Zero Energy Homes: Economics, Efficiency & Renewable Energy Integration What are Zero Energy Homes? How are they cost efficient and how do they help significantly lessen energy use? In this $30 course, sustainable building expert Ann Edminster has the answers. This course, designed as an introduction to all things Zero… Continue reading “Zero Energy Homes: Economics, Efficiency & Renewable Energy Integration”
Building Leak Detection and Measurement: Zone Pressure Diagnostics (ZPD) Want complete building leak detection and measurement? Zone Pressure Diagnostics (ZPD) is one of the most powerful analysis tools available…. …and the calculation aid from Residential Energy Dynamics (RED) is the most accurate and easy to use ZPD tool available. This… Continue reading “Building Leak Detection and Measurement: Zone Pressure Diagnostics (ZPD)”
Heat Recovery Ventilation Considerations in Zero Net Energy Homes Marc Rosenbaum discusses heat recovery ventilation considerations for zero net energy homes on the Zero Net Energy Homes course discussion board… Exhaust-only ventilation home health concerns Student 1: Do you know of any potential health impacts from living in a depressurized space–… Continue reading “Heat Recovery Ventilation Considerations in Zero Net Energy Homes”
Venting About Ventilation There is much debate within the building science community about how much ventilation is enough. Building science as a discipline has to deal with a lot of messy, noisy data, entrenched mythologies, and strong tendencies towards confirmation bias. On the… Continue reading “Venting About Ventilation”
HVAC Engineering: Chilled Floors + Humidity On the Integrated HVAC Engineering discussion board, expert Robert Bean answers questions about chilled floors and humidity considerations and air mixing… Student 1: Chilled floors seems like a great idea, and if you’re going to do a radiant system,… Continue reading “HVAC Engineering: Chilled Floors + Humidity”
8 Factors in Building Safe Double Stud Wall Cavities With Cellulose On the Passive House in the Real World discussion board… Expert instructor Mike Duclos discusses key factors to building double stud wall cavities (packed with Cellulose) safely Student 1: Hi Everyone, I’m excited to get started! I’m interested in looking into wall… Continue reading “8 Factors in Building Safe Double Stud Wall Cavities With Cellulose”
What’s the Difference Between Energy and Heat Recovery Ventilators? On the Mastering Building Science discussion board, Allison A. Bailes III, PhD asks students: What is the difference between an ERV and an HRV? Allison A. Bailes III, PhD: In the homework, I asked, “What is the difference between an… Continue reading “What’s the Difference Between Energy and Heat Recovery Ventilators?”
The Emerging Importance of Carbon Dioxide for Healthy IAQ Twenty years ago a colleague gave me a portable carbon dioxide (CO2) monitor to use during my training sessions. These sessions were often in small, inadequately ventilated rooms loaded with too many breathing trainees. Tony suggested that I try to… Continue reading “The Emerging Importance of Carbon Dioxide for Healthy IAQ”
Infrared Thermography as a Quality Control Method for Foamed-in-Place Insulation – Injection Method Updated from the original printing in SPIE Vol. 1094 Thermosense XI (1989) Since November of 1985, FOAM-TECH has been utilizing an I.S.I. Model 91 Videotherm Camera to quality control the installation of foamed in-place (injected) polyurethane and polyisocyanurate insulation. Monitoring… Continue reading “Infrared Thermography as a Quality Control Method for Foamed-in-Place Insulation – Injection Method”
Air, Thermal, Vapor & Water Control Layers in Wall Assembly On the Mastering Building Science discussion board… Allison A. Bailes III, Ph.D. answers student questions about air, thermal, vapor and water control layers in wall assembly. Student 1: I’m going to repeat what’s been said about the control layers in my… Continue reading “Air, Thermal, Vapor & Water Control Layers in Wall Assembly”
Leaders in High Performance Building: Best Green Energy Efficient Custom Home of 2015 At HeatSpring, we celebrate innovative builders and designers who work to improve the overall quality and performance of public and residential buildings… Our Leaders in High Performance Building Giveaway was created for those who have helped plan, design, construct, and/or operate a high performance building. Entrants… Continue reading “Leaders in High Performance Building: Best Green Energy Efficient Custom Home of 2015”
Two New Free Lectures on Healthier Homes and Buildings Enroll in Two New Free Lectures on Healthier Homes and Buildings Carbon Monoxide: What We Do Not Know Can Hurt Us‘ and ‘Green, Healthy & Profitable Buildings and Homes‘ In his free ‘Carbon Monoxide: What We Do Not Know Can Hurt… Continue reading “Two New Free Lectures on Healthier Homes and Buildings”
Leaders in High Performance Building: Addition & Full Gut Renovation At HeatSpring, we celebrate innovative builders and designers who work to improve the overall quality and performance of public and residential buildings… Our Leaders in High Performance Building Giveaway was created for those who have helped plan, design, construct, and/or operate a high performance building. Entrants… Continue reading “Leaders in High Performance Building: Addition & Full Gut Renovation”
Robert Bean on Fluid-Based System Concerns in HVAC Engineering On the Integrated HVAC Engineering Discussion Board… Robert Bean discusses losing boiler efficiency, vs. losing radiator efficiency, cycling a boiler to maintain average temperature in a system, using 3 way mixing valve (instead of a circulator) to control the temperature of the on the load… Continue reading “Robert Bean on Fluid-Based System Concerns in HVAC Engineering”
Health & Well-Being through Architecture, Building Science & HVAC Design Playing with Fire: Homeostasis and Alliesthesia Considerations in Architecture, Building Science and HVAC Design Copyright © Robert Bean, R.E.T., P.L.(Eng.) for HeatSpring Most people employed in the world of architecture, building science and HVAC understand the need for spaces which are… Continue reading “Health & Well-Being through Architecture, Building Science & HVAC Design”
HeatSpring’s Leaders in High Performance Building Giveaway! At HeatSpring, we celebrate innovative builders and designers who work to improve the overall quality and performance of public and residential buildings… Our Leaders in High Performance Building Giveaway was created for those who have helped plan, design, construct, and/or operate a high performance building. Entrants… Continue reading “HeatSpring’s Leaders in High Performance Building Giveaway!”
Get Building Before NESEA’s BuildingEnergy NYC 2015 BuildingEnergy NYC 2015 “BuildingEnergy NYC is a rapidly growing, cross-disciplinary conference that offers practical, hands-on solutions to the financial, environmental, legal, and maintenance challenges facing NYC building owners and practitioners in every neighborhood and borough. Conceived in 2012 and nearly… Continue reading “Get Building Before NESEA’s BuildingEnergy NYC 2015”
Free Tool: Water and Hot Water Usage Estimator Download Andy Shapiro‘s FREE Water and Hot Water Usage Estimator! This tool is used in Building Energy Analytics: Measuring and Understanding Building Energy Use course, approved for 10 AIA LU/HSW Credits , 15 Building Performance Institute (BPI) CEUs , 6 GBCI credits (CE Hours for… Continue reading “Free Tool: Water and Hot Water Usage Estimator”
Principles of Deep Energy Retrofits: Homes & Buildings Principles Underpinning Deep Energy Retrofits (DER) of Both Homes and Non-residential Buildings In this article, Marc Rosenbaum discusses… Examples of both Home and Non-Residential Building retrofits Upgrades to energy and mechanical systems in older buildings Heating cost and air quality… Continue reading “Principles of Deep Energy Retrofits: Homes & Buildings”
The Layers and Pathways of Heat Flow in Buildings In this article, you will learn… How heat flows layer-by-layer through a building assembly made of multiple materials Series and Parallel pathways and the varying ease of heat flow between two different pathways, like the framing of a wall or an insulated cavity… Continue reading “The Layers and Pathways of Heat Flow in Buildings”