Yesterday we ran down the road to Mission Viejo to do an energy audit. It was a beautiful spring day in Orange County, which meant that there wasn’t a great deal of difference between the outdoor temperature and the indoor temperature of this couple’s beautiful home. We were a little concerned that the thermal imaging camera that we use would not get the best pictures because of this small temperature differential. Thankfully, that worry was all for naught. We got some very good photos of problems in this house. These are fairly typical in the houses that we see.
You can see where the insulation has been compromised around this switch plate. The house was negatively pressurized for this photo allowing you to see air move from the wall to the room.Read More
Back in October I installed a new heating and A/C system at my house. It was HOT on the final day of the install and I had a houseful of people heading my way that evening. We flipped on the air conditioner and it successfully cooled the house before everyone arrived. I was excited to see how much less electricity that the new system was using, so I ran out to my electric meter hoping to watch the little wheel spin ever so slowly. I was shocked and a bit disappointed to find that someone had switched out my old, trusty meter for one of the new Smart Grid digital meters. Read More
Riverside has some of the best rebates available for homeowners looking to make energy efficient upgrades to their homes. They have a point system that even allows you to double your rebate amount if you make significant rebates. If you live in the Riverside area and pay your bills to Riverside Public Utilities, contact us in order to help you maximize your rebates and make your house more comfortable.
Below is a press release about an ward that the city just won.
5/3/2011
DALLAS, TX – The City of Riverside’s environmental initiatives and sustainability plans were recognized for their outstanding achievements by the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals (ACMP) in their international Communitas Awards competition last week.
The City of Riverside was one of only 30 to receive 2011 Communitas Awards, which recognize exceptional businesses, organizations, and individuals from around the globe for their specific programs involving volunteerism, philanthropy, or ethical, sustainable business practices.
Riverside received two Gold Communitas Awards for its “Sustainability Programs” and “Green Initiatives” entries, which highlighted the city’s ongoing efforts in creating and implementing environmental policies and programs such as their Green Action Plan – which outlines Riverside’s strategies for increased use of renewable energy resources, preservation of water resources, reduction of greenhouse gases, waste management, recycling, and transportation, that help to maintain and cultivate a more sustainable community.
Riverside was also one of a handful of participants chosen by the ACMP this year to receive the Platinum Leadership in Community Service and Corporate Social Responsibility Award for its “Green Riverside/Seizing our Destiny” entry. The Leadership award is given only to organizations which show excellence in multiple programs.
“These awards highlight the many efforts Riverside is committed to and have been promoting for the last ten years,” said Riverside City Councilmember Rusty Bailey, who also chairs the city’s Land Use/ Utility Services / Energy Development Committee. “We are very pleased to be honored for our accomplishments.”
“While creating award winning policies and programs helps to keep Riverside among the leading green cities in the nation and around the world, we are also proud to be able to share our blueprints of success with other communities, and foster the ‘people helping people’ spirit that the Communitas Awards represent,” Bailey said.
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Established in 1895, Riverside Public Utilities is a consumer-owned water and electric utility governed by a Board of nine community volunteers that provides high quality, reliable services to over 105,000 metered electric customers and 63,000 metered water customers throughout the City of Riverside. The Utility is committed to increased use of renewable energy resources and sustainable living practices that help reduce environmental impacts within the City of Riverside and the state of California
I found this HGTV video this morning that shows many of the tasks we do when we do an energy audit on a house. Our audits are a bit more extensive than the one shown in the video, but this gives you a great idea of what we’ll be doing.
The audits we perform also delve into water usage. In many parts of the country water is not very expensive and is abundant, however, here in the Inland Empire, water is going up in cost every year ( I got my bill with notice of my rate increase yesterday).
Watch this and shoot us a message or a call to schedule your audit today.– Chris
This is a great little video put out by the California State License Board on verifying that your contractor has a valid state license. You should always verify that the contractor you hire is fully licensed and insured for the work that they are going to preform. Also check to see that they cary Workers Compensation Insurance. This will protect you the home owner if an employee is injured at your home.
Redlands / Henry Bush Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning and Home Energy Solutions is licensed by The State of California to perform work in the following trades under license number 184826;
C-20 - Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning Contractor
A warm-air heating, ventilating and air-conditioning contractor fabricates, installs, maintains, services and repairs warm-air heating systems and water heating heat pumps, complete with warm-air appliances; ventilating systems complete with blowers and plenum chambers; air-conditioning systems complete with air-conditioning unit; and the ducts, registers, flues, humidity and thermostatic controls and air filters in connection with any of these systems. This classification shall include warm-air heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems which utilize solar energy.
C-36 – Plumbing Contractor
A plumbing contractor provides a means for a supply of safe water, ample in volume and of suitable temperature for the purpose intended and the proper disposal of fluid waste from the premises in all structures and fixed works. This classification includes but is not limited to: Complete removal of waste from the premises or the construction and connection of on-site waste disposal systems; Piping, storage tanks and venting for a safe and adequate supply of gases and liquids including vacuum, compressed air and gases for medical, dental, commercial and industrial uses; All gas appliances, flues and gas connections for all systems including suspended space heating units. This does not include forced warm air units; Water and gas piping from the property owner’s side of the utility meter to the structure or fixed works; Installation of any type of equipment to heat water, or fluids, to a temperature suitable for the purposes listed in this section, including the installation of solar equipment for this purpose; and The maintenance and replacement of all items described above and all health and safety devices such as, but not limited to, gas earthquake valves, gas control valves, back flow preventors, water conditioning equipment and regulating valves.
C-42 – Sanitation System Contractor
A sanitation system contractor fabricates and installs cesspools, septic tanks, storm drains, and other sewage disposal and drain structures. This classification includes the laying of cast-iron, steel, concrete, vitreous and nonvitreous pipe and any other hardware associated with these systems.
B – General Building Contractor
A general building contractor is a contractor whose principal contracting business is in connection with any structure built, being built, or to be built, for the support, shelter, and enclosure of persons, animals, chattels, or movable property of any kind, requiring in its construction the use of at least two unrelated building trades or crafts, or to do or superintend the whole or any part thereof.
The above trade definitions are from the California State Contractors License Boards web site. For more information check it out.
