Author Archives: ellen

Next Steps

This summer was the culmination of ten years of work on the house. We had to push to finish the major LEED features of the remodel because we had an end of June deadline for evaluation under LEED 2009 version … Continue reading

Posted in Construction, Finishes, Maintenance and Repair, Patio, Planning, Solar, Spa | Comments Off on Next Steps

Metro Denver Green Homes Tour

This is a big deal at least for the committee that puts it together. We work from January through November to offer the tour to the public on the National Solar Tour day, the first Saturday in October. The tour … Continue reading

Posted in Energy Efficiency, Outreach | Comments Off on Metro Denver Green Homes Tour

A Boiler/Fireplace Boiler/Hot Water Question

Another good question, this one from our volunteer guide, was about the specifics of our radiant hot water and domestic hot water piping. Could I provide a diagram about how it all worked together? I had never put both systems … Continue reading

Posted in Condensing Modulating Gas Boiler, Fireplace Boiler, Outreach, Radiant Heat | Comments Off on A Boiler/Fireplace Boiler/Hot Water Question

A Metro Denver Green Homes Tour You Tube Interview

We had a wonderful offer to help spread the word about the tour this year from Joan Gregerson, a local real estate agent who is savvy about energy efficiency in buildings. She recruited a few volunteers as home tour guides … Continue reading

Posted in Energy Efficiency, LEED Project, Outreach | Comments Off on A Metro Denver Green Homes Tour You Tube Interview

Is the Tesla Roof Worth It?

We were on the Metro Denver Green Homes Tour last Saturday. It occurs each year on the first Saturday of October which is the National Solar tour day. We were a site to see the Tesla Solar roof and our … Continue reading

Posted in Energy Efficiency, Green Building Interests, Roofing, Solar | Comments Off on Is the Tesla Roof Worth It?

I’m on the Radio!

I was advertising the Metro Denver Green Homes Tour. Our house is on the tour again this year. We had our house on the tour in 2017 when we were about halfway finished installing LEED requirements and attempting to earn … Continue reading

Posted in Energy Efficiency, Green Building Interests | Comments Off on I’m on the Radio!

Chaffee County Green Homes Tour

The woman who heads up the Metro Denver Green Homes Tour also works with organizations in Chaffee County to organize a green homes tour near Salida and Buena Vista. She recruits members of the Denver team to spend a beautiful … Continue reading

Posted in Energy Efficiency, Green Building Interests | Comments Off on Chaffee County Green Homes Tour

Colorado Average Home Gas Use vs. Ours

We are getting ready for the Metro Denver Green Homes Tour on October 1st. Our home was on the tour in 2017. Since then we have finished the LEED certification as a Platinum Green and Net Zero home. So we … Continue reading

Posted in Appliances, Condensing Modulating Gas Boiler | Comments Off on Colorado Average Home Gas Use vs. Ours

Inverter Repair

On our last trip when we were almost home we tried to turn on the inverter and it was dead. We were dropping it off at the shop for repairs to the body from when we scraped the side on … Continue reading

Posted in Maintenance and Repair, RV Camping | Comments Off on Inverter Repair

Trombe Wall in September

The Trombe wall is too effective in the hot sunny days of September. The sun is lower in the sky so the overhang is not wide enough to shade the front. Even opening the windows at night and using fans … Continue reading

Posted in Air Intrusion/Thermal Envelope, Reduce Reuse Recycle, Trombe Wall | Comments Off on Trombe Wall in September

A Sunday in Wuppertal

Dave noticed a site in Germany on Atlas Obscura, a website devoted to unusual places and experiences. Wurppertal features a hanging suspension train that was not too far away from Wurselen by trains. Clare researched the route and we decided … Continue reading

Posted in Grandkids, Travel | Comments Off on A Sunday in Wuppertal

New Home in Germany

We were home from Indiana for a week and then off to Wurselen, Germany to visit our daughter and family. They purchased a new home last fall but had a long wait until the sale was completed. It is not … Continue reading

Posted in Friends and Family, Grandkids, Travel | Comments Off on New Home in Germany

The ”Region”

I was born in Chicago but grew up in Northern Indiana near the steel mills and oil refineries. The area was known as the Calumet region (near the Little Calumet River) and shortened to the ”Region” in the rest of … Continue reading

Posted in Friends and Family, RV Camping | Comments Off on The ”Region”

Indiana Hot

We had a lovely time visiting Indiana for three weeks and timed it perfectly for some very hot and humid weather. We drove the RV and stayed with friends and visited others first in Spencer. We were able to camp … Continue reading

Posted in Friends and Family, RV Camping, Spencer House | Comments Off on Indiana Hot

Difficult Offset Toilet Drain Repair

When we decided to insulate the knee wall on the east side of the remodel the toilet drain ended up too close to the wall. Unfortunately the type of offset fitting I bought was a ”bowl” type instead of an … Continue reading

Posted in Maintenance and Repair, Plumbing, Primary Bedroom | Comments Off on Difficult Offset Toilet Drain Repair

Mending Chair Seats

Kids can be inadvertently destructive. My grandson jumped hard on the Old Hickory antique couch and one section of the underlying webbing broke. Some of the other webbing was already damaged. I emailed the Old Hickory factory to ask how … Continue reading

Posted in Furniture, Maintenance and Repair | Comments Off on Mending Chair Seats

Tesla Solar Roof Data September-June

The solar roof was installed at the end of last August so its first month of production was September, 2021. The solar performed well in September but after the equinox production dropped dramatically. Energy sent to the grid dropped to … Continue reading

Posted in Monitoring, Roofing, Solar | Comments Off on Tesla Solar Roof Data September-June

Net Zero Home Energy Rating (HERS)

What is a HERS score? An organization of mortgage lenders was formed in the 80’s to study the value of home energy efficiency. Their efforts became RESNET in 1995. They were hoping to add value to homes that would save … Continue reading

Posted in Air Intrusion/Thermal Envelope, Energy Efficiency, LEED Project | Comments Off on Net Zero Home Energy Rating (HERS)

RV AC

The last time we camped the air conditioner would not start. It moaned a bit but didn’t kick in. A complication to the air conditioner breakdown is that I bought repair insurance for the first year of ownership because I … Continue reading

Posted in Maintenance and Repair, RV Camping | Comments Off on RV AC

LEED Platinum!

I got confirmation today from our evaluator at Energy Logic who emailed that the USGBC has agreed with their evaluation and will award our house the Platinum LEED level! This is an exciting end to our quest for LEED certification. … Continue reading

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