Please see article at:

http://www.edcmag.com/Articles/Web_Exclusive/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000866718

http://www.edcmag.com/Articles/Web_Exclusive/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000866718

Guest blogger Houston Neal Writes; 

 

The greatest barrier to widespread adoption of "green" retrofits is arguably the cost. Homeowners, landlords and building owners all want proof that their investment will return a high yield in the future. Cash for caulkers will hopefully be the impetus for change.

Earlier this summer the House of Representatives passed the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010. Commonly known as "cash for caulkers," the bill provisions $6 billion for energy-efficient or “green” retrofits. It is expected to fund renovations for 3 million families, create 168,000 new jobs and save consumers $9.2 billion on energy bills over the next 10 years.

The Home Star bill still needs to be approved by the Senate, but in the meantime, homeowners need to "do their homework." There are 13 different types of retrofits described in the bill. Each has unique requirements and rebate amounts.

Construction Software Advice recently put together a comprehensive guide on the Home Star bill. In their article, "Cash for Caulkers – The Definitive Guide To The Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010," they break out the retrofit requirements into an easy-to-read table. They have also combined similar retrofits into three packages. They suggest these will help homeowners get the best bang for their buck.

To learn more, visit: http://www.softwareadvice.com/articles/construction/cash-for-caulkers-the-definitive-guide-to-the-home-star-bill-1061110/

I would like to draw some attention to the following article;

http://newscenter.lbl.gov/feature-stories/2009/06/02/working-toward-the-very-low-energy-consumption-building-of-the-future/

I would like to say that it is a well written article by a very creditable institution. So creditable that much of what is produced is the foundation of policy. There is a lot to be learned from the article but that’s not what I’m writing about. I want to read in-between the lines. There are two elements that I have identified that our KoolDuct readership would be interested in having a dialogue.

The two elements are bundled in the graphic available on the above link;

Buildings account for about 40 percent of total U.S. energy consumption (costing $350 billion per year) and greenhouse gas emissions.

Notice the sizes of the pie pieces? It does not take a rocket science to see that buildings are the number one consumer of energy. This seems to get lost in the main stream media and in public environmental circles (I usually hear about the CAFÉ standards). These entities seem to forget that the whole pie is the problem.

The second tid-bit is the subsets of the building pie pieces. Notice the cooling and heating is divided? What happens when you stack both heating and cooling? It becomes the largest consumer of the largest pie piece! Now my assumption is that chart was not constructed by a duct work guy! He/ She would have known that your heat and cooling gets distributed through the same system. That system is the common denominator of both Residential and Commercial heating and cooling. Also, known is the waste that lesser quality distribution systems have built into them – please see my previous posts for further discussion.

As most of the readers know KoolDuct is made up of a sandwich of foam between two layers of aluminum. The foam’s R-value is widely advertised and tested as exceeding the R6 and R8 required by most energy codes. What is never discussed is the possible effectiveness of the aluminum skin as radiant barrier!?

http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/radiant/rb_01.html

Here is the thought the foam insulation is designed to combat conductive heat (heat by physical contact) and convective heat (forced air) but the unthought-of form of heat flow is RADIATION.

To date I do not know of anyone who has consider the reflective benefits of KoolDuct on top of the convective and conductive properties of the foam. This snippet was just a starter for further discussion.

1. Prioritize Fittings List
   1. Instead of importing with the .PNL file; Use the “Edit Parts List” and set the priority settings. Keep them in clusters (i.e. have fittings 1-3 as priory 1, next 2-6 priority 2, so on and so forth). Then auto nest.

1. Use Different Nesting Strategies
   1. Don’t just use the auto nest (green button) for the best utilization. Use the yellow auto nest button right next to it. Try different strategies and compare the performance.

1. Use Tip 1 & 2 In Conjunction With Each Other.

1. Leave the Computer
   1. Leave the computer while it is performing nesting calculations. Go do other value-added work.

1. Minimize Part Removal Labor
   1. Move pieces nested with a “score cut” along the boards edge to the very edge thus utilizing the board edge.

1. Use Scrap and Nest From Previous Jobs
   1. Using the “Reports” feature to identify all the pieces of the last nest. Save all the pieces from the last sheet of the job (assuming it’s a partial nest) and re-nest it at the beginning of the next job – before importing the new job. Import and using the yellow auto-nest button menu. On the “begin nesting on” drop down menu select "First Nest". This will start the current job nesting on the waste from the last job.

People in the United States and Canada consume 2.4 times as much energy at home as those in Western Europe¹. This makes me wonder why the US seems to be the slowest in adopting and enforcing the tighter energy codes. Why does an obvious energy saver such as KoolDuct get turned a blinding eye from those interested in cutting energy cost? We know that its a tried and true technology. Even in the middle east, 50 percent of new construction is insulated foam board. And, why do we as a country complain about energy cost when we do nothing to reduce global and even local demand?

1. Worldwatch Institute, State of the World 2004 Special Focus: The Consumer Society, January 2004,I SBN: 0-393-32539-3

Tiger closures are great for the assembling of KoolDuct and allow you not to use the glue. The problem is its almost impossible to bend the tiger closure in a true 90 degree angle. To combat this, bend the tiger as normal then use a dead blow hammer to set the closure. Doing so will bend the tiger over 90 degrees. The duct will be more robust and considerably squarer. Also, the tape will cover the tiger flawlessly.

Green is a Pull Through

“Treehuggers” is a common term I hear from the seasoned in the contracting business. I do not see eye-to-eye with this attitude. Yes, the LEED paperwork and ‘Green’ intercity are work; but not pointless work. As you can read in yesterdays post below there are dollars in this for all. This extra work is not an unpaid extra. It represents business growth for contractors pursue it and total industry growth. I count 23 LEED credits that an HVAC contractor can help a customer achieve. The market is asking for green, governments regs are forcing it¹ and economic forces are assisting it². “Treehugger” carries the connotation of contractors seemly fighting the green movement. My advice is a simple one; when the market asks for something and is willing to pay don’t fight the current. The green movement is a pull through.

1. Article on new MPG restrictions. Please see http://green.yahoo.com/news/ap/20080423/ap_on_bi_ge/fuel_economy.html

And

http://www.wfaa.com/projectgreen/greenarticles/stories/green080423_ph_fueleconomy.91608a89.html

1. Resource of Price trends of energy sources.

http://www.doe.gov/pricestrends/index.htm