Building Insight

Just A Helpful Tip!

2011-10-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

Discover your saving potential with an online energy audit through Illinois Home Performance.

Visit this link! http://www.illinoishomeperformance.org/

Estimate Your Personal Savings!

2011-10-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

Are you overpaying for your utility bills? Take this easy survey to get an estimate of your home energy report. You'll get an energy score, savings estimate and energy recommendations with the biggest bang for a buck...Take Survey >>

Can Your Home Be Too Tight?

2011-10-17T08:32:00.001-07:00

The airtightness of the building envelope is an important key to understanding the performance of any new house. Uncontrolled air leakage can result in high fuel bills, failure of building components, and increased builder callbacks. As a result, more and more time is being spent by the building trades sealing up new houses in an effort to reduce problems associated with air leakage.Yet at the same time, most builders are continuing to rely on uncontrolled air leakage through holes and cracks in the building envelope to provide adequate ventilation for the occupants. Newspaper articles and trade journals dramatizing indoor air quality problems in new airtight houses have begun to alarm both builders and homeowners. It is not uncommon these days for builders to hear complaints of excess moisture or stale odors in their brand new houses.The question on many builders minds these days is; how tight should I be building my houses? After more than two decades of sealing up houses to make them more energy efficient, many people are wondering whether we've gone too far. The answer may be that we haven't gone far enough... Read More >>

Efficiency First

2011-10-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

Efficiency First is a national nonprofit trade association that unites the Home Performance workforce, building product manufacturers and related businesses and organizations in the escalating fight against global warming and rising energy costs. This website contains a massive database of information regarding the home performance industry...Read More >>

15 Ways to Save a Watt and a Buck

2011-10-17T08:27:00.001-07:00

Times are tough, there’s no doubt about it. We’re facing a convergence of multiple crises, from a warming planet to dwindling fossil fuel reserves to a stumbling economy. Reducing our energy consumption won’t make all these problems disappear overnight, but it can make a big difference. The key is to take action now. To fire you up, here is a list of some of the best energy-saving tips, starting with ones that won’t cost you a penny...Read More >>

Advanced Home Performance

2011-10-17T08:26:00.000-07:00

Advanced Home Performance is a building performance company based in California’s Bay Area. Owner David Wilson is a custom home builder, environmentalist, home energy analyst and home performance contractor with over 40 years in the industry. His blog covers everything from conferences to projects, and it’s worth checking out...Read More >>

10 Quick Ways To Green Your Home

2011-10-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

Many associate a sustainable home with solar panels, expensive floor renovations, various purchases of Energy Star appliances, and other costly investments. But greening your home doesn’t have to be costly and time consuming. Even though pricey investments, like going off the grid, can have great ecological and economics benefits, it’s important to accomplish the basics of going green first. Here are 10 quick and cheap steps you can take to make your home more energy efficient while helping you save money...Read More >>

Energy Efficiency, the Nerdy Brother of Renewables

2011-10-11T16:07:00.000-07:00

The renewable energy business has done a remarkable job at positioning itself in the public psyche as the ‘it girl’ of our era. Just about everyone – politicians, celebrities, major industries – likes to be seen as pro-renewable. But if renewable energy is the girl that everyone wants to be photographed near, energy efficiency is her nerdy tag-along little brother. Ever notice how when politicians say they support renewable energy they quickly throw in the words “and energy efficiency” as if it were a babysitting obligation? Or consider the excitement with which homeowners talk about their recently installed rooftop solar panels. Does anyone wax on like that about new wall insulation? Let’s be honest, renewable energy is colorful, green to be exact. Energy efficiency, well, it’s “smart” energy... Read More >>

10 Ways to Monitor Power Usage

2011-10-11T15:49:00.000-07:00

After a web search of power monitoring systems, we've selected 10 that -- at bare minimum -- are designed to monitor overall electricity consumption. Some systems go beyond to detail where a home or apartment's energy vampires and energy hogs might be lurking, suggest solutions, and even give owners a chance to turn off problem power eaters before they wreak wallet havoc. Are there better ways to make sure we're conserving energy... Read More >>