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wasting energy

Fresh Air Causes Asthma?

By Energy Rant No Comments
Show me anything, and I’ll investigate it. This investigation was spurred by an article blurb I reviewed for a potential spot in AESP’s monthly member e-magazine, Strategies. The headline: Connection Between Home Energy Efficiency and Respiratory Health in Low-Income Homes. That sounds fine enough until I got to the reported root cause: too much infiltration; i.e., ventilation; i.e., fresh air! The study says people living in drafty homes have higher rates of chronic cough, asthma, and asthma-like symptoms. I find it amazing how numerous topics I’ve written in the past converge into a topic like wasting energy via infiltration reportedly…
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Biscuit Discipline

By Energy Efficiency, Energy Rant One Comment
Like any respectable pets, our dogs Bailey and Atlas have us trained, very well.  I roll out of bed on the weekend, slog downstairs to make a strong mug of coffee, light a fire (in the wood stove), sit in my chair to read the paper and then the dogs position themselves in their kennels with their entitlement look.  They were trained since puppyhood to like being in their kennels so when they kennel up, they get a b-i-s-c-u-i-t.  We have to spell certain things out or use aliases to avoid undesired reactions.  For example, we say “There is a…
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Cool Milk, Raisin Bran, and I’m Fine

By Energy Efficiency, Energy Rant, Government, Stimulus, Sustainability One Comment
I stay in hotels/motels probably 40-50 nights per year, at least it seems so.  If lodging facilities were in a league of teams competing to be the greenest facilities, these guys would be the Detroit Lions. Most franchise motels, those not located in downtown high rise buildings, are built with the cheapest, crappiest stuff possible.  The only thing that is decent in them is the TV but sometimes even that is a junky 19 inch CRT clunker.  Who has spent a night in room with through-wall air conditioner/heater with a temperature control knob that spins round and round like the…
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Freeloaders and Geniuses from the Universe Next Door

By Energy Efficiency, Energy Rant, Renewable Energy, Sustainability No Comments
You know what torques me off, or make that torques us off more than anything else?  I’m saving it for a future rant.  Stay tuned. No really, it’s “prospective” clients, many times end users that have screwed up buildings beyond reproach or wasting energy as though they just want to release all the carbon locked up in fossil fuels and get it over with.  They ask for help but in no way intend to pay for it or take action for anything substantial.  We may have even demonstrated, clearly by benchmarking or other means with specific measures that they could…
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