Assembly member Ward Introduces AB 368 to Advance Passive House Standards for More Cost-Effective Energy Efficiency
We’ve long used insulation as a way to increase energy efficiency, but if air is leaking in and out, even the best insulation simply can’t do its job. That’s where air sealing comes into play. While it’s possible, and advisable, to air seal an existing structure, here we are creating an air tight seal during the construction process.
It’s common knowledge that a good chunk of our energy costs go into heating and cooling our homes. And after we’ve conditioned the air to be at just the right temperature throughout the house, it all too often leaks out through seams, cracks and even the tiniest holes.
The 2014-15 CAH Program encourages residential new construction to meet two goals of the California Public Utilities Commission—to help builders prepare for future code changes and build homes above code and ahead of the curve; and for all new homes to reach Zero Net Energy by 2020.
Check out the CAHP first quarter 2015 newsletter. We made the front page!
Switch gets at the root of what inhibits our ability to make real and lasting changes for the better. The authors say, “The primary obstacle to change is a conflict that’s built into our brains. Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems—the rational mind and the emotional mind—that compete for control. The rational mind wants to change something at work; the emotional mind loves the comfort of the existing routine. This tension can doom a change effort—but if it is overcome, change can come quickly.”
Switch is a fun read that lays out easy-to-grasp concepts, approaches and patterns to getting past typical obstacles—real and imagined. It’s full of true stories of how people—from employees and managers to athletes, parents and community leaders—shifted their thinking and brought about changes that improved their own life and the world around them.
When you construct an airtight building, you need to provide ventilation. We use a Heat Recovery Ventilation or HRV system. The HRV system enables the exchange of fresh, filtered air, removing dust, allergens, smoke from distant wildfires and other particles as well as moisture.
Nothing gobbles up energy—and eats away at a homeowner’s budget—like heating and cooling the home’s interior. Considering the number of points in a traditionally-built home where air—along with the money you’ve spent to warm it up—leaks in and out, dad’s classic question of, “Are you trying to heat the outdoors?” comes to mind.
Living Building Challenge (LBC) is not just a new way of building. It’s a new way of thinking and living that carefully considers and respects our finite natural resources and precious environment. On top of significantly reducing energy consumption and producing the remaining energy needed to run the house onsite, meeting the LBC challenge includes avoiding use of toxic materials included on their “Red List.”
Studies show that the average home wastes more than 3,650 gallons a year waiting for the hot water to make it to the faucet. And about 15% of the energy used in conventional hot water delivery systems is wasted. That’s an unnecessary burden on your energy budget as well as on our area’s limited water supply and other natural resources.
Studies show that the average home wastes more than 3,650 gallons a year waiting for the hot water to make it to the faucet. And 10-15% of the energy used in
President & Partner
