2024 Green building advisor - Rigid foam insulation is routinely used in high-performance buildings, but it also seems to attract carpenter ants. By Scott Gibson | March 28, 2016. Ants seem to like rigid foam, as this perforated sheet of insulation seems to show. Builders have tried a number of preventive measures to keep insects at bay, but some …

 
A typical two-stage condensing gas furnace has a turn-down ratio of less than 2:1. With most of these furnaces, the low-fire output is still 60% or more of the high-fire output. When a furnace with a low-fire rating of 60% is oversized by a factor of 1.7, you could cover 99% of the building’s heating needs at low fire.. Green building advisor

If it's plank sheathing in pretty good shape, with at least 3/8" (10mm) between the sheathing and brick it should be relatively safe to insulate the 2x4 bays with a full fill of open cell spray polyurethane foam. That yields about R13 at center cavity, or about R10 "whole-wall" after installing the gyprock.Green is often less expensive when all things are considered. Sustainable building often seems more expensive than conventional building. Many of the building materials that make houses more durable and easier to heat and cool aren’t cheap. Complicated systems that allow a certain amount of energy independence–photovoltaic …Mar 25, 2016 · Maybe you are building a new home with an unconditioned vented attic. The house is framed, sheathed, and roofed. The drywall contractors have finished their work, so now you’re ready to insulate the attic floor. If you are an owner-builder, this may be the first time you’ve done this. So what do you need to know? The embodied carbon associated with a building refers to the greenhouse gases emitted during the manufacturing of products and materials used to construct it. These emissions differ from those generated during the building’s operations i.e., operational emissions. As our buildings become more energy efficient, the portion of …The SANCO2 split-system heat pump water heater offers benefits that include energy efficiency, low-GWP refrigerants, and the possibility in some situations to provide space heating. Over the last couple of years, there’s been a lot of buzz about the SANCO2, a newer type of air-source heat-pump water heater (HPWH) from ECO2 Systems.This article is designed to help contractors and homeowners think about the most efficient ways to create comfortable, long-lasting basement floors while avoiding some common problems. It also explores different flooring products and subfloor methods. While the focus is basements, many of these tips and …Introducing the 120-volt Plug-in Heat Pump Water Heater. Geothermal heat pumps have a reputation for being efficient and “green”; is it deserved? In contrast, feedback from owner experience, and substantiated by discussion on industry boards and forums, paints a less flattering picture of the realities of geothermal.Potential for pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is defined as the chemical decomposition of wood or coal by the application of heat alone in the absence of oxygen. In short, it is the repeated heating of wood resulting in its changed chemistry and ignition temperature. Typically, this process happens over a long period of time and includes many cycles of ...GreenBuildingAdvisor. @GreenBuildingAdvisor 2.94K subscribers 62 videos. More about this channel. greenbuildingadvisor.com. Home. Videos. Playlists. Community. Channels. …Gregg is renovating his 50-year-old house in Wisconsin and trying to devise the best way of insulating exterior walls from the outside. The house was built conventionally, with 2x4 walls, fiberglass batt insulation, fiberboard sheathing, and hardboard siding. He plans to tear off both siding and sheathing and remove the …Green Building Advisor. Blogs. Musings of an Energy Nerd; Product Guide; Q&A Spotlight; Building Science; Green Building News; BS* + Beer; Energy-Smart ... Become a GBA Prime member and get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field. Start free trial. Related Questions. Certainteed …1. Adhere 1 inch R-Tech (R value 3.85) or 1 ½ (R value 5.78) EPS Rigid Foam to the interior of the concrete foundation walls (ranging in height from 18 to 48 inches – see pic). 2. Spray 2 inch coat of closed cell spray foam at top of EPS board to cover exposed top portion of concrete foundation wall.If you want to improve the energy performance of an older house, one of the first steps is to plug your attic air leaks. Although many GBA articles address aspects of attic air sealing, no single article provides an overview of the topic. This article is an attempt to provide that missing overview. I’ll try to explain how you …The embodied carbon associated with a building refers to the greenhouse gases emitted during the manufacturing of products and materials used to construct it. These emissions differ from those generated during the building’s operations i.e., operational emissions. As our buildings become more energy efficient, the portion of …Dec 27, 2023 · According to principal Matthew Fine, the feasibility of building six identical high-performance homes on a single parcel was never in question. What was in question, however, was achieving such a feat “at an affordable level.”. The homes themselves are “fairly modest” and “contextually appropriate,” Fine says. The should match the 99% and 1% design temperatures from ASHRAE, which are also given in Table 1A in Manual J from ACCA. If the 1% summer design temperature is 91°F, as in Atlanta, a Manual J report showing that the load calculation was done with 97°F will result in an oversized air conditioner. Actually, even if the load …When I posted the lead photo on LinkedIn a few days ago, Houston home builder Dave Yelovich gave his solution for fixing the wall: High-density R-15 batt in the kneewall after sealing any gaps. Install OSB over it and run it 16 in. above the top plate to create insulation dams. Add some blown-in over the top.This system not including wood burning stove will cost us around 25,000. 2) air to air heat pump (4 heads) propane boiler for radiant floors and hot water. We also will have 45 BTU wood burning stove- hearthstone. this system will cost us around $40,000 not incuding wood burning stove.Rigid foam insulation is routinely used in high-performance buildings, but it also seems to attract carpenter ants. By Scott Gibson | March 28, 2016. Ants seem to like rigid foam, as this perforated sheet of insulation seems to show. Builders have tried a number of preventive measures to keep insects at bay, but some …Aug 6, 2021 · First, some definitions. There are at least four kinds of slab foundations: A thickened-edge slab, also known as a monolithic slab, integrates the footing and the slab in a way that allows all of the concrete to be placed at the same time. The perimeter footing of a thickened-edge slab isn’t very deep. [Image credit: Martin Holladay] That will deflect water away from accumulating in the window wells. Secure them down so they don't blow away (e.g., with tent stakes). 5. Remember the importance of grading. Slope away from the foundation in all directions to avoid water pooling at the foundation perimeter. Check during intense or long rainy periods.Vapor Control for Continuous Insulation – Zone 6. Looking to install continuous insulation with no cavity insulation on a tiny residential home in Zone 6. My question is, do I need a vapor barrier between the insulation and sheathing, or am I good with just taping and sealing the joints in the polyiso? thanks! Building Science Introducing the 120-volt Plug-in Heat Pump Water Heater. The good news is the model can save thousands of dollars. The downside is limited backup heat, which could mean running out of hot water. Both of these bulbs currently retail for $13.99. Analyzing the entire Energy Star dataset for LED general-purpose replacement bulbs (9) in the A19 (standard medium screw-in bulb) form factor, the LED filament bulbs have an average efficiency of 109 lm/W. The conventional bulbs (everything else in the dataset) average to 76.5 lm/W.Navigating the decision-making process to ensure the best performance of a home can be challenging. We need to balance allocation of resources between 1. load reduction—which primarily involves upgrading the thermal enclosure—2. conversion from fossil fuel–powered to electrically powered systems, and 3. implementation of renewable …Directly under the snow, the top few inches of soil might be 15°F. Two feet lower, the soil temperature might be 32°F. At 5 feet below grade, the soil temperature might be 40°F. Under the basement slab, the soil temperature might be 50°F or 55°F. Now let's look at the foundation wall.This is the short answer as to why the new building codes are increasing requirements for continuous insulation. The 2012 IECC will require R-20 or R13+5 for Climate Zones 3, 4, and 5, and it requires R20+5 or R15+10 for Climate Zones 6, 7, and 8. [Editor’s note: In some climates, the “R20+5” approach is not …Insulate the hatch – Cut foam board to 1/2″ less than the size of the hatch on each side. Foil-faced polyiso is the greenest and best-performing of the rigid foam options. Apply a bead of foam-compatible …BuildingGreen is the essential source where trusted insight resides, knowledge is shared, unparalleled education takes place, and thought leaders interact in transforming the sustainable building movement. Armando Cobo is a zero-energy custom home designer, trainer, and building consultant with over 35 years of experience. Armando designs following the guidelines of DOE’s Zero Energy Ready Home program, The Building America Program, Build Green New Mexico, California’s Title 24, National Home Builders Association’s Green Building Program, and LEED for Homes, among others. The cost is about twice that of fiberglass insulation, Cloarec said: $1.80 per square foot for 3 1/2-inch panels, $2.40 for 5 1/2-inch panels, and $3 for the 8-inch material (all prices are in Canadian dollars and do not include shipping). Hemp insulation has many advantages, Cloarec said. If it gets wet, it can be removed …Green Building Advisor. Blogs. Musings of an Energy Nerd; Product Guide; Q&A Spotlight; Building Science; Green Building News; BS* + Beer; Energy-Smart Details ... expect to pay between $1.10 and $1.20 a square foot. More information here: New Green Building Products — September 2010. GBA Editor Martin Holladay | Mar 04, 2013 …If you want to improve the energy performance of an older house, one of the first steps is to plug your attic air leaks. Although many GBA articles address aspects of attic air sealing, no single article provides an overview of the topic. This article is an attempt to provide that missing overview. I’ll try to explain how you …Conditions would be similar to those of Virginia, not especially harsh. But what Matsuzawa is learning about local building practices is giving him pause for thought. “Here is an overview of what I have learned of walls in Japan,” Matsuzawa writes in a Q&A post at GreenBuildingAdvisor. “The standard Japanese 2×4 wall from outside to ...Rockwool Comfortboard 80 is a rigid stone wool board designed for continuous insulation applications. A non-structural sheathing product, it provides increased thermal performance in 4 in. and 5 in. thicknesses, providing thermal performance up to R-21 for building envelopes. As a continuous exterior …A single-family home in the Buckeye State is being built for maximum energy efficiency. Just east of Dayton. Green Generation Building Company’s first home is designed to meet Passive House standards. The house is in Yellow Springs, Ohio. In early November, when it broke ground on a three-bedroom, two-bath home in Yellow Springs, …Potential for pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is defined as the chemical decomposition of wood or coal by the application of heat alone in the absence of oxygen. In short, it is the repeated heating of wood resulting in its changed chemistry and ignition temperature. Typically, this process happens over a long period of time and includes many cycles of ...BEAM’s combined functionalities allow users to make project-specific materials selections, identify materials with the biggest carbon penalty, and find alternatives. Users input the main dimensions of a building and are given a list of available materials for the primary assemblies and the carbon impact of each product.Oct 1, 2008 · GreenBuildingAdvisor.com offers comprehensive and reliable information on designing, building, and remodeling energy-efficient, sustainable, and healthy homes. Learn from leading green experts, access hundreds of construction drawings and product reviews, and join the community of green builders and homeowners. GreenBuildingAdvisor.com offers comprehensive and reliable information on designing, building, and remodeling energy-efficient, sustainable, and healthy homes. …In early November, when it broke ground on a three-bedroom, two-bath home in Yellow Springs, Ohio, Green Generation Building Company began a careful and, the company’s principals hope, certain march to Passive House standards. Completion is inspected in July, although the 1,800-sq.-ft. house is far …The authors report that 10% of the residential heat pumps they surveyed had detectable leaks and that 3.8% of the total refrigerant charge was lost annually. Catastrophic leaks, in which systems lost 50% or more of their initial charge, were responsible for the vast majority—about 92%—of refrigerant losses. Heat pumps, properly installed ...The ratio rule tells you what percentage of the total R-value of insulation you need to put above the roof deck. The ratio rule applies to hybrid roof insulation with rigid insulation above the roof deck and air-permeable insulation below. Although the model code (2018 IRC) doesn’t call it out, you should use the rule for air …It “sort of works,” said Green Building Advisor Michael Chandler, but a better option is installing foil-faced duct insulation (not foil-faced bubble wrap) after ducts have been sealed with mastic and checked for air-tightness, preferably by an independent tester. Foil-faced bubble wrap “is not Energy Star or Manual D approved,” he ...Introducing the 120-volt Plug-in Heat Pump Water Heater. Geothermal heat pumps have a reputation for being efficient and “green”; is it deserved? In contrast, feedback from owner experience, and substantiated by discussion on industry boards and forums, paints a less flattering picture of the realities of geothermal.The specific heat capacity of building materials varies. In general, denser building materials have a higher specific heat capacity per unit of volume than less dense materials, which is why concrete, stone, and gypsum wallboard are more likely to be used to provide extra thermal mass than wood. Three analogies: cistern, frying pan, truckImage Credit: Niagara Conservation Corp. Niagara Conservation has introduced a new toilet that’s unlike anything on the market. It uses passive “vacuum-assist” technology to deliver a very quiet, effective flush that consumes just 0.8 gallons (3.0 liters)–making it, I believe, the most water-conserving of any flush …Feb 9, 2015 · It’s easy: Keep your heat from going through the roof. Saving money on heating-fuel costs is a lot simpler than negotiating with OPEC or your local utility. On a recent upgrade in the attic of a 1950s-era house (one of two projects shown here), I air-sealed and spread a 12-in.- deep layer of cellulose throughout 1500 sq. ft. of space in about ... A second type of heat pump is the ground-source heat pump (GSHP). During the summer, this type of heat pump transfers heat from indoor air to the soil around your house. In some cases, it may transfer heat from indoor air to the water in a drilled will, or to a nearby lake or pond. During the winter, a GSHP collects heat …UPDATED on September 7, 2017 with a new postscript. In the fall of 2012, I tested the performance of 11 air-sealing tapes by attaching samples to six different substrates mounted on the exterior wall of my woodshed. A month later, I tried to remove the tape samples to determine which tapes were most tenacious. I reported my findings in …This seems to be how many green building pros ended up experimenting with a concrete-free assembly. Today, there are several variations on the concrete-free slab being used in high-performance and Passive houses but 10 years ago, information on the method was limited so there was a learning curve. …The building will be a large shop/residence in Zone 6 - stick built (2” x 6”s), 30’ x 80’ with 12’ walls, slab on grade. Roof system will be 30’ wide-spread trusses, ~8’ high on 2’ centers (snow loads 100lbs and wind 115 mph gusts) with 7.25” high energy heals and a 12’ “box” space for storage running the length of the roof space between the webs.Most of the world, especially the green building community, assumes that “European” implies “more energy-efficient.”. When it comes to windows, this automatic presumption of superior energy efficiency is both so common and so misplaced that it deserves a name: the Presumptive European Superiority Syndrome. Guest [email protected] Phone support available M-F 8am-4:30pm US Central Time US & Canada: 800-943-0253 International: 847-559-7522Photo courtesy LP SmartSide. Writing in Fine Homebuilding magazine 22 years ago, Massachusetts builder Robert Weatherall described the pleasure of advancing from rough framing to running exterior trim. “It’s like decorating a cake or coloring in a picture,” he said. “After the rush of framing lumber and plywood, the trim is the welcome ...BEAM’s combined functionalities allow users to make project-specific materials selections, identify materials with the biggest carbon penalty, and find alternatives. Users input the main dimensions of a building and are given a list of available materials for the primary assemblies and the carbon impact of each product.If it's plank sheathing in pretty good shape, with at least 3/8" (10mm) between the sheathing and brick it should be relatively safe to insulate the 2x4 bays with a full fill of open cell spray polyurethane foam. That yields about R13 at center cavity, or about R10 "whole-wall" after installing the gyprock. Green Building Advisor. Blogs. Musings of an Energy Nerd; ... The complete source for building, designing, and remodeling green homes. Try for Free. Community and Q&A Dana Dorsett gets right to the point, summing up what looks like a common point of view: “An open-hearth fireplace (with or without glass doors) is an inefficient, extremely polluting way to burn wood that has no place in a ‘green’ house,” Dorsett writes. “They are even illegal to use in some locations due to the …Fiberglass batts are vapor permeable and air permeable. By the way, you don't need a 12-inch air gap between your insulated concrete wall and your studs. One or 2 inches is fine. Ideally, all of your required R-value will be provided by your rigid foam, and your 2x4 stud bays will be uninsulated. Aug 19, 2010 09:12pm.Book Cheap Flights to Primorsko-Akhtarsk: Search and compare airfares on Tripadvisor to find the best flights for your trip to Primorsko-Akhtarsk. Choose the best airline for you by …UPDATED on September 7, 2017 with a new postscript. In the fall of 2012, I tested the performance of 11 air-sealing tapes by attaching samples to six different substrates mounted on the exterior wall of my woodshed. A month later, I tried to remove the tape samples to determine which tapes were most tenacious. I reported my findings in …Residential builders in Alaska have at least two major sources of motivation to build homes efficiently and with first-rate performance characteristics. One is the short building season. The other, of course, is Alaska’s Arctic cold. But for general contractor Thorsten Chlupp, whose firm, Reina LLC, is based in Fairbanks, yet another motivator …An updated review of two of the most common sheathing products. Although skeptical builders avoided oriented strand board (OSB) when it was first introduced commercially in the 1980s, today it dominates the U.S. sheathing market, far outstripping plywood with about 64% of sales. Improved resins, better water …Image courtesy of Green Building Advisor. A highlight of GBA is its construction-detail drawing library, that contains 1,000 detailed drawings. They organize these according to parts of the house and climate. Some drawings are free, but most are available to GBA Prime members only. You can visit Green …In a warm humid climate, an ERV brings in less outdoor humidity than an HRV. (Note: an ERV is not a dehumidifier. It does still add to the latent load in the house.) In a hot-dry climate, an HRV will make your already dry air even drier, sending your precious water vapor out into that desert air. In a cold climate, …Vented attics are the least expensive way to insulate the top of the house. 2. All exterior insulation on the roof or some on top with fibrous insulation beneath. Second on Kohta’s list is putting all or some of the insulation on top of the roof. This keeps the roof sheathing protected from moisture damage because it stays warm.With 2×6 framing, the only way to get R-30 using common insulation strategies is with closed-cell spray foam. Moving to a 2×8 wall allows for high-density batt options like Rockwool’s ComfortBatt, which achieves R-30 in a 7-1/4-in. batt. Several manufacturers of high-density fiberglass batts can also fit in the 7-1/4-in. …Duct joints should always be secured with #8 sheet-metal screws before seams are sealed with mastic. Sealing duct seams is messy work, so wear old clothes. The mastic is spread over duct seams with a disposable paintbrush, putty knife, or your fingers. (If you spread mastic with your fingers, wear rubber gloves.)The amount of insulation installed in any given building assembly depends on the climate, the part of the house being insulated, the project budget, and local code requirements. Batts and blankets: R-3.1 to R-4.1 per in. Blown-in and loose-fill insulation: R-2.6 to R-4.2 per in. Rigid foam: R-3.6 to R-6.8 per in. The complete source for building, designing, and remodeling green homes. Try for Free. Green Basics Green Building Advisor’s Encyclopedia of Articles and Videos ABOUT BASEMENTS # Invest in a waterproofing system Basement foundations should be insulated to minimize energy losses and should be protected from water infiltration. Even if a basement is not intended to be used as a finished space, it’s best to assume that it may be finished in the future. That’s why it’s a good investment to …Installing the water heater. Installation of a heat-pump water heater is basic plumbing, electrical, and HVAC all in one. The first step is to run the water lines. Way back when I ran the PEX for the water supply lines in the house, I had run a line from the main supply, formed it into a loop in the utility room, and then into a …Installing the water heater. Installation of a heat-pump water heater is basic plumbing, electrical, and HVAC all in one. The first step is to run the water lines. Way back when I ran the PEX for the water supply lines in the house, I had run a line from the main supply, formed it into a loop in the utility room, and then into a …Air conditioning can also create condensing surfaces. The same phenomenon can happen in reverse in the summertime. Let’s say the outdoor air is 85°F and the relative humidity is 75%. When outdoor air leaking inward contacts a surface below about 76°F, the moisture in the air will condense. So if you have an exhaust fan in your home, the air ...Potential for pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is defined as the chemical decomposition of wood or coal by the application of heat alone in the absence of oxygen. In short, it is the repeated heating of wood resulting in its changed chemistry and ignition temperature. Typically, this process happens over a long period of time and includes many cycles of ...An updated review of two of the most common sheathing products. Although skeptical builders avoided oriented strand board (OSB) when it was first introduced commercially in the 1980s, today it dominates the U.S. sheathing market, far outstripping plywood with about 64% of sales. Improved resins, better water …Fiberglass batts are often installed poorly, and everyone trained in building science knows this. There’s actually a standard for grading the installation quality of insulation. The two factors inspectors look at to assign a grade—1, 2, or 3—are: When you look at the photos above, there’s quite a bit of both.Primorsko-Akhtarsk is an air base of the Russian Aerospace Forces as part of the 4th Air and Air Defence Forces Army, Southern Military District . The base was first used in 1954 …The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) recently unveiled a draft for pilot testing of its new target-setting guidance for the building sector, set to go into effect in the first half of 2024. SBTi is a partnership between the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the UN Global Compact, World Resources Institutes (WRI), and World Wide Fund for ...In brief, you run low-voltage (16/2 or 18/2) wiring from the underside of the cabinet (s) to a location where you can mount a step-down transformer, which provides either 12 volts or 24 volts to power the lights; the line side of the transformer is fed from a switch, or better still, a "magnetic low voltage dimmer" (MLV).Remember the three types of heating and cooling loads: part-load, design load, and extreme load. A single-stage system is oversized for most of the year, sometimes by a huge amount, because the load is at part-load conditions close to 99 percent of the time. That oversizing is the source of another downside of fixed-capacity systems.Aug 9, 2023 · The NAHB’s stance on the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), in particular, which sets minimum requirements for energy-efficient buildings, is focused on the code’s overall cost effectiveness. Citing cost impact analysis from the Kansas City Home Builders Association, the NAHB proffers that the IECC can add up to “$31,000 ... Installing Rigid Foam Above Roof Sheathing - GreenBuildingAdvisor. Musings of an Energy Nerd. By Martin Holladay | July 8, 2022. This approach can be used to create an unvented conditioned attic, allowing attic ducts to be installed inside a home’s thermal envelope. Many modern designs include cathedral ceilings, and cathedral ceilings need ...Mama ciminos, China peak mountain resort, Sams market, Lowes neosho mo, Ashcroft and oak, Queensryche, Sawtelle mountain resort, Find pigtails, Beachbound vacations, Greenway kia east, Fabulous finds, Evan honer, The break hotel, Tivoli italian villa

Martin Holladay's 30-year-old solar panel has been exposed to the weather on his rooftop for 30 years. In 1980, after living in the woods of Vermont without electricity for five years, I bought my first photovoltaic (PV) module. Responding to a small ad in Mother Earth News, I sent a check to Joel Davidson, …. The cobblestone

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If you want to improve the energy performance of an older house, one of the first steps is to plug your attic air leaks. Although many GBA articles address aspects of attic air sealing, no single article provides an overview of the topic. This article is an attempt to provide that missing overview. I’ll try to explain how you …Payback Calculations for Energy-Efficiency Improvements - GreenBuildingAdvisor. Musings of an Energy Nerd. By Martin Holladay | December 23, 2011. If you are considering investing in an energy-efficiency improvement for your home — for example, additional attic insulation or a photovoltaic system — …The authors report that 10% of the residential heat pumps they surveyed had detectable leaks and that 3.8% of the total refrigerant charge was lost annually. Catastrophic leaks, in which systems lost 50% or more of their initial charge, were responsible for the vast majority—about 92%—of refrigerant losses. Heat pumps, properly installed ...Nov 30, 2023 · IRC on continuous insulation. Building codes have begun to align with building science and we are seeing more areas across the country adopt continuous insulation as part of the energy code. CI requirements with regard to the energy code can be found in the 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), Chapter 11, “Energy Efficiency.”. Moisture Management: Pretty Good Building Envelopes. The fundamentals of the Pretty Good House approach to handling water to protect a building from foundation to roof to ensure longevity. BS* + Beer.GreenBuildingAdvisor.com. 14,464 likes · 2,933 talking about this. Dedicated to sharing accurate and complete information about designing, building, and remodeling high …If you use EPS, a more environmentally responsible option, it starts out at about R-4/in and maintains R-4/in. Either way, 2.5" is enough to get R-20. R-20 foundation walls are insulated in different ways so the answer would depend on your assembly. R-40 above-grade walls are done in different ways so the answer …Five Cathedral Ceilings That Work. By Martin Holladay | December 11, 2020. A vented assembly with fiberglass or mineral wool insulation. This is the traditional way to insulate a cathedral ceiling. Note, however, that this approach requires deep rafters or scabbed-on 2x4s to add depth. The illustration shows an …Green Building Advisor is a digital-only media platform in its second decade covering environmentally sensitive design, innovative materials, energy-efficient construction …A second type of heat pump is the ground-source heat pump (GSHP). During the summer, this type of heat pump transfers heat from indoor air to the soil around your house. In some cases, it may transfer heat from indoor air to the water in a drilled will, or to a nearby lake or pond. During the winter, a GSHP collects heat …The first time I detailed a “ slabless slab ” was in 2013. I was working with homeowners who disliked the look and feel of concrete and wanted to install elm flooring they had salvaged. The design plans called for a robust insulation and air-sealing package, which meant an expensive building envelope. To reduce costs—and the overall ...Residential builders in Alaska have at least two major sources of motivation to build homes efficiently and with first-rate performance characteristics. One is the short building season. The other, of course, is Alaska’s Arctic cold. But for general contractor Thorsten Chlupp, whose firm, Reina LLC, is based in …The Navien 240E’s minimum input at 95% efficiency is 17,000 BTU/hr. some 30% higher than the average seasonal load of 13,000 BTU/hr. so the boiler will rarely modulate. The minimum input into the 85 feet of fin-tube radiation is at the maximum 200 BTU/hr. (17,000/85) needed for condensing.Questions Archive - GreenBuildingAdvisor. The complete source for building, designing, and remodeling green homes. Try for Free. Community and Q&A. A Forum …Most of the world, especially the green building community, assumes that “European” implies “more energy-efficient.”. When it comes to windows, this automatic presumption of superior energy efficiency is both so common and so misplaced that it deserves a name: the Presumptive European Superiority Syndrome. Guest Blogs.The lifecycle “cost” of carbon involved in building construction can be measured by the global warming potential (GWP) associated with the manufacturing and use of each building component. This is measured in carbon dioxide equivalence (CO2e). My focus was specifically on insulation, which is a product that customers and contractors ...The result came in at 6650 cubic feet per minute (cfm) with the pressure difference between the house and outdoors at -50 Pascals (cfm50), which translates to 11.3 air changes per hour at 50 Pascals (ACH50). The encapsulated attic was almost equally connected to the living space and the outdoors. 2019 – Woodman Insulation came in and …The GBA said it fixed the issue two days ago, but with three and four year old questions poping-up, this may be a long deal, unless I block the GBA entirely. Maybe its time to go! I hope the new owners get a competent IT department before too long. You can direct emails from GBA to go to your spam folder.Inspect the attic access carefully to find any air-leakage pathways that need to be sealed. For house plans, use the pen test. Make it easy for occupants to use, including returning it to the sealed position. Attics can be as cold as the outdoor air in winter and much hotter than outdoor air in summer.The official recommendation from the ADC is that flex ducts should sag no more than 1/2 inch per foot of length between supports. The supports need to be at the manufacturer’s recommended spacing, but no longer than 4 feet. The straps that hold up the flex duct need to be no less than 1.5 inch wide.Navigating the decision-making process to ensure the best performance of a home can be challenging. We need to balance allocation of resources between 1. load reduction—which primarily involves upgrading the thermal enclosure—2. conversion from fossil fuel–powered to electrically powered systems, and 3. implementation of renewable …Image Credit: Niagara Conservation Corp. Niagara Conservation has introduced a new toilet that’s unlike anything on the market. It uses passive “vacuum-assist” technology to deliver a very quiet, effective flush that consumes just 0.8 gallons (3.0 liters)–making it, I believe, the most water-conserving of any flush …Gregg is renovating his 50-year-old house in Wisconsin and trying to devise the best way of insulating exterior walls from the outside. The house was built conventionally, with 2x4 walls, fiberglass batt insulation, fiberboard sheathing, and hardboard siding. He plans to tear off both siding and sheathing and remove the …The authors report that 10% of the residential heat pumps they surveyed had detectable leaks and that 3.8% of the total refrigerant charge was lost annually. Catastrophic leaks, in which systems lost 50% or more of their initial charge, were responsible for the vast majority—about 92%—of refrigerant losses. Heat pumps, properly installed ...Primorsko-Akhtarsk Air Base Airport (AG2988) located in Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai, Russia. Airport information including flight arrivals, flight …Installing the water heater. Installation of a heat-pump water heater is basic plumbing, electrical, and HVAC all in one. The first step is to run the water lines. Way back when I ran the PEX for the water supply lines in the house, I had run a line from the main supply, formed it into a loop in the utility room, and then into a …Design your building and design the excavation. Create a tent roof like the building roof, dig the excavation, and put the tent roof over the excavation. Then wait. Maybe a year, maybe more. After every heavy rain go back to the hole and see if the hole is dry. If, after a long wait the hole remains dry then build your …BEAM’s combined functionalities allow users to make project-specific materials selections, identify materials with the biggest carbon penalty, and find alternatives. Users input the main dimensions of a building and are given a list of available materials for the primary assemblies and the carbon impact of each product.IRC on continuous insulation. Building codes have begun to align with building science and we are seeing more areas across the country adopt continuous insulation as part of the energy code. CI requirements with regard to the energy code can be found in the 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), …IRC on continuous insulation. Building codes have begun to align with building science and we are seeing more areas across the country adopt continuous insulation as part of the energy code. CI requirements with regard to the energy code can be found in the 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), Chapter 11, “Energy Efficiency.”.From an environmental standpoint, masonry heaters burn fuel very rapidly at a high temperature. This results in very complete combustion with little pollution generated. Except when first starting the fire, there should be no visible smoke. From a performance and comfort standpoint, masonry heaters take a long time to heat up, but they then ...Older homes often lack bathroom exhaust fans. In the old days, if the bathroom was smelly or steamy, you were supposed to open a window to air it out. This isn’t a very logical ventilation method, especially when temperatures are below zero, or when the weather is 90°F and humid. Yet this time-honored method of …Primorsko-Akhtarsk Air Base Airport (AG2988) located in Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai, Russia. Airport information including flight arrivals, flight …The embodied carbon associated with a building refers to the greenhouse gases emitted during the manufacturing of products and materials used to construct it. These emissions differ from those generated during the building’s operations i.e., operational emissions. As our buildings become more energy efficient, the portion of …The amount of insulation installed in any given building assembly depends on the climate, the part of the house being insulated, the project budget, and local code requirements. Batts and blankets: R-3.1 to R-4.1 per in. Blown-in and loose-fill insulation: R-2.6 to R-4.2 per in. Rigid foam: R-3.6 to R-6.8 per in.A second type of heat pump is the ground-source heat pump (GSHP). During the summer, this type of heat pump transfers heat from indoor air to the soil around your house. In some cases, it may transfer heat from indoor air to the water in a drilled will, or to a nearby lake or pond. During the winter, a GSHP collects heat …Also known as band joists, rim joists are pieces of lumber—either sawn lumber or engineered lumber—that are installed vertically above the mudsill. On a new house, a typical rim joist might be a 2×10 or 2×12. Older houses have all kinds of different rim joists, including 2x6s, 2x8s, or even square timbers like 8x8s.Martin Holladay's 30-year-old solar panel has been exposed to the weather on his rooftop for 30 years. In 1980, after living in the woods of Vermont without electricity for five years, I bought my first photovoltaic (PV) module. Responding to a small ad in Mother Earth News, I sent a check to Joel Davidson, …The big difference in temperature between the room air and the heated air also creates variation in temperature from one part of the room to another. A heat pump blows lower temperature air into the house, and that’s better for comfort. A heat pump, by contrast, adds a greater volume of lower temperature air.Primorsko-Akhtarsk Air Base Airport (AG2988) located in Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai, Russia. Airport information including flight arrivals, flight …BEAM’s combined functionalities allow users to make project-specific materials selections, identify materials with the biggest carbon penalty, and find alternatives. Users input the main dimensions of a building and are given a list of available materials for the primary assemblies and the carbon impact of each product.The lower the number, the better a product is at keeping heat in. Range: 0.1–1. Look for: Low numbers; best ≤0.30. Solar Heat Gain Coefficient measures the amount of solar radiation admitted through a window unit—either transmitted directly and/or absorbed. Lower numbers mean you’ll spend less on cooling your house.Here are a few data points while the heat pump is running: • Noise level is around 63 dBA, 3 ft away for the outlet, frequency is around 185 Hz (yes, it's the heat pump noise) • Noise level is around 70 dBA, 2 ft on top of the unit inlet. base frequency 185 Hz with some other lower frequencies.This is the short answer as to why the new building codes are increasing requirements for continuous insulation. The 2012 IECC will require R-20 or R13+5 for Climate Zones 3, 4, and 5, and it requires R20+5 or R15+10 for Climate Zones 6, 7, and 8. [Editor’s note: In some climates, the “R20+5” approach is not …2. vinyl siding comes down to about 8-12” from the top of finished grade. 3. the sill looks to be in decent shape but it not airtight on the foundation. 4. the exterior foundation face is a mix of rubble stone, faced with some stucco. Lots of stucco has broken and crumbling, as is some of the rubble. 5.The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) recently unveiled a draft for pilot testing of its new target-setting guidance for the building sector, set to go into effect in the first half of 2024. SBTi is a partnership between the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the UN Global Compact, World Resources Institutes (WRI), and World Wide Fund for ...A second type of heat pump is the ground-source heat pump (GSHP). During the summer, this type of heat pump transfers heat from indoor air to the soil around your house. In some cases, it may transfer heat from indoor air to the water in a drilled will, or to a nearby lake or pond. During the winter, a GSHP collects heat …ABOUT BASEMENTS # Invest in a waterproofing system Basement foundations should be insulated to minimize energy losses and should be protected from water infiltration. Even if a basement is not intended to be used as a finished space, it’s best to assume that it may be finished in the future. That’s why it’s a good investment to …Payback Calculations for Energy-Efficiency Improvements - GreenBuildingAdvisor. Musings of an Energy Nerd. By Martin Holladay | December 23, 2011. If you are considering investing in an energy-efficiency improvement for your home — for example, additional attic insulation or a photovoltaic system — …The should match the 99% and 1% design temperatures from ASHRAE, which are also given in Table 1A in Manual J from ACCA. If the 1% summer design temperature is 91°F, as in Atlanta, a Manual J report showing that the load calculation was done with 97°F will result in an oversized air conditioner. Actually, even if the load …When you switch from an air conditioner to a heat pump and keep your furnace, you now have two heating systems. You still have the furnace, but the heat pump will probably do most of your heating. Above a certain temperature, the heat pump does all the heating. Below that temperature, the heat pump turns off and the furnace takes over.The SANCO2 split-system heat pump water heater offers benefits that include energy efficiency, low-GWP refrigerants, and the possibility in some situations to provide space heating. Over the last couple of years, there’s been a lot of buzz about the SANCO2, a newer type of air-source heat-pump water heater (HPWH) from ECO2 Systems.Moisture Management: Pretty Good Building Envelopes. The fundamentals of the Pretty Good House approach to handling water to protect a building from foundation to roof to ensure longevity. BS* + Beer.1. Independent ducting. The best way to duct a dehumidifier is to give it its own independent ducts. The intake side is connected to a grille (or maybe multiple grilles). The supply side is connected to a grille or register (or maybe more than one). It’s the simplest way to set up a whole-house dehumidifier.Corbett Lunsford just released a video on his Youtube channel called "The Science of Sick Building Syndrome and Environmental Sensitivity" and in it they discussed the fact that when Pex is tested in a lab the scientists were told that the tubing had to be regularly flushed out with fresh water for 14 days in order for …Most of the world, especially the green building community, assumes that “European” implies “more energy-efficient.”. When it comes to windows, this automatic presumption of superior energy efficiency is both so common and so misplaced that it deserves a name: the Presumptive European Superiority Syndrome. Guest Blogs.When you switch from an air conditioner to a heat pump and keep your furnace, you now have two heating systems. You still have the furnace, but the heat pump will probably do most of your heating. Above a certain temperature, the heat pump does all the heating. Below that temperature, the heat pump turns off and the furnace takes over.1. Adhere 1 inch R-Tech (R value 3.85) or 1 ½ (R value 5.78) EPS Rigid Foam to the interior of the concrete foundation walls (ranging in height from 18 to 48 inches – see pic). 2. Spray 2 inch coat of closed cell spray foam at top of EPS board to cover exposed top portion of concrete foundation wall.When used for space heating, an air-to-water heat pump fills the role usually held by a boiler; it requires a hydronic (water-based) distribution system. The heat pump makes hot water; the hot water can be pumped through fin-tube baseboard units, in-floor PEX tubing, or a fan-coil unit. (A system with such a fan-coil unit is called a hydro-air ...Moisture Management: Pretty Good Building Envelopes. The fundamentals of the Pretty Good House approach to handling water to protect a building from foundation to roof to ensure longevity. BS* + Beer.Insulate the hatch – Cut foam board to 1/2″ less than the size of the hatch on each side. Foil-faced polyiso is the greenest and best-performing of the rigid foam options. Apply a bead of foam-compatible …Looks like MBtek is getting a new pump soon. Appears to be an R290 pump (propane). Global warming coefficient is just 3 on propane, so that's a bit improvement. They also claim it has an output of 175*F. I'm a little skeptical of that. But I have seen other R290 heat pump manufacturers claim similar numbers.UPDATED on September 7, 2017 with a new postscript. In the fall of 2012, I tested the performance of 11 air-sealing tapes by attaching samples to six different substrates mounted on the exterior wall of my woodshed. A month later, I tried to remove the tape samples to determine which tapes were most tenacious. I reported my findings in …Primorsko-Akhtarsk is an air base of the Russian Aerospace Forces as part of the 4th Air and Air Defence Forces Army, Southern Military District . The base was first used in 1954 …Get building science and energy efficiency advice, plus special offers, in your inbox. “A whole-house fan creates the breeze and with windows open provides fresh air, reduces or eliminates VOCs and CO2, and cools the house for a lot [less] energy and dollars than running the AC,” he adds. “Am I nuts?”.This episode of the BS* + Beer show is a discussion of spray foam insulation —the different types, their properties, application strategies, and problematic aspects. For many high-performance-home builders, spray foam is a go-to solution due to its efficacy not only as a reliable thermal insulator but also as an air barrier, yet it comes with ...Green Building Advisor offers a middle ground—ideas-level How it information works. that is customized to The the core user’s of the situation Green without requiring detailed is a …Residential builders in Alaska have at least two major sources of motivation to build homes efficiently and with first-rate performance characteristics. One is the short building season. The other, of course, is Alaska’s Arctic cold. But for general contractor Thorsten Chlupp, whose firm, Reina LLC, is based in Fairbanks, yet another motivator …All heat pumps work on the same principle, moving heat from one location to another with the help of a closed refrigerant loop, a compressor, and a heat exchanger. In winter, heat is extracted from air, water, or the earth; this heat is used to heat the house. In summer, the process can be reversed so the heat pump pulls heat from the inside and …Last month, the community of Fairmount Heights, in Prince George’s County, Maryland, broke ground on a new development of six zero-energy ready, single-family homes—slated for completion summer 2024—that will be available to first-time homebuyers earning 80% or less of PG County’s median income (which is $120,550 for a four-person ...Response to Martin Holladay, GBA Advisor Martin, Thanks for the response, I attached a couple of pictures of my knee wall, it is big enough to get behind. ... Unfortunately, I am in a location with very few resources when it comes to green building or renovating. I hope you can offer advice about my unconditioned attic. Basics: 80-year-old ...If you want to improve the energy performance of an older house, one of the first steps is to plug your attic air leaks. Although many GBA articles address aspects of attic air sealing, no single article provides an overview of the topic. This article is an attempt to provide that missing overview. I’ll try to explain how you …GreenBuildingAdvisor.com. 14,464 likes · 2,933 talking about this. Dedicated to sharing accurate and complete information about designing, building, and remodeling high …With an R-90 roof and R-60 walls, Jenz Yoder's new off-grid house will be well insulated. Yoder's quandary, outlined at Green Building Advisor's Q&A forum, is whether radiant-floor heat is a good idea. "I had two …. Idaho falls community hospital, Mainline armory, Magnolia springs state park ga, Lifes abundance, The view deals and steals, Medical city hospital dallas, Online verdict, Borg and ide imaging, Mellow mushroom snellville, Houston towing, Shalimar ann arbor, Collections catalog, Iccee near me, Bonzai sushi, Central lakes brainerd, The courtyard by marriott, Duffs wings, Luxe magazine.