USGBC Weatherization Day

 A Great Weatherization Day! We had a good challenge with Jesse’s home as the test-in HERS Index was 156. My target was 100 and we nearly made it, the Post Retrofit Hers Index is 104, really good. You can do the math but this will be a positive change in comfort, air quality and energy use for Jesse, all for the better!

          Our 20 + volunteers did yeoman’s work all day and the results verify the quality of their efforts. CAC’s Jason Estes and his team outdid themselves and we would not have been able to achieve this result without their expertise, equipment and hard work. Many thanks to Lowes for donating the majority of the materials to make this retrofit possible. The SEEED team showed up early and stayed to the end. SEEED volunteers dove into caulking windows, sealing ducts and attic/basement air leaks. Many thanks to Stan, the “e-mailer” ;-) and all of the hardworking SEEED crew. Please share your videos! Special thanks to Kenny Powel of Powel Construction for the much needed HVAC tune up. USGBC was represented by Jennifer Aldrich, our Green Schools Chairwoman. Jennifer lead the “Window Team” which carefully cleaned and sealed all of the storm windows to restore them to their usefulness. Jennifer also helped with the test-out set up, TVM!

          We were done by 5 and I know Jesse was happy to have her home back. I encourage everyone to stay in touch with her and encourage her to share the value of what we did today with neighbors and friends. Many homes in her community would benefit equally from a similar effort. All-in-all, another successful USGBC Weatherization Day, congratulations to our volunteers, good work one and all. Thank you for giving your time on a Saturday, we can all feel good about what we accomplished today.

Information Technology

I use an iPad everyday as part of the TVA testing program I have been working on since March, approaching 100 homes. I collect data as required by the installed program, minimum 3 usually 4 sometimes 6 hours each site. Blower Door testing, Ducts 3 ways and REMRate driven site info.The data is supposed to be uploaded everyday to a secure server in Nashville where it is downloaded and analyzed by TVA engineers. Since spring the system has collapsed on itself for various reasons, some iPad related some from software upgrades and often failures at the server and the software they use to facilitate the data transfers. Everyone I deal with at DNV GL (through whom I subcontract with TVA) is extremely nice and seemingly competent as accountants, IT, IS, Engineers etc. Some of them are in San Diego, some in Nashville one in N. Carolina some in Holland, and some in Connecticut. They are currently in arrears with me for 6 weeks of invoices and I have not been able to connect to the triple protected server in Nashville since last Monday. What amazes me is that when I get to actually talk with them, (not texting or e-mailing) they seem chagrined and apologetic but not at all surprised by these results. I believe this is what is called “The new normal.” And this is why GM has a decade of bad, sometime deadly, ignition switches and Tanaka has supplied millions of equally deadly air bags for our cars.