by Jeff Ihnen | May 11, 2015 | Energy Rant
The big energy saving opportunities in a building are usually hidden from the unsuspecting field auditor. The obvious exception is lighting because it isn’t hidden! The hidden things are what go on behind closed doors in the dark. Yes, the salacious activity...
by Jeff Ihnen | Apr 20, 2015 | Energy Rant
About two years ago, I wrote Duct Leakage Chaff, which explained that residential duct leakage is a mole hill, a red herring, a boogeyman. I recently reviewed a report[1] that nails my assertions from June 2013. The program evaluation (residential HVAC tune-up) was...
by Jeff Ihnen | Jun 23, 2014 | Energy Efficiency, Energy Rant
Let’s skip the energy supply side this week and talk about thermostats used for cooling. Let’s broaden the discussion to include both programmable thermostats and “smart” or “learning” thermostats. The Nest falls into the latter group. Speaking for the Nest, which I...
by Jeff Ihnen | Jun 3, 2013 | Energy Efficiency, Energy Rant
Sometimes I wonder. No, sometimes I’m amazed how certain energy efficient technologies have fooled the industry and the public for years, possibly even decades, into a false sense and blind acceptance for energy savings. Want to see two technologies that are...
by Jeff Ihnen | Jul 30, 2012 | Energy Efficiency, Energy Rant
Rant fans are getting a break this week. This post exemplifies a smashing success in energy efficiency and is a bit of a spinoff on capitalizing energy efficiency as I discussed in Facility Management, Taliban Style and Better than Doritos. The story begins with a...