What motivates a homeowner to retrofit a home? A NY-based company called Sealed thinks it has cracked the code, offering zero upfront costs & a focus on comfort. I talk with president Andy Frank about the challenges of the residential sector & what he's learned about homeowner psychology.
Thanks again David, for finding folks working around the same old paradigms in retrofits and gov't/utility retrofit programs.
As a building energy modeler who used them for years, I appreciate the rare jab at "crazy DOE energy models." If one looks under the hood, these have incredible detail in things like intra-surface radiative transfer, but infiltration and HVAC distribution losses are input as gross factors.
And also a jab at these "crazy, crazy rebate programs" which provide huge incentives, but only until the "sugar crash" happens.
David or commenters, I’m looking for the evidence of the natural gas problems in homes as far as emissions. The guest said something like “equivalent to having a smoker in the home.” Most people I know think these appliances are fine so I’d like to have the literature stating otherwise, thanks!
Coordinated performance based home renovations sound like a great solution and the new digital tools along with better heat pumps do help. What worries me is the operational stupidity of home owners who can easily sabotage energy efficiency with their terrible habits. Where I live in the Front Range of Colorado many homes only close their glass storm door, presumably to signal hospitality. Really??
Add a few of those habits (or careless teens) and Sealed etc will never get paid even if their remote contractors do everything right.
Thanks again David, for finding folks working around the same old paradigms in retrofits and gov't/utility retrofit programs.
As a building energy modeler who used them for years, I appreciate the rare jab at "crazy DOE energy models." If one looks under the hood, these have incredible detail in things like intra-surface radiative transfer, but infiltration and HVAC distribution losses are input as gross factors.
And also a jab at these "crazy, crazy rebate programs" which provide huge incentives, but only until the "sugar crash" happens.
David or commenters, I’m looking for the evidence of the natural gas problems in homes as far as emissions. The guest said something like “equivalent to having a smoker in the home.” Most people I know think these appliances are fine so I’d like to have the literature stating otherwise, thanks!
Coordinated performance based home renovations sound like a great solution and the new digital tools along with better heat pumps do help. What worries me is the operational stupidity of home owners who can easily sabotage energy efficiency with their terrible habits. Where I live in the Front Range of Colorado many homes only close their glass storm door, presumably to signal hospitality. Really??
Add a few of those habits (or careless teens) and Sealed etc will never get paid even if their remote contractors do everything right.
I know this has been addressed, but how do people meter efficiency? What if I buy a new refigerator and my energy efficiency changes because of that?
Once again the Volts podcast comes through with practical stuff to boost my optimism.