Category Archives: Things I See

The Conversation Continues!

My last posting as part of the ongoing Deep Energy Retrofit #DER conversation regarded a definition of DER.  I made the argument for using a threshold of 30% savings. The specific conversation is in regard to historic homes. There have … Continue reading

Posted in DER, Energy Audit, Energy Use, Financing, Home Improvement, Home Performance, Home Retrofit, Things I See, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Flags: A ‘Let’s Blog Off Post” about Flowers!

Flowers are nice. They indicate that spring is here, winter is over and we can spend more time outside.  The birds chirp, the bees buzz around and the colors are wonderful.  I have memories as a child of flower gardens … Continue reading

Posted in Lets Blog Off, Things I See | 5 Comments

Common Approaches to Heating and Cooling Your Home: Part II

The Traditional Furnace and Air Conditioner Approach Part I of this article can be found here. The traditional furnace burns fossil fuel, either electricity or gas to create heat. The air conditioner is a one way heat pump. Air conditioners … Continue reading

Posted in AFUE, Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Tips, Computer Modeling For Energy Use, Energy Audit, Energy Use, Green, Home Improvement, Home Performance, Industry Best Practices, Saving Money, Things I See | 1 Comment

What Is That on The Soffit? How Do I Get Rid of It?

What is that stuff on the house. It has the appearance is a discolored powder that appears on horizontal surfaces such as soffits or vertical surfaces such as siding, especially near a soffit. You can rub it with your finger … Continue reading

Posted in Air Sealing, Attic, Comfort, Energy Audit, Home Improvement, Home Performance, Industry Best Practices, Infiltration, Insulation, Saving Money, Things I See | 1 Comment

A Cold and Frosty Morning: What might an Energy Auditor Do?

Energy Auditing uses observation and science to determine what is happening in a home related to Energy Usage.  Necessary tools are a good flashlight, a blower door, and some way to record the observations for later analysis. Optional tools, well … Continue reading

Posted in Air Sealing, Attic, Comfort, Home Improvement, Home Performance, Infared Pictures, Infiltration, Insulation, Saving Money, Things I See | 2 Comments

Thursday, Turkey, TV, Friends, Family, Fellowship, Food; a time for all of this and more. My wife will cook most of it.  Bob, as always will do the gravy, Mary will do ‘Grandma’s Pickles’, I get to run to the … Continue reading

Posted in Energy Audit, Home Performance, Things I See, Ventilation | 1 Comment