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Modellling the Impacts of Performance Components in Super Energy Efficient House Designs in Different Climate Zones

Panel: Residential Buildings: Technologies, Design, Performance Analysis, and Building Industry Trends

Author:
John Broniek, IBACOS Inc.

Abstract

As part of Building America work, research has been conducted on how the European Passive House residential energy efficiency standard could translate to six locations in three U.S. climate zones. For each super energy efficient house design a TRNSYS model was developed providing detailed system performance information. During this work, the impact of several key performance components became better understood: natural air ventilation and mechanical ventilation; soil thermal conductivity; interior and exterior shading of windows; and central and zonal controlled conditioning systems. Understanding the impacts of these components will help increase modeling accuracy and design expertise.

Modeling in a Cold climate house design showed that more comfortable conditions occur when natural air ventilation used for cooling enters at a higher air flow and the HRV is not operating. Determining the precise soil thermal characteristics in house designs with superbly insulated basements is not as important as it is for less well insulated basements. Temporary window shading devices have considerable influence on cooling loads, and, therefore, their shading characteristics should be determined as accurately as possible. Having shading characteristics information on domestic window shading devices would aid the accuracy of modeling work in this area. Central air distribution systems did a better job of maintaining zones at the required setpoint temperatures if based on median load calculation methodology instead of the industry standard methodology. An individually zone-controlled system provided greater temperature control in a Cold climate design than a central forced air system.

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