While preparing for energy advisor exams may present challenges, there are solutions available to overcome them. Seek guidance, opt for flexible study programs, find comprehensive and up-to-date resources, build confidence through practice and support, and look for cost-effective options. By addressing these challenges head-on, you can enhance your exam preparation and increase your chances of success. Good luck!
Vapour Diffusion Retarders are Better than Vapour Barriers
Shawna HendersonAugust 09, 2023
In cold climates, the vapour retarder is installed on the warm side – typically directly behind the drywall. This location prevents the warm and relatively humid air from traveling into the wall where it may condense. But here’s the thing: Building scientists agree that the use of vapour impermeable retarders or barriers are not always necessary and in fact can be a poor strategy in all except the coldest climates such as northern Canada and Alaska. This is because the use of vapour impermeable barriers has two significant flaws:
3 Characteristics of a High Performance Building Process
Shawna HendersonAugust 04, 20231 comment
A high performance process for building high performance houses has 3 key characteristics: Integrated Design Process (IDP) Construction Quality Management Commissioning The best practice for building a high performance house is to make all the decisions about energy conservation measures during the design stage. This is the least expensive and most cost-effective part of the process. Decisions can be revisited based on energy modelling and costing before construction begins. This results in a package that works for the builder and for the homeowner.
Energy Advisor in the Field: Tips on being a Contractor or an Employee
Shawna HendersonJuly 14, 2022
One of the people who has gone through Blue House Energy’s Foundation Exam Prep and Energy Advisor Exam Prep program wrote to me and asked this question: “I currently have two offers of employment to get me going as an EA. One is as a contractor, paid on a per...
This Must Be The Place, Season 3: Another 18 Episodes of BS*
Shawna HendersonJuly 06, 2022
Hard to believe, but 7 July is the launch of Season Three of This Must Be the Place: The Building Science podcast! With 36 great episodes under our belt, we decided to change things up a bit for this season. Our next 18 episodes will be broken into three themes,...
Learn on the Road: Building Construction Technology Online Courses Now in Audio
Shawna HendersonJune 16, 2022
We know where you live. In your vehicle. And you like podcasts. It used to be that listening to the radio was the norm while driving, or when working on a construction site. CBC Radio 1 used to be on all day, every day on most sites when Blue House...
How 18 Building Science Podcasts Make Me A Better Person
Shawna HendersonJune 07, 20221 comment
Listening to podcasts is a great way to expand your understanding of the world. As a podcaster myself, I love to ask questions and then sit back and listen to other people’s stories and their takes on our industry, and how the built environment affects each and every one of...
International Women's Day
Shawna HendersonMarch 08, 2022
This year marks the second season of This Must Be The Place- The Building Science Podcast. Shawna has welcomed a number of women to the table for thoughtful, engaging conversation in all areas of the sector. Listen to how they inspire change and innovation to help create better building practices, policy, and guidelines that impact energy efficiency.
Adventures with Monitors, Humidifiers and Filters
Shawna HendersonMarch 03, 2022
What do building science wonks do in the vague days between Christmas and New Years? They eat and rest and eat and rest, and then get bored and start to wonder about things like relative humidity, indoor air quality, air cleaners and filtration, and how they relate to their own house. Well, that’s what I did this year.
3 Building Science Rules You Can Rely on When Covid Hits Your Household
Shawna HendersonMarch 01, 2022
Following on the heels of my own COVID adventure, I’ve got some things to say about using building science actions (eliminate, ventilate, filter/clean) to maintain a healthy indoor environment and what we did right.
HEPA Filters - 3 Key Things You Need to Know for Classrooms
Shawna HendersonJanuary 10, 2022
This Article Updated September 2024 I bought and tested HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) portable air filter for my main living space to help reduce viral and allergen loads. It's doing a good job. The specifications for the 170 s.f. space are shown to the right. Each model shows three...
Tags: air quality, CADR, Energy Advisor, HEPA filters
Sexism in the construction industry - Shawna Henderson joins CBC’s “The Current” to discus
Shawna HendersonDecember 13, 2021
Join Blue House Energy CEO Shawna Henderson and owner of Belle Construction Kendall Ansen on CBC's "The Current" podcast, as they discuss the history of sexism in the construction industry, and its effect on women leaving the trades. Listen to the podcast here
What does that EnerGuide for Houses Rating Mean?
Shawna HendersonSeptember 21, 2021
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) delivers the EnerGuide Rating System (ERS). Nearly all energy conservation and energy efficiency programs and incentives that the government of Canada and many provincial rebate programs use the ERS to benchmark existing energy use and potential savings that can come from improving your home's energy efficiency. The EnerGuide Rating System label shows the energy consumed by your house under standard operating conditions.
Energy Advisor: What's the Investment?
Shawna HendersonAugust 10, 2021
There’s a lot to know when it comes to being an energy advisor. When Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan made the Greener Homes Initiative announcement back in May, he mentioned that a person already in the industry could get trained in a week. While that’s technically true, it’s not real...
Energy Advisor: What's the Business Case?
Shawna HendersonJune 24, 2021
Blue House Energy is inundated w/requests from folks interested in becoming an Energy Advisor. We’re not complaining! No, no, no, we’re super excited to answer all of your questions. So this is the first in a series on the business of being an EA, reflecting some of the common questions...
How Climate Impacts Home Construction in Canada
Shawna HendersonMay 19, 2021
Article updated May 2026 Understanding how climate zones impact energy loads in houses is crucial, especially as climate change continues to impact weather patterns and temperature extremes across the country. Climate zones, seasonal and daily fluctuations, wind patterns, hours of sunlight, solar energy potential - these are some of the...