Northwest Energy Team Hosts South Sound Green Tour Sites
Posted: April 11, 2012 Filed under: Home Shows & Tours | Tags: air infiltration, air leaks, Brent Foster, Craftsman kit home, DHP, Ductless Heat Pump, Energy Evaluation, home energy upgrade, Northwest Energy Team, Northwest Infrared, Olympia, Scott Bergford, Scott Homes, South Sound Green Tour Leave a comment »The 3rd Annual South Sound Green Tour is April 21st & 22nd, 10 to 4. Northwest Energy Team and Scott Homes, Inc are hosting 4.5 sites (more on that 0.5 site later).
We have a map with handy-dandy driving directions to the NET/Scott Homes sites. Just enter your starting address in the “Start Address” field, press the “Get Directions” button and you’re on your way! We also strongly recommend you check out as many Green Tour sites as you can.
This year’s tour is a really big deal for us because Scott and Pat Bergford’s home is one of the sites.
Even though Scott has made a living building energy efficient homes, and even though he has a solid understanding of building science, his 1925 Craftsman kit home was in need of a serious energy retro fit. For 32 years the Bergford family lived in a drafty house with a humid basement and bathrooms. The primary heat source was an ancient wood furnace and thick Norwegian sweaters. It was a case of the cobbler’s children having no shoes.
In the past year, they have sealed an air leak here and installed a fan there. But this winter was the final straw: they added ductless heat pumps (DHPs), sealed a lot of the major air leaks and insulated. Now they invite you to drop by. Brent Foster of Northwest Infrared will be there, too. He’s the one who did the initial home energy evaluation at the Bergfords. He’ll be available to answer your “why is my downstairs bathroom so moldy” questions. You’ll walk away a lot smarter. Really.
So come on by and see the progress the Bergfords have made. Learn how they have changed their living habits and find out what they plan to tackle next. … And there’s a whole lot of next, let me tell you.
Also featured on the Green Tour is Furniture Works. This is a lovely new and used furniture store in downtown Olympia.
Ken Adney, the owner, asked us in to replace his old, industrial heaters with ductless heat pumps. While we were there, we also did work on the windows and the doors, replacing trim and creating better air seals. Dan Andrews, NET’s project manager, will be at Furniture Works both days of the tour to answer your questions. He’s one of those guys that’s been working on homes for quite a while: a real smartypants.
For more information on all the NET/Scott Homes sites (including that mysterious 0.5 site), visit the Scott Homes blog. For all the sites on the South Sound Green Tour, see the 2012 Green Tour sites.
Bergfords Open Home for South Sound Green Tour
Posted: March 29, 2012 Filed under: Home Energy Evaluations, Home Shows & Tours | Tags: air infiltration, air leak, air sealing, Blow in Insluation, Blower Door, Brent Foster, Cellulose Insulation, Closed Cell Foam, Craftsman kit home, DHP, Ductless Heat Pump, energy efficient, energy retrofit, energy upgrade, heat recovery ventilator, HRV, Humid Basement, Humid Bathroom, Humidistat, insulation, Northwest Energy Team, Northwest Infrared, R value, Scott Bergford, South Sound Green Tour, spray foam, Spraytite, ventilation 1 Comment »
I don’t know how many of you out there have seen Scott and Pat Bergford’s home. It’s pretty sweet. For those of us who are a) romantics, b) Craftsman nerds, c) This Old House-type aficionados, the Bergford’s place is a treasure.
This is one of those houses that came in a kit. In 1925, the original owner ordered it up from Sears. A large truck came with everything the home needed, up to and including the kitchen sink. The home was assembled as well as could be. Through the years it’s retained it’s charm and attraction.
… Unfortunately charm didn’t include much insulation. Or decent ventilation in the humid basement and bathrooms. Or air-sealing for drafts. And let’s not leave out the original heat source: the wood-burning furnace crouching in the basement. It was a never-ending cycle of sweater layers, socks, slippers, poorly dried towels and 3 a.m. trips to the basement to stoke the fire.
Scott, award winning builder of award winning energy efficient homes and owner of a home energy retrofitting company, decided to practice what he preached: He did some basic energy upgrades on his own home.
“After we did [the upgrades], we wondered why we waited so long. I do this for a living, you know,” says Scott with a grin. “It is amazing what you get used to and think of as normal. ”
Giving their home an energy upgrade is a work in progress. They do what they can when they can (like whenever Pat goes away for the weekend). Recently, Brent Foster of Northwest Infrared came out to do a blower door demonstration for a visiting builders’ group. Pat was pleased to see how the house’s performance had improved since they started sealing the leaks and getting proper ventilation.
“I’m really glad we tackled the big things first,” says Pat ” … but now I’m noticing how much air leaks in around my windows! No wonder we spend stormy days huddled next to the heaters. Getting the windows sealed is definitely next on the list; I’m not going through another winter swaddled in an afghan.”
Both Scott and Pat and Brent will be on-site during the South Sound Green Tour, April 21 & 22 from 10 to 4. They will be more than happy to answer your questions about what worked, what didn’t and what they intend to tackle next. You also can get directions to the Scott Homes/Northwest Energy Team sites using our handy-dandy map, too.
Below is a list of what the Bergford’s have done so far to improve the energy performance and health of their home.
Ventilation
- Installed a humidistat with a motion sensor in the basement. The fan runs continuously and kicks up when it senses extra humidity.
- Main floor bathroom has motion sensor and humidistat. It also has a fan that runs continuously. It clicks into a higher CFM when it senses movement. This is a good, cheap alternative to a heat recovery ventilator as it keeps healthy air moving throughout the main floor.
Heat
- Installed two ductless heat pumps (DHPs) on the main floor. They run quietly and take very little energy (comparatively) to operate.
Sealing
- Applied spray foam (closed cell foam) in the home’s lower storage areas to improve insulation and to seal air leaks. This foam is also covered with a special fire retardant barrier.
Insulation
- Blow-in cellulose in upper attic bringing the insulation rating to R-49. Cellulose insulation is dense enough to insulate and provide some resistance to air leakage.
Furniture Works Turns up the Heat
Posted: March 25, 2012 Filed under: Ductless Heat Pump, Home Shows & Tours | Tags: air infiltration, air sealing, DHP, Ductless Heat Pump, Energy Evaluation, Northwest Energy Team, Scott Bergford, South Sound Green Tour, Thurston Energy 1 Comment »
Ken Adney owns Furniture Works in downtown Olympia. His employees were cold.
“I brought my space heater every day, ” says employee Denise. “We all had on our hats and coats and gloves and scarves all day. It was cold.”
Ken’s employees were shivering in the winter and sweltering in the summer. The converted warehouse showroom had industrial heaters mounted on the ceiling. They were noisy and weren’t successful at keeping the rooms warm.
“There were three main reasons for upgrading my heating,” says Ken. “Obviously, if my employees aren’t comfortable, my customers won’t be either. As a business, it makes sense to consider where my money is going and I think I was sending a lot of it out the roof. And I have to consider the future; a more efficient system is going to make my store more marketable should I choose to sell some day.”
Ken called Thurston Energy for an energy evaluation. He took a lot of Thurston Energy’s suggestions and called up Scott Bergford at Northwest Energy Team.
“I liked that Scott was very clear about the costs that would be involved,” Ken says. “He was frank about what improvements were likely to be more cost-effective and which of those would be the most beneficial. I had a real sense of control; I was able to decide what improvements made sense to my business.”
Ultimately, Ken decided to install two floor-mounted ductless heat pumps (DHP) and two wall-mounted heat pumps. He also had Northwest Energy Team design and build a door to seal off the warehouse from the showroom floor — keeping the warm side warm and the cool side cool. The sagging roof and rotting trim around the widows were replaced, too.
Was it worth it?
“Right now (end of March 2012) I’m only getting around a 10% savings in my electric bills. Some of this is a learning curve: there have been operation questions and questions about the most efficient ways to use the ductless heat pumps. Some of it, I don’t know. It’s honestly hard to tell right now whether it was worth the investment.
“But it is warmer in here, that’s for sure. A nice, even heat. And the heaters are a lot more quiet; I don’t feel like we’re having to shout to the customers.
“I’m looking forward to being part of the South Sound Green Tour coming up here (April 21 & 22); I think people should take a look at the [ductless] heat pumps and see what they’re like. It’s amazing the amount of space they heat.”
(Dan Andrews, project manager for Northwest Energy Team will be at Furniture Works to answer questions. We’ve got a handy map you can use to get directions to all the Scott Homes/Northwest Energy Team sites, too.)
Introducing Daimon Doyle, Building Science Expert
Posted: March 13, 2012 Filed under: Northwest Energy Team | Tags: Building Science, Built Green, Green Building, Northwest Energy Team Leave a comment »
In order to make your home more energy efficient, we have to know how your home is working before anything gets changed. More is not always better, you know. That’s why we are so excited to introduce the newest member of Northwest Energy Team, Daimon Doyle.
Building Science is at the heart of what Northwest Energy Team does. While Daimon is new to our team, he is not new to the business of building science.
Daimon brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to Northwest Energy Team. He’s been an industry professional for over 20 years: owning and operating a successful custom home building company; spending several years as a production builder; and, 5 years ago, turning his focus to exploring and instructing building science.
Shifting concentration to building science was an easy transition for Daimon since he had been involved in green building for nearly a decade. (By the bye, as President of the Olympia Master Builders in 2003, he laid the groundwork for the Built Green® program here in Olympia. Scott Homes, Inc. promptly signed up and has been certifying every one of their homes Built Green ® since.)
A certified RESNET* HERS† Rater and Energy Star Verifier, Daimon has worked with many contractors throughout the state. His job is to help them find ways to improve the performance of their home. He is one of 11 individuals nationwide who is approved to instruct all of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) GreenBuildingcourses. Daimon currently holds the position of vice-president of Built Green® Washington, which is the state-wide umbrella for all 11 regional Built Green® programs.
While we haven’t given him an official title yet, he is actively involved in everything we do. Having someone with his experience and knowledge on staff is a huge asset for Northwest Energy Team and will help to ensure that we remain the absolute best source for comprehensive home weatherization.
*Residential Energy Services Network – a group that creates nations standards for how home energy use and efficiency should be measured and reported. The EPA’s Energy Star program and DOE’s Building America Program use these standards.
†Home Energy Rating – a RESNET verifier takes a look at an existing home or how a home is being constructed. They offer building science-based methods to reduce the home’s energy efficiency performance. When the home is finished, the verifier tests it and give it a HERS rating. The lower the HERS number, the more energy efficient a home should be.
The Bergfords Get a Ductless Heat Pump
Posted: November 16, 2011 Filed under: Ductless Heat Pump | Tags: DHP, Ductless Heat Pump, Northwest Energy Team, Olympia, Scott Bergford Leave a comment »The bosses got a ductless heat pump.
This took some doing as Mrs Bergford (the Real Boss) wasn’t too sure about drilling a hole through the wall of her historic farm house. Also, her house is beautifully decorated and the interior units aren’t the most attractive things. Fair enough, fair enough.
However, we gave her all the numbers and showed her all the statistics and broadly hinted that All the Cool Kids Were Doing It. Facts in hand, Ma Bergford granted permission and we set to work the minute she turned her back on us.
A couple days later we asked, “Well … how do you like it?” Here is the answer:
“Could I just start with wow? I mean really WOW! What a wonderful new experience for us.
“You got those ductless heat pumps installed so quickly! And I am so impressed and can I say grateful for the care you took with our old place. It’s not easy to work on an older home and you made the installation look as if it was original to the home. Everything was carefully handled. And you know I’m picky!
“We’ve finally taken our 1925 historic home into the 21st century! Our two ductless heat pumps live up to we were promised and all we hoped for. Our home is cozy and warm without the chopping, stacking, hauling, and up and down to the cellar to build, and stoke the fire. It’s so nice to come back from a weekend away to a delightful, warm home. Usually it’s stone cold.
“And did I mention my house is cleaner? Not just from dust but also the air. I actually feel better because the air is filtered and clean.
“Would I recommend a ductless heat pump to others? Yes, without reservation, I love it!”
Those of you who know the Bergfords know that until just a couple days ago, the primary heat for their house was a massive wood furnace. The grandkids would spend a week in the summer chopping, hauling and stacking wood down in the basement. You also may know that Mrs Bergford is not given to gushing. Apparently ductless heat pumps are gush-worthy.
According to Mrs B, they will still use their furnace — but not as much. She is especially pleased not to have to trudge down the stairs in the small hours of the morning to restoke the fire.
Have questions about how a ductless heat pump might work in your existing home? Now the Bergfords can tell you from personal experience. Give them a call.
Why You Need to Stop Air Leaks in Your House
Posted: November 11, 2011 Filed under: Home Energy Evaluations | Tags: air infiltration, air leak, air seal, Blower Door, Brent Foster, Building Science, Energy Evaluation, energy retrofit, energy upgrade, Humid Basement, Humid Bathroom, IAQ, Indoor Air Quality, Infrared Imaging, Northwest Energy Team, Northwest Infrared, ventilation 2 Comments »We get this question a lot: “Why do you seal up the house to make it air tight, and then put holes in the house to bring in fresh air?” And we answer this question a lot. This time around though, we thought we’d ask Brent Foster of Northwest Infrared Imaging for his perspective.
On the surface, household ventilation seems complex. However, when we break it down into a “why-because” conversation it is very logical and sensible.
The most important thing you can do to your home is to seal up all the air leaks you can. When you do this, you immediately have more control, choices, energy efficiency and indoor air quality.
Historically we have built houses with a lot of unintended holes in them. What passed for “ventilation” was the air infiltrating past the holes created for plumbing and electrical, through the floors, ceilings, and the walls.
On average, when the wind blows twenty miles per hour we have to re-heat the air in our buildings seven to fourteen times an hour to maintain a constant temperature of 68 degrees.
When the wind blows, the interior of your house depressurizes. It doesn’t take much wind either. When the wind blows, your house literally sucks air inside from everywhere there is a leak, including the chimney, petdoor, crawlspace, attic and wall cavities. The air is being sucked in at the exact time we do not want it – when the cold wind is blowing. No one wants their house leaking heat when the weather is at its worst.
We are re-heating potentially dirty, unhealthy air.
Think about what the air that’s being sucked into your home is coming through before it gets to your countertops, carpets and lungs. Recent studies have shown that approximately 35% of the air we breathe in our homes is coming through the crawlspace. Have you been in your crawl space lately? They are generally damp if not wet and house mouse droppings, mold, dirt and possibly dead animal carcasses.
The next most common space air leaks in from is the attic. The air leaking past your ceiling light fixtures from your attic brings with it dust and fiberglass insulation. This is not good for your lungs.
So this is why emphasize sealing up all the holes in your floor and the ceilings. It’s fairly simple to do and it keeps you from having to expend a ridiculous amount of energy heating cold air. And you also reduce the amount of unhealthy air entering your home.
We would prefer you receive your fresh make-up air from the outside, not filtered through your crawl space or your attic. The most common way to do this is to install small air vents in the windows or fresh air intakes in the living areas. This way you have better control over how much air comes in your house and how healthy it is.
Brent Foster has years of experience analyzing the health of a house using blower door, infrared imaging, and visual investigation. His knowledge is surpassed by none in our area for determining and then understanding the best “fixes” for issues houses have. This is especially true for energy efficiency of a home, and the health of the home.
We like Brent. Check him out at his new website: www.nwinfrared.com.
To read more about how we work with a home energy evaluator? Check out our Get Started page.
Northwest Infrared on Scott Homes 2011 Fall Tour of Homes
Posted: September 28, 2011 Filed under: Home Energy Evaluations, Home Shows & Tours Leave a comment »I just had a happy phone call: Brent Foster of Northwest Infrared will be at the Purtee’s house during the 2011 Tour of Homes this Saturday (Oct 1st from 11 – 4).
For those of you who have not had the chance to meet Brent, you’re in for a treat. Brent is one of those guys who tells it like it is. He’s highly trained and experienced AND is able to talk about building science in a way that makes you feel smart. He’s good for the ego.
Brent does home energy evaluations. He tests your home for air leaks and faulty insulation and creeping moisture and then tells you what needs to be done to fix it. At the end of it all you get a report that lists any challenges your home is facing and what you can do to improve things. He’ll even give you a supply list. And that’s it.
Brent’s going to be showing guests how he does energy evaluations on homes. You’ll get to look through a lens of an infrared camera and see for yourself what the inside of a 1978 rambler wall looks like. If this is something you’ve been considering, or if you’re just fascinated by building science, bring your questions … and bring a pen and notebook. You’ll need them.
Want to see what a home energy evaluation is like? Want to see how Brent approaches a home like yours? Check out this video (it’s about 6 minutes and is fascinating).
To find out more about the 2011 Fall Tour of Homes, go to the Scott Homes, Inc homepage and follow the links to the map and site descriptions.
Local DIY-ers Give Northwest Energy Team the Thumbs-up
Posted: September 27, 2011 Filed under: Ductless Heat Pump, Home Show | Tags: DHP, Ductless Heat Pump, Energy Efficiency, energy efficient, energy upgrade, Northwest Energy Team, Olympia, Scott Bergford Leave a comment »“When we sat down with Scott, it was clear he knew what he was talking about.” – Karen Purtee
The Purtees are energy efficiency DIY-ers. David is an engineer and Karen spent a healthy portion of her career helping the State of Washington implement energy efficiency upgrades. Our first visit with them was to discuss Scott Homes building one of our extremely efficient homes on their property in Idaho.
As the Purtees talked about their dream home they started to consider what energy efficiency techniques could be applied to their existing home. “We were thinking about what we could do to our home that would make it more appealing when it came time to sell. The more we thought about it and the more we talked to experts the more we felt it was a good idea to invest our money in our home’s performance.*
That’s where the Northwest Energy Team branch of Scott Homes came in. “There’s a very creative atmosphere when you talk with Scott Bergford. He’s so full of ideas and solutions. The best thing is the solutions jumping out of his head. It’s clear Scott isn’t trying to push a product; he’s working toward making our home more livable.
He also understands there needs to be a balance between what we can afford and what kind return we’d get in terms of savings and performance. For example, we had baseboard heat. We knew baseboards weren’t the most efficient but we didn’t know if the cost of buying, installing and running another system would be worth it.
Scott gave us the facts about the efficiency and costs of a couple systems. We did the math and chose to install a ductless heat pump. It was clear that the savings on our electric bill would repay the cost of the DHP in about three years. So we did that. It was our decision.”
If you’d like to see what the Purtees have done to give their house an energy efficient upgrade, they will graciously open their home to you this Saturday, Oct 1st from 11 – 4 for the Scott Homes 2011 Fall Tour of Homes. We have a newly built, extremely efficient house on the tour as well. You can get more information about this house on a previous blog and a map to both homes as well. Hope to see you there!
*The Purtees were among the first in the State to install solar panels on their home. And they did it themselves! The Purtees enjoy discussing what they do to conserve – and generate – energy at their home. They have a flyer they hand out to visitors. Take a look; there’s some fun details.
Home Energy Evaluation Winner!
Posted: September 22, 2011 Filed under: Air Infiltration, Home Show | Tags: Energy Evaluation, home energy upgrade, Northwest Infrared Leave a comment »At long last, the results of the Northwest Energy Team drawing for a free home energy evaluation from Brent Foster of Northwest Infrared!
Since the Olympia home show was almost two weeks ago, a refresher:
When you add up all the little leaks in your house, you get the equivalent of a big ol’ hole in the side of your house. The question was: Of these four picture frames which one best represents the average big ol’ hole in the side of an average ol’ 2000 sq ft house?
Your choices were:
24″ x 30″
16″ x 20″
10″ x 13″
5″ x 7″
The correct answer is … 16″ x 20″!
That’s a 320 square inch hole!
If you want to talk volume, it’s the size of a soccer ball.
So when it’s stormy this winter and you’re inside huddled under two afghans, it could be because your house has the equivalent of a 16″ x 20″ hole in it.
Fortunately, leaks in a house’s envelope are fairly easy to fix. If you want to find and fix them before it gets wintery you should think about getting your house evaluated by Brent.
So the winner (finally), chosen by random.org, is Nancy Conner! Yay, Nancy! Nancy will be be notified by email. If she doesn’t respond within 24 hours, we’ll draw for another name.
It was great to meet you all the the 2011 Olympia Home Show. Thanks for taking the time to stop and talk to us about Scott Homes, Inc new branch: Northwest Energy Team. Since the home show two weeks ago, we’ve been busy visiting homes and helping people get ready to have a warmer, lower-energy-bill winter. Thank you all for your trust … and your smarts! 
Ductless Heat Pump: Do you need one?
Posted: September 20, 2011 Filed under: Ductless Heat Pump | Tags: DHP, Ductless Heat Pump, energy retrofit, energy upgrade Leave a comment »Do You Need a Ductless Heat Pump?
If you want to save money on your heating and cooling bills, yes. You do.
If you need the air in your house to be healthier, yes. You do.
Ductless heat pumps (DHPs) work on a $4 to $1 ratio.This means that for every dollar you invest in running it, you get $4 worth of heat back. That’s pretty sweet.
If you use electricity (baseboard, zone heaters or electric forced air) or oil to heat, DHPs are particularly attractive. Check out this chart showing the cost of running a ductless heat pumps compared to other heat sources common in the Northwest.
Ductless heat pumps are clean. Because they have no ducts, they have no place for mold, mildew and dust to collect. Many DHPs have anti-allergy, easy-to-clean-easy-to-access filters which capture annoying microbes
Ductless heat pumps are efficient. Again, because they have no ducts, they avoid heat/cooling loss you frequently find with ductwork of central forced air systems. Energy loss from ducts can account for 30% or more of your heating bills, especially if your ducts run through an unconditioned space like an attic.
Ductless heat pumps are quiet. Oh, they are quiet. When a DHP fan is running at an average speed, all you hear is a low hum. Same goes for the exterior unit. Of course this is nice for you when you’re inside but it is especially nice to know that your outdoor time won’t be affected by a loud, blasting, rattling fan.
Ductless heat pumps are easy to add. Again, because there are no ducts, a DHP is comparatively easy to add for supplemental heat. The exterior unit goes outside, the interior unit goes inside. Pretty straightforward. This is great for providing heat for an addition when ducts can’t be brought in or for making the man cave (garage, basement, shed) more livable.
Now, here’s the big question: Is a ductless heat pump a heat source that will prove cost effective for you?
The nice thing about this question is that it’s easy to answer; it’s all a matter of numbers. Sometimes the answer is a resounding YES! Sometimes it’s better to invest the money improving the heat source you already have and doing a basic energy retrofit on your house. Obviously, it all depends on your house. We’ve got a good chart that shows the basic costs; check it out.
If you want to know more about ductless heat pumps or about doing an energy upgrade on your home, visit our website at www.northwestenergyteam.com or give us a call at 360-357-9167
