Energy, everyday comfort and useful records
A comfortable home.
A clearer understanding.
Thirty original articles about energy terminology, household records, building context and preparing useful questions for an assessment.
Start here · Energy in plain words
Power or energy?
Start with the right unit.
Read power and energy as separate quantities.
Read the guide
Understand the records
Separate Consumption from the Price Charged
The whole building
Think of the Home as Interacting Parts
Energy in plain words
5 articlesEnergy in plain words
Watts and Kilowatt-Hours Answer Different Questions
Read power and energy as separate quantities.
Read the articleEnergy in plain words
Follow the Unit Through an Energy Calculation
Keep the units visible until the final line.
Read the articleEnergy in plain words
Energy Sources and Energy Carriers
Ask where energy comes from and how it reaches the task.
Read the articleEnergy in plain words
Efficiency and Total Use Are Different Comparisons
An efficient device can still be used for a long time.
Read the articleEnergy in plain words
Read a Specification Before Comparing Numbers
Find the model and test context behind the figure.
Read the articleUnderstand the records
5 articlesUnderstand the records
Separate Consumption from the Price Charged
A bill contains more than an energy total.
Read the articleUnderstand the records
Meter Readings Need a Date and a Unit
A number without context is difficult to reuse.
Read the articleUnderstand the records
Compare Periods of Similar Length
A longer reporting period can produce a larger total.
Read the articleUnderstand the records
Mark Estimates Clearly in Your Notebook
Keep assumed inputs separate from observations.
Read the articleUnderstand the records
Changes in Occupancy Belong Beside the Totals
A home’s use can change without a new appliance.
Read the articleObserve your home
5 articlesObserve your home
Start a Room-by-Room Observation Log
Describe what you notice before naming a cause.
Read the articleObserve your home
Prepare Questions for a Home Energy Assessment
Turn a concern into a question an assessor can examine.
Read the articleObserve your home
Read the Scope Before Reading the Conclusion
Find what an assessment actually examined.
Read the articleObserve your home
Daylight Is an Observation, Not an Energy Total
Light in a room changes through the day.
Read the articleObserve your home
A Comfort Concern Can Have Several Explanations
Keep the question open until it is assessed.
Read the articleThe whole building
5 articlesThe whole building
Think of the Home as Interacting Parts
A change can affect more than one part of a building.
Read the articleThe whole building
What the Building Envelope Refers To
Learn the term before applying it to your home.
Read the articleThe whole building
Insulation Claims Need the Actual Assembly
A material figure does not describe every installation.
Read the articleThe whole building
Windows Belong in the Whole-Home Conversation
Compare the opening, surroundings and intended use.
Read the articleThe whole building
Ventilation Is Not Just an Open-or-Closed Choice
Use the applicable system information.
Read the articleAppliances and everyday use
5 articlesAppliances and everyday use
Make an Appliance Inventory Without Opening Equipment
Record the information already available to the user.
Read the articleAppliances and everyday use
Operating Modes Can Change the Comparison
A label may describe one particular setting.
Read the articleAppliances and everyday use
Brightness and Electrical Power Are Different Labels
Read the quantity named on a lighting product.
Read the articleAppliances and everyday use
Standby Use Needs the Right Evidence
Do not turn a general possibility into a measured result.
Read the articleAppliances and everyday use
Keep Water-Heating Questions Model Specific
Find the instructions for the actual system.
Read the articleKeep a useful home file
5 articlesKeep a useful home file
Create One Folder for Manuals and Reports
Keep the source documents easy to identify.
Read the articleKeep a useful home file
Record the Scope of a Service Visit
Note what was done without inventing a diagnosis.
Read the articleKeep a useful home file
Ask What a Savings Estimate Assumes
The estimate needs its baseline and conditions.
Read the articleKeep a useful home file
Keep a Change Log for Home Improvements
Make the chronology visible before looking for effects.
Read the articleKeep a useful home file
Write a Clear Brief for the Next Conversation
A concise brief can bring records and questions together.
Read the articleA considered approach.
Independent educational reading on home energy. Technical changes and equipment service require applicable instructions and qualified professionals.