by srmi | Sep 19, 2023 | Energy News
Understand the Causes of Asthma One in nine Americans suffers from asthma. Asthma causes the airways of the lungs to swell and narrow, leading to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. The lungs of asthma sufferers are sensitive to dust...
by John Krigger | Jul 20, 2023 | Uncategorized
Before buying a whole building-dehumidifier, make sure that the existing HVAC equipment is optimized to remove both sensible and latent heat. As with any HVAC upgrade, improve the building enclosure with cost-effective retrofits. If this HVAC-and-enclosure...
by John Krigger | Jun 15, 2023 | Uncategorized
Air conditioners and dehumidifiers remove water vapor from indoor air by refrigerating the air to below its dew point to condense water vapor. The air conditioner (AC) should be the primary moisture remover whenever possible. However, when the AC doesn’t activate...
by srmi | Apr 25, 2023 | Energy News
What are VOCs? Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are chemicals that vaporize and enter the lungs through normal breathing. VOCs are ingredients in paints, cleaning products, and adhesives. Building materials such as carpet, linoleum, composite wood products, and...
by srmi | Apr 18, 2023 | Energy News
Purpose of ZNE A ZNE home is one where the value of the energy produced by on-site renewable energy resources is equal to the value of grid energy consumed annually. Net-zero is measured by the Time Dependent Valuation (TDV) Metric. TDV is the cost-effectiveness and...
by srmi | Mar 19, 2023 | Energy News
Balanced Ventilation Systems Balanced ventilation systems exhaust stale air and provide fresh air through a ducted distribution system. Of all the ventilation schemes, they do the best job of controlling pollutants in the home. Balanced systems move equal amounts of...
by srmi | Mar 13, 2023 | Energy News
Install Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarms Carbon monoxide and smoke alarms are now common products that the building code requires in all new homes. These alarms wake occupants if the concentration of CO or smoke becomes dangerous. Building owners can buy combination...
by srmi | Dec 14, 2022 | Energy News
Insulation’s ability to resist heat flow is measured by its R-value. “R” stands for “resistance.” Like many numerical values, there are two R-values and we refer to both as “R-value.” The metric R-value is also known as RSI or R for resistance in the “Systeme...
by srmi | Nov 25, 2022 | Energy News
Airtightness and Resistance Effects Most of the hazardous particulates enter the home from outdoors. The airtightness of a home is the most important factor to minimize airborne particles, known as PM2.5, in indoor air. PM2.5 means particles of less than 2.5 microns...
by srmi | Nov 7, 2022 | Energy News
Masonry air leaks Masonry materials must be airtight and have airtight joints between the building assemblies to function as air barriers. Masonry roofs, walls, and floors may or may not be airtight. For example, concrete block isn’t itself airtight. Joints between...
