PAUL'S WORLD

I periodically write articles on topics that I feel strongly about and sometimes they're featured in the media. Occasionally, I am invited to speak on these and other topics at industry conferences and workshops. Information on both of these appears here.

In the Media

The Boston Globe Magazine featured an interview with Paul Eldrenkamp. Paul shares his thoughts on where the green building movement is headed, the importance of accountability and keeping score, and preparing our homes for extreme weather.

Deep Energy Retrofits
January 02, 2013, Home Energy Magazine

Paul was interviewed by US Building Digest. He discusses low-energy construction and the challenges presented in low-energy retrofits (watch a video of part 1), and quality control in green building and measuring success (watch part 2).

DIY can save time, money but watch for hazards
March 13, 2011, Boston.com

Home is where the heat is off: An extremely green house rises in Roxbury
October 25, 2009, Boston.com

Will the Weatherization Surge Work?
April 1, 2009, Remodeling Magazine

Paul spoke about green housing in an episode of WBUR's Radio Boston. Listen to the show, "Boston's Greenest Houses," at www.radioboston.org.

Consulting

Paul is a founding partner of The DEAP Energy Group, a consulting partnership focusing on Passive House, zero-net energy, Thousand Home Challenge, and other high-efficiency building standards: www.deapgroup.com.

Articles

Reflective Roofs
Installing reflective roofs can increase your comfort, save you some money, and help our regional carbon footprint.

Common Myths About "Green" Building
Debunking the five most common myths relating to "green" building and the ways to improve the earth.

What Is a Master Plan?
Do you ever wonder what your house might look like in the year 2050? It may sound ridiculous for a homeowner to do so, but here at Byggmeister we think about that question all the time.

Ice Dams: The best time to deal with them is when you don't have them
So why would you even think about ice dams now? Because now is when you want to take measures to prevent them from occurring.

Travel Log: A visit to Germany and Austria
Photos from a 2-week tour of high-performance buildings in Saxony and Upper Austria, February and March 2011.

Things I Learned From My Piano Teacher (PDF)
Learning to play the piano is terrific cross-training for running a business. (May 2010)

Getting More From Less - Leverage Points
Sometimes, a brief moment of decision can have far greater impact than the time it took to make the decision.

Working with Architects
How often do you pass a residential construction project in your town and think, "Now that's a good design..."

Warranties and Customer Service: A New Approach
At Byggmeister we've combined our client service program and our marketing strategy into one single package.

The Construction Document Review Checklist
For every opportunity you have to get something right, it seems, there's a thousand chances to get it wrong.

Service Through Structure
Who's ultimately in control of a remodeling project? Let's think about that: It's the clients who are funding the job.

Tribute: Gary Wheatley
Gary knew that it's about small details, about doing the right thing, about unselfconscious humility. Build your business on the simplest of acts; the rest is commentary.