Energy Circle

ReCircle: The Rebound Effect, Smart Homes, Energy Monitoring, Spray Foam Insulation and more!

Will — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:54:46 +0000

Why the “Rebound Effect” is Overblown.

The Rebound Effect, also known as the Jevons Paradox, has been touted as a reason that we shouldn’t invest in energy efficiency. Here, once again, that theory is debunked. (From Cleantechnica)

Smart Homes Becoming a Reality?

The “smart house” at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show has caused quite a buzz for the high-tech gizmos it’s showing off (including automatically unlocking locks, remote controlled HVAC systems and shades, and appliances programmed to save energy, among other things). Is this, as Carl Seville would say, “eco-bling,” or is it a good place for us to be headed? (From Daily5Remodel)

Easy Home Energy Monitoring Strategies.

Map-a-Watt looks at a variety of techniques for monitoring your home energy consumption - even without a home energy monitor. (From Map-a-Watt)

Adapting to Milder Winters.

The milder winters that seem to be accompanying the changing global climate are taking their toll on some time-honored traditions. Particularly in Canada. (From The Energy Collective)

Spray Foam Insulation: Open Cell vs. Closed Cell.

You may have heard about spray foam insulation, and how it’s one of the most effective insulation products out there. But do you know the downsides, or what the difference is between open cell and closed cell spray foam? Remodeling Magazine has the skinny. (From Remodeling)

ACEEE: Why the U.S. Needs to Focus on Energy Efficiency First.

The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy’s new report lays out three possible scenarios for a low-carbon, low-energy future. An energy efficient future is the most realistic and most affordable. (From Proud Green Home)

Another Energy Related Blog We Love:

Maribo Climate and Energy Blog.

Maribo, which means “the waves that crash over the reef,” is written by Simon Donner, a professor in the Geography Department at the University of British Columbia. In it, he talks climate, energy, and how they will impact our daily lives in the future.

Around the Web: Energy Circle's Hand-Picked Links, Chosen Especially for Energy Efficiency Pros.

Will — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:47:14 +0000

From Energy Circle:

Why Home Performance Pros Should Blog.

Blogging can help establish your credibility, improve your site’s search engine rankings, help drive the industry, and get you new customers. Read on for more info.

Curated Links from the Web:

How to Become a Successful Home Energy Pro.

So you wanna be a home energy professioanl? It’s gonna take a lot more than a BPI certificate or a can of caulk. Allison Bailes lays out his top 9 tips for people trying to break into the business successfully. (From Energy Vanuard)

Licenses, Enforcers, and Doing the Right Thing.

One contractor weighs in on the predicament professionals in the building industry are facing today: where’s the incentive to do the right thing when regulations aren’t enforced, and unlicensed contractors are outbidding those that are licensed? (From Daily5Remodel)

First National Green Code: Progress or Communism?

The International Green Construction Code, available some time this spring, is meant to display leadership in green building, but some critics have charged that it’s an assault on liberty. Why such charges are silly. (From Green Building Advisor)

Harold Orr: Energy Efficiency Pioneer.

Canadian building science pioneer Harold Orr invested $25 in high quality insulation batts back in 1963. The decision kick-started a career that’s led him to eminence in the field of high performance home construction. (From The Ottawa Citizen)

2012 Energy Predictions from the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association.

Wishful thinking or not, NAIMA has issued its 12 predictions for energy in 2012 within the context of insulation. Among them: real estate professionals will become more apprised of the virtues of energy efficiency, and energy costs will rise. (From Daily Commercial News)

Remodeling Magazine Has a Dedicated Home Performance Category.

This may have been there for a while, but I just noticed that Remodeling Online has dedicated a whole section of their website to Home Performance. A good sign of the HP industry’s increasing visibility? (From Remodeling)

Sign Up for the ACI 2012 National Conference.

Registration is open for the ACI National Conference, which takes place in Baltimore from March 26-30. We’re headed down, and you should too. (From ACI)

Home Performance Social Media Highlight of the Week:

Advanced Home Performance on Facebook.

Advanced Home Performance is an energy audit and consulting company based in Sebastopol, California that's doing a great job taking advantage of today's online marketing tools. They have a great image library and good, consistent and engaging posts. Give them a like!

4 Reasons Home Performance Pros Should Blog.

Will — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:35:46 +0000

We’ve repeatedly stressed the importance of blogging for up-and-coming Home Performance businesses. In our webinars, blog posts, white papers, emails or conversations you may have heard us stress the importance of “fresh content” for your website, and how blogging is a great way to get fresh content on your site. You may be thinking, “what?,” and that’s fair.

So we thought it would be worthwhile to give a quick rundown of the top reasons we think it’s worthwhile for you home performance contractors to at least dip a toe into the blogging world.

Just remember, it doesn’t need to be intimidating: you don’t need to chronicle your every meal and emotion, and you don’t need to publish a new blog post every day. In fact, you don’t even need to call your blog a blog -- the default title on the Energy Circle PRO system is, in fact, called simply “news,” in order to take away the intimidation that often accompanies the idea of getting into blogging.

Here are 4 reasons we think it’s a good idea for you to start blogging:

Establish Credibility

Picture yourself heading, for the first time, to the website of a home improvement professional or contractor in your area -- say, for example, you moved to a new town and you were looking for a good local electrician. One of the first things you would probably be thinking would be, “Is this guy for real? Does he know what he’s doing?” To answer that question(s), you’d look for a couple things: testimonials, so you’d know what other folks in the area had to say about him, first of all. You’d probably check the “about us” page to see what his bio looks like. But then, suppose you saw a link to his blog. You’d probably check out what he had to say. If he had some useful information there -- say, about local news relating to his industry, or helpful tips for homeowners -- you’d likely be inclined to think to yourself, “I dig this guy,” and shoot him an email.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Fresh content on your website sends a powerful signal to Google and other search engines that your site is active, and is one of the most important characteristics of a site that performs well in search engines. Your business -- inherently local, and likely to be identified by search engines as such -- has a good chance of appearing at the top of search results if it’s treated right. This means adding new content occasionally, having good keywords, titles and descriptions on each of your pages, and writing content that’s worthy of having other sites link to it. You may have heard links called the “currency of the web,” because they’re so valuable in signaling to search engines that your site has quality content. Link-worthy content is easier to produce on a blog than it would be on, say, your “about us” page, and could be anything from a Youtube video to a cool set of images to a list of easy ways to keep your house warm in the winter.

Help Your Customers

One of the most fundamental reasons blogging is a good idea for home performance professionals is that it’s just plain useful for people. You’re an expert in the field of home performance - how homes work, how homes use energy, and what can be done to fix them - and as such, you have a bunch of information that many homeowners would find extremely useful. They have questions - “How do I get rid of drafts?,” “How do I prevent ice dams?,” “Why are my energy bills so high?,” etc. You have answers.

Drive the Industry

As you may have noticed, the Home Performance concept has yet to reach the “tipping point” in the mainstream market. (See Energy Circle CEO Peter Troast’s column in Home Energy Magazine for more on this.) Yes, people are still buying insulation. Yes, people are still trying to get rid of ice dams. Yes, people know their utility bills are too high. And so they’re slowly finding us, one by one, but the whole-house Home Performance concept that’s so critical for fixing our nation’s housing stock has yet to reach the mainstream.

What does this have to do with blogging? Well, if you have a blog with good keywords and useful information, people in your area who are searching for things like “new windows” will find your site, and they’ll learn about the better alternatives that are out there. When they search for “ice dams,” they’ll find you, and they’ll learn all about how ice dams are caused by insufficient air sealing and insulation. When they search for “lower utility bills,” they’ll find you, and they’ll learn about the whole-house concept. They’ll hire you, they’ll end up happier and more comfortable, and then they’ll tell all their friends about you. That’s good for you, and it’s good for the industry.

If you have any questions about how to get started blogging, feel free to ask us in the comments. Also, feel free to check out our free White Paper on web marketing for home performance pros, and our blog roll of good home performance blogs if you’re curious what your peers in the industry are up to.

ReCircle: Energy Monitoring, Remodeling Project Value, Energy Predictions for 2012, and more!

Will — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:18:03 +0000

From Energy Circle:

Why You Should Start Monitoring Your Electricity Usage This Year.

Did your New Year’s Resolution involve saving money, or reducing your impact on the environment? Energy monitoring is a good way to do both, with real and measurable results.

Curated Links from the Web:

A Remodeling Project Cost vs. Value Report.

A new report compares the cost of 35 popular remodeling upgrades to the value they fetch at resale time. Insulation and air sealing didn’t make the list... think they should have? (From Remodeling)

Energy Price Predictions for 2012.

The Energy Job Blog looks at energy price predictions over the coming year. Unlike most beginning-of-year prediction blog posts, this one is backed up by some hard data and sound analysis. (From The Energy Job Blog)

Incandescent Bulbs Produce Heat. Here’s Why That’s Not Good.

Many opponents of the so-called “incandescent bulb ban” have argued that incandescent bulbs producing heat (they release 90% of the energy they consume in the form of heat) is a good thing. That’s not quite true. (From Treehugger)

American Life Before the EPA.

The EPA has found itself in the hotseat of today’s antagonistic politics. As the battle rages on, let’s take a look back at what our country looked like before the agency existed. (From The New York Times)

LED Virtual Sky: Hit or Miss?

This LED “Virtual Sky” lighting settup aims to mimic the look and feel of a clear blue sky. Does it work? (From Inhabitat)

Another Energy Related Blog We Love:

Do The Math.

Do The Math is an energy, economy and growth blog written by Tom Murphy, an associate professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego. He uses scientific methodology to look at the future of energy production and consumption, which makes it a hard, data-drive, but readable blog. Hat tip to Energy Vanguard for pointing it out to us.

Around the Web: Energy Circle's Hand-Picked Links, Chosen Especially for Energy Efficiency Pros.

Will — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:57:48 +0000

Do We Need Nutrition Facts Labels for Building Products?

Building Green points out that nutrition facts labels allow shoppers to compare two bags of chips, and asks whether a similar label for building products wouldn’t be beneficial to homebuilders and homebuyers. (From Building Green)

Truth, Lies, and Online Reviews.

Online reviews are send an increasingly powerful signal to potential customers about the quality and integrity of your business. But what happens when things get shady in the online review world? (From Daily5Remodel)

Getting to Know You: The Importance of Company Videos.

Videos posted online allow customers to get to know you and your business before they make a phone call or shoot an email in your direction. Here are a few tips for making an effective company video. (From Remodeling)

Martin Holladay’s Energy Predictions for 2012... Or Not.

The Energy Nerd ponders making some bold predictions about energy in the coming year, but a look back at predictions through history is enough to discourage him. An entertaining read. (From Green Building Advisor)

Allison Bailes Predicts the Future.

The prolific building science blogger travels to India, consults with a mystic, and comes up with a list of “ridiculous, made-up predictions for 2012.” (From Energy Vanguard)

Home Performance Social Media Highlight of the Week:

Snug Planet.

Snug Planet, based in Ithaca, New York, has done an exemplary job of keeping their Facebook page up to date with company updates, photos, and links to interesting articles around the web, while driving engagement and using the platform in unique ways. Go give them a “like.”

New Year's Resolution: Monitor Your Electricity Usage!

Will — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 20:31:07 +0000

First of all, Happy New Year! We're all recovering from a relaxing and, for some of us, pretty exciting holiday break, but we're psyched to be back online and amped up to help all of our readers find new, unique, exciting and effective ways to save energy over the coming year, which we hope you'll all be enjoying in cozy, healthy homes.

While the hour for New Year's Resolutions has come and gone, we got to thinking about one that makes it onto a lot of folks' lists - spending less money in the coming year. A great way to achieve this resolution is to insall an energy monitor in your home. After all, how can you determine whether you're spending more or less money on your utility bills if you have no way to measure your energy consumption?

Heard about energy monitoring, but not sure how it works? Well, there are basically three types of energy monitors; while none of them will directly impact your energy bill, we've found that the presence of an in-your-face display (or an online display that's easily accessible) has a real behavioral impact that can lead to significant savings. If you notice, for example, that your home is using more electricity than usual, you're apt to go around and turn off a few lights.

The three types of monitors are:

1) The basic whole-house monitor, which measures how much total electricity your home is consuming at a given moment. The Blue Line is a good example of this type.

2) Circuit-by-circuit monitors, which monitor how much electricity individual circuits are using throughout your house, allowing for in-depth analysis of your home's power consumption. The Powerhouse Dynamics eMonitor is an example of a circuit-by-circuit monitor.

3) Individual appliance monitors, which measure how much electricity a specific device is using, and how much it's costing you.

Without further ado, if you're one of those who's eager to reduce your footprint and take some pain out of your utility bills this year, here are a few of our favorite energy monitors to help get you started:

The Powerhouse Dynamics eMonitor

The Powerhouse Dynamics eMonitor is the most advanced home energy monitor on the market today. It monitors your home's electricity consumption circuit-by-circuit, and the sleek online dashboard gives you a ton of data, so you can determine where your home is using the most energy, and take steps to reduce it. It also provides month-over-month comparisons, analysis of vampire power, and a whole bunch of other cool information about your electricity consumption.

The Blue Line Powercost Monitor (Wi-Fi Edition)

If the Powerhouse Dynamics eMonitor is the Cadillac of energy monitors, the Blue Line with Wi-Fi is the Smart Car. It's affordable, easy to install, super useful, and super sleek.

While the standard Blue Line Powercost Monitor is a solid energy monitoring product in itself, the benefit of wi-fi compatability is that you can access your data from anywhere - on vacation, for example, you can check to make sure you didn't leave any lights on (or that burglars didn't enter the house). You can view data from a computer, tablet, or mobile device; and it's all in one place, easy to read and easy to understand. Smart stuff.

The Blue Line Powercost Monitor (Standard Version)

The Blue Line Powercost Monitor without Wi-Fi is a great option for the casual New-Years-Resolutioner just dipping their toes into energy monitoring. Coming it at under 100 bucks, it's easy to install, and easy to use. A handheld, wireless monitor allows you to view your home's energy consumption in real-time anywhere in the house, and, should you choose to upgrade, you can always add the wi-fi module later on.

The Owl Electricity Monitor

The Owl is a stripped down, easy-to-use whole-house energy monitor. It has a nice clean display which, if not overburdened by massive amounts of data, requires a simple input of electricity rates and consistently displays an accurate reading of your total energy consumption, and the amount of dough it's costing you and your family. It doesn't have any of the online data storage that the Blue Line Wifi and the eMonitor have, but it's also a lot less expensive. Wicked easy to install, too.

Be sure to check out the rest of the cool energy monitoring products we have in stock, and feel free to get a hold of us with any questions about what the best electricity monitor for you might be. We're happy to help.

Oh, and best of luck in the New Year, whatever your resolutions are.

Here's a quick video that explains how easy it is to install a Blue Line Powercost monitor:

ReCircle: The Nest Thermostat, Light Bulb Law Updates, The Problem with Storm Doors, and more!

Will — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:49:19 +0000

From Energy Circle:

5 Ways to Console Yourself if You Didn’t Get a Nest Thermostat.

The hottest energy efficiency product since spray foam insulation came out this year, but they sold out and another round won’t be available until next year. If you didn’t get one, here are 5 ways to feel better.

Symbolic Politics and the New Light Bulb Laws.

The light bulb efficiency act signed by President Bush and set to go into effect next year has been framed by Congress as an attack on civil liberties, and Congress consequently passed a measure that would effectively de-claw the regulations.

Curated Links from the Web:

Maine Bans LEED Certification for State Buildings.

Maine Governor Paul LePage has made a name for himself by taking measures that some might call extreme. The latest: banning state buildings from seeking LEED certification. (From Treehugger)

The Light Bulb Laws, Congress and Industry.

The lighting efficiency rules set to go into effect next year were an agreement between government and industry, according to The Economist. Government is failing to live up to its end of the deal. (From The Economist)

What Will 2012 Have in Store for Energy Conservation?

Chris from Map-a-Watt lays out his predictions for energy conservation and efficiency in the coming year, and discusses what needs to happen for truly impactful changes to take place. (From Map-a-Watt)

Why a Storm Door is Not a Wise Home Energy Efficiency Improvement.

Thinking about installing a storm door to save energy? Better not, advises Allison Bailes of Energy Vanguard. (From Energy Vanguard)

Calculating the Payback from Energy Efficiency Improvements.

Martin Holladay, Green Building Advisor’s “Energy Nerd,” provides an in-depth guide for calculating the payback of efficiency improvements. (From Green Building Advisor)

Another Energy Related Blog We Love:

Gone to Croatoan

One energy enthusiast's thoughts on our energy future, framed by the argument that there are no answers to our impending energy crisis, only choices. A thoughtful and thought-provoking blog worth checking out.

Around the Web: Energy Circle's Hand-Picked Links, Chosen Especially for Energy Efficiency Pros.

Will — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:33:47 +0000

Martin Holladay’s 3rd Annual Christmas Parody.

The Energy Nerd has composed a green building version of the Shakespearean classic, Macbeth. It’s worth a read if you’re into that sort of thing. (From Green Building Advisor)

An Energy Efficient Night Before Christmas.

John Poole’s Home Performance themed Christmas poem, reconstructed from fragments on Twitter, in all its glory. (From Birmingham Point)

Actress Killed by Toxic Mold.

On a significantly less holiday-cheery note, it’s been determined that the cause of death for Brittany Murphy was a respiratory illness brought on by toxic mold, highlighting once again the serious danger of unhealthy buildings. (From Huffington Post)

Santa Claus, Birds and Chimneys.

David Richardson discusses the building science consequences that would occur if Santa were to get stuck in a chimney. Or, more likely, if birds were to build a nest up there. (From DavidR’s Blog)

Surprising New Information on Fire Safety.

Old House Web discusses an interesting new bit of information about fire safety: old homes are safer than new homes. Surprise? (From Old House Web)

After the Audit, Same Old Story.

Ed Voytovich discusses the same conversation he has with homeowners after conducting energy audits, time after time, and what needs to happen for them to stop. (From Remodeling Online)

Home Performance Social Media Highlight of the Week:

As you may know, for some time now we’ve been highlighting a new Home Performance blogger every week. Sadly, it seems, the well may beginning to run dry. (Although, of course, if you’re aware of any good home performance blogs that we haven’t featured on our blogroll yet, be sure to let us know!). While we’ve repeatedly discussed the importance of social media for marketing your home performance business, particularly in light of our recent revelation that Facebook is no longer optional, we’ve decided to highlight a company each week that’s doing a great job utilizing social media.

We’ll begin with The Greensulators, a home performance company out of Jewett City, Connecticut that’s committed to using the power of social media to spread their message and grow their business. On their Facebook page you’ll find a ton of fun and useful content and an engaged, conversational presence that’s sure to grow their fan base. Go give them a like!

Nest Thermostat is Sold Out Until 2012: 5 Ways to Console Yourself

SageFriedman — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:49:48 +0000

So the Nest Learning Thermostat sold out in 72 hours and new orders aren’t being taken until sometime in “early” 2012. Didn’t get one? Me neither, but I won’t let that stop me from enjoying the holiday season, no sir. Here are 5 ways to deal with your sense of loss and disappointment.

1) Remind yourself that you don’t actually own a home, so you couldn’t have installed it anyway.

2) Scotch. Lots of scotch.

3) A pint of ice cream and bad rom-coms on Netflix:

4) Heat? Who can afford heat in this economy?

5) Tape an iPhone to your old programmable thermostat and if anybody asks tell them it’s the original Nest prototype.

Energy Circle's 2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts of Efficiency.

Will — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:25:48 +0000

This year, give gifts that make a difference -- both for the person receiving them, and for the planet. Gifts of energy efficiency do this by reducing energy use, and saving money forever. A gift of energy efficiency is akin to giving stock shares or another long term investment: it will reap dividends far into the future.

But what is a gift of efficiency? Well, it's either a tool that enables one to make energy efficient home improvements, or a product that's inherently energy efficient compared to its alternatives.

Elbow-Grease Efficiency:

For the do-it-yourself, caulk-gun-slinging, get-things-done, rugged individualist in your family, we recommend buying tools. Tools are used for projects -- for getting things done -- and the home improvement project that gives the most bang for your buck in home energy savings is most definitely air sealing. So, for all of your loved one's air sealing needs:

A Foam Gun, a Can of Spray Foam.

For the bigger air sealing projects in the house -- basement, attic, utility penetrations, rim joist -- caulk don't cut it. You need some spray foam, and you need some foam that performs. The cheap stuff from the big box stores is often messy and tough to install. Make your resident DIY-er happy with a high quality, reusable foam gun and a good can of low-environmental-impact spray foam.

We recommend:

Todol Pur Shooter Foam Gun
~~$35.95~~ $32.00

Todol Pur Fill 1G Foam
$17.00

A Caulking Gun, a Tube of Caulk.

Everybody needs a good caulking gun (you knew that, right?). Anyway, it's key to have a good, high quality caulking gun, because nobody likes getting frustrated because of having to mess around with a piece of junk.

We also dig environmentally friendly caulk, with no harmful chemicals. Because nobody wants harmful chemicals hanging around their house.

We recommend:

OSI GreenSeries Sealant
$4.50

Newborn Parallel Frame Caulk Gun
$11.25

Elegant Efficiency:

For the more aesthetically oriented among your friends of family, a couple ideas that involve no elbow grease -- just pure, unadulterated good looks, energy efficiency, and show-off-ability.

Energy Saving Lamps.

Not all lamps are created equal. Lamps designed specifically for energy efficiency are designed to provide the best quality light while utilizing the energy saving technology of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and light emitting diodes (LEDs).

We recommend:

MaxLite Ellegra LED Desk Lamp
~~$280.00~~ $270.00

TCP Brushed Steel Table Lamp
$75.00

Best-In-Class Energy Monitors:

A whole-house energy monitor doesn't save energy, or money, directly. But studies have shown that the presence of an in-home, real-time energy dashboard spur most households to take energy saving measures like shutting the lights off and unplugging unused electronics, because the real-time cost of a home's energy consumption are displayed prominently for all to see. They give you a visible reason to turn off the lights.

We recommend:

eMonitor Circuit-by-Circuit Energy Monitor Service
$687.00 - $1387.00

Blue Line Powercost Monitor: WiFi Edition
$247.00

Efficiency for the Whole Family:

No reason you can't get the kids involved, too. Some of the coolest energy efficiency products out there -- single-appliance energy monitors that let you know, in real time, how much energy a particular device is using, and how much it will cost in electricity, are affordable and fun for the whole family. Some of our favorites:

Crank Powered Tools:

Crank powered stuff is cool. That's all.

We recommend:

Freeplay Flashlight Emergency Center
$89.00

American Red Cross FR160 Microlink Radio by Eton
$30.00

Smart Power Strips:

Excited about the new TV your family is getting this year? Or the new XBox, Wii, DVD player, Macbook, Tivo, DVR, or what have you? Nice. Just remember that you can cut back on the energy that it consumes by plugging it into a smart power strip. Smart power strips automatically cut power to peripheral devices (say, a printer or computer speakers) when you turn a control device off (say, a TV or a computer). They save you the trouble of unplugging everything, and make saving money on energy bills a piece of cake.

We recommend:

BITS Smart Strip (7 outlets)
$28.00

Isole IDP-3050 Plug Load Control Outlet
$99.00

Single Appliance Energy Monitors (aka Vampire Hunters):

One of our favorite energy efficiency related family activities is "vampire hunting," which entails going around the house sniffing out vampire energy sources using a single-appliance energy monitor. Energy vampires, of course, are those appliances and electronics that continue to draw power when they're turned off; but the activity can also provide some insights into what the big energy consumers are in the house when they're turned on, as well.

We recommend:

Kill-a-Watt Electricity Monitor
~~$24.95~~ $23.85

Belkin Conserve Insight Monitor
~~$29.95~~ $27.95

ALSO... LED Holiday Lights!

LED Holiday lights are an energy-saving, long-lasting, cool-to-the-touch alternative to traditional incandescent holiday lights (you know, the ones that burn out, break, and can be a potential fire hazard when wrapped around a dry Christmas tree). And they're more affordable than ever. Some of our favorites:

Diogen Multi-Color LED Holiday Light String
~~$25.00~~ $17.50

Diogen Warm White LED Holiday Light String
~~$25.00~~ $17.50

Happy holidays from all of us at Energy Circle!