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Diagnostics

Auditing

Spotlight Article:

Bailey Family Earns Bragging Rights

Our attempt to improve the energy efficiency of our home began in 2008, after the electrical portion of our utility bill soared over $400. We had long been resigned to a steep energy bill, in part because ...

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Duct Leakage: How Much

Author: John Proctor

free CONTENT

January 01, 2001

Q:Is there a standard for energy-efficient ducts? I was called to a home built in 1955 that is under a warranty from a recent sale. The customer wanted us to “fix the ducts.” ... [continue reading]

Refrigerator Monitoring, A Sequel

Author: Larry Kinney

free CONTENT

September 01, 2000

How briefly can you monitor refrigerator energy use and still get valid results? Home Energy takes another look at this timely topic. [continue reading]

Energy Ratings for Rental Units

Author: Kathleen Greely

free CONTENT

July 01, 2000

If a property’s energy use were made visible, would that be sufficient incentive to convince landlords to invest in energy-efficient capital improvements? That’s the question ... [continue reading]

Weather Data Getting Cloudy

Author: Joe Huang

archive CONTENT

September 01, 1999

In the last two decades, researchers have relied increasingly on computer programs such as DOE-2 and BLAST to analyze building energy use. For example, simulations can be used to extrapolate building energy performance from limited measured energy data, or to weather normalize predicted savings in energy management or shared savings contracts. [continue reading]

Calculating Water Heater Energy Use

Author: Steven Bodzin

archive CONTENT

July 01, 1999

Have you ever wanted to calculate how much energy a water heater would use annually in a given household? To make this task easier, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has developed a straightforward equation that produces results close to those of simulation programs--without their baffling complexity. [continue reading]

Program Assesses Contractor Work in California

Author: Scott Matthews

archive CONTENT

May 01, 1999

A new project will use building diagnostic equipment and techniques to assess the installation quality of energy features in new California homes. [continue reading]

Home Energy Audits--Only a Web Site Away

Author: Helen Hunter

archive CONTENT

November 01, 1998

Fifteen forward-looking utilities are offering their residential customers a chance to perform energy audits on their own homes, any time of the day, for free. The customers can simply go to the utility's Web site, enter their utility account number, and spend 30 minutes answering questions on-line about their home, appliances, and usage patterns. [continue reading]

Massachusetts Audits: MORE SMILES THAN SAVINGS

Author: Sandy Cataldo

archive CONTENT

July 01, 1998

Massachusetts is the hold-out. When the federal Residential Conservation Service law expired in 1990, most states got rid of mandatory home energy audits. But a 1980 state law still requires Massachusetts electric and gas utilities to provide home energy audits to customers on demand, paid for by a surcharge on energy bills. [continue reading]