Using the Blower Door and Thermal Imaging Camera to Locate Air Leaks

by Paul Cutting, Energy Planner A few weeks back a Decorah homeowner asked me to help locate air leaks in their flat roofed, mid-century home. We picked a cold day, where the temperature difference between the interior and exterior were great, and used the blower door to suck air out of the house and an infrared camera to find breaks in the building envelope. This particular house was built with

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Electrification at 120 Volts

Paul Cutting, Energy Planner Most of us probably understand the general concept and benefits of home electrification. Electrify all aspects of our daily lives–from space heating, water heating, home cooking, to transportation–while at the same time increasing the share of renewables on the power grid. After all, in 2021 about 57% of Iowa’s power mix came from renewables. Grid power aside, electrification presents many challenges and expenses beyond just the

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Ductless Heat Pumps

By Paul Cutting, Energy Planner Ductless heat pumps are exciting for their potential to serve as low-cost, straightforward and simple solutions to home heating electrification. As the name implies, ductless heat pumps use interior units that have incorporated evaporator coils and blowers to deliver heating and cooling to interior spaces. You’ve likely seen interior mini split style wall units that hang close to a ceiling. Along with wall units, there

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Deep Dive on Ducted Heat Pumps

​​ Air source heat pumps powered by electricity (from here on out referred to as heat pumps) and used in conjunction with propane furnaces or as standalone units have significant operational and carbon savings benefits compared to only using propane. Compared to electric resistance heating, air source heat pumps are significantly cheaper to run. And compared to natural gas, heat pumps have comparable operating costs but significant carbon savings benefits.

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Preparing for High Heating Costs

by Paul Cutting, Energy Planner High energy bills are expected this year. (Read this article for an analysis of why.) What can you do to get ready? First of all, go after all the low hanging fruit like air sealing and making sure your furnace is in good working order.   Generally speaking, the biggest sources of air intrusion/extrusion through a house are the basement and attic. In the basement, make

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Energy Bills Rising: Black Hills

by Joel Zook, Energy Planner We’ve been asked recently why Black Hills natural gas bills are rising and continue to rise when the rate increase was a one-time deal, and was reported to be a relatively small one. The answer is complicated, but we’ll try to explain. Here are three take-aways: Yes, Black Hills recently raised their rates However, the larger impact on your home or business’s bills is due

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Electric Vehicles Are Greener, All Things Considered

Andy Johnson, Executive Director While it’s true that electric vehicles generally cost about half as much to drive in fuel compared to gasoline/diesel … We often get asked “are they really better for climate and the environment, given that fossil fuels still dominate electricity production, and batteries have a significant impact too?” The Union of Concerned Scientists has repeatedly demonstrated the lower fuel-related emissions of grid-powered EVs relative to gasoline

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Watts Cooking?

Martin Donovan, Green Iowa Americorps When you’re cooking up ways to increase the efficiency of your home, upgrading your stove to an induction cooktop could be a fun and useful thing to consider. Unlike electric or gas cooktops, induction burners directly heat pots and pans. But what does direct heat actually mean? When cooking with electric stoves, a lot of energy is used to heat metal coils which then heats

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First Step Home Audit Signups Re-open for Vaccinated Families

Is every member of your household fully vaccinated against Covid-19? If so, the Green Iowa Americorps team is excited to offer you a First Step Home Energy Audit! Call our office (563) 382-4207 to schedule your appointment.  We will require all applicants to complete and sign a form listing all members of a household and providing their dates and types of vaccination. An audit will be scheduled no sooner than

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Solar in 2021

by Joel Zook, Energy Planner 2021 is going to be another exciting year for solar. It’s a big deal that federal tax credits have been extended, net-metering laws are in place for Iowa’s investor-owned utilities (Alliant Energy and MidAmerican Energy) that give long term peace of mind to solar owners, AND the state legislature is looking at renewing and extending the state solar tax credit. Meanwhile, installed prices continue their

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