Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Comparative Performance Analysis: Hers Index Score Dependencies Related To Home Geometries And Operating Assumptions, Florida Solar Energy Center, Philip W. Fairey

FSEC Energy Research Center®

EnergyGauge USA v.3.1.02 is used examine the impact of geometry and operating conditions on comparative simulation analysis techniques that are used to evaluate home energy performance with respect to a standardized reference case. A cohort of homes is simulated using the HERS Index scoring system in 15 U.S. cities that are representative of the 8 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) climate zones. All of the homes are configured to have the thermal envelope characteristics specified by Table R402.1.1 of the 2012 IECC. All homes are also configured to meet all other mandatory requirements of the 2012 IECC, including 75% high …

Impact Of Residential Mechanical Ventilation On Energy Cost And Humidity Control, Florida Solar Energy Center, Eric Martin

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The DOE Building America program has been conducting research leading to cost effective high performance homes since the early 1990's. Optimizing whole house mechanical ventilation as part of the program's systems engineered approach to constructing housing has been an important subject of the program's research. Ventilation in residential buildings is one component of an effective, comprehensive strategy for creation and maintenance of a comfortable and healthy indoor air environment. The study described in this white paper is based on building energy modeling with an important focus on the indoor humidity impacts of ventilation. The modeling tools used were EnergyPlus version …

Electric Vehicle Sales And Future Projections, Florida Solar Energy Center, David L. Block

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The objective of this research is to evaluate historical vehicle sales as a basis to determine future projections of electric vehicles sales and cumulative values within the U.S. and by selected states. The results for the U.S. show that the cumulative sales of electric vehicles through 2013 is 167,600 vehicles with 96, 700 sold in 2013 or that 58% of total vehicles were sold in 2013. Depending upon the escalation rate selected, the 10 year future U.S. cumulative sales (2023) are predicted to be from 1.8 to 7.3 million vehicles. Future predictions were also done for the states of Florida, …

Applying Best Practices To Florida Local Government Retrofit Programs, Florida Solar Energy Center, Janet Mcilvaine

FSEC Energy Research Center®

In some communities, local government and non-profit entities have funds to purchase and renovate distressed, foreclosed homes for resale in the affordable housing market. Numerous opportunities to improve whole house energy efficiency are inherent in these comprehensive renovations. BA-PIRC worked together in a multiyear field study making recommendations in individual homes, meanwhile compiling improvement costs, projected energy savings, practical challenges, and labor force factors surrounding common energy-related renovation measures. The field study, Phase 1 of this research, resulted in a set of best practices appropriate to the current labor pool and market conditions in central Florida to achieve projected annual …

Flexible Residential Test Facility: Impact Of Infiltration And Ventilation On Measured Heating Season Energy And Moisture Levels, Florida Solar Energy Center, Danny Parker

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Perhaps no residential topic has been discussed as much among building scientists as air infiltration and required mechanical ventilation. Usually, envelope tightening is recommended as an efficiency strategy for retrofitting an existing home. In humid climates, reducing infiltration can reduce summer moisture loads. However, during drier weather when the air conditioner is not running, lower infiltration can lead to potential condensation. Even though severe cold weather is rare in the Deep South, the prevalence of single-pane windows can lead to condensation events.

Energy And Economic Optimization To Achieve Near Zero Energy Homes In Europe: Implications Of Inclusion Of Lighting And Appliances, Florida Solar Energy Center, Danny Parker

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Achieving annual net zero energy use in homes has been demonstrated as feasible in dozens of monitored projects in the United States.[1] In particular, very low energy use homes in Europe have been proven within the Passivhaus approach.[2] Achieving 'nearly zero energy buildings' (NZEB) has also been established as a vital objective over the next decade within the European Union (EU) (Boermans et al., 2011). However, reaching this result at the lowest possible cost remains a key challenge around the world. Balancing renewable power generation with energy efficiency will be vital in Europe as anticipated by Voss, Musall and Lichtmeß.[4] …

Technical Subtopic 2.1: Modeling Variable Refrigerant Flow Heat Pump And Heat Recovery Equipment In Energyplus, Florida Solar Energy Center, Richard Raustad

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The University of Central Florida/Florida Solar Energy Center, in cooperation with the Electric Power Research Institute and several variable-refrigerant-flow air conditioning (VRF AC) manufacturers, provided a detailed computer model for a VRF AC system in the United States Department of Energy's (U.S. DOE) EnergyPlus' building energy simulation tool. No other simulation tool currently has the capability to accurately model this state-of-the-art VRF heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment. Detailed laboratory testing and field demonstrations were performed to measure equipment performance and compare this performance with that predicted by the use of this new model through computer simulation.

This project …

Current Best Practices For High Performance, Deep Energy Retrofits In Florida Affordable Housing, Florida Solar Energy Center, Janet Mcilvaine

FSEC Energy Research Center®

In the fall of 2009, researchers at the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) began working with affordable housing entities that were conducting major renovation projects in unoccupied, foreclosed homes. The study was funded by the Florida Energy Systems Consortium and the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America program. When components and equipment were being replaced because they were worn out, researchers provided savings projections for higher-efficiency choices. Savings were also projected for improvements that were strictly for energy efficiency, such as adding ceiling insulation. The best practices summarized in this document are a mixture of assessment, design, specification, quality assurance, …

Hers Index Scores As An Alternative Compliance Path For The 2015 Iecc, Florida Solar Energy Center, Philip W. Fairey

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The analysis presented here is an extension of a previous study on HERS Index Scores as they relate to various version of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) by the same author. This extension of the previous study is designed to examine the impact of advanced, ultra-high efficiency appliances and high efficiency HVAC systems on HERS Index Scores as they relate to reductions in the HERS Index Scores that may be used as 'tradeoffs' against best practice envelope efficiencies.

The Next Step Toward Widespread Residential Deep Energy Retrofits, Florida Solar Energy Center, Janet Mcilvaine

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction (BA-PIRC) has been working with affordable housing entities to identify cost-effective technical pathways to achieve energy savings levels of 30% and safeguard or enhance indoor air quality (IAQ), durability, and comfort (McIlvaine et al. 2012; Fairey and Parker 2012).

Determining Appropriate Heating And Cooling Thermostat Set Points For Building Energy Simulations For Residential Buildings In North America, Florida Solar Energy Center, Danny Parker

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Existing building energy simulation tools have a purported tendency to over-predict heating use and, in some cases, to under-predict cooling use, an outcome often attributed to inappropriate assumptions about thermostat management. As a result, a systematic review was conducted for the purposes of determining typical heating and cooling set points for single-family houses in North America. The preliminary consensus results provide an empirical basis for establishing typical inputs for building energy simulation models, increasing prediction accuracy of heating and cooling loads. The results of this review have been applied as default values in the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Home Energy …

Efficient Multifamily Homes In A Hot-Humid Climate By Atlantic Housing Partners, Florida Solar Energy Center, Dave Chasar

FSEC Energy Research Center®

With assistance from the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) and its Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction (BA-PIRC), Atlantic Housing Partners (AHP) has implemented a high performance, systems-engineered package of measures in the new construction multifamily housing sector in the hot-humid climate zone. This report demonstrates how the initiative achieves Building America (BA) goals of 30%-50% energy savings. In addition, the report discusses the role of utility allowance calculations, used as part of the low-income housing tax credit process, to value those energy savings.

Results of energy modeling are presented to demonstrate that the specification package achieves 40% energy …

Approaches To 30% Energy Savings At The Community Scale In The Hot-Humid Climate, Florida Solar Energy Center, Stephanie Thomas-Rees

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction, formerly the Building America Industrialized Housing Partnership, has worked with several community-scale builders within the hot-humid climate zone to improve performance of production-, or community-scale, housing. Tommy Williams Homes (Gainesville, Florida), LifeStyle Homes (Melbourne, Florida), and Habitat for Humanity (various locations, Florida) have all been continuous partners of the Building America Program. The activities of these partners, described in this report, achieved the Building America goal of 30% whole-house source energy savings using packages adopted at the community scale. For new homes, the reference case is the B10 Benchmark, aligned with 2009 …

Energy Retrofit Field Study And Best Practices In A Hot-Humid Climate, Florida Solar Energy Center, Janet Mcilvaine

FSEC Energy Research Center®

In the U.S. Census Bureau's Southern region, housing starts ranged from 4.6 to 5.9 million per decade from the 1970s through the 2000s, nearly twice as many as any other region across all decades. The potential for energy savings in these homes is vast, perhaps our most available untapped resource for reducing energy needs. This study was conducted in central Florida, which forms part of the Census Bureau's Southern region. It examines efficiency retrofit opportunities, typical renovation practices, and pathways for achieving U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) goals for existing homes in that region.

Analysis Of Hers Index Scores For Recent Versions Of The International Energy Conservation Code (Iecc) [Revised], Florida Solar Energy Center, Philip W. Fairey

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The EnergyGauge HERS software tool was used to examine the IECC Standard Reference Design (IECC SRD) configuration for one-story 2000 ft2 and two-story 2,400 ft2 single-family homes in sixteen representative U.S. cities. IECC SRD homes were configured for the 2006 IECC, the 2009 IECC and the 2012 IECC. Two additional set of analysis were conducted, both using the 2012 IECC SRD with enhanced equipment: 1) with equipment configured to meet the 2015 National Appliance Energy Conservation Act (NAECA) equipment requirements and 2) with equipment that is on the cusp of significant market penetration with efficiencies greater than the 2015 standard.HERS …

Short-Term Test Results: Transitional Housing Energy Efficiency Retrofit In The Hot-Humid Climate, Florida Solar Energy Center, Karen Sutherland

FSEC Energy Research Center®

This project evaluates the renovation of a 5,800-ft², multiuse facility located in St. Petersburg, on the west coast of central Florida, in the hot-humid climate. An optimal package of retrofit measures was designed to deliver 30%-40% annual energy cost savings for this building with annual utility bills exceeding $16,000 and high base load consumption. Researchers projected energy cost savings for potential retrofit measures based on pre-retrofit findings and disaggregated, weather-normalized utility data. A cost-benefit analysis was conducted for the seven retrofit measures implemented; adding attic insulation and sealing soffits, tinting windows, improving whole-building airtightness, upgrading heating and cooling …

Measured Cooling Performance And Potential For Buried Duct Condensation In A 1991 Central Florida Retrofit Home, Florida Solar Energy Center, Dave Chasar

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) conducted energy performance monitoring of two existing residences in Central Florida that were undergoing various retrofits. These homes were occupied by FSEC researchers and were fully instrumented to yield detailed energy, temperature, and humidity measurements. The data gave feedback about the performance of two levels of retrofit in two types of homes in a hot-humid climate. This report covers a moderate-level retrofit and includes 2 years of pre-retrofit data to characterize the impact of improvements. The other home, covered in a separate report (Parker and Sherwin 2012), is a deep energy retrofit that has …

Cost Effectiveness Of Home Energy Retrofits In Pre-Code Vintage Homes In The United States, Florida Solar Energy Center, Philip W. Fairey

FSEC Energy Research Center®

This study investigates the cost effectiveness of a large number of potential home energy retrofit measures using pre-code home archetypes that can be considered typical in a range of climates throughout the United States.

Managing The Drivers Of Airflow And Water Vapor Transport In Existing Single-Family Homes (Revised), Florida Solar Energy Center, James Cummings

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Air and water vapor are transported into and within single-family homes as a result of pathways and driving forces. Without pathways, no air or water vapor transport could occur. Likewise, without driving forces, little or no air or water vapor transport will occur. Homes always have pathways and driving forces. This report focuses on managing the driving forces that move air and water vapor across the building envelope.

A Comparison Of Homes Built To The 2009 And 1984 Florida Energy Codes, Florida Solar Energy Center, Charles Withers, Jr.

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The Florida Solar Energy Center conducted research into the effectiveness of the Florida energy code to reduce energy use in residential buildings. FSEC examined two groups of homes: those built to the 1984 energy code (June 1,1984-1985) and those built to the 2007 with 2009 supplement energy code (March 1, 2009-2010). This report discusses data collection methods, analysis and results that focus on comparisons of measured energy use and house characteristics between both code periods.

Measured Performance Of Occupied, Side-By-Side, South Texas Homes, Florida Solar Energy Center, Dave Chasar

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The performance of three occupied homes built in 2009 in San Antonio, Texas with identical floor plans and orientation were evaluated through a partnership between the Florida Solar Energy Center, CPS Energy, and Woodside Homes of South Texas. Measurements included whole-house gas and electricity use as well as heating, cooling, hot water, major appliances, and indoor and outdoor conditions. One home built to the builder's standard practice served as the control; the other homes demonstrated high performance features.

The goals of this research were to: (1) learn how energy systems affect peak load profiles during the hottest weather conditions; (2) …

Accuracy Of The Home Energy Saver Energy Calculation Methodology, Florida Solar Energy Center, Danny Parker

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The Home Energy Saver (HES) suite offers popular online simulation tools that enable U.S. homeowners and energy professionals to rigorously evaluate home energy use and develop recommendations on how energy can be saved across all end uses. The underlying analytical system is also available as a web service to power third-party energy analysis tools. Given the system's diverse uses, it is important that the simulation is robust and intrinsically accurate. While the engineering methods and assumptions are extensively documented and subjected to peer review, it is useful to evaluate how well HES predicts energy use in occupied homes. In this …

Side-By-Side Testing Of Water Heating Systems: Results From The 2010-2011 Evaluation, Florida Solar Energy Center, Carlos Colon

FSEC Energy Research Center®

REVISED MARCH 2013 The Building America (BAPIRC) team at FSEC has released a report containing results from a second testing rotation (Phase II) on seven hot water systems evaluated side-by side. Results show the seasonal performance variation and compares solar systems against electric resistance and the Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH). Standard and tankless natural gas were also evaluated, where the latter demonstrated a 24% natural gas reduction. The lowest averaged electric power consumptions were demonstrated by the HPWH (2.75 kWh/day) and the PV-pumped solar water heater (3.03 kWh/day). Other testing performed on the HPWH under conditioned and restricted air …

Final Technical Report (2nd Revision) Arra: Florida Energy Code Compliance Train-The-Trainer Program, Florida Solar Energy Center, Jeffrey Sonne

FSEC Energy Research Center®

A multi-faceted Florida Energy Code compliance methods, tools and field verification training program was established that included development of two instructor-led and two web-based courses, instructor training and course development support, and training of building officials and contractors throughout the state.

Separate instructor-led commercial and residential 2010 Florida Energy Code compliance courses were developed for train-the-trainer class use, and existing instructor-led blueprints data collection and energy code software courses were redeveloped as web-based courses.

Through partnerships with Florida colleges, building departments and industry organizations, a total of 42 instructors were trained to provide commercial energy code compliance training and 42 …

Final Report Of Task Eight: Arra Energy Code Compliance Project, Florida Solar Energy Center, Charles Withers, Jr.

FSEC Energy Research Center®

This report summarizes the Florida energy code compliance project for both residential and commercial activities and shows results in accomplishing the Florida Energy Code compliance objectives to develop and conduct an energy code enforcement study. Work is discussed regarding efforts to find and conduct Florida Energy Code enforcement practice evaluations in residential and commercial buildings built after the March 1, 2009 code period.

Partnership For High Performance Housing Final Report, Florida Solar Energy Center, Janet Mcilvaine

FSEC Energy Research Center®

This report describes research conducted by the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) under funding from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. This work falls under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America program. High performance goals were set for renovation of existing housing and construction of new affordable housing. Both efforts included monitoring the energy use of several homes.

Creating Performance Curves For Variable Refrigerant Flow Heat Pumps In Energyplus, Florida Solar Energy Center, Richard Raustad

FSEC Energy Research Center®

This document describes methods to generate performance curve coefficients for variable refrigerant flow heat pumps in DOE's EnergyPlus building energy simulation program. Manufactures performance data for capacity and power are used to create full-load and part-load performance curves for cooling and heating operating modes. When performance variations for full-load capacity or power cannot be modeled using a single performance curve, the data set is divided into lower and upper temperature regions and dual performance curves are used. Table objects may also be created to substitute when performance curves do not provide the required accuracy. These performance curves or tables are …

Flexible Residential Test Facility Instrumentation Plan, Florida Solar Energy Center, Robin Vieira

FSEC Energy Research Center®

This report provides the status of the instrumentation and a test plan for the facility. As this is the first Building America (BA) report on the facility, a description of the design and construction is included as well.

Achieving Very High Efficiency And Net Zero Energy In An Existing Home In A Hot-Humid Climate: Long-Term Utility And Monitoring Data, Florida Solar Energy Center, Danny Parker

FSEC Energy Research Center®

This study summarizes the first six months of detailed data collected about a single-family home that experienced a series of retrofits targeting reductions in energy use. The project was designed to develop data about how envelope modifications in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning and domestic hot water and renewable measures can result in considerable energy reductions and potentially net zero energy for an existing home. Using utility billing records and recent detailed monitoring data, this study was also able to chronicle the progress of energy reduction over a 22-year period.

Energy Savings And Peak Demand Reduction Of A Seer 21 Heat Pump Vs. A Seer 13 Heat Pump With Attic And Indoor Duct Systems - December 2011, Florida Solar Energy Center, James Cummings

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Experiments were run in an unoccupied 1600 ft2 house, the Manufactured Housing (MH Lab) at the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), to evaluate the delivered performance as well as the relative performance of a SEER 21 variable capacity heat pump versus a SEER 13 heat pump. The performance was evaluated with two different duct systems: a standard attic duct system and an indoor duct system located in a dropped-ceiling space.