Earlier this week I tagged along with an energy auditor, Bill Klotz from Eco-Anthracite. I wanted to see how it all works and besides it was an interesting project which I'll be writing more about soon. A group of UNC Fraternity brothers are forming a non-profit venture to green-up fraternity and sorority houses in the region.
Two of the fraternity brothers and I followed Bill,the energy auditor, around the building from basement and crawlspace area up to the attic looking for a wide range of signs and clues. We found clear indications of moisture condensing on the stone walls in the basement, not far from the kitchen. And we found plenty of leaks in windows, doors etc.
In the photo to left Bill does what he calls the "door dance" which is a tricky maneuver to fit the blower door into position. This enables the house to be pressurized and helps find leaks as well as measuring the overall seal of the building.
In the end the owners get a detailed report indicating areas of concern and recommendations. In this case it was recommended that a $2000 spend (this is a very big house remember) on sealing and tightening would save half that each year in energy costs. Which is a great ROI anywhere.

It seems like green building supply centers are flourishing in North Carolina this year. Now Wilmington has its own called the
Emily Barrett and Michael Perry
The Nation’s First Green Residential Remodeling Guidelines will be unveiled March 14th at the INTERIORS 08 event.
Sarah Susanka, who wrote the book, The Not So Big House, and several books that followed it in the series of Not So Big ...., will be speaking tonight in Raleigh at 7pm.
The State Energy Office is hosting a Sustainable Energy Conference on April 8-9. It will be held at the McKimmon Conference Center at NC State University, Raleigh.
For the second time this week Governor Mike Easley has hit our radar. Today he announced new North Carolina Green Business Fund grants that small business owners and entrepreneurs can
apply for. These
grants are intended to help small businesses develop green and
alternative energy technologies and bring cutting-edge,
environmentally-friendly products and services to the marketplace.

North Carolina Governor Mike
Easley today announced the creation of the Advanced Transportation Energy
Center to be located at North Carolina State University's Centennial Campus. The center aims to: 

