Energy Efficiency

What Are Insulation R-Values?

By |2024-12-30T14:53:50-07:00October 14th, 2024|Energy Audit Info, HERS Ratings|

When it comes to optimizing in-home climate control, increasing energy efficiency, and saving money, one of the most important aspects of the home is insulation. In fact the EPA calculates that, by sealing homes and insulating properly in the appropriate areas, homeowners can save up to 15% on yearly heating and cooling costs. There [...]

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Duct Leakage Testing in Colorado. Who, What, Where, When, How?

By |2024-01-29T09:52:34-07:00January 3rd, 2024|Energy Code Info|

At the time of this writing, most Colorado counties have adopted the 2018 IECC 0r the 2021 IECC. These energy standards have established that a number of field tests are required to validate the energy performance of a home. This includes blower door testing and duct leakage testing - both are important tests for [...]

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HRV and ERV Systems: What You Should Know

By |2025-01-10T12:22:57-07:00December 8th, 2022|Back to Basics, HVAC|

If you own a newer home, it is likely equipped with an HRV or an ERV system. That is because these systems are crucial in maintaining in-home air quality. Nowadays, homes are built to meet high energy efficiency standards. They are constructed in an airtight manner, in order to keep conditioned air from leaking [...]

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Explaining U-Factors and Solar Heat Gain Coefficients For Windows and Doors

By |2025-01-30T09:24:10-07:00September 19th, 2022|HERS Ratings, Uncategorized|

In today's day and age, with expenses and bills around every corner, we're all looking for ways to cut costs. If you are a homeowner, you know that your monthly bills to keep the house going have been steadily increasing over time. One of our biggest burdens are those costly heating and cooling bills. [...]

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Why Is Air Leakage In Homes So Important?

By |2025-01-16T11:21:34-07:00July 12th, 2022|Blower Door Testing|

As modern day homeowners, we face so many month-to-month expenses. There are routine maintenance expenses, repairs, utility bills, insurance, mortgage payments and the list goes on. With all these recurring expenses hanging over our heads, there is one thing we all have in common - we want to save money. So how do we do [...]

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Best Places to Insulate a Home

By |2025-01-23T11:13:08-07:00February 1st, 2022|Energy Audit Info|

Where are the best places to insulate a home to get the most energy savings and best comfort gains?  That question is asked in every energy audit we perform.  While this answer can vary depending on the age and the type of home, there are general solutions that apply across the board. Improvements in [...]

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The Ultimate HERS Rating Guide Part 4: When Is A HERS Rating Required In Colorado?

By |2023-05-10T13:48:42-06:00July 22nd, 2019|Energy Code Info, HERS Rating Guide, HERS Ratings|

One question that we are asked frequently is when and where is a HERS rating required in Colorado? A HERS rating can be an alternative solution to following the building codes when building a Colorado home. We covered many of the benefits of performing a HERS rating in our earlier blog about performance vs prescriptive [...]

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The Ultimate HERS Rating Guide Part 2: What Is The HERS Score Index?

By |2023-05-23T16:59:53-06:00July 9th, 2019|Energy Code Info, HERS Rating Guide, HERS Ratings|

You may have heard the term "HERS rating" used regarding home construction and energy efficiency.  You may have even seen and read through a HERS report, or you may have a HERS certificate for your own home. Or you may have read our first blog in this series, What Is A HERS Rating.  Many [...]

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The Green MLS: Energy Efficiency and the Multiple Listings Service

By |2025-01-28T14:14:31-07:00June 25th, 2019|Energy Audit Info, Energy Code Info|

If you have bought or sold a home with a real estate agent, you likely interacted with the MLS. MLS stands for Multiple Listings Service and is a compilation of all the homes for sale at any particular time. The listings can be accessed through certified brokers, and there are many companies that offer [...]

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The Ultimate HERS Rating Guide Part 1: What Is A HERS Rating?

By |2023-05-10T13:44:44-06:00December 8th, 2015|Energy Code Info, HERS Rating Guide, HERS Ratings|

The HERS Rating Index, developed by RESNET: More new homes are being built with a HERS Rating, particularly in Colorado.  The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) is a method used by architects, builders, and energy raters, to determine the overall energy use of a home. RESNET, the Residential Energy Services Network, developed the HERS [...]

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