Over the years the method for determining natural air changes (denoted as ACH_n or NACH) has improved quite a bit, but for use in energy auditing, the current method is still problematic. Factors like building height, geographical region, and wind shielding have been adjusted for, but there’s still no standard for measuring the volume of a building.

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We all know the benefits of real-time energy monitoring: measuring your electrical baseload, figuring the cost of daily household activities like doing the laundry, discovering that someone left the attic lights on, and so forth. But there’s another benefit that is often overlooked. Energy monitoring can uncover malfunctioning household appliances. Fixing them can save money. Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to the Energy Metrics Blog. Here you will find our thoughts on how to measure energy consumption in your household, what energy audits can reveal about where the energy is going, how to reduce your energy usage and save on utility bills, and related topics.

Our main theme is residential and small business energy and how to manage it. But don’t hold us to that. Occasionally, we’ll stray into other issues like alternative energy technologies, energy policy, or even cultural barriers to reducing energy usage.

We welcome discussion of our posts from all points of view, but please stay away from raw political controversy. Just like in our home, we’d like to keep the temperature down.