Yearly Archives: 2015
Anatomy of our Trombe Wall
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
Spring Break!
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
The Windows are Coming!
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
Ill fitting LED’s
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
LED Bulbs
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
Track Lighting
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
Unrealistic Expectations for HERS Score?
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
Original Plans!!!
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
RecoupAerator
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
Designing Ducts
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
Flir One Floor
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
Flir One Sons
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
Time out for an RV trip!
Yep, we are retired and I have always wanted to be able to get away in the RV for a couple of weeks. So we left for two weeks in February to explore New Mexico. On the way back we … Continue reading
Window and Door Performance
The best performance is expensive, but is it more expensive than it is worth? I hope not! Here are the tested performance values for the 525-S Alpen window and doors that I chose. All the 525-S window panels are glazed … Continue reading
More Window and Door Decisions
I spent the whole morning with Mark Attard from AE and we finalized the order for the windows and doors. I was not completely happy with the limit on door options, but I hope I picked the best of each … Continue reading
Alpen 525-S Windows
Alpen HPP makes “cadillac” windows in my opinion. The specifications are far beyond Milgard as I’ve pointed out, and they have a lot of information available about their windows on their website that shows the quest for very high energy … Continue reading
AE Building Systems
I was fortunate to be referred to Mark Attard at AE when I contacted Alpen for a quote. He is very involved in the Passive House interest group in Colorado and AE Building Systems carries a full line of products … Continue reading
Local Manufacturers of Windows and Doors
We live near Denver, Colorado. Locally manufactured items qualify for LEED points if they are made within 500 miles of home. There are several local manufacturers of vinyl or uPVC windows in that radius but far fewer for fiberglass. Milgard, … Continue reading
Window and Door Decision
I’m in the throes of deciding about the replacement windows and doors. After the total replacement of the slab in the main part of the house, this is the most expensive single energy efficiency upgrade. Our current windows are all … Continue reading
LEED Checklist
Recounting where we are and where we need to be certainly requires a look at the LEED checklist. We are planning for most of the same points as in our preliminary rating and Platinum certification. Although some of the points … Continue reading