The house is oriented 5° east of duro south and we have more than adequate solar gain. But.. we are missing one crucial piece; and that is thermal mass. Having a material that can capture and hold that heat when the sun goes down is key to a passive solar design. We did originally plan […]
Thermal Mass – Receive solar gain and retain it Read More »
In one year I drove about 16,000 miles and cost me a total of $370. Most of my charging was done at my house and I always try to charge at the off peak rates. Our fellow truck, let’s say it gets 23 miles to the gallon, it’s going to need 696 gallons with those
How much does an EV cost to charge and how does it compare to a truck? Read More »
Ready to get a new water heater? Or have you been thinking about making your home less drafty and want to look at air sealing / adding insulation? There is money for you at the federal, state and local level! Get money back while saving money because you’re saving energy! We’ll discuss the different rebates
Energy Rebates – How they Work and Who is Eligible Read More »
There are many benefits to having an all-electric house. These include increased sustainability, reduced utility bills and healthy indoor air. How do you make a house all electric? I’ll give you a brief 101 on HOW this is achieved and elaborate more on the BENEFITS of an all-electric home. WHY go all-electric? Clean electricity is
All-Electric House – Why, How and the Benefits Read More »
This week, we are referring our blog to the AE Building Systems blog post here. We bought our Alpen Windows from AE Building Systems and we are so happy with the service they provided and the windows are phenomenal. https://aebuildingsystems.com/passion-for-sustainability-at-the-poindexter-house-blog/
AE Building Systems Blog Post Read More »
Note that I am assuming a heating-dominated climate here. The IRC (International Residential Code) requires that each bedroom and the main kitchen / living room area has a way to be heated. The code does NOT require air conditioning, even in a cooling-dominated climate. The 2015 IRC reads as follows: R303.9 Required heating. Where the
Which House Heating Is Best – And Is It Gas or Electric (or other)? Read More »
Why invest in windows? Well, windows are basically holes in your wall that attempt to block air flow. If you have insulation in your walls and care about indoor comfort, you should definitely spend a little more money for that “nicer” window. Therefore, you can go from a simple hole in your wall to something
Energy Efficient WIndows Read More »
There are so many ways to build a building! Seriously. Most of these are dependent on the location and what is required by the energy code, but a lot of them can also be chosen due to budget and labor knowledge. First off, you wouldn’t pack the same for a trip to the Rocky Mountains
Construction and Assembly Options – Foundation Read More »
A well-built cooler results in using less ice to keep items cold. This is a similar concept to building a well-built building that will result in less energy usage. If you build a structure that is air-tight and well-insulated, similar to a Yeti Cooler (or Artic, etc.), then the size of the mechanical systems used
A Building Built Like a Cooler Read More »
The journey of building your own home can be grueling, but here is a short introduction on what to expect. Note that there are a lot of variables so this is a rough outline on what the process will look like. Buy property If you have capital, you can use this to purchase the lot.
The Construction Process Read More »