Articles Tagged with ''home energy''

Shortly after Google purchased Nest Labs in January 2014, home energy management stakeholders began reporting increased market activity, as the acquisition signaled to vendors, utilities, service providers, and retailers that the value in home energy management was finally gaining recognition, notes Navigant Research.

The DOE’s proposed rule represents a significant increase in efficiency that would effectively eliminate noncondensing furnaces and significantly impact the design, installation, and cost of nonweatherized furnaces. 

The Benker Residence, a Steven Winter Associates Inc. (SWA) project, has received the award for the lowest Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score with photovoltaics (PV) in the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) 2015 Cross Border Challenge.

EcoFactor Inc., a provider of cloud-based home energy management services, has announced several major additions to its executive team.

With model building codes mandating tighter and tighter ductwork, and with homeowners and building owners desiring increasingly higher efficiencies from their ducted systems, many new products have hit the market to help builders and installers efficiently and effectively meet those requirements. 

In 2014, the HVACR industry saw an unprecedented amount of regulatory action from government entities, and, according to industry leaders, the regulatory action will continue through 2015. 

While the new efficiency standards do not require manufacturers to use any specific technologies to achieve the new EF (energy factor) ratings, they’ve already necessitated a significant redesign effort from manufacturers. Additionally, the increasing unit sizes pose transportation and installation challenges that have yet to be fully understood.

While some are concerned the DOE may overstep its bounds again, others are hopeful the agency will continue to accept industry input and guidance as it develops its final rule.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the launch of its Energy Star Home Advisor, an online tool designed to help Americans save energy and money by improving the energy efficiency of their homes through recommended, customized and prioritized home-improvement projects.

After years of sputtering growth, the home energy management (HEM) market has begun to gather momentum, notes Navigant Research. Product vendors, utilities, service providers, retailers, and other stakeholders report increasing activity, and there are signs of growing awareness among consumers.