Jacob

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Homepage: http://www.warmtraining.org


Posts by Jacob

Easy Energy Video Series – Intro

Check out the rest of the Easy Energy Videos here!

Green Builder intro?

Hi there. I’m a builder and I have some time on my hands, so I want to do some research on the whole green building thing. Where should I start?  – George

Here are the top places I’d start to get a handle on both self-education around green-building and how to plug into professional networks for pursuing work in green building. Continue reading “Green Builder intro?” »

Historic homes and Energy Upgrades

Can you recommend any websites for owners of historic homes who want to make their houses more energy efficient? For example, in our historic districts, original wood windows, siding, and doors may not be replaced unless they are beyond repair. We’d like to know how to repair and insulate instead of removing historic materials.

Thanks for your help!
Jill in Ann Arbor

Well you’re right that historic homes have specific challenges sometimes – but not always. Sometimes our basic mantra’s of reducing air leaks and insulating, then upgrading to programmable thermostats and better HVAC equipment will get you pretty far in most homes.  For renovating original windows into more energy efficient windows, see this pamphlet from the US Dept. of Energy. Continue reading “Historic homes and Energy Upgrades” »

Greening our business?

We’re looking to further our efforts to green our small business. Can you recommend any funding sources to help this happen?

 - Pursuing right-livelihood in Detroit
We can recommend two clear solutions, and then a number of leads. It’d be nice to have more solid solutions, but leads will have to mostly suffice for now.

The big solutions:  First, A federal tax deduction for new buildings or major upgrades for energy efficiency in commercial buildings. Here are the basics: Continue reading “Greening our business?” »

Bioneers

Okay -no one asked a question, but we wanted to make sure everyone knows about the (I wanted to say great, but that would get redundant, so we’ll have to say) excellent Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit conference happening this weekend Oct. 17-19. It’s has a wealth of green topics (though it’s more about new innovations and concepts and even social justice issues than just green building per se). It’s also happening simultaneously in 18 other locations around the country, including Traverse City.