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2009

Building
Science
Corporation
1
Net-Zero Energy Homes:
The Basics of
What You Need to Know
Building Science Corporation
Kohta Ueno, Senior Associate
The 2010 HVACR & Plumbing Instructor Workshop:
Advancing Green Mechanical Concepts
March 24-26, 2010
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Background
2009
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Definitions
NZE: A building that produces as much
energy in a typical year as it consumes.
Consumes grid power when it needs it
Feed power to grid when it has extra
ALL energy considered
Electric is not special.
NOT Zero Carbon, or Zero GHG
NOT off-grid
Much more difficult
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Why Buildings?
Building Sector is largest energy
consumer and GHG emitter
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NZE Design Targets
Produce as much as we consume
Production is usually MUCH more
expensive than reducing waste
(efficiency/conservation)
Hence the energy demanded by building
should always be reduced, reduced,
reduced before adding production
Check cost of reducing demand vs cost if
supplying energy
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Capital Investment vs. Operating Cost
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Energy Savings (%)
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Fig. 1: Conceptual plot of the path to ZNE.
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Fig. 1: Conceptual plot of the path to ZNE.
Incremental, Energy
Related Mortgage
Costs
Minimum
Cost Point
Least Cost
Curve
Neutral Cost Point
Source Energy Reduction
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Underlying Source: Dr Ren Anderson, NREL
Lower cost
conservation
Higher Energy costs
2009
Building
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Takeaway Lessons
Conservation measures first! Good
design/orientation, good enclosure
(shell), good mechanicals
Then start adding renewable energy
Insulation has diminishing returns
Renewables can be more cost-
effective than insulation after a point!
Net zero energy: good & noble target,
but out beyond neutral cost

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Renewables
2009
Building
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Energy Supply
Renewable energy (RE) or cleaner
energy (CE)
Net Zero currently demands site
production
This eliminates some good economical RE
Common choices
Photovoltaic: Electricity
Solar thermal Warm / Hotwater
Combined heat and power
Wind electricity

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PV
photovoltaic
2009
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Energy Supply (RE)
PV
Straightforward installation, easy to predict
output
Expensive but electricity is very useful and
excess can easily be sent to the grid
(grid=battery)
Rated by peak output under standard solar
conditions (peak Watt or W
p
)
Costs now $8/W
p
(before subsidy) installed

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Building
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Solar Thermal
hot water
2009
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BuildingScience.com
Solar thermal
Intermittent source of hot water
Well developed
Requires big storage tanks in most
application
Freezing, over heating, glycol
thickening failures, and low
temperature efficiency are issues
Not the most economically-viable
choice ($6-10 K): but if going to net
zero

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BuildingScience.com
2009
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Combined heat and power
Aka CHP
Efficient use of fuel to produce heat & electricity
within the building complex (e.g. hospital) or home
Remember: grid ~30% efficient; waste heat =
cooling towers, river water
Much lower GHG emissions
Supplies on demand
Ratio of electricity to
heat is fixed
Effectiveness varies on case-by-case basis

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Mechanical
Systems
2009
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Mechanical Systems
Energy consuming functions
Heating
Cooling
Domestic Hot Water
Ventilation & Filtration

Fundamental problem: small loads!

2009
Building
Science
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Furnaces
Condensing gas
furnaces: 90%+
AFUEmature
technology
Sealed
combustion
ECM motors
(variable speed)
reduces fan
electrical energy

2009
Building
Science
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19
Ground-source heat pumps
Uses constant ground
temperature to provide
heating & cooling
Fluid pumped through
underground tubes; heat
extracted or rejected
One of the highest
efficiency space
conditioning systems
(measured ~3.5 COP)
But.
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20
Ground-source heat pumps
Installed cost of system very high (drilling
ground loops)
Nameplate efficiency < actual efficiency
(previous example: 5 COP rated number)
Pumping energy
Systems with problemsdifficult to
diagnose, expensive to fix
Can still suffer from normal ductwork-based
system problems
For small loads, is it worthwhile?
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80% & 90%+
options
Condensing boilers
(90%+)needs
some
thinking/design
Outdoor reset
controls for 90%+
Cant add cooling

Heating: Hydronic Systems
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22
Radiators/Radiant Floors
Baseboard radiators
Radiant floor heat
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23
Mini Splits
Mini-split non-ducted head
Mini-split short ducted system
Mini-split outdoor unit
Both heating & cooling
Multi-splits (single outdoor unit)
Systems with SEER26 and HSPF=11
available

2009
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Mini-Splits Heating/Cooling in Cold Climate
1818 sf house, solar-oriented, superinsulated (12 spray foam
walls, R-80 roof), triple glazed windows, very airtight
Central Massachusetts location
Net zero performance
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Provides for both heating & cooling; 11,000 BTU heating load
Installed costs in the 1,818 square foot Farmhouse was $6,850
Two 9,000 BTU heads upstairs, One 12,000 BTU head downstairs
Electric heater back up, no heat production below zero degrees
outside
2009
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Ventilation
2009
Building
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Need for Ventilation
Greater airtightness for energy
reasons, in net zero houses
Also improves sound, odor, pest
control
But people still stink! (+ activities)
Controlled mechanical ventilation
Point source control (exhaust fans)
General dilution ventilation


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Building
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Air Change Driving Forces
Wind Effect
Stack Effect
Combustion and Ventilation
2009
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Indoor Air Quality
Pollutant production
Pollutant removal
Dynamic Balance= pollutant level
Not a IAQ problem if it is not in the air
Solutions
Reduce pollutant production
Increase pollutant removal
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Building
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Ventilation
Given sensible source control, constant
ventilation can dilute pollutants to a low
level
Ventilation rates are mostly about odor and
humidity, not oxygen
7.5 cfm/person + 0.01 cfm / sq ft
Commercial and highrise 15 cfm/person (!)
Mixing is necessary or separate supply
to each room to achieve best IAQ
2009
Building
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Types of Controlled
Ventilation Systems

Exhaust Ventilation
Supply Ventilation
Balanced Ventilation

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Exhaust Only: Depressurize
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Lowest cost installed system (typical),
but problems associated:
Carbon monoxide alarms
Lack of filtration
Dust marking on light carpets
Dirt/grit particles settling on horizontal surfaces
Lack of distribution
Moisture accumulation and odor buildup in rooms
remote from exhaust fan
Objections to fan noise
Exhaust pros and cons
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Supply Only: Pressurized
Not common, although most commercial buildings have
more supply than exhaust
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Science
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Plus fan cycling
controller (runs air
handler periodically +
motorized damper to
prevent
overventilation)
2009
Building
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Central fan-integrated ventilation
Smart controller
(accounts for previous
runtime)
Set minimum runtime
(e.g., 20 min/hour)
Provides distribution
of ventilation air
throughout house

2009
Building
Science
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Balanced Supply and Exhaust
Common for commercial solutions
Residential often combine with HRV/ERV
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Balanced Ventilation
(with Heat Recovery)
HRV/ERV
Point exhaust
Fully ducted
(need not be)
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Building
Science
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11/19/2008
Heat Recovery Ventilation
2009
Building
Science
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Efficient Equipment
HRV/ERV always
choose better than 1 CFM/Watt
(current high end ~2 CFM/Watt)
Choose > 60% efficient
Right size ventilation!overventilation
can defeat the benefits of adding heat
recovery!
2009
Building
Science
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Humidity
2009
Building
Science
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42
11/19/2008
Recommended Range of Relative Humidity
25 percent during winter
60 percent during summer



2009
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Supplemental Humidity Control
Good energy efficient design reduces
sensible cooling loadsinsulation, good
windows, airtightness
Latent load remains the same!
Thermostat (temperature control)
humidity is not controlled
Need supplemental dehumidification in hot-
humid and mixed-humid climates (high
performance houses)
Demonstrated in 20 research houses


Information Sheet 620: Supplemental Humidity Control
RR-0505: Residential Dehumidification Systems Research for Hot-
Humid Climates
2009
Building
Science
Corporation
44
Dehumidification
High efficiency
supplemental
dehumidification options
(standalone ducted
boxes)
E.g., draw from main
space, dehumidified air to
supply duct
Humidistat control in main
space (near thermostat)


2009
Building
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Building
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2009
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Combustion
Safety
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Building
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11/19/2008
Combustion Safety
Backdrafting risk in tighter houses
Combustion air should be drawn from
outside (sealed combustion)
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Case Study:
Westford
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Case Study House
(Westford Habitat for Humanity)
Based on recently-built house
Super-insulated enclosure
Very airtight (1.5 ACH 50)
Best-in-class mechanical systems
Energy Star appliances
Compact fluorescent lighting
No renewable energy added: not NZE
(PVs or solar DHW)

2009
Building
Science
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51
Westford House Under Construction
Westford House:
1.5 Story Single Family Home with Conditioned Basement (2200 ft
2
total)
2009
Building
Science
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52 7 October 2008
Enclosure
Details
R-66 roof
insulation
R-45 walls
R-26 basement
walls
R-10 basement
slab
Low e double
glazed windows
1.5 air changes
per hour at 50
Pascals
(ACH50)
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Building
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2009
Building
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Mechanical
Details
96% AFUE Gas
Furnace, ECM motor
0.82 EF
Instantaneous Water
Heater
Fantech Energy
Recovery Ventilator
(ERV)
MEL reduction 10%
19.3 MBH Heating
13.5 MBH Cooling
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Instantaneous Water Heater
Fantech ERV
2009
Building
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53%
Enclosure improvements
Mechanical improvements
Appliance, lights
Parametric Analysis
2009
Building
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Final Points
2009
Building
Science
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What about LEED?
A green points-based rating system:
energy is only one component
Some serious disappointments in
actual energy performance
USGBC now
requires usage
data
How is the house/
building operated?
ASHRAE 90.1 problems?
Source: BSI-007: Prioritizing GreenIt's the Energy Stupid*
2009
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Questions/
Comments
2009
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To Take it Further
2009
Building
Science
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Mitsubishi SEZ Ducted Indoor units

Provides for both heating and cooling, 17,000 BTU peak heating load
Installed costs in the 4 BR 2,612 square foot Carlisle model was $7,600
One 15,000 BTU heads upstairs, One 18,000 BTU head downstairs
20,000 BTU gas fireplace as back up heating system

2009
Building
Science
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Threshold COP 16 SEER w Defrost Lo
16 SEER w Defrost Lo Boston Design T
Heat Pump Behavior

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