Green Homes News

Has anyone found a good alternative to the Zehnder Luna diffusers for their installs?Zehnder's proprietary diffusers seem exceedingly expensive for what they are, and I'd like to find a cheaper…

Location: Pierce Hall Room 100F, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge

A Harvard-China Project Research Seminar with Sheng Liu, Assistant Professor, School of Architecture, Southwest Jiaotong University; Visiting Scholar, Harvard-China Project... Read more about Why Climatic Uncertainty Matters to Building Energy Performance: Case Studies in a Subtropical High-Density City

I’m renovating the basement of my 1982 house in Quebec (canada), which I believe is zone 6a. We had a flood (sewer backup) and had to remove flooring and cut…

hi all, any feedback on this plumbing layout? My house is compact enough that I'm now thinking a manifold system makes more sense than a recirc loop. On city water…

IRC Table R603.7(1) requires 2 King and Jack studs for each end of openings that are between 10'-6" and 12' when framing 24" OC. But, it requires 3 each for…

Five things that can be done to strengthen the average home against hurricane-force winds

So I thought I had a plan but now I'm questioning myself a little on order of operations and the amount of tape.  We are building double stud walls, euro…

Curious if any heat pump hot water heater owners can comment on the reliability and longevity of their units?I'm building an all electric house, and my mechanical contractor is recommending…

Try to keep this short. Located in Southern Ontario Climate zone 5bHave a 1940's Barn/Home in my backyard and am looking at replacing Vinyl, Since I'm stripping it down was…

Location: Virtual

Join the Salata Institute and the Harvard Alumni Association for an informative and dynamic discussion as part of the Harvard Speaks on Climate Change series. A diverse panel of Harvard experts from various disciplines will tackle your most pressing questions on climate change, exploring the science, health impacts, design solutions, and policy strategies that shape our global response.... Read more about Harvard Speaks on Climate Change: What You Wanted to Know About Climate Change But Were Afraid to Ask

I will be furring over 5" of rockwool insulation on an unvented cathedral ceiling.  Going to use 2x4s and 1x4s ripped from plywood as furring.  Attaching the 2x4s vertically and…

Hi folks - I've been racking my brain and searching the internet on this one but can't find an answer I'm completely comfortable with.I'm doing a vented cathedral ceiling in…

Hi experts,We’re adding insulation and air sealing our 1980s 3 bedroom, two-story house (2000 sqft) with basement in Michigan (zone 5).  We already have bath fans and kitchen exhaust in…

Location: Virtual & Knafel Center, 10 Garden St, Cambridge

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—adopted by all member states of the United Nations—emphasizes “access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.” Familiar alternative technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, and lithium storage cannot, however, meet the challenge alone, in either capacity or equity.... Read more about Power Shift: Energy Innovation, Sustainability, and Equity

UK company Facit Technologies rolls out its approach to high-performance, low-embodied carbon builds that could help bridge the housing gap

In today’s construction landscape, sustainability extends beyond materials to include equipment that improves efficiency and reduces waste.

Hello,I am building a modular house, 2 floors + basement.HVAC in basement will be a VRF 3 zones heat pump.Rheia is designing the duct system and is suggesting that a…

We are building a backyard studio and the windows and 12' patio slider will be installed this week. Most of what I have read about window and door install indicates…

Location: Virtual & Knafel Center, 10 Garden Street, Cambridge

Melissa Hoffer is Massachusetts’ first climate chief—the only state climate chief in the country. In this cabinet-level position, Hoffer is responsible for climate leadership across the whole of state government, leading the advancement of the commonwealth’s climate innovation, mitigation, adaptation, and resilience policies.... Read more about Power Shift: Keynote Conversation with Massachusetts Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer

Anyone have any experience with VacuMax glass (or any other vacuum insulated glass)?https://www.vitroglazings.com/products/specialty-glass-applications/vacumax-vacuum-insulating-glass/From what I understand it's two thin sheets of tempered glass, spaced apart by these nearly invisible spacers,…