We generally think of indoor pollutants as either particulates coming from allergens or mold or from gasses like radon or VOCs. But other important indoor pollutants to consider are from electromagnetic sources. Electric fields, magnetic fields, radio frequencies, and even high energy blue light can have negative effects on the body. Surprisingly, researchers have been aware of these biological impacts for nearly 90 years.

It's Radon Action Month. This is significant because much of Tennessee resides in a Class 1 radon zone, meaning the potential for elevated indoor radon levels is high.

In 2008, The McDonnell’s were in the beginning stages of planning their forever home in historic Franklin, just south of Nashville TN. They were looking to incorporate green high-performance elements into the construction to make an energy efficient, healthy, and sustainable structure. The couple and their builder reached out to E3 INNOVATE to learn about the benefits of spray-foam insulation, sealed crawlspace systems, geothermal heating and cooling, whole-house ventilation using energy recovery ventilators (ERVs), and active radon mitigation systems. 
 

Indoor air quality can be as much as 5x more polluted than outdoor air, even in the largest cities. Ironically, one major contributor to indoor air pollution is synthetic air "fresheners."

Recently, a homeowner reached out to E3 with a concern about moisture in his crawlspace. He and his young family have been living in the house for about four months and there is (already) significant moisture in the crawlspace.

After contacting his builder, the builder arranged for an inspector to take a look at the situation. 

The inspector made the comment that moisture in a crawlspace is like the sun setting in the west. It's "normal" and according to his statement, it's just a fact of life.

Homeowners Phil and Erica own 200 acres outside of Nashville, Tennessee near Ashland City. The land was inherited by Erica and her siblings from her mother, who had protected it from future sub-division with the Land Trust for Tennessee. Erica wanted to build a sustainable energy efficient home that would honor her mother's legacy and last generations into the future.

Starting the design of a new custom home can be exciting and daunting at the same time. Planning the layout, envisioning the view from the kitchen, and deciding where to put the solar panels are probably everyone’s favorite parts about building a custom high performance home.

Medicine and healthcare are often used to make analogies to home performance at E3 INNOVATE because of the similarities between achieving optimal health and an energy efficient healthy home. We can't rely on Band-Aids and blister packs to fix our health; nor can we rely on shiny pieces of equipment to fix our homes. 

Americans have grown dependent on medicine to relieve their nagging symptoms when many health professionals keep driving home the valid point that diet and lifestyle changes need to be the first step in regaining health.

January is Radon Awareness Month. Although radon is probably the most popular indoor air contaminant, there are others we should be aware of. Particulates from mold, dust, dander, and pollen as well as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and combustion gasses are often found inside our homes. Exposure to indoor air contaminants is inevitable, but proper ventilation can help reduce our exposure and help homeowners in Nashville, TN create healthier homes. 

E3 was recently featured in Home Energy Magazine! The latest article was a follow up to one published in the winter of 2018. Both articles describe a complicated radon issue in a large home in Nashville, TN. 

The first article, "Solving the Unintended Consequences of a Home Performance Renovation," describes the initial concerns the homeowners were facing with radon and odors. At the end of this cliff hanger, we were able to reduce radon levels from 15 to 4.1 pCi/L.