If you’re into energy efficiency and “smart” building design, you might want to check out the premier of This New House, tonight at 8 p.m. on the DIY Network. Co-hosted by This Old House’s Kevin O’Connor and DIY Network alum Amy Matthews, the series looks at the latest energy-saving building materials, techniques, and gadgetry.

“This Old House forged a very naturalistic style, where you’re walking through the job site with the guys,” says producer Bruce Irving, who also produced This Old House from 1988 to 2005. “The new show has a radically modern look—all quick cuts and music and boom shots—that’s perfect for the content.”

Among the leading-edge technologies featured are a solar energy system developed by MIT professor Daniel Nocera that delivers power 24/7 and a heat pump that can supposedly squeeze energy out of negative 30-degree air. The show also looks at more here-and-now innovations, including so-called “deep energy retrofits”, whereby “grandma’s house is insulated and air sealed to the max to bring it into the 21st century,” explains Irving.  

So who’s the Norm Abram of energy efficiency? “There are a lot of them out there,” says Irving. Tune in tonight for a look at a few.
 
—Daniel DiClerico