Just found your way to this blog? There is a good chance that you listened to Worldview 0n WBEZ with Jerome McDonnell and heard the segment about the deep energy retrofit of our 111-year-old masonry two flat.

The interview may have stoked your curiosity and interest. If so, can tour our building this Saturday (09/28) from 10:00 am till 4:00 pm. If you can’t make it or you have follow up questions on what you heard, this blog is the resource you want to use. To save you some time, I have composed a list of links that lead you to key posts.

This is where it starts – the building envelope

The best way to save energy is to effectively insulate and air seal the building envelope:

• Insulation – how it started
• Insulation – lots of conflicts
• Insulation – starts with moisture management
• Insulation – which material cuts it
• Insulation – how much is needed
• Insulation riddle resolved
• Following the control layers
• The insulation riddle is back
• Insulation update
• Breaking news on the insulation front
• Advancing on the attic

Electrical – saving watts

Now that the building is well insulated and air sealed, let’s take a closer look at how to bring our electricity consumption down:

• Electrical layout – ground rules
• Electrical layout – plan view
• Electrical layout – load management
• Electrical layout – built-in flexibility
• Electrical installation – building a mental image
• Electrical installation – wires and fuses
• EMF management

Saving energy – hot water

And it’s not all about electricity. Bringing the hot water consumption down saves energy and ultimately dollars:

• Plumbing – water conservation
• Plumbing – material conservation
• Plumbing – energy conservation (part 1)
• Plumbing – energy conservation (part 2)
• Pipe insulation
• Plumbing installation – pipe size and fittings
• Plumbing installation – pipe insulation
• Plumbing installation – hot water routing
• Plumbing installation – useful gadgets
• That heat is mine, and I plan to keep it!
• DWHR installation
• Dishwashers

Staying warm

How do you stay warm during our Chicago winters? Here is what we did:

• On the hot chair
• A moment of hope while on the hot chair
• The heated decision
• Utility room installation…
• Performance review…
• 2011 heating season

You still have questions? (and I bet you have)

Join us on Saturday, September 28th between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm to take a tour of our project.