Monthly Archives: March 2015

Anatomy of our Trombe Wall

Posted on March 29, 2015 by ellen

We removed the battens and glass from the large thermal mass wall on the south side of the house to get ready for the new window install.  This Trombe wall had a solar glass covering that was deteriorated and needs … Continue reading →

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Spring Break!

Posted on March 28, 2015 by ellen

We took another couple of days off to do some lakeside camping for part of the grandkids spring break. It snowed the day we were going to leave and I had a training for Rocky Mountain Green volunteers so we … Continue reading →

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The Windows are Coming!

Posted on March 28, 2015 by ellen

We have a ship date on our Alpen order of windows and doors! They are due Monday the 30th of March. That is just a week later than the original estimate. The installers are set to start on April 1st. … Continue reading →

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Ill fitting LED’s

Posted on March 24, 2015 by ellen

Unfortunately, the G25 Globe bulbs did not fit the Prescolite track heads. The necks are too short to fit into the sockets because of the lamp collars. Actually I read this caution on an Amazon comment but ignored it thinking … Continue reading →

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LED Bulbs

Posted on March 21, 2015 by ellen

Using 7 incandescent 60 watt bulbs in the new track lighting requires 420 watts of electricity. My son-in-law has been experimenting with LED bulbs and has found some he likes and I observed the bad ones he had to return … Continue reading →

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Track Lighting

Posted on March 20, 2015 by ellen

We noticed that our living area is very dark at night. This could just be the contrast with how light it is during the day, or it is because the clerestory is so high that light gets lost in the … Continue reading →

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Unrealistic Expectations for HERS Score?

Posted on March 20, 2015 by ellen

One of the first steps in aspiring to a LEED certification is to project the number of points that could be accomplished during the building so that choices can be made to provide the best energy efficiency possible. During the … Continue reading →

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Original Plans!!!

Posted on March 14, 2015 by ellen

I have had the good fortune to become friends with the original owner of the house. Of course she is a very interesting person as well as a retired business owner, a wonderful gardener, and a good cook! She was … Continue reading →

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RecoupAerator

Posted on March 9, 2015 by ellen

LEED recommends an HRV or ERV mechanical ventilation and air purification system to provide adequate ventilation and air quality in a super tight structure. AE Building Systems also carries one of the most energy efficient Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERV). The … Continue reading →

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Designing Ducts

Posted on March 7, 2015 by ellen

Duct Design has been a bit tricky. The information about designing a suitable duct system for ventilation only has been difficult for me to find and interpret. Most duct design documentation is for heating systems and the fan speed numbers … Continue reading →

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Flir One Floor

Posted on March 2, 2015 by ellen

Here is an infrared photo of the radiant pipes heating up in the slab. The temp shows the warmest temperature spot (red) to be just under design temperature (86˚) for the floor at zero outside. This photo was taken before … Continue reading →

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Flir One Sons

Posted on March 2, 2015 by ellen

My Flir One Sons as captured by my Christmas present to myself, a nifty iphone infrared camera accessory. Earlier last year I splurged on an iphone after using the first G1 for six years–but it was just before the iphone … Continue reading →

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