I've had a lot of friends reach out recently asking about room air filters and whether they should buy one as a strategy for the COVID pandemic. In this blog, I'll put together my current advice on how to buy a room air filter. First, should you buy one? Well,...
Category: Amy Musser
February is Fireplace Month
Amy Musser
In our office, we’ve nicknamed February “fireplace month” because it’s the time of year when the phone starts ringing off the hook with people whose fireplaces aren’t working right in their new home. It’s terrible for everyone when that happens, so in this blog I’ll try to help you avoid...
Hot water recirculating loops: the most problematic “green feature” out there right now
Amy Musser
Hot water recirculating loops are having a moment. They’re popular with plumbers because they reduce callbacks homeowners who don’t want to run their taps and wait for hot water. They’re also quite inexpensive to install – if you install them in a way that will work really inefficiently. Recirculating loops...
Do this, not that… technical edition
Amy Musser
Part of my job is that I get to see a lot of new, popular, and cutting edge things that people do in new homes. Last week I wrote about some of the things that people see and fall in love with, and how some of these things can cause...
Forest Fires and Air Quality in WNC
Amy Musser
This is going to be a quick one, because it's the middle of my workday and yours. We've got forest fires burning in WNC and no rain in the forecast. We can smell it outside in Asheville and they're issuing air quality alerts. What can you do about it? What...
New Energy Code Training Materials Available
Amy Musser
The North Carolina Energy Efficiency Alliance has recently completed a study to identify commonly missed requirements of the North Carolina energy code, and they have followed that up with some training materials to help builders improve their homes. The training materials are available online at the NCEEA web site. What...
I have to clean my solar panels, and you probably do too
Amy Musser
Later this month, my husband Matt and I will celebrate our five-year anniversary in our new net-zero energy house. When we built the house we made a commitment to use it as an educational tool to showcase our successes and our “learning opportunities”. I feel like it’s appropriate to celebrate...
No excuses things you can do for the environment
Amy Musser
I'm often asked to give talks about what people can do to help the environment. And afterward, I often get feedback about why people can't do things: they don't have south facing roof for solar, they don't have money for a big home efficiency renovation, they're renting so they can't...
Are the energy bills in my new house too high?
Amy Musser
Most people who buy a new Greenbuilt or Energy Star home are thrilled with how low their utility bills are. But occasionally we get calls from homeowners who suspect that their energy bills for their new house are too high. Using your HERS rating, there are a few reality checks...
Green building pitfalls of tiny homes
Amy Musser
What could be greener than a tiny home? They use so many fewer resources than a traditional home that they should almost get a free pass in the green building world, shouldn’t they? Almost, but not quite. With tiny homes becoming more popular, let’s explore some green building pitfalls that...