Payback
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Electrification Can Be a Smart Investment
Making the switch from propane or oil to electric heat often saves money
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Making the Case for Exterior Foam Insulation
In Climate Zone 3, is installing rigid foam on the exterior side of the wall sheathing worth the effort and expense?
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Banish ‘Payback’
Call the money you spend an ‘investment’ rather than ‘costs that must be recovered’
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Number Crunching on a Deep Energy Retrofit
An owner-builder takes a detailed look at how a retrofit added long-term value to his home
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Solar Hot Water System Maintenance Costs
When you have to shell out a few hundred dollars every time your solar thermal system needs repairs, the maintenance costs will eat into your energy savings
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The Big Allure of Cheap PV
A Connecticut homeowner is tempted by the low cost of solar electricity — but wonders if he should use the money to tighten up the house first
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If We Build It, Will They Come?
A builder wonders why home buyers don’t seem to be embracing super-efficient designs when the benefits are so obvious
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Finding the Insulation Sweet Spot
A builder in Montana wonders whether new tests should be conducted to find the point of diminishing returns for insulation
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Sometimes, It’s Cheaper to Install PV Than More Insulation
Before you decide to add more insulation to your attic, compare the cost of the extra insulation with the cost of supplying the necessary heating or cooling with solar electricity
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Calculating the Embodied Energy Payback for Passivhaus Buildings
The payback period for the embodied energy of the incremental construction materials needed to meet the Passivhaus standard is surprisingly short