I have some regrets. A few years ago, I set out to build my dream net zero energy home. I’ve been living here for a little over two years now, and so far, I’ve been more than satisfied. I have enough solar and battery storage to balance out
What if the most efficient way to heat and cool your home…might not actually be the best choice for you? Geothermal heat pumps are the gold standard for efficiency. They’re also the most expensive upfront investment you can make in your home’s HVAC system. So, are they
The number of whole home battery options out there can make your head spin – it’s a real charge to the senses. Everywhere I looked at CES this past January someone had a shocking, modular, whole-home battery solution. Well, I’ve made my decision … or rather, I made my decision
Some of you may have seen Marques Brownlee’s video from a few months back about how he hasn’t paid for electricity in a year because of his Tesla Solar Roof. But…this got me wondering why I’m still not seeing a lot of Tesla Solar Roofs around.
Today is a really hot topic: water heaters. No, it’s not sexy, but water heater technology is kind of ingenious with its simplicity. A typical electric water heater has two heating elements; one near the bottom and one near the top, all housed in a very well insulated cylinder.
For my new house I’ve gone all out, and that includes making it smarter than I am. Not exactly a hard feat. From windows that automatically shade themselves to reduce unwanted heat gain into the house, to ensuring my air tight house doesn’t suffocate me in my sleep,
Heat pumps are the most efficient way to heat and cool a home, but they’re not all created equal. Geothermal, or ground source, heat pumps are more efficient and effective at a wider range of temperatures than air source, but at a cost. It’s way more expensive up
In the process of building my new home, I’ve heard time and time again from many of you that my home’s highly energy efficient features are considered standard in other areas of the world. From the type of window construction to the method of heating water, there’s
I Made A Mistake Building My New Net Zero Home My new net zero home build is almost done, but there’s been a few issues along the way that could be a good learning lesson. The high level goal for my new home has been to build an energy
In a recent heat pump video I covered how air source heat pumps are getting so much better in the cold, but in my new house I decided not to go with one. Instead I went with the more expensive option: a geothermal heat pump. Why did I decide it
One of the benefits of a factory built home is that the insulated wall panels are assembled in a climate controlled facility. However, they still need to get assembled on site … and that’s when mother nature can take her revenge. My factory built house started getting raised on site
Renewable energy and reduced carbon impact often come with a stigma of being expensive. And this reputation was well-deserved for a time. But with the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as technology developments over the last couple years, there are a handful of ways you can actually save money by