Sustainability

You may have heard that the HVAC industry is going through a big refrigerant change. What does this actually mean? A refrigerant is the chemical inside your air conditioner or heat pump that moves heat from where you don’t want it, to where you do. It’s what makes cooling possible. The new generation of refrigerants (like R-454B) have a much lower global warming potential. In fact, it’s about one-quarter as potent as the older R-410A. Because refrigerants contribute significa

This year, I set a goal to finally tackle a few long-overdue home efficiency upgrades, and at the top of the list was my attic. If you’re looking for one of the most impactful places to improve your home’s efficiency, start here. It’s not glamorous, but it makes a big difference. If your home has uneven temperatures between rooms, high heating and cooling bills, drafty spaces, or even ice dams in the winter, there’s a good chance your attic is part of the problem. It’s one of

Did you know that there is one hidden setting on the heat pump thermostat that can have a bigger energy impact than adding R-10...

Is electrification of our homes and buildings the right way to go? This is a topic of much debate among the energy and building...

I recently had a conversation with a neighbor about enrolling in our local electric utility’s smart thermostat program, which would...

We all know that the HVAC equipment is the biggest “energy user” in a home. What’s the second? The hot water heater. Traditionally, most...

Residential wood foundations are a game-changer compared to typical concrete ones, especially when it comes to being eco-friendly,...

Carbon, carbon, carbon. Carbon is in the physical structure of every living (or formerly living) thing in this world, including our...

The answer to this question begins with the ‘E’ in ESG. The simple truth is that decarbonization and the measured environmental impact of...

If you’re using the word “green” to describe your commitment to high-performance, energy-efficient or otherwise “sustainable” building...