1. Attic Insulation & Air Sealing If you have old or non-existent attic insulation, this will be your most cost-effective upgrade for winter. Why? Hot air rises. Your furnace is working hard to heat the home, and without insulation you’re losing most of that energy via conduction through the attic and ceiling. The hotter that air […]
How to Choose the Right Furnace
August 4, 2016 by 1 Comment
When a furnace or air conditioner is installed in a building, it becomes a part of a system. The device’s actual performance – regardless of whatever ratings it boasts – will depend almost entirely on how it interacts with that system. With that in mind, here are the three most important factors to consider when purchasing an HVAC […]
Should I Get an Energy Audit?
April 12, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Short answer: If you own a home, then yes, you should get an energy audit. Longer answer: Let me ask you a few questions. Is your home too cold in the winter? Too hot in the summer? Are temperatures uneven from room to room? Is your energy bill high? (Specifically, your heating/cooling costs) Do you have concerns […]
Meeting the Demands of the Grid
February 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment
One of the toughest challenges in the energy business today is that of peak-hours electricity demand. We’ve all experienced or at least heard about the rolling blackouts, and the increased price of electricity used during peak hours (or “time-of-use” rates). On the surface, it’s a simple matter of not having enough power output to meet […]
Should I Replace My Furnace?
December 22, 2015 by 1 Comment
My electricity bill is too high. My heater is too noisy, and wakes me up at night. Some rooms are too hot and others are cold. The air feels stuffy or musty. My heater has stopped working entirely. Please read the following before replacing your furnace. The long-term effects of making the right (or wrong) […]
Hydronic Forced Air Heating Advantages
December 12, 2015 by 2 Comments
Hydronics refers to the use of a liquid as a medium of heat transfer in heating or cooling systems. Specifically, a Combined Hydronic Air Handler, often described as a “hot water furnace,” uses hot water to heat a home. How does a Combined Hydronic Air Handler system work? It uses two appliances in conjunction: […]
Soundproofing and Insulation
October 31, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Completely soundproofing an existing home is fairly difficult and costly on its own. There are a lot of “tips and tricks” out there, but the fact is, the only way to fully soundproof a home is by tearing into your walls and/or ceiling. The upside is, if you’re thinking of redoing your insulation or […]
Air Conditioner: Repair or Replace?
June 18, 2015 by 5 Comments
If there’s nothing wrong with your air conditioner, but your electricity bill seems too high during those hot months, you may want to schedule an energy audit. During this process, we will thoroughly evaluate the energy efficiency of your house, and recommend the most cost-effective combination of upgrades. If you’re deciding whether to repair or […]
2014 Contractor of the Year – Energy Upgrade California!
March 17, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Our second Contractor of the Year Award for 2014 is the prestigious Energy Upgrade California (EUC) “Contractor of the Year” award. We are sincerely honored to receive this award. There are over 250 contractors in the EUC program; to be recognized as the best is AWESOME!. We are grateful to be given the opportunity to […]
Building and Duct Leakage Tests
March 17, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Testing for air leakage: The first step in any energy retrofit job Air sealing (reducing the leakage of the home) is the #1 way to conserve energy in a home. Air sealing work should be prioritized and air sealing progress should be monitored. However, you can’t completely seal up a home without also supplying controlled […]
ZNE Home With Guaranteed $0 Energy Bills — Built and Sold by EPB
March 11, 2015 by 1 Comment
We have completed and sold our ZNE (Zero Net Energy) build in the Montclair Hills. We are very excited about this build because it is the culmination of everything we have learned from decades of building and retrofitting homes. We have put our heart and soul into it and made it the best performing, […]
Deep Energy Retrofits – 12 Steps
December 31, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Let’s face it, some homes need a lot of work. In the 20th century, the majority of homes were built with little consideration for efficiency, air quality, or longevity. Now that we’re facing more serious economic, environmental, and energy issues, we need to start doing things differently. But new, efficient homes are not being built fast enough […]
10 Summer Energy Saving Tips from Eco Performance Builders
May 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment
1. Schedule an energy assessment This is the first step in improving your overall home performance. A technician will test your home and build an energy model of the home and a report of all the findings. From there they will recommend cost-effective upgrades, show you how to turn your home into a net-zero energy […]
Home Energy Retrofit: The Whole-House Approach
March 11, 2014 by 1 Comment
Home energy efficiency is best achieved by a “whole-house” approach, rather than a piecemeal one. Everything in your home is interconnected. When you change something, it affects other things as well. Air follows the path of least resistance, and hot air rises. Thus, for example, if you seal up your doors and windows, but you […]
Do It Yourself Home Energy Audit: A One Stop Guide
April 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Do It Yourself – Home Energy Audit What is a Residential Energy Audit? (often more positively termed: Energy Assessment) An Energy Audit is a way to use Building Science and Home Performance concepts to perform a comprehensive in-depth testing of a home in order to find out where the energy concerns are, how to […]
