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Earlier this week I had the pleasure of visiting the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab to listen to a seminar given by Jeremy Fisher and Brennan Less, two research assistants in the Environmental Energy Technologies Division. The seminar, “Residential Deep Energy Retrofits: Monitoring and Performance of 10 California Case Study Homes,” described the current findings of their research—one year after deep retrofits to 10 California homes. [continue reading]
But showing up on time, listening to and responding to your customers’ needs, knocking down obstacles for them, and protecting their homes will get you the rest of the way there. [continue reading]
A German organization has issued a warning about multiple electrical socket outlets. Tests in July by the consumer agency Stiftung Warentest showed more than half of them to be deficient in safety or even a fire hazard. “It’s safer to have a secure, properly done installation, with an adequate number of wall plugs and circuits,” said Hartmut Zander of the Initiative ELEKTRO+, the organization of the electric industry that issued the ... [continue reading]
The following is Part 2 of our conversation with Don Fugler who recently retired after 20+ years of working with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). [continue reading]
I recently had the opportunity to speak with the newly retired Don Fugler. For those of you who don’t know him (probably not many of you seeing as he’s presented nearly 200 times at ACI and other conferences every year since 1985), Don worked for the Policy and Research Division of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the federal agency responsible for housing. He managed projects for CMHC in areas such as indoor ... [continue reading]
You know when you get a new outfit and you can’t stop staring at it? (Oh gosh, I hope that’s not just a “me thing”). Anyway, that’s how I feel about our new website. I just keep clicking all the links to see what’s going to happen next. [continue reading]
The results are in! Published in early May, Home Energy magazine’s annual survey went out to thousands of our readers, both online and in print, who took the time to answer questions about themselves – everything from how their organizations are funded to what online features they’d like Home Energy to include. And we’re happy to report that you all have a lot in common. We have already ... [continue reading]
As a continuation from yesterday's blog post, I'd like to also explain the opportunities we have in hybrid lighting. Modern fixtures present lighting designers with the opportunity to adapt the lighting to the needs of the space. Adjustable features such as open wings allow certain fixtures to throw more light onto a ceiling and flatten the light out evenly, providing even illumination that is ideal for low-ceilinged rooms. [continue reading]
The future of energy-efficient lighting, many experts will tell you, is the solid-state LED (light-emitting diode). You have already begun to see these tiny, bead-like lights in special applications such as traffic signals, exit signs, automotive headlights, and lightweight flashlights. Maybe you have begun to see them in high-end ambient room lighting applications, such as energy-efficient desk lamps and kitchen underlights. "The common view," says Francis Rubinstein, a scientist and energy-efficient lighting expert ... [continue reading]
At the most recent ACI conference that took place in San Francisco, Home Energy had the opportunity to see old friends and, of course, make new ones. Although there were many great conversations had, there were a few people that stuck out to me. One of those people was Corey Breed, founder of Vent Cap Systems. We were trade show floor neighbors and we got to talking. [continue reading]
