HVAC Project Progress Update - September Green Building News

Rate It Green Members and Friends -  

I hope this September news finds you well and feeling great about your green building goals for this year and beyond. I want to hear about your progress, and also your challenges as well.  We can all learn from each other! I am happy to share that we've almost completed a personal HVAC upgrade project where we installed two VRF heat pumps and replaced our boilers with new 96% efficient equipment.  Why both?  Read all about it in my update!  We also replaced one and added two ERVs to increase ventilation, added two minisplits and moved another one, and replaced a humidifier.  Additionally, we replaced our exhaust hood fan with a quieter remote fan and added make up air in the kitchen.  I am so excited to improve our energy efficiency, lower our energy consumption, and improve our indoor air quality and comfort.  We're even making our compressor area look better in the process as a bonus!  In a prior piece, I review when I first thought about the importance and benefits of having a plan for replacing major home equipment.  Do you have an equipment replacement plan in place? Do you know what you'd do in an equipment failure emergency? If not, you might be risking a less-than-optimal replacement which could also cost more than it should.  

From time to time, I admit to some real concern that we're not seeing enough mainstream building change to reach critical climate goals. This pace of change also means we're not reducing health concerns related to the built environment or optimizing potential savings, comfort and other benefits to building greener and healthier.  I explore some current thoughts in a recent discussion where I suggest we keep sharing examples, asking for greener products and services, and increase educational efforts on a variety of green building topics.  What strategies do you suggest?  Are you worried? Are you more optimistic? Let's hear all about it. 

I am happy to report that work continues on the next version of Rate It Green!  Keep posting, as all current content will transfer to the improved platform.  This is a great time to share your preferences and wishes for how green building online networking should work. Don't be shy and tell us what you'd like to see in a new and improved Rate It Green! 

We're seeing many exciting fall events this year, both online and in person.  Check out our open Green Building Calendar, and post your events!  And if you plan to be at Greenbuild in Philadelphia this November, I will hope to see you there in person!  Until then, let's connect and meet to share expertise, experiences, opinions, questions and more online! 

To read this news in full: Rate It Green, HVAC Energy Efficiency Project Update, September News, 2024

Thank you,
Allison Friedman
Founder, Rate It Green