Martin Holladay

Editor Martin Holladay has worked as a roofer, remodeler, builder, and plumbing wholesale counterperson. He built his first passive solar house in northern Vermont in 1974, and has lived off the grid since 1975. In 1980, Holladay bought his first photovoltaic module, which is still producing electricity after all these years.

After the 1988 Armenian earthquake, Holladay spent 18 months in the mountains of northern Armenia, where he helped build medical clinics and housing. In the 1990s, he worked for four years as a project manager for a nonprofit developer of low-income housing.

In 1999, Holladay accepted a position as associate editor at the Journal of Light Construction, and became editor of Energy Design Update in 2002.

Holladay joined the GreenBuildingAdvisor.com team in November 2008. His Musings of an Energy Nerd blog is among the most popular of GBA blogs.

Recent Articles

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  Musings of an Energy Nerd

  Using Salvaged Building Materials

  The idea is attractive, but reuse is often hard to implement

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  Musings of an Energy Nerd

  Problematic Roof Designs

  Architects and builders keep making the same mistakes when designing roofs

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  Musings of an Energy Nerd

  ‘Pretty Good House’ Book Review

  Lessons to glean from a new book by four Maine-based homebuilding experts: Dan Kolbert, Emily Mottram, Michael Maines, and Christopher Briley

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  Musings of an Energy Nerd

  Taking My Own Minisplit Advice, Finally

  The Energy Nerd gets a cold-climate heat pump

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  Musings of an Energy Nerd

  A Fresh Look at Ground-Source Heat Pumps

  Because of their high cost, these systems are hard to justify for single-family homes

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  Musings of an Energy Nerd

  Are Expensive Building Components Necessary?

  The short answer: probably not

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  Musings of an Energy Nerd

  Installing Rigid Foam Above Roof Sheathing

  An updated look at roof assemblies that include a continuous layer of exterior insulation

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  Musings of an Energy Nerd

  Climate Activists React to ‘Don’t Look Up’

  A Netflix satire ignites controversy

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  Musings of an Energy Nerd

  Testing an Induction Cooktop

  A low-cost induction cooktop that plugs into a wall outlet

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  Musings of an Energy Nerd

  Designing a House for a Hot Climate

  Pay attention to roof details, window specifications, and duct system design