Home Energy articles from May 2002

Home Energy archives from May 2002

A modest, useful, Web site. (Editorial).(www.homeenergy.org )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Our Web site enjoys over 1,000 visits per day and is growing 6% per month. This is no Amazon.com, but then we don't sell the latest Britney Spears CD or the hottest MP3 player. What we do offer is a wealth of information about energy...

Blocking attic air leakage. (Letters).
May 1, 2002... Regarding the column "Comfortable Attic Living," from Frustrated in Florida (HE Jan/Feb '02, p. 8): I too had a bonus room with problems. It's over the garage, and two of its walls face the attic. I discovered a problem that you touched upon...

The real thing. (Letters).
May 1, 2002... In the Nov/Dec issue of Home Energy, (p. 5), Monty Van Valkenburgh was asking about ways to free the frozen threads on pipe nipples in water heaters. He may want to try Coca-Cola. It does wonders on corrosion. And to think we even drink the...

Icebox geometry. (Letters).
May 1, 2002... I've read many refrigerator tips and also heard educated people say that the freezer-on-top refrigerators are more efficient than the side-by-side models. Why are the side-by-sides less efficient? Paula Flack Canton Center, Connecticut...

Erratum.(internet)(Abstract)
May 1, 2002... The Web site listed at the end of "Weatherization Show and Tell" (HE Jan/Feb '02, p. 34) contains an error. The Web site for the Weatherization Public Information Campaign is www.waptac-pic.org. The link to the site demonstration model is...

HEED succeeds Solar-5. (Software/Web).(Evaluation)
May 1, 2002... I've had a love-hate relationship with Solar-5, the building performance modeling application, for over a decade. I love its versatile thermal modeling power and stunning graphic output; I hate its awkward data input and file control sequences....

Tankless water heaters. (Green Building).
May 1, 2002... Q: It seems like I waste a lot of water while waiting for the hot water to get to my faucet. I have heard that tankless water heaters can provide instant hot water. How true is this, and can you recommend them? --Impatient in Ohio A:...

Old stucco home seeks new insulation. (Diagnostics).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Q: I have an 80-year-old home in Connecticut that has the original stucco in place but no insulation in the walls. I was wondering how best to add some insulation: blown-in glass or cellulose, foam, or other ideas? Phil Schmidt via the...

Pasadena gets creative. (Utilities).(residents who qualify will receive a free home inspection)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Last fall, more than 1,500 residents of the city of Pasadena, California, received an unusual invitation in their mail. If they responded and were qualified, they would be placed in a lottery to receive a free home inspection and up to $3,000...

REACH teaches Hoosiers how to save energy. (Weatherization).(Residential Energy Assistance Challenge)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... An Indiana study proves that it is better to teach someone how to save energy than it is to pay their bills for a month or two. Indiana's Residential Energy Assistance Challenge (REACH) is part of a national program aimed at helping people who...

Seize the moment. (Weatherization).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Some 25 states have been considering or have passed legislation to restructure electric utilities since California's deregulation in 1996. The infamous 2000/2001 results of California's legislation, which saw energy costs skyrocket, emboldened...

Energy-efficient manufactured homes. (New Construction).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Manufactured homes can be designed to be at least 60% more energy efficient than standard models currently rolling out of factories. That's a bold claim, but some research in North Carolina has the data to back it up. Since December 2000, North...

Fast checks for refrigerant charge? For A/C technicians, new options exist for testing refrigerant charge levels. (HVAC).
May 1, 2002... Air conditioning systems that aren't correctly charged don't work as efficiently or for as long as they otherwise would. Yet incorrectly charged A/C systems are more common than correctly charged ones. Tests of more than 4,000 residential...

Conditioning the A/C technician: a relatively new A/C training system aims to turn A/C technicians into expert diagnosticians. (IAQ).
May 1, 2002... What do you get when you mix an A/C technician, a little bit of training, and no mentoring? According to John Proctor, principal of Proctor Engineering, you get what you deserve: a plague of poorly operating, energy-wasting A/C systems. That's...

Chasing interior ducts: in order for ducts within conditioned spaces to be effective, builders need to establish an effective air barrier around them. (New Construction).
May 1, 2002... Energy efficiency experts agree that minimizing duct leakage is one of the most important energy conservation measures they can take. It provides rapid payback from energy savings and mitigates the health and durability issues associated with...

Sustainability blooms in the Garden State: New Jersey enables builders to improve on resource efficiency. (New Construction).
May 1, 2002... Sustainability and affordability don't occupy the same house often enough--but in New Jersey passion, innovation, and public funding have come together to do the job. New Jersey is one of the first states to legislate resource efficiency into...

Zone pressure diagnostics: a new protocol shows how to make a valuable diagnostic test even more useful. (Diagnostics).
May 1, 2002... Since 1990, zone pressure diagnostics (ZPD) has become an established tool for diagnosing indirect air leakage paths in houses (see "User-Friendly Pressure Diagnostics," HE Sept/Oct '94, p. 19). ZPDs are used to identify and measure series...

Solar water heating up: a wide range of options exist for ready-to-install, readily certified solar water heating systems. To further heat things up, government and utility incentives are expanding. (Utilities).
May 1, 2002... Solar water heating is once again gaining market share, and with good reason. The development of HERS and Energy Star, together with technological refinements, is transforming the way home builders look at water heating options. Complete...

Minnesota mold busting. (Field Notes).(Clean Air Group)
May 1, 2002... The phone calls begin, "We need some mold tested." People call because they think they see mold growing in their homes or offices, and they want to know what kind of mold it is. Many are afraid it is the "black mold" or the "toxic mold." We use...

California gets tough. (News & Reviews).(California Energy Commission adopts strict energy efficiency standards for central air conditioners)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The California Energy Commission has adopted the nation's most rigorous energy efficiency standards for central A/Cs. Commissioner Robert Pernell, chairman of the Commission's Efficiency Committee, says, "California has hurled a challenge to...

Minnesota home package. (News & Reviews).(Center for Energy and Environment offers energy efficiency evaluation to Twin Cities homeowners)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Minnesota's non-profit Center for Energy and Environment has begun offering Twin Cities homeowners an innovative one-step energy service. The basic program, which stresses adequate insulation and alleviation of ice dams, consists of an on-site...

EIA issues U.S. renewable energy maps. (News & Reviews).(Energy Information Administration)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... In January, DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA) completed a series of regional maps that attempt to integrate actual and potential renewable energy resources in each region. Solar, geothermal, and wind energy potentials are presented,...

Arsenic-treated wood banned from the yard. (News & Reviews).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Manufacturers have agreed to a two-year phaseout of the use of an arsenic-based preservative in pressure-treated wood that is widely used for fences, decks, and playground equipment. Arsenic is a known human carcinogen, and the EPA is...

Lucky sevens. (News & Reviews).(Building Science Corporation's Web site,)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The Building Science Corporation's Web site, www.buildingscience.com, has several new features. Look for seven new papers on mold and building science; new Building America Case Studies--seven high performance projects by production builders...

Home from outer space. (News & Reviews).(Stirling Technology Company introduces co-generation system for homes)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 1, 2002... Limited production runs of a new co-generation system for homes in North America are about to begin at Stirling Technology Company, which in the past has produced and tested power generators for use by NASA. Its new demonstration model is said...

PV not a long shot for Long Island. (News & Reviews).(Long Island Power Authority holds second annual Photovoltaic System Lottery)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) recently held its second annual Photovoltaic System Lottery for 50 fortunate homeowners. Schott Applied Power Corporation (SAPC) was selected by LIPA, through a competitive bid, to supply the solar-electric...

Calendar.
May 1, 2002... May 9-11 AIA 2002 National Convention and Expo, Charlotte, North Carolina. Contact: American Institute of Architects, 1735 New York Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006-5292. Tel: (800)AIA-3837; Fax: (202)626-7547; Web site:...