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Finding the Whole-House Fan That Fits
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Whole-house fans cool homes very efficiently in many parts of the country. But they have come under fire for creating leaks into the attic, causing potential depressurization problems, and being noisy. [continue reading]

Saving Energy with Reflective Roofs
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In 11 Florida homes with roofs coated with a white material during midsummer, average air conditioning energy use decreased by 8 kWh/day, or 19%. [continue reading]

Efficient Cooling: Making It Happen
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As part of its efforts to promote energy-efficient residential HVAC systems, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) looked into air conditioner sizing. [continue reading]

Homeowners: Who Will Demand Rightsizing?
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Along with conducting detailed load calculations of 40 Sacramento homes, we asked homeowners to complete a brief survey. [continue reading]

Home, Home on the Range Hood
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Exhausting heat and moisture in the summer can keep a house cooler and reduce air conditioning costs. And running a fan whenever someone is cooking will eliminate most water vapor, grease, and combustion products from the kitchen. [continue reading]

Thermostats That Feel the Heat
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Most American thermostats measure only air temperature. But there are numerous other elements that affect thermal comfort, and some of these can be used to turn HVAC equipment on and off. [continue reading]

When Wall Insulation Doesn't Save
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Wall insulation clearly saves heating energy, but does it save cooling energy as well? [continue reading]

Conditioned Attics Save Energy in Hot Climates
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Do homes with vented attics use less cooling energy than homes with unvented, conditioned attics in hot climates? With little formal research available to answer the question, common wisdom and most building codes have favored venting. [continue reading]



Doug Garrett
Code Conflict Between 2012 IRC and 2012 IECC
It has come to my attention that there may be a building science-based conflict in the language of the 2012 International ...


Doug Garrett
Home Performance and HVAC Contractors: Recent Legislative Initiative In Texas
As energy auditors and raters went about their business of testing homes, performing energy audits and HVAC system inspections, they ...
























