses roughly twice the insulation value of modern code and great care to ensure that the building has no breaks in the thermal envelope.  Blower-door air leakage testing is an important component of passive house construction as the standard requires very low leakage to the exterior (0.6 air changes per hour at 50 pascals).  Advanced windows and doors are also used to minimize air leakage.

Now that the house is nice and air tight an Energy Recovery Ventilator is used to provide adequate, filtered fresh air for the home.  An ERV has the advantage of recycling indoor energy by passing that energy to incoming air further decreasing the heating load on the house.  The decreased heating load on the house makes the use of alternative energy to power your building much more attainable and cost effective.

Content from: http://www.phaus.org/learn/passive-house-education/what-is-passive-house-

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The Importance of Air Sealing Attic Penetrations

April 30th, 2014
Can light sealing by CAZ Energy Services. Photo: Hunter Hassig

Many times when homeowners are looking at home improvement solutions for cold spots or high energy bills they think insulation. While insulating your attic and crawl space sub-floor up to code standards is very important for whole home comfort and energy efficiency it is insufficient on its own. This is because in almost every home there are numerous holes in the ceilings that allow air to move freely between your attic space and the conditioned living space of your home. Insulation is a thermal barrier NOT an air barrier. To further illustrate this think of insulation as a sweatshirt. It will keep you warm on a calm day but on a windy one you will need a wind breaker or rain jacket to stay comfortable. Air sealing those holes in your ceiling that lead to the attic creates a consistent, level air barrier that acts as a wind breaker for your home.

Where exactly are these holes? According to The Homeowners’ and Trades Resource Center the three most common areas are wiring penetrations, plumbing penetrations and where your drywall meets up with the framing. Some other trouble areas include soffits, dropped ceilings, chases, vents, exhausts, bath fans, recessed lighting (ie. can lights), and ductwork in your attic. In order to seal small holes like those around bath fans, use silicone caulk or expandable foam. To seal bigger gaps like those found in dropped ceilings and soffits, use rigid foam or drywall (depending on local code) to bring that area to the same level as the rest of the attic and then seal around it with foam or caulk. Sealing these holes will not only save you money on your utility bills but will lead to a more even temperature in the house and many times improve indoor air quality as well.

Some content from: http://blog.sls-construction.com/2011/air-sealing-attic-penetrations

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Surprising Facts About Indoor Air Quality

March 24th, 2014

11 surprising facts about indoor air quality [Infographic]

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Air Ducts: Out of Sight, Out of Mind

March 18th, 2014


Your air ducts are one of the most important systems in your home, and if the ducts are poorly sealed or insulated they are likely contributing to higher energy bills.
Your home’s duct system is a branching network of tubes in the walls, floors, and ceilings; it carries the air from your home’s furnace and central air conditioner to each room. Ducts are made of sheet metal, fiberglass, or other materials.

Ducts that leak heated air into unheated spaces can add hundreds of dollars a year to your heating and cooling bills. Insulating ducts in unconditioned spaces is usually very cost-effective. If you are installing a new duct system, make sure it comes with insulation.

Sealing your ducts to prevent leaks is even more important if the ducts are located in an unconditioned area such as an attic or vented crawlspace. If the supply ducts are leaking, heated or cooled air can be forced out of unsealed joints and lost. In addition, unconditioned air can be drawn into return ducts through unsealed joints.

Although minor duct repairs are easy to make, qualified professionals should seal and insulate ducts in unconditioned spaces to ensure the use of appropriate sealing materials.

MINOR DUCT REPAIR TIPS
  • Check your ducts for air leaks. First, look for sections that should be joined but have separated and then look for obvious holes.
  • Duct mastic is the preferred material for sealing ductwork seams and joints. It is more durable than any available tape and generally easier for a do-it-yourself installation. Its only drawback is that it will not bridge gaps over ¼ inch. Such gaps must be first bridged with web-type drywall tape or a good quality heat approved tape.
  • If you use tape to seal your ducts, avoid cloth-backed, rubber adhesive duct tape — it tends to fail quickly. Instead, use mastic, butyl tape, foil tape, or other heat-approved tapes. Look for tape with the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) logo.
  • Remember that insulating ducts in the basement will make the basement colder. If both the ducts and the basement walls are not insulated, consider insulating both. Water pipes and drains in unconditioned spaces could freeze and burst if the heat ducts are fully insulated be-cause there would be no heat source to prevent the space from freezing in cold weather. However, using an electric heating tape wrap on the pipes can prevent this. Check with a professional contractor.
  • Hire a professional to install both supply and return registers in the basement rooms after converting your basement to a living area.
  • Be sure a well-sealed vapor barrier exists on the outside of the insulation on cooling ducts to prevent moisture condensation.
  • If you have a fuel-burning furnace, stove, or other appliance or an attached garage, install a carbon monoxide (CO) monitor to alert you to harmful CO levels.
  • Be sure to get professional help when doing ductwork. A qualified professional should always perform changes and repairs to a duct system.
INSTALL A CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR

Carbon monoxide (CO) detectors are required in new buildings in many states. They are highly recommended in homes with fuel-burning appliances such as natural gas furnaces, stoves, ovens, water heaters, and space heaters. An alarm signals if CO reaches potentially dangerous levels.

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Light Bulb Buying Guide

March 14th, 2014

Before energy saving light bulbs were so readily available, we would purchase light bulbs based on how many watts or how much energy they used. With newer light bulbs you can achieve the same level of brightness for while using up to 80% less power. When shopping for bulbs today, look for lumens not watts. Light bulbs usually include a label on the packaging.

On the ‘Lighting Facts’ you will see how many lumens (the measure of brightness), the estimated yearly cost of energy to use this light bulb, the lifespan, and the color tint of the bulb. Warm is a yellowish color, while cool is more blue. You can see that in this example only 13 watts of energy are used, however, if you are used to using 60 watt bulb then this 800 lumens will provide the same amount of light using only 21.7% as much energy.

For more information on buying the right kind of bulb, or lumens-to-watts conversion, check out this informational video.

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Sick Building Syndrome

March 11th, 2014

Do you value the health of your employees? More and more office employees are complaining about sick business syndrome (sbs). The EPA defines the term as ” situations in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified. ” Causes and contributing factors can be linked to inadequate ventilation, chemical contaminants from indoor and outdoor sources.

Symptoms include irritated eyes, headaches, inability to concentrate, and lack of energy. Avoiding these symptoms can result in wasted company time and poor quality of life for your employees.

So how do you fix these issues? Talk to a professional about the
symptoms of your building and how best to resolve them.

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Everything You Need To Know About Home Heating

February 25th, 2014

Infographic by Sarah Gerrity, Energy Department.

Source: http://energy.gov/articles/energy-saver-101-infographic-home-heating

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Making the Invisible Visible

February 21st, 2014

Melissa Ulbricht Aug 19, 2013
Often, when homeowners make improvements to an existing house, the most important aspects of home performance – including safety, comfort, energy efficiency, durability, and environmental impact – are literally invisible during key steps of any home sale or refinance transaction.
One result is that energy efficiency investments are overlooked or inaccurately valued at the time of a home sale. The key to making these investments visible to everyone involved in a home sale – including appraisers, Realtors®, buyers, and sellers – is standardized documentation and consistent communication across the energy efficiency and real estate industries.

A new paper from CNT Energy and National Home Performance Council shows how proper documentation, verification, and standardization of energy efficiency improvements can add value to a home that owners can recoup at sale.

The paper provides a blueprint and outlines seven steps the energy efficiency industry must take to unlock the value of efficiency in the real estate market:

Unlocking the Value of an Energy Efficient Home

  1. Consistently document energy efficiency improvements
  2. Ensure data is incorporated into the appraisal process
  3. Work with the real estate community to reflect these improvements in local for-sale listings
  4. Capitalize on existing education and training opportunities
  5. Report on the growing inventories of energy efficient homes
  6. Develop standardized IT solutions
  7. Work with partner financial institutions

The outcome is that energy efficient features become visible and can be accurately valued when a home is sold. This lays the groundwork for a virtuous cycle in which homeowners are eager to invest in energy efficiency improvements because they know that they can recover some or all of their investments at the time of the home sale.

The full paper is available online at  www.cntenergy.org/media/Unlocking_Value_2013.pdf

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Clean Air Plants for Your Home

February 11th, 2014

Projects like installing new carpet and painting walls can release chemicals that pollute indoor air. Luckily, some houseplants moonlight as efficient purifiers. For the best results, put as many plants as you can care for in the rooms you use most, says environmental scientist Dr. Bill Wolverton. That means you’ll want at least two plants (in 10- to 12-inch pots) per 100 square feet of space; if you’re in the middle of major renovations, aim for more plants. One tip: Be sure not to overwater, as too much soil moisture can lead to mold growth.

Here are 10 smart options you can buy at your local nursery. To learn more, pick up Wolverton’s new book, “Plants: Why You Can’t Live Without Them” (Roli Books; $25).

Article by This Old House
Read More This Old House

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Got Mold?

February 7th, 2014

Mold grows where there is moisture. If you have mold or mildew problems in your home, it is likely the result of poor ventilation and leaks in windows, heating ducts, plumbing, roofs or moist air getting in from the crawl.

It’s important to promptly rid your home of mold and to fix the cause so that it does not come back. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention lists

Under the EPA’s Ten Things You Should Know About Mold they advise homeowners to reduce humidity to between 30 and 60% to decrease mold growth. By venting bathrooms and other areas where moisture is generated to the exterior of the house- not the attic- you reduce the chance that occupant generated moisture is the cause.

However, some homes will bring in and create their own moisture due to leaky floors, walls and ceilings. In these cases, its best to consult a professional and look to having a pressure test performed on your home.

If you are concerned that your are currently being exposed to mold you should first consult your health care provider.Then Ask An Expert to see what steps you should take to eliminating mold and other problems with your home.

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