Home Energy articles from November 1 2001

Home Energy archives from November 1 2001

California's electricity crisis: round 2.(Brief Article)(Editorial)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2001... The good news is that California muddled through the summer with barely a flicker of its lights. How did it happen? Was the crisis a sham? No, the crisis was (is) real, but California benefited from an improbable run of good luck. Everything...

Refrigerator energy guide. (letters).
November 1, 2001... Are the refrigerator ratings on the Home Energy Web site from original Energy Guide labeling or the compilation of lots of field tests? I'm wondering if the numbers are what would be expected when the equipment was new, or if they reflect the...

Cooking water for hot chocolate. (letters).
November 1, 2001... The article "Cooking with Less Gas" (HE May/June '01, p. 34) had some great information on microwave oven energy use, but may have left the reader with some false impressions on microwave efficiency relative to gas appliances. All the...

Evaporative cooler errata. (letters).
November 1, 2001... The "Refreshing Evaporative Coolers," HE, Sept/Oct 2001, p. 20 includes a box entitled "The PG&E Rebate Program" that has three omissions. The rebates that PG&E and other California utilities are offering for certain qualified advanced...

In memoriam.(Bruce McKendry)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
November 1, 2001... Home Energy is saddened to report the passing of Bruce McKendry last August. McKendry produced and distributed the popular tabletop Mad-Air Model, which makes visible the pressure effects that wind and the HVAC system can exert on a house. He...

Corrosion on water heaters. (diagnostics).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Q: I recently read your article on efficient energy-saving water heaters ("Water Heater and Energy Conservation Choices, Choices!" HE, May/June '96, p. 15) which made some interesting points on preventing corrosion. However, in some cases the...

Solar design tools. (software/web).(planning solar energy systems for new houses)
November 1, 2001... Q: As an energy efficiency consultant, I have recently been asked lots of questions about how to calculate expected performance for passive and active solar energy systems in homes. There seems to be new interest in solar power. What are the...

Roll out the radiant barriers. (green building).(roofing study in Florida)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Installing radiant barrier systems reduces cooling bills for Southern homes with composition shingle roofs. A recent study, conducted by the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) for the Florida Power Corporation confirmed the reduction. The study...

Cost-effective efficiency in Houston. (green building).(new house design and construction)
November 1, 2001... Energy efficiency doesn't have to cost more, but it does have to be climate specific. This was the approach we took when we designed the Carbury, an entry level home meant for production building in the Houston suburbs, for Beazer Homes. Here...

Efficient windows replace power plants. (windows).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Solar heat gain through windows is one of the largest components of residential cooling loads. So it's fitting that the most significant new provision of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) is a prescriptive Solar Heat Gain...

Standby for set-top boxes. (appliances).(digital television equipment energy consumption measured)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Set-top boxes have the highest standby power consumption round in home appliances. Thanks to the upcoming change to digital TV formats, many consumers will be forced to either purchase or rent set-top boxes. Consumer Reports (CR) recently...

White House seeks to reduce leaks. (appliances).(standby power use made a purchasing feature)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Last July President Bush signed an executive order requiring government agencies to buy products with standby power that use less than 1 watt. Standby power is energy consumed by appliances while switched off or not performing their primary...

Creating airtight and healthy homes: with the ill effects of poor indoor air quality often in the news these days, it pays to design and build a house that's healthy from the start.
November 1, 2001... After many years of trim and error, a comprehensive approach to residential design has emerged that makes both energy conservation and good indoor air quality (IAQ) achievable in homes. Innovative building scientists have figured out how to...

Built-in community: Pleasant Hill cohousing demonstrates innovations in sustainability.
November 1, 2001... Cohousing communities balance the traditional advantages of home ownership the benefits of shared common facilities and ongoing connections with neighbors. These communities consist of private dwellings with their own kitchens, living-dining...

A small home with big ideas: after ten years, the first Grow Home buyers have made significant improvements on the original simple design--just as the designers planned it.(McGill University housing research works in the field)
November 1, 2001... In June 1990, on the campus of McGill University in Montreal, the Grow Home was born. This slender, two-story, 14-ft-wide and 36-ft-long row house was aimed at an untapped market segment that is largely ignored by builders: low-income renters...

Public housing breaks the mold Part II: Veterans Era Housing: in Part I, we discussed the particular moisture- and air quality-related problems of midrise housing, and we took a close look at two cases. Here we explore issues unique to Veterans Era Housing and present three cases where moisture problems were successfully addressed.
November 1, 2001... Housing built for World War II veterans during the 40's, and 50's poses serious technical, institutional, and health-related challenges for housing managers, policy makers, and residents alike. This housing is easy to identify in the poor...

Weatherization test drives spray sealant.
November 1, 2001... Until recently, duct-sealing methods have not gotten enough attention from building scientists. Aerosol pray sealant offers a relatively new way to seal ducts--one that is becoming commercialized in some parts of the United States (see "Aerosol...

Performance comes home for Steve Thomas.(energy evaluation and remedies in two hundred year old house)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2001... Steve Thomas, host of America's favorite home improvement television program and the ultimate home improvement enthusiast, has embraced the concept of home performance contracting. This conversion took place after home performance contractors...

Tracking energy-efficient installations. (new & reviews).(economic index developed)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... A new economic index has been created to measure activity in the nation's $150 billion remodeling market. The remodeling market index (RMD is produced by the National Association of Home Builders. For the second quarter of 2001, survey...

The silent killer. (news & reviews).(carbon monoxide poisoning prevention)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning in the United States. However, CO poisoning can readily be prevented by inspecting fuel-burning appliances and appropriate ventilation on an annual basis, testing households before...

A big look at wall performance. (news & reviews).(Canada's Institute for Research in Construction)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Canada's Institute for Research in Construction has a new test facility that can monitor and weigh a full-scale wall assembly (2.4 m x 2.4 m), providing useful information about how walls dry out and how to develop effective moisture control...

Certification for remodeling carpenters. (news & reviews).(Certified Remodeling Carpenter)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... The newest addition to the list of National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) certifications is the Certified Remodeling Carpenter (CRC) program. Testing and training will be conducted by current Certified Remodelers who have...

Calendar.(trade show and conference dates)(Brief Article)(Directory)
November 1, 2001... November 1-3 The Remodelers Show, Atlantic City, New Jersey Sponsor: National Association of Home Builders. Contact: Remodelers Show Registration Central. Tel: (800)368-5242, Ext. 8111; Web site: www.remodelersshow.com. November 7-8...