This is where you can find articles related to improving new or existing buildings, with relation to energy efficiency, indoor air quality, comfort, safety, and durability.
Manual-D is ACCA’s duct design method for properly sizing the airflow pathways – the ductwork – within a residential heating and cooling system. Even though this method has been around for many years, it is rarely implemented (and even less-often implemented correctly). Manual-D and Duct Calculators Frequently, it is assumed that the use of a [...]
Here’s how to satisfy ASHRAE 62.2 when using a supply-only system. The following are two examples of how to set things up, depending on what you’re trying to achieve and where you are in the installation process. You know how often you want the system to run per hour, but you’re not sure what size [...]
This video was produced by the Department of Energy, and does a fantastic job illustrating what’s involved in a comprehensive home energy audit. This is what we offer to our clients and train our students to do for theirs. [youtube]http://youtu.be/gzoIAdm0OI4[/youtube]
Whole-building ventilation Whole building ventilation should dilute interior pollutants by creating an air exchange within the home. This can be achieved by one or more of three basic methods: Exhaust-only: Exhaust fans remove air from the building. As a result of exhausting air, outside air is sucked into the home to replace the air that was [...]
The authors of ASHRAE 62.2 believe that people need to breathe. And people perform best when the air they breathe is clean, high in oxygen and low in carbon dioxide. With the growing awareness of personal health and the role that air quality plays in this equation, combined with the rising interest in creating more efficient houses, what we [...]
Before jumping into the ASHRAE 62.2 options for existing homes, make sure you’ve read and understand how to calculate the airflow requirements for new construction, as this is the starting point for the existing home calculations. ASHRAE 62.2 – Alternate Compliance For existing homes, ASHRAE 62.2 has a special section called the “Alternate Compliance” section. [...]
ASHRAE 62.2, the residential ventilation standard, is now required by ENERGY STAR Version 3, as well as the Department of Energy for all federally funded weatherization projects. If you’re in the business of HVAC systems, this should be good news for you! You have extra ammunition in selling air quality to your clients! There are a lot [...]
Manual-J Heating and Cooling Load Calculations Manual-J is the name for a specific protocol (often called “Heat Load Calculation” or “Cooling Load Calculation“) used to determine how much heating/cooling a home needs to stay cool and dry in the summer and warm in the winter. This load calculation process was developed by engineers in the heating [...]
120,000 homes were “officially” evaluated by HERS raters in 2010 – a 7% increase from 2009. Believe it or not, this number represents 41% of all new homes built in 2010!
When any insulation type is not in full contact with the underside of a floor system it is practically demoted to the lowly role of sound dampening