b.green talk series continues on February 12th at the Opera House

Knickerbocker Group is proud to present this month’s b.green talk “PUSHING THE BUILDING ENVELOPE: Best Practices for Energy Efficient, High Performance Buildings”. Improving energy efficiency of buildings has never been more crucial with the dramatic increases in oil prices, wider acceptance of the problem of peak oil, and concern over global warming. While there is great interest and glamour in alternate sources of energy like solar or bio-heat, a building’s outer shell, or “building envelope”, is the determiner of how much energy is required to keep the interior comfortable for its occupants. Maximizing the performance of the building envelope can dramatically reduce the demand for energy, whatever the source.

Richard Riegel Burbank, founder of Evergreen Home Performance LLC, will introduce the concept of the building envelope and how it is a crucial detail for achieving energy efficiency in any new construction or renovation project. He will focus on the state of the art practices that integrate a well insulated, air tight building envelope with ventilation for good indoor air quality.

Richard will also demonstrate how high-tech diagnostic tools, including the infrared camera and the blower door, can help assess the performance of a building envelope. During the event, these tools will be demonstrated on the Boothbay Harbor Opera House to show lack of insulation in the walls and air leakage through the building. Some recent projects in new construction and retrofit will be presented including a new super efficient dormitory project at College of the Atlantic, a local home energy and building performance renovation project, and an elementary school air leakage reduction project.

Knickerbocker Group would like to invite homeowners, builders, architects, designers, mechanical contractors, and all others interested in learning more about sustainable building. The event is free to the community and light snacks will be provided. The presentation will be held on Tuesday February 12th in the bar room at the Opera House, from 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. followed by a social hour from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Please contact Danielle Betts at the Knickerbocker Group for more information: 633-6563 or dbetts@knickerbockergroup.com