Building Technology « Colorado Green Building Post

June 10, 2010

Weatherization Training for Home Air Sealing

Filed under: Building Technology, Weatherizing and Retrofit — Tags: air sealing, training, weatherization — uswx @ 6:27 am

Low cost FULL DAY hands-on training funded in part by the Governor’s Energy Office Energy Efficiency Training Grant and hosted by CSU Extension around the state, there is a course near you. Limited space available, sign up now to to take advantage of this special opportunity to add cost effective air sealing to your home performance services.

Who Should Attend: Employees of Insulation Companies, General Contractors, Handyman Services, and Renewable Energy providers.

Class Outcomes: In this hands-on class you will be introduced to cost effective Air Sealing technical training.

Acquire these essential Air Sealing Skills in 1 day:
1.    Overview of building science concepts, building diagnostics and insulation concepts.
2.    Locating and prioritizing the most critical air leakage areas in residential construction
3.    Air Sealing best practices and protocols for residential light frame construction
4.    Avoid creating hazardous conditions and improve indoor air quality
5.    Learn to sell air sealing as the most cost effective energy efficiency measure
6.    2009 IECC compliance for new construction

Space is limited to 10 per class and only available in August and September 2010.

Dates/Locations:
Montrose Aug. 20
Monte Vista Aug. 21
Frisco Aug. 26
Steamboat Springs Aug. 27
Denver Aug. 31 - Full
Fort Morgan Sept. 2
Denver Sept. 7
Fort Collins Sep 9
Boulder Sep Sep 16
Colorado Springs Sep 23
Pueblo Sep 30

Cost: $68. Includes course instruction, course material, practice materials, and lunch.

Standards: We train using proven Air Sealing Best Practices written for the DOE by Building Science Corp.

Instructor: Brian Brainerd, LEED AP is a BPI Certified Building Analyst and trained RESNET energy rater.

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March 1, 2010

Boulder County BuildSmart Public Hearing Tues March 2

Filed under: Building Technology, Energy Policy — Tags: Boulder, buildsmart — uswx @ 8:39 pm

From the Boulder Green Building Guild

We are fortunate to have excellent support from Boulder county and our commisioners in terms of building regulations for new and remodeled homes. Collectively called “BuildSmart”, these programs are among the best in the nation.
The comissioners will be discussing adding a prescriptive path to the required HERS ratings for new homes and remodels with the intent of making the process easier for builders and architects, or at least in hopes of providing a choice.
The Daily Camera has just published an article on it or you can download a very basic summary or the proposed code revision.
It is important that we make a showing at this public hearing to support BuildSmart generally and to voice your opinion about these changes.
You can prepare to speak (limit of 3 minutes per person) or just show up in support of BuildSmart.

Boulder County BuildSmart Revisions Meeting/Hearing Information

Board of County Commissioners Public Hearing Regarding Boulder County BuildSmart Program Revisions Information
March 2, 2010
2:00 PM Third Floor Hearing Room
Courthouse Building
1325 Pearl Street
Boulder, Colorado 80302

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February 17, 2010

Change to ASHRAE Residential IAQ Standard Facilitates IAQ Improvements

Filed under: Building Technology, New — Tags: ashrae 62.2, IAQ, ventilation — uswx @ 5:00 am

In a time when the U.S. economic stimulus plan is emphasizing retrofitting commercial and residential buildings, ASHRAE approved a change to its residential ventilation standard in 2009 to encourage home retrofits to improve indoor air quality.

“With the U.S. economic stimulus having a great deal of focus on weatherization and other residential retrofits, we developed this change to help improve indoor air quality for public health and safety,” Steven Emmerich, committee chair, said.

Addendum e to ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2007, Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low-Rise Residential Buildings, allows alternative methods for meeting the standard’s requirements regarding kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans. The standard currently requires fans in those rooms.

“For new construction or renovation, it’s simple to meet those requirements,” Max Sherman, former committee chair who now serves as consultant to the committee, said. “But the committee recognizes that installation of fans can be a barrier when added to existing homes in terms of expense and practicability. For example, an interior bathroom with ceiling joists running the wrong way may require ripping out a lot of ceiling and cutting studs to install ducting.”

An example of an alternative compliance path that is allowed under the addendum would be increasing the overall whole-house ventilation rate to compensate for insufficient or non-existent bathroom exhaust.

While the alternative path could result in modest increased energy use due to the extra whole-house ventilation required, Emmerich notes that the proposal is being made because experience has shown that people doing retrofits will often ignore the standard if the fan requirements are too onerous.

“This can lead to poor indoor air quality,” he noted. “So while the preferred method is to have the right size exhaust fan, we are proposing this alternative.”

Addendum e can be found at http://www.ashrae.org/62.2e.

Standard 62.2 is the only nationally recognized indoor air quality standard developed solely for residences. It defines the roles of and minimum requirements for mechanical and natural ventilation systems and the building envelope intended to provide acceptable indoor air quality in low-rise residential buildings.

Overview of ASHRAE 62.2-2007 Power Point Presentation at ACI: http://www.affordablecomfort.org/images/Events/22/Courses/748/VENT3_Sherman62.2_DL_sec.pdf

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February 10, 2010

Best of Building Science Free Online Training

Filed under: Building Technology — Tags: Energy Efficiency, insulation standards — uswx @ 5:00 am

Oklahoma Department of Commerce, State Energy Office “Best of Building Science” Online Training.
We hope that you find this online training resource valuable, and look forward to its continued development and improvement.
Featured here are lessons learned from the US-Department of Energy Building America program, delivered by some of the nation’s foremost building science professionals. They incorporate content from such sources as the Affordable Comfort conferences, “Home Energy” Magazine articles, and the DOE Building America partner technology reports. Presented in a video-based “in the field” format available 24/7 and specifically designed for builders, sub-contractors and design professionals in the residential construction business.

http://www.bestofbuildingscience.com

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December 16, 2009

Proposed GEO Efficiency Rebates “Disappointing”

Filed under: ARRA Stimulus, Building Technology, Weatherizing and Retrofit — Tags: arra, Energy Efficiency, geo, Rebates, Retrofit — uswx @ 9:59 am

Colorado energy efficiency contractors are disappointed by proposed GEO rebates for 2010.

No air-sealing requirement: The proposed rebate program calls for a $400 maximum rebate for “Insulation and Air Sealing”. There is no requirement that air-sealing be done as part of an insulation package. Most insulation contractors are not interested in air-sealing work, so in most cases, they will skip air sealing and just insulate.

Air-sealing is a step that must be completed prior to adding insulation because it is placed under insulation. The more insulation in place, the harder it is to go back and air-seal. It is likely that insulation contractors will prefer to sell the maximum R-value to consumers and ignore the greater benefit that advanced air-sealing can deliver.

Steve Byers of Energy Logic said his air-sealing technicians typically reduce residential air-leakage by 25-40% just by foaming and blocking above the home’s ceiling. The successful Weatherization Assistance Program uses air sealing as a primary energy saving strategy. Existing homes typically exchange all of the interior air to the outside every 1.5 to 3 hours.

The substantial benefits of advanced air-sealing techniques are well documented and should be mandatory in any rebate program. Minnesota, a long-time leader in advancing building efficiency offers an $800 rebate for air-sealing only, plus an additional $800 for insulation. Other rebates are increased if air-sealing is included in the retrofit work.

GEO is listening to comments from contractors about the program, so it is possible the air-sealing requirements could be improved. Send your comments on this issue to thad.kurowski@state.co.us

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December 15, 2009

Proposed GEO/ARRA Insulation & Air Sealing Rebates

Filed under: ARRA Stimulus, Building Technology, Weatherizing and Retrofit — Tags: air sealing, arra, geo, Rebates, stimulus — uswx @ 8:01 am

The Governor’s Energy Office held a webinar for Insulation and Air Sealing Contractors yesterday to outline the proposed 2010 rebates funded by the ARRA stimulus dollars.

Thad Kurowski in the residential programs dept at GEO said there would be a $400 statewide rebate that is capped at $600 total when combined with local or utility rebates. Insulation is required to meet the 2009 IECC for the local climate zone and rebates must be reserved in writing before work begins. The program will not launch until 2010 and is subject to change.

The program outlined does not include any requirement for air sealing prior to insulation work and therefore, no blower door tests for building tightness. Kurowski said the GEO could implement requirements for air sealing before inslulation and we believe this should be a mandatory component before adding insulation.

Building air-tightness is a primary energy efficiency strategy that is typically overlooked by insulation contractors. Air sealing must be completed before adding attic insulation and requires use of a blower door to direct air sealing work, meaure effectiveness and ensure indoor air quality is maintained.

Concerns or suggestions about the program can be directed to his office at thad.kurowski@state.co.us

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December 14, 2009

Colorado PassivHaus Group Announced

Filed under: Building Technology, Case Studies, Climate Change, Energy Modeling — Tags: 1W House, Passive House, PassivHaus, PHIUS — uswx @ 1:43 pm

Denver greenbuilder Lance Wright (Green Energy Man, Inc.) has organized a Colorado PassivHaus Alliance to spread the word about this high-performance building system based on a super-insulated shell.

I posted earlier that both 1^st and 2^nd place at the SolarDecathalon this year went to teams that used the PassivHaus Design Tool for their winning designs. Building Science has some good observations about using the PassivHaus system in the US.

Lance will open his “near PassivHaus” to the media and building performance professionals tomorrow, Dec. 15 at 10 am, Noon, and 2 pm. His phone number is (303)875-3228.

He wants to see a Passive House Consultant training offered in Denver by PassivHaus Institute US, and is collecting names of anyone interested in learning more about PassivHaus at www.coloradopassivehouse.org

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November 30, 2009

Inaugural Ecobuild America Conference Dec. 7-10

Filed under: Building Technology, Events — Tags: ecobuild, green building conference — uswx @ 5:00 am

The inaugural National High Performance Building Conference Dec. 7th through Dec. 10th at the Washington, DC Convention Center. Ecobuild America, sponsored by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), educates design and construction professionals on how to improve our built environment. This unique conference and exhibit, not only introduces new strategies and materials to create high performance, sustainable structures, but also the technology to do it faster and more profitably.

Attendees include the entire project team from architects and owners, to facility managers, specifiers who want to learn to better design, specify, and manage their projects to be Sustainable and Smart. Targeted training is available for commercial, industrial, government and residential AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) professionals as well as educators.

The 3 day conference divided into 5 tracks, gives attendees fresh ideas and expert insight covering the entire spectrum including:
· BIM & Information Technology
· Building Performance & Energy Efficiency
· Green Building, LEED & Sustainable Design
· Practice & Business Management
· Sustainable Sites & Infrastructure

15% conference discount or FREE exhibit & keynote admission (new registrations only). Simply register online and enter promotion code ASEF9EKC during checkout at www.aecEcobuild.com

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November 13, 2009

Home Performance Retrofit Contractors Falling Short of Energy Star Standards

Filed under: Building Technology, Case Studies — Tags: Energy Efficiency, Energy Star, HPwES, Retrofit, Xcel — uswx @ 7:15 am

Xcel Energy has put retrofit contractors participating in the Home Performance with Energy Star on notice - do the job right or pay the price. Trade relations manage Ann Kirkpatrick notified contractors by email November 12 that half the retrofit jobs have failed to meet the HPwES standards during third-party testing by LightlyTreading.

Third-party measurement and verification is a key component of green building certifications such as LEED and Energy Star and is a requirement for the Xcel rebates under the HpwES program launched earlier this year. Contractors must attend an orientation by Xcel before they can participate in Xcel HpwES and the utility is implementing a tiered system to direct consumers to contractors with certifications from the Building Performance Institute (BPI).

The email noted “Almost 50% of the jobs have needed remedial work done before the customers’ improvements could be approved for the rebates. When Lightly Treading must come out to inspect a second or third time, the trip charge is $300 per inspection. The HPwES program can’t afford those unbudgeted visits, so the cost is going to become the burden of the PIC [Participating Installation Contractor]”

Many of these contractors are also performing the initial energy audit used to benchmark existing home performance, so they have to tools to verify the quality of the work they perform. This sort of failure by contractors to perform quality assurance is the home construction industry status-quo that produced our existing stock of inefficient buildings now in need of retrofit work. The bottom line is high-performance building requires high-performance contractors with a commitment to quality. –BB

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November 12, 2009

Choosing High Performance Windows

Filed under: Building Technology, Case Studies — Tags: Efficient Windows Collaborative, High Performance Windows, Serious Materials — uswx @ 5:00 am

Recent high performance home case studies have noted the use of Serious Windows for this critical envelope element. Serious Materials develops and manufactures sustainable green building materials including QuietRock soundproof drywall & QuietHome Windows, EcoRock, a green alternative to standard drywall that uses 80% less energy to produce its core. They manufacture products in four locations across the United States, including Boulder, Colorado.

Serious Windows high-performance insulated windows and glass have U-values as low at .09, which translates to an amazing R-11. Most of their windows have full frame R values from R-3 to R-6 in vinyl frames and to R-7 to R-11 with fiberglass frames.

The Efficient Windows Collaborative is a helpful resource for selecting windows, developed jointly by the Center for Sustainable Building Research, Alliance to Save Energy, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the Efficient Windows website has a number of tools and resources to help select windows to maximize building thermal performance. However, the Serious Windows are not listed in the Colorado Facts Sheet, so be sure to compare window performance data from manufacturer’s web sites before making your final choices.

The comparisons are made using a software tool from LBL called RESFEN to compare window efficiency/cost performance that can be downloaded so you can make your own comparisons when designing your building. It calculates heating and cooling energy use and associated costs as well as peak heating and cooling demand for specific window products. Users define a specific “scenario” by specifying house type (single-story or two-story), geographic location, orientation, electricity and gas cost, and building configuration details (such as wall, floor, and HVAC system type). Users also specify size, shading, and thermal properties of the window they wish to investigate. The thermal properties that RESFEN requires are: U-factor, Solar Heat Gain Coefficient, and air leakage rate. RESFEN calculates the energy and cost implications of the window compared to an insulated wall. The relative energy and cost impacts of two different windows can be compared.

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