Spotlight Article:
Another Solar Myth Bites the Dust
Way back in 1978, I installed my first solar water-heating system. I continued with solar thermal, installing new systems until tax credits expired in 1986, and I kept nearly all the local systems up and running for ...
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A New Guide for Solar Plan Reviewers, Code Inspectors, and Installers
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When an industry grows as fast as solar, it can be challenging for consumers, contractors, and code officials to be in lockstep on the path to a successful installation—from plan review to inspection ... [continue reading]
A Net Zero Energy Home Grows Up: Lessons and Puzzles from Ten Years of Data
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In 2005, Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver teamed up with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to design and build a net zero energy (NZE) home in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. A main goal of the ... [continue reading]
The Big Bounce
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When the sunlight bounces off the roof, where does it go? [continue reading]
Another Solar Myth Bites the Dust
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Way back in 1978, I installed my first solar water-heating system. I continued with solar thermal, installing new systems until tax credits expired in 1986, and I kept nearly all the local systems up and running for ... [continue reading]
Why Don't We Build Better Houses?
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Did you know that the solar house was a popular concept in the 1940s, and that architects like Fred Keck, an American modernist architect based in Chicago, Illinois, could save their clients 30–40% on heating ... [continue reading]
ScanTheSun: A Tool for Solar-Panel Users
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In the ideal case of an individual installation, solar panels are mounted on the southern pitch of a roof of buildings with high insolation. (See “Vocabulary” for the definition of insolation and a ... [continue reading]
A Proposal for Expanded International Collaboration
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We can all benefit from the sharing of knowledge across the construction industries and among countries [continue reading]
Communities Discover Energy Independence
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Many residents today are looking for freedom from mounting electric bills and a way to help the environment. With Standard Solar, they can cut their electric expenses to a fraction of what they once were ... [continue reading]
Jim Gunshinan for Leo Ranier, LBNL
More "Buzz" from ACEEE Summer Study—The Invisible Energy Mortgages in New Homes
You probably never considered the power consumption of those Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter outlets (fondly known as GFCIs) in bathrooms, kitchens, ...
Lindsay Bachman
Two National Brands Join Forces Demonstrating Unity in Home Energy-Efficiency Rating Systems
The Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) and Pearl Certification are now collaborating to ensure that the Home Energy Rating System (...
