Energy & Building Science Resource List

One of the biggest issues many people have is finding reliable information when it comes to Energy Efficiency, Green Building & Building Science is what works, what doesn’t and where can I turn. When I do presentations, I always include a list at the end with my contact info for others to learn more. So with that in mind, I figured why not share the list I am using for my upcoming presentations on Energy Audits 101 & Taking the BS out of Building Science. (You may also wish to check out our 20 Great Resources you may not know about)

Honorable Mention: Unfortunately many sites don’t make the cut & while some of them are linked above one of the biggest ones missing from both is NCI David’s site. If you want to know about how to do a static pressure test, or get some of the best info available on HVAC system’s you really should check out his blog. NCIDavid.blogspot.com

The HTRC: TheHTRC.com Ok what can I say, sometimes you have to toot your own horn

BSC: BuildingScience.com (be aware of older articles) One of the best sites out there for real science & result driven research, if in doubt I check there while being aware of my one caveat – as science is always changing with new data, one has to be careful blindly following older pieces

Green Building Advisor: GreenBuildingAdvisor.com (dittos along with bias / locale of individual) Also another great site with some great bloggers like Allison Bailles, the Energy Nerd, Carl Seville (The Green Curmudgeon), etc… With that one also has to be aware of outdated information & others stuck pushing an agenda or not staying current with their Building Science knowledge.

ENERGY STAR & also HPwES: energystar.gov While there maybe plenty wrong with our government & a lot of waste – this program & the others listed afterwards are not. These programs are based & work with builders, building scientists and a host of others to put together some of the best resources and programs out there. That is one reason why so many programs out there either list or use many of the same requirmnents that make up ENERGY STAR, Indoor airPLUS, etc…

Building America Solutions Center: basc.pnnl.gov Want to know what happens when you install an ERV in Florida, its in there. How about what it takes to get a building as efficient as it can go without spending buckoo bucks or installing 20+ inches of insulation under the slab… Well this is the place to look as many of the nations top builders participate in the Challenge Home Program & share their results & how they do it cost effectively.

EPA Indoor airPLUS: epa.gov/indoorairplus Bah, who needs to breathe… oh wait we all do – great common sense program

Oak Ridge National Laboratory: ornl.gov Ok they don’t all have pocket protectors or wear Birkenstock’s though… In all seriousness, this group & the next one are pretty good at being able to focus on research, distilling the numbers / facts & presenting them in a language applicable to whom the report or information is intended for.

Lawrence Berkley National Lab: lbl.gov See above & below

Home Energy Pros: homeenergypros.lbl.gov One of the best collaborative sites out there where even the smallest rating outfit gets to be heard. (and no it isn’t just a bunch of noise) — shoot small shameless plug, be sure to check out the Best Practices (Residential) Group

Curious why RESNET, BPI or others aren’t listed? Well I can tell you they are in the presentation & if you really need to know their sites, well I guess you will have to attend… While I can’t get you into the conference area for free, if you would like access to the exhibit hall (which has a ton of other great presentations) for free use code SK16 to register or click this link: https://www.compusystems.com/servlet/ar?evt_uid=110&PromoCode=SK16

Not Enough?

Maybe you like meeting with others, need to learn in a classroom or seminar type environment… I have written about past events & while that’s nice as a recap, many have wondered how I knew, or where to find out about them. Well, no matter where you are in the country there is something going on – get on mailing lists, check out Linked In Groups, your local USGBC chapter, GreenExpo365, Southface, AES, Home Energy Pros (above), or other similar organization in your area, etc… besides my two presentations coming up you may also catch me attending these two events;

The first is one listed in the Building Science Presentation but not the Energy Audit portion as I gave them a whole slide to themselves there & that is the GreenStar Program. The GreenStar program originally was conceived by Michael Anschel (sorry Michael you will have to comment with the other names) & many other individuals in Minnesota & has now spread to most of the Midwest. Unfortunately I never did get to that article I wanted to before the Home Builders pulled out making it seem mute at the time. Well with much perseverance, the program survived & is now better than ever. It also has a program solely dedicated to remodels, which to my knowledge makes it the only program like it in the country.
As I mentioned it has now spread across the Midwest & I will hopefully attending the Illinois GreenStar Pilot Training Program. Per their site:

We are offering a major discount to the training, design review and project registration for those attend the pilot training, go through a pilot project and give us constructive feedback on how to make this program more relevant to Illinois.

This is your chance to shape a new program! Currently the checklist and manual are written on Minnesota guidelines but the cold weather climate program is applicable in our climate zone.

8 hour Training includes

• Why Remodel Green? Best Practices
• Introduction to Green Remodeling Concepts and Opportunities
• Navigating the Illinois GreenStar Program & Checklist
• Basic Building Science Introduction
• AIA/GBCI/NARI Green Continuing Education – 7 Hours
• Be able to lead GreenStar Remodeling Projects
• Become and official GreenStar Qualified Professional (Rater & Builder / Remodeler)

The next conference is simply billed as B4 – for Better Buildings, Better Business. Per their site:

Powered by the Energy Center University; the Illinois Better Buildings: Better Business Conference is in its second year and will gather presenters, exhibitors and participants under one roof for a spectacular event dedicated to residential, multifamily and small commercial best practices. Participants will learn from industry leaders through lectures and live demonstrations and connect with like-minded colleagues from various disciplines within the building community.

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