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Filtration and Airflow in Whole House HVAC Systems: Filter Cabinets and MERV Options

by Rate It Green Team


Filters remove dust and other particles, including biological contaminants, from the air.  This basic but important function plays a critical role in maintaining indoor air quality, and yet mos

Filed under: Filtration,

Keywords: HVAC, Ventilation Systems, Ventilation, Filtration, AprilAire, Whole House Ventilation Systems, MERV,

0 replies | 6516 views | Posted on: 06/14/2022 | Last updated: 02/20/2024

Health, Income, and Energy Efficiency Access: It’s all Connected

by gracemorrison

Energy efficiency, a term used to compare the amount of energy required for a product to work, is becoming increasingly important in our fight against climate change. Since energy-efficient products u

Filed under: Advocacy,

Keywords: Affordable Housing, Healthy Building, Energy Efficiency, Health, Equity, Energy Burden,

0 replies | 11189 views | Posted on: 05/31/2022 | Last updated: 03/31/2023

War on Ukraine’s Impact on Green Energy: Progression or Digression?

by gracemorrison

We are all witness to the degradation of our environment caused by fossil fuel emissions. We can perceive rising extreme weather occurrences and changing weather and natural resource health patterns,

Filed under: Energy,

Keywords: Climate Change, clean energy, Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, Fossil Fuels, Green Energy, energy independence, Ukraine, Gas Prices, War,

0 replies | 3816 views | Posted on: 05/31/2022 | Last updated: 03/31/2023

NOT COMPLICATED - JUST GREEN, podcast of common sense for better construction

by James Pirch, AIA, LEED GA // Architect, LEED GA, host of podcast NOT COMPLICATED - JUST GREEN

This episode features an interview with Matt Hoots, the president of Sawhorse construction,  one of Atlanta’s premier residential remodeling firms, known for their innovation, professionali

Making Homes More Disaster Proof; Reaction to Grace & Corbett Lunsford and Matt Risinger

by Rate It Green Team



Our homes and buildings have to become more adaptable and resilient, which means they must be able to endure different conditions and changing occupant needs, and they must also be weather&n

Filed under: Resilience,

Keywords: Resiliency, Resilience, air sealing, Electrification, Extreme Weather, Moisture, Corbett and Grace Lunsford, Matt Risinger, Matt Hoots,

0 replies | 1261 views | Posted on: 05/23/2022 | Last updated: 05/23/2022

How to get FULL value for your GREEN Home: Key Points to Consider in Buying and Selling

by Rate It Green Team


If you've got 5 minutes to learn about protecting the value of what is likely to be your key asset, it's worth giving Green Builder Matt Hoots a listen.  Matt teamed up with Green R

Filed under: Real Estate,

Keywords: Real Estate, Green Homes, financing, Green Real Estate, Green Addendum, Green Appraisal, Home Appraisal, Green Loans,

1 replies | 5257 views | Posted on: 05/20/2022 | Last updated: 03/31/2023

Example of a Net Zero Energy Renovation - IBS 2022 Home Tour | Saw Horse Design

by samanthaklein // Intern

 

A recently renovated net-zero energy renovated home was on display at the 2022 International Builder’s Show. From wall-mounted toilets to silent Mitsubishi electric compressors, th

Filed under: Green Living,

Keywords: Netzero, Solar, Cambria, Mitsubishi, Ductless Mini Splits,

0 replies | 3401 views | Posted on: 04/27/2022 | Last updated: 03/31/2023

SIEMENS VersiCharge Series - Universal Chargers for Electric Vehicles

by Rate It Green Team


It’s great to see product evolution in what pretty much feels like real time.  Green Builder Matt Hoots caught up with Kristen Westwood of SIEMENS eMobility North America at the Inter

Filed under: Electric Vehicles,

Keywords: Electric Vehicles, Electrification, EVs, SIEMENS, Ford, Ford-150, Ford 150, Backup Power,

0 replies | 5118 views | Posted on: 04/21/2022 | Last updated: 03/31/2023

Mini Split Cold Weather Design Advice and Guidelines, with Mitsubishi

by Rate It Green Team


Your mini split might work better if you don’t bury it under the snow… In all seriousness, Shawn from Mitsubishi chats with Matt Hoots and gives some advice on optimal conditions fo

Filed under: Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC),

0 replies | 9906 views | Posted on: 04/20/2022 | Last updated: 03/31/2023

rheia's Comfort by Design - Smaller, Energy and Labor Efficient Air Distribution Systems

by Rate It Green Team

Now that we think about it, thanks to rheia, why is HVAC ductwork so big and bulky, and tangled?  We’ve made changes to electrical and plumbing systems, so why not HVAC ducts? Clearly, it&r

Filed under: Ductwork,

Keywords: Energy Efficiency, HVAC, Ventilation Systems, Ventilation, comfort, rheia,

1 replies | 10326 views | Posted on: 04/15/2022 | Last updated: 10/14/2025

Customized Switches and Sensors for Indoor Air Quality || Swidget

by samanthaklein // Intern


Matt Hoots of Sawhorse, Inc. connects with Chris from Swidget (a clever name: think "Switching" and "Widgets") at the 2022 International Builders Show.  Chris walks us t

Filed under: Health and Air Quality,

0 replies | 7415 views | Posted on: 04/11/2022 | Last updated: 05/24/2022

Allergy Standards Certifies LG Appliances

by samanthaklein // Intern


Allergy Standards Ltd. scientifically identifies, tests, and certifies products that help optimize the indoor environment for health and wellness, with a focus on identifying products that reduc

Filed under: Health and Air Quality,

Linked to: LG Clothes Washers Linked to: Product Certications

Keywords: Health, Air Quality, Transparency, Indoor Air Quality, Wellness, Allergies, Allergens, Allergy Standards,

0 replies | 3433 views | Posted on: 03/28/2022 | Last updated: 04/23/2022

#1920sMakeoverATL House Update - Foundation Work has Started

by Rate It Green Team

The #1920sMakeoverATL Project is in full gear now (!), and foundation work has started! Matt and the ATL team have decided to prop up the house on piers and completely rebuild the foundation. The orig

Filed under: #1920sMakeoverATL,

0 replies | 2167 views | Posted on: 03/28/2022 | Last updated: 12/05/2022

Electric Vehicles need to be powered by Solar (not Coal) to be green

by SawHorse, Inc.


Electric Vehicles are NOT sustainable.

The argument that Electric Vehicles are not sustainable is only partly true.   Depending on where you live, they can be powered by electr


Filed under: Solar Energy ,

1 replies | 5039 views | Posted on: 03/19/2022 | Last updated: 06/27/2022

"Perfect Wall" demonstration

by SawHorse, Inc.

Several years ago, when the term "perfect wall" was mentioned, I thought it meant a "plumb and square" wall.  Many of us green builders and architects throw around the ter

Filed under: Mineral Wool Insulation,

0 replies | 2238 views | Posted on: 03/17/2022 | Last updated: 06/27/2022

Time to take our heads out of the sand

by Matt Hoots // Rate It Green Admin

I just posted this on LinkedIn since Russia just invaded Ukraine, and I started having flashbacks to other conflicts that were avoidable as well.  Many of them would not have even been considered

Filed under: Advocacy,

1 replies | 3103 views | Posted on: 03/02/2022 | Last updated: 06/27/2022

Mini Split Compressor Placement in Cold Climates (Think about Snow and Other Conditions)

by Allison Friedman // Rate It Green Admin

It’s important to think about mini split condenser location in cold climates where it’s likely to snow, or really where anything will affect the proper functioning and longevity/durability

Filed under: Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC),

Keywords: HVAC, Extreme Weather, Heating, Mini Splits, Snow, Compressors, Weather,

4 replies | 14323 views | Posted on: 02/03/2022 | Last updated: 04/03/2023

Lead Testing - Green Building Myth Busting, and DIY vs Professional Testing

by Rate It Green Team


Lead Testing for Tile and Plumbing Fixtures 


When most of us think about lead testing, we’re typically thinking that lead might be in paint.  But did you know that lead can be i


Filed under: Health and Air Quality,

Keywords: Lead Paint, Lead, Lead Testing, Bath tubs, Plumbing Fixtures, Health, Safety, Myth Busting,

0 replies | 7564 views | Posted on: 02/03/2022 | Last updated: 09/01/2023

Telling Your Green Building Story with Rate It Green - Let's Get Started!

by Rate It Green Team


Let's build your green building brand together by celebrating your company's accomplishments, leading edge products and services, and team.  Rate It Green can help you create and p

Filed under: Other Green Building - Other,

0 replies | 597 views | Posted on: 01/26/2022 | Last updated: 02/13/2023

Water Sensors Can Help Save $$ - Sensor Industries

by samanthaklein // Intern

 

Using water efficiently and avoiding waste should be a top priority for green builders, and all builders. Since water is a finite resource, it is essential to ensure that we have an adeq

Filed under: Green Living,

Keywords: Water, IoT, Water Conservation, Flooding, Plumbing, Water Sensors, Leaks, Water leaks,

0 replies | 11867 views | Posted on: 01/21/2022 | Last updated: 09/25/2023

Kicking Gas! Going All-Electric for the Health of Your Family and the Earth (Recorded Webinar: Available On Demand)

by Rate It Green Team


Recorded Webinar: Kicking Gas! Going All-Electric for the Health of Your Family and the Earth
Recorded: June 30, 2021
Speaker: Ann V. Edminster, M.Arch. (See speaker introduction bel


Filed under: Energy,

Keywords: HVAC, Emissions, Hot Water Heating, EEBA, Decarbonization, Electrification, Heating, Cooling, Induction Cooking, Home Electrification,

0 replies | 6446 views | Posted on: 12/22/2021 | Last updated: 02/07/2022

A Rate It Green Content Guide to: Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

by Rate It Green Team

Indoor air quality, or IAQ, awareness has been growing in recent years due in some part to the COVID pandemic and increasing outdoor air pollution concerns such as wildfire exhaust/pollution, whic

Filed under: Health and Air Quality,

Keywords: Healthy Building, HVAC, Indoor Air Quality, Heat Pumps, IAQ, Ventilation, Filtration, Mini Splits,

0 replies | 5044 views | Posted on: 12/21/2021 | Last updated: 03/04/2025

A Rate It Green Content Guide to: Electrification

by Rate It Green Team

As an open green building resource and member community, Rate It Green is excited to host and promote all the content possible on electrification (and that's a lot) and other important and re

Filed under: Energy,

Keywords: Energy Efficiency, Decarbonization, Electrification, HVAC, Induction Cooking,

0 replies | 2388 views | Posted on: 12/17/2021 | Last updated: 12/30/2024

Getting to Know Stego Barrier Solutions - Keeping Vapor, Soil Gases and other Ground Contaminants out of our Homes and Commercial Buildings

by Rate It Green Team


 

Tom Marks of Stego Barrier Solutions gives a helpful, efficient and information-filled introduction to Stego Barrier Solutions and the key goals and quality characteristics of vapor barrie


Filed under: Vapor Barriers ,

Keywords: Moisture Control, Moisture, Vapor Barriers, Radon, soil gasses, Stego Barrier Solutions,

0 replies | 6411 views | Posted on: 12/07/2021 | Last updated: 02/07/2022

Home Improvement in a Warming World: Case Studies in Creating a More Energy-Efficient House (Recorded: Available On Demand)

by Rate It Green Team

Recently, three homeowners walked through their home energy retrofit experiences as part of a compelling MetroWest Climate Solutions Presentation about reducing fossil fuel consumption and decarbonizi

Filed under: Energy,

Keywords: Energy Efficiency, MetroWest Climate Solutions, Casey Studies, HeatSmart Alliance,

0 replies | 5686 views | Posted on: 11/29/2021 | Last updated: 02/07/2022

 

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