1. Three topics
The importance of measuring household energy usage over time
Known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns
What a house that’s part of the solution rather than part of the problem should look like in a decade or two…

2. The importance of measuring household energy usage over time

3. Energy units Unit Fuel type Btu content Kilowatt hour Electricity
3,413
Therm
Natural gas
100,000
Gallon
Heating oil
138,000
Gasoline
125,000

4. Calculating energy usage
Convert all fuels to Btus (British thermal units)
Annual therms of gas x 100,000
Annual kWh of electricity x 3,413
Annual gallons heating oil x 138,000
Add them all up to calculate total Btus consumed per year
Divide by square footage of the house and you get Btu/sf/yr – an “energy score” you can compare with other homes
Track over time

5. 122 pre-retrofit homes compared with 20 post-retrofit
# of homes in each bin
10,000 Btu/sf/yr bins

6. Finish renovation

7. Known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns

8. Things everybody already knows to do
Insulate and air-seal (but see below)
LED light bulbs
Getting rid of second refrigerators
Upgrade appliances
Thermostat set-backs for central heating & cooling systems
Things we think we know to do but that don’t work as well as we may want
Replacement windows
Basement ceiling insulation
Running paddle fans during heating season
Things we should be doing but maybe don’t know to
Blower door as a diagnostic tool for all insulation projects
Blower door as a diagnostic tool for most remodeling projects
Testing range hood and bath fan exhausts to see if they’re actually working as intended
Commissioning central forced-air heating and cooling systems

9. LED light bulbs

10. Typical basement refrigerator

11. Impact of a new dehumidifier…

12. Blower door

13. What a house that’s part of the solution rather than part of the problem should probably look like in a decade or two…

14. A 21st century home…
Should not burn things indoors for heating, cooking, clothes drying, or hot water
That is to say, should be all electric
Should be both as air-tight as reasonable (as verified with a blower door) and have an energy recovery ventilation system (ERV or HRV)
Should have PV on the roof, if possible
Should have more people in it than we currently settle for