Efficiency by Baby Steps and Giant Bounds

Efficiency by Baby Steps and Giant Bounds

This post features concepts everyone can use to identify terrific savings opportunities, even if you did not take beloved calculus and thermodynamics. Let’s review a general hierarchy of typical energy efficiency families: 1. Shut it off 2. Slow it down, set it back...
Efficiency by Baby Steps and Giant Bounds

Is Energy Recovery Always Good? No.

Last week we introduced exergy and at least one application of it in a building. First, let me make something very clear, for the refrigeration cycle, if I’m cooling beer or freezing leftovers, the heat that is sucked out of those masses is rejected somewhere else....
Efficiency by Baby Steps and Giant Bounds

Duct Leakage; The Results Are In

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...