Jordan Shively Switch Lighting has just released a liquid cooled LED bulb that promises better light distribution and more even color temperatures. Switch Lighting has just announced a new type of LED technology that is supposed to distribute light more evenly through the bulb and deliver a more consistent color temperature while in use. Traditional LED bulbs place the […]
Tinted energy efficient windows that generate electricity
April 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Jordan Shively A German start up company has recently developed a new technology for creating thin, flexible photovoltaic solar panels. Heliatek, a German based solar start up, has recently announced a new type of solar technology based on the OLED displays found in smart phones and flat screen T.V’s. These new panels are much lighter and […]
Bike to Work Day, May 10
April 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Jordan Shively Join 511.org and Eco Performance Builders in supporting the 18th annual Bike To Work Day Thursday, May 10! . EPBuilders will be joining hundreds of other environmentally conscious businesses around the Bay Area in supporting the 18th annual “Bike To Work Day” on Thursday, May 10th. Did you know that Americans use about 400 million gallons of gasoline driving to […]
Come see us at the Concord Home & Garden Show!
April 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Jordan Shively This year Eco Performance Builders will be making their first-ever appearance at the Concord Home & Garden Show . April 13, 14, 15 2000 Kirker Pass Road in Concordat the Concord Pavilion Come stop by our booth for a chance to win a FREE ENERGY AUDIT! . We’ll be demonstrating some of the gear we […]
Press Release: Eco Performance Builders
February 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Jordan Shively PRESS RELEASE Eco Performance Builders For Immediate Release: February 23, 2012 Aging Bay Area Homes: Inefficient and Unsafe Rebates available for efficiency home upgrades. CONCORD, California — Energy Upgrade California has teamed up with local Bay Area contractors to provide financial incentives for upgrading old, inefficient, and unsafe living spaces. Up to 4,000 dollars in […]
Bathroom Fan Exhaust Frustrations
January 22, 2012 by 1 Comment
Keith Common problems with bathroom fans: It is a frustrating job going into house after house only to find the same issues. The main issues we find are excessive duct leakage (normally 30%), large building leakage, poorly installed insulation, undersized duct systems, oversized heating and cooling equipment, crawlspace moisture issues, and poorly installed ventilation equipment. […]
Energy Upgrade Contra Costa – $9,000 in rebates
April 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Keith Energy Upgrade Contra Costa has been launched and is offering residents up to $5,000 back on energy efficiency upgrades on top of the $4,000 that the Energy Upgrade California Program is offering. This programs are running in combination giving Contra Costa County residents who qualify a possible combined rebate of $9,000! Eco Performance Builders […]
Total Embodied Energy
March 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment
David The total embodied energy of a building material is the amount of commercial energy used to extract raw materials, transport, manufacture, assemble, install, disassemble, deconstruct, and dispose. Basically it is all of the energy that will be used throughout the lifecycle of a product. The less embodied energy a product uses, the better it […]
“Green” Building Materials
March 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment
David I read a few articles in the January issue of Architectural Record that showed a lot of new building materials. One in particular got me thinking. It is Monier Lifetile roof tiles. They remove smog from the air over time by using titanium dioxide. Titanium dioxide reduces VOC’s and nitrogen oxides in the air. […]
Residential Smart Meters
January 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment
David I took a class at PG&E’s Energy Performance Laboratory about a month ago and they had a short presentation on smart meters for homes. A smart meter for residential use shows you your energy usage on your energy bill for each day; a commercial version shows energy usage by hour. Since residential smart meters […]
Net Zero Energy Buildings
January 19, 2011 by Leave a Comment
David I just read an article out of the January 2010 edition of Architectural Record about a net zero energy office complex located in Colorado. A net zero energy building generates as much or more energy than it uses in a year. Basically this means that if every new building was a net zero energy […]
Energy Upgrade California Changes
January 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Scott Energy Upgrade California has announced major and exciting changes to their rebate program. Homeowners now receive a $1,500 rebate for projects that have a 15% modeled energy reduction. The original program had a minimum requirement of 20% modeled savings. This opens the door for more projects to qualify for the rebates. You receive an […]
Cost Effective Ways of Saving Energy
January 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment
David Well this is my first blog entry so I think I should introduce myself and my background. My name is David Zapf. I graduated from USC with a Bachelors of Architecture degree in 2008. Upon graduating I worked for my father for a year repairing termite damage to apartments and putting in tenant improvements […]
New Rules for Federal Energy Efficiency Tax Credit
December 27, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Keith The tax credits known as 25C are extended through 2011, but at a significantly reduced value and with changes made to some of the qualifying equipment standards. The new tax credits begin on January 1, 2011 and last through December 31, 2011. The main difference is an eligible homeowner can claim 10% of the […]
Federal Tax Credit set to expire
November 30, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Keith Federal tax credits for performing energy upgrades to your home are set to expire December 31st. Nobody knows if the incentives will be renewed or not. If you have been thinking of doing some energy upgrades to your home you may not want to wait. The tax credits are good for up to $1,500. […]
