Brynn Cooksey

During COVID-19, our business grew rapidly, with everyone working from home and being more mindful of their HVAC system. Our HVAC and IAQ business sectors outperformed our expectations.

With that demand gone and high inflation, we had to supplement our core business with other offerings.

Generators provide many benefits, but the main benefit is peace of mind. Living in an area that has frequent power outages is no fun.

Here is a picture of our generator crew working hard at installing a home-stand generator. On the left, Tom, a Journeyman Electrician, is passing his knowledge along to Isaiah, his apprentice.

I recently came across another grossly oversized air conditioner in the field. This air conditioner had been running for about 15 minutes while we were there to evaluate it. The system was sized at 4 tons, and after running an independent load calculation, we discovered that it needs 2 tons of cooling capacity.

If you look closely at the screen capture below, you will see that the return air measurements stay at 60% relative humidity, as the system satisfies on setpoint too soon to properly dehumidify the home.

AHRI's typical operating conditions recommend that humidity levels be near 50% relative humidity. With oversized air conditioners, we run into the following:

* Ideal conditions for biological growth
* Building Durability issues
* Increased power consumption due to the starting and stopping of the system motors. (Inrush)
* Wear and tear due to poor oil return for the compressor
* Decrease lifespan due to the short cycling
* Complaints of a "clammy" environment

A quick measurement of the supply and return air can tell a powerful story about system design.

Meet Gabby!

Since Gabby was introduced to Building Science a couple of weeks ago, she took immediate steps to resolve some of the issues she was experiencing in her home. With her newfound knowledge, she knows the reasons behind the problems and how to solve them.

Gabby's performance in our summer workforce cohort has been truly exceptional, setting a high bar for all. Her dedication and hard work, evident in the high scores she has earned, are a testament to her competence and a source of inspiration for all of us.

This is a picture of Gabby in the "hands-on" portion of the training program, where she and her classmates get paired with vetted contractors to take the building science career out for a spin.

Gabby's commitment proves that Women have a key role in clean energy, and we are looking for others to follow in Gabby's footsteps. We celebrate Gabby!

As experienced service technicians, we are often exposed to harmful electrical hazards daily, if not every service call. As technicians gain experience, they may become complacent and not perform due diligence when interacting with electrical components.

According to Osha, it only takes 50 volts of electrical pressure to go through human skin and 25 ma to stop the heart. The most miniature circuit breaker is 15 amps, 600 times greater than necessary for a fatal shock.

Check out this disconnect switch for a residential air conditioner. The technician pulled the disconnect to service the equipment. Surprisingly, he found that the system still had 120 volts to ground. One of the disconnect blades broke off and maintained contact with the feeding circuit.

When training our techs to perform electrical testing, we train them to perform a live dead test. We use a tester (see picture)to verify that our voltage meter works correctly before touching any electrical circuit. Then, we test the circuit line to line (single phase) or (phase to phase - 3 phase) and line to ground on both sides of the circuit, line and load. After testing the circuit, we test our meter again to verify that the meter is functioning correctly.

The moral of the story is to develop safe habits so you can go home the same way you came to work.

For years, we have been conditioned for the "big is better" mentality. This is an actual project we are working on. It is a Hot Water Boiler system with an output capacity of 117,000 btu/hr. The customer complained of high bills and had several large repair bills on the boiler system. The verified Heat Loss Load Calculation performed with a blower door is 46,978 btu/hr. This boiler is so grossly oversized that it can heat our client's house and almost two of their neighbors. Unfortunately, this is extremely common. If your bills are higher than you should be, it may be time for a comprehensive energy audit.

When using building science to improve the building shell with retrofits like upgraded insulation and air sealing, these improvements will worsen indoor air quality. Before planning any home performance project, the building science professional should always consider bringing fresh air into the structure for occupant health and safety. Below is a copy of one of our air quality reports. The best practice is to always test in and out to ensure that IAQ parameters are appropriate and that the ventilation system works correctly.

Working with the team at Pearl has been a blast. Check out this quick read on “What is a qualified contractor?” Key takeaways for me: if adequate training is not available to contractors, mistakes will be made, and this will cause a significant burden to our neighbors. I have seen heat pump technology misapplied, and the customer’s utility bills triple.

What's a "Qualified Contractor" anyway? Climate urgency, energy burden, and the skilled labor shortage The challenge facing states / cities tasked with managing a Qualified Contractor network, and thoughts on managing tension between "going fast" (climate urgency) and "getting it right" (energy burden)

Air sealing is one of the most essential functions in Building Science. We performed an Energy Audit for this customer locally here in Michigan.

The customer complained of high utility bills and poor comfort. After a thorough Energy Audit, we discovered that the home had never been professionally air sealed, and the customer suffered from a reverse stack effect (hot air leaking in from an unconditioned attic.) Check out this thermal scan while the blower door is running. We found an old, leaky whole-house fan. 🤯

My current situation. What’s the fix? Wong answers only!

It’s nothing like a Saturday morning appreciation text from our customers. This photo is an actual screenshot of one of our beloved customers. They sent me this text at 8 am today. Let's return to the fundamentals: load calc, duct design, and commissioning. Building Science, when applied correctly, has many incredible benefits. The verdict is in.

We recently partnered with Pearl Edison on a pilot program for Home Energy Rebates to help shape the IRA rebates that will launch this fall. We have helped thousands of customers in the Metro Detroit Area apply heat technology to their homes that won't cause an energy burden. Check out our findings in this article: "What we learned running a Home Energy Rebate pilot in Detroit." Key Takeaway: Electrification can be practical and affordable.

https://open.substack.com/pub/pearledison/p/home-energy-rebates?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

(1) Home electrification is important - but not inevitable. Buying a heat pump is a bad experience for homeowners, and the economics are brutal for contractors. This is fixable, but rebates alone won't fix the problem.

(2) Electrification is an important step. But, it's not always the right first step - especially for an energy-burdened, low-income family. This points to two important goals: target outreach to homes that are "electrification-ready" and help the homes that aren't ready to get there.

(3) Dual-Fuel is a great option - especially when the alternative is a like-for-like furnace replacement and an all-electric system would increase a low-income homeowner's energy burden. All-electric absolutism is unproductive.

(4) The "heat pump cowboys" are coming. Consumer protection is about providing homeowners with enough info to make well-informed choices. Otherwise, opportunists will sell homeowners a system based on a false expectations and bad energy modeling, just to "harvest" a rebate.

(5) Bad system design and bad installs are really common. Unfortunately, the work often goes to the best salesman, not the best engineer or technician.

(6) Most homeowners don't trust contractors. The entities that have earned their trust or have authority on energy efficiency - ranging from electric utilities to government to local community organizations - have an important role to play.

(7) Turning undertrained contractors into good contractors - "Qualified Contractors" - means properly investing in training.

(8) When it comes to contractor quals, it's good to be picky. Governments, utilities, and other aggregators should focus on elevating good contractors.

(9) Maximizing the impact of rebates means paying them out quickly . (This is hard!) If this can't be achieved, then short-term financing will be important.

(10) It's important that home electrification is profitable for good contractors.

What we learned running a Home Energy Rebate pilot in Detroit 10 learnings and 10 homeowner and contractor stories. Plus, recommendations for policymakers and our peers in the energy efficiency ecosystem

There is a significant link between poor indoor air quality, comfort issues, and high utility bills. Many customers are unaware that these issues are related and can be resolved.

This home is a typical example of what we find every day. The customer's furnace and air conditioner were grossly oversized. They had a 100,000 btu/hr input furnace, and their accurate load was only 46,000 btu/hr. The ducts were grossly undersized, and even so, they were excessively leaky. Static pressure is almost a 1-inch water column, double what the equipment is rated for. If this situation is unchecked, the customer will continue to experience high utility bills and poor IQ, and the equipment will fail.

Using the "house as a system approach," we developed solutions to tackle all three issues. When we are done, we project that this customer will save approximately $1096 per year in utility bills and enjoy improved indoor air quality.

I had a blast last week at the National Home Performance Conference. Bravo to the BPA team! It was a fantastic event, well-organized, and attended by almost 2500 clean energy professionals.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone next year!

This is Jonny! He assembles many of the Minneapolis Blower Door units.

2024 NHPC

Join me as I present the topic HVACR System Performance - Pollution Analysis and Fuel Efficiency at the 2024 National Home Performance Conference.

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2024 National HVAC Educators Conference

Congratulations to the Top 25 Most Influential HVAC Instructors/Trainers.

🔥 The Top 25 Most Influential HVACR Educators and Trainers of 2024 have been announced! 🔥 🔥 The Top 25 Most Influential HVACR Educators and Trainers have been announced! 🔥A few weeks ago, HVAC Excellence and TruTech Tools asked for your help to ...

Train the trainer on teaching Load Calcs - 2024 National Educators Conference

Please join me as I present the HVACR System Performance - Combustion Analysis and Fuel Efficiency presentation.

Monday, April 8, 2024, 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

With the rising energy cost and climate change looming, there is a question. How do we minimize our cost of operating heating equipment, conserve energy, and reduce carbon emissions (greenhouse gases) while maintaining heating performance?

The answer is to maximize the efficiency of existing furnaces and boilers and verify the performance of newly installed, highly efficient equipment. The only way to guarantee that a system operates at maximum efficiency is to perform a combustion analysis and properly adjust the air/fuel ratio.

This session is designed to give the attendee a complete understanding of the combustion process, combustion test procedures, and the adjustments required to maximize fuel efficiency.