EnergyStar® Version 3 means new responsibilities for raters

As the federal government handed out stimulus funds a few years ago, it required that the states receiving the money would comply with a stricter energy efficiency building code in the future. Specifically that code was the International Energy Conservation Code of 2009 (2009 IECC). This code is doing a lot to raise the bar in the energy efficiency practices of our construction industry.

Duct Leakage: Air Leakage on Steroids!

Imagine paying for the electricity to run an air pump that delivers about 1200 cubic feet per minute of air.  Now, imagine that the pump is taking air that is about 110 degrees Fahrenheit (And, yes, you have paid for the natural gas to heat up that air, too!) and pumping it from the inside [...]

Inexpensive Energy Saving Measures that Work

Okay, we’ve all heard the common energy savings tips such as switching our light bulbs from incandescent to compact fluorescents, weather stripping our doors and windows, buying Energy Star® appliances, and the like. Certainly these are important measures to implement…a great place to start. We encourage you all to follow them. But building science has [...]