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)”
Home Energy Audits: The 411 What are home energy audits, and how much do they usually cost? A variety of approaches, price points and follow-up actions may be chosen. Here is an overview of what to expect when choosing the right audit for your needs. This… Continue reading “Home Energy Audits: The 411”
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”
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”
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: 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”
Building Codes, Efficiency & Passive House Principles On Existing Homes On the Passive House in the Real World (with Mike Duclos) discussion board… Takeaways: Homeowners looking to incorporate Passive House principles in existing buildings should consider getting a home energy audit. Still, after a home is built, serious energy reductions (say 50% to 90%) become very expensive.… Continue reading “Building Codes, Efficiency & Passive House Principles On Existing Homes”
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”
FREE Lecture: High Performance Building Assemblies Take Peter Yost’s Free High Performance Building Assemblies Lecture today. Spend an hour learning about building assemblies with Peter Yost of BuildingGreen. Heat dries them out, so the more we manage energy flows through our building assemblies, the more we need… Continue reading “FREE Lecture: High Performance Building Assemblies”
Maximizing Effectiveness in Sustainable Building Projects The following piece was written by HeatSpring Instructor Ann V. Edminster, M.Arch., LEED AP. Ann will be teaching HeatSpring’s Sustainable Building Advisor (SBA) course in October. Takeaways: While working on zero energy homes, a highly efficient, airtight building enclosure is a must and… Continue reading “Maximizing Effectiveness in Sustainable Building Projects”
Making the Financial Case for Microgrids: Microgrid Executive MBA Training On the Microgrid Executive MBA Training discussion board… Takeaways: The clustering of microgrids creates a new set of considerations for executives. It is worth investigating from a microgrid economics standpoint what other drivers (besides low price or cost to the consumer) may… Continue reading “Making the Financial Case for Microgrids: Microgrid Executive MBA Training”
Moisture Matters in Mastering Building Science The following is a conversation between 4 students and Allison A. Bailes III, Ph.D. from our Mastering Building Science course. Dr. Bailes is the founder and owner of Energy Vanguard in Decatur, Georgia. His academic credentials in physics (BS, MS,… Continue reading “Moisture Matters in Mastering Building Science”
Building Innovation 2015 Offers 32 Continuing Education Units Architects, engineers, installers, contractors, and building science professionals…Read this article to learn more about free online courses and how you can earn 32 AIA credits this January! I met Richard Paradis, Director of Whole Building Design Guide, a branch of… Continue reading “Building Innovation 2015 Offers 32 Continuing Education Units”
Air Barriers vs. Vapor Retarders vs. Drainage Planes: Learn Essential Building Science Specifics in 60-Minutes Building science is complex. It takes time and experience to understand and integrate physics, chemistry, climatology, and ecology into building enclosures. Understanding the complex interplay of heat, air, and moisture flows within and across building enclosures— while paying attention to the… Continue reading “Air Barriers vs. Vapor Retarders vs. Drainage Planes: Learn Essential Building Science Specifics in 60-Minutes”