Spotlight Article:
Living Better with Less Energy
At times, the solutions to our problems are hiding in plain sight. Sometimes the hardest part is taking the time to examine things that we assume don’t need to be examined. Consider my ...
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Profiles of Multifamily Weatherization Projects
Weatherizing multifamily buildings can yield substantial savings for both owners and occupants, according to the results of case studies of buildings throughout the country. [continue reading]
Multifamily Retrofit, Southern Style
Multifamily buildings in warm climates often use a lot of electricity for air conditioning, presenting excellent opportunities for energy savings. [continue reading]
"Fix-a-Flat" for Ducts
People who seal ducts for a living are used to crawling in tight, dirty spaces, but even the lean and nimble technician will find sections of duct that are simply inaccessible or not worth the effort. A new method developed at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) is designed to reduce the frustrations of duct sealing, improve sealing capability, and reduce cost, time, and material requirements. [continue reading]
Urethane Foams and Air Leakage Control
Urethane foams can make a major contribution to improving the energy efficiency of buildings when they are used as an air leakage control material or as a component of an air barrier system. [continue reading]
Retrofitting Flooded Homes
In the Great Flood of 1993, more than 10 million acres were inundated by floods that caused more than $12 billion of property damage in the nine states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Missouri. [continue reading]
Don't Throw that Window Out the Window!
There are many ways to retrofit a window. Most strategies involve replacing the glass, frame, and sash with double-paned low-E glass, and a new wood or vinyl frame and sash. [continue reading]
"Superwindow" Retrofits Show Significant Energy Savings
Windows account for a fairly large percentage of the heat loss of houses. Even in new homes built to stringent energy code, windows still account for about 25% of the overall conductive heat loss. [continue reading]
Energy Efficiency and the Floods
Massive flooding in the Midwest devastated lives and property this summer, and in September with the winter heating season fast approaching there was much confusion about how the recovery might occur and what role energy-efficiency would play in reconstruction. [continue reading]
Building Performance Journal Editors
Our Blog Has Moved
Thanks for your interest in contributing a blog to the Building Performance Journal (formerly Home Energy magazine). We’re ...
Jim Gunshinan
Is Energy Efficiency an American Value?
Energy efficiency is good for the economy, good for families, good for workers, and good for the environment.
