Beyond EUI: strategies and metrics for a passive construction.

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The lesson: It definitely pays to keep things (relatively) simple. Simplify your design to deliver great architecture, increase constructability, and reduce energy consumption. ] Choose the appropriate active air conditioning systems. Designers will agree that specifying the right HVAC system can make or break your passive construction efforts. Not only can it mean space savings and a better internal environment, but your choice of HVAC can also mean increased capital and operating costs for your customer. Once again, leveraging Sefaira's HVAC analysis early and frequently to test combinations of systems that might work for your specific site and project could be the difference between your client spending or saving thousands of dollars. Iowa Nest ended up with air conditioning systems that were cheaper than conventional ones, but that provided greater comfort and indoor air quality, and helped it achieve net zero energy. As? First, eliminating air conditioning, which is not easy with Iowa's mixed climate. HVAC System Cost Comparison for Design HVAC system cost comparison for design.

The middle option was the original proposal and the third option reflects the final design. Image courtesy of Sterner Design. The project incorporates passive design strategies such as buried elements, shading, natural ventilation and minimization of internal loads. This reduced cooling loads to such an extent that the designer was able to avoid air conditioning altogether. Furthermore, high insulation, good waterproofing and passive solar design reduced heating loads to such an extent that a small, inexpensive electric radiant heating system could be Indonesia Phone Number List pecified. Although the inefficiency of electric radiant heating does not usually fit into a net zero home, in this case the loads were so small that the energy penalty was minimal and could easily be offset with some additional photovoltaic panels. The lesson: Examine combined HVAC and envelope strategies. ] Draw the details. Modeled in SketchUp with comprehensive drawing sets created in LayOut Detailed notes on the insulation of home windows. Modeled in SketchUp with construction details created in LayOut. Images courtesy of Sterner.




Design. Sterner leveraged SketchUp and LayOut to draw and produce a full set of custom and custom details to achieve waterproofing and a stable internal environment. He specified how typical wall details, custom wall seams, windows and doors should be sealed and insulated. home's air-tightness layer and home's thermal insulation highlighted Home insulation layer highlighted (left). Home thermal insulation highlighted (right) Image courtesy of Sterner Design. This level of rigor resulted in an airtight, draft-free interior with little or no internal temperature fluctuations, despite a recorded annual temperature Δ of °C at the site. Temperature comparison data Temperature comparison data showing indoor temperatures (blue, pink, and red lines) vs. outdoor temperature (black line) without active heating during the February polar vortex. The design provides a stable and comfortable indoor temperature despite of external fluctuations. Image courtesy of iowanest.com. The lesson: dig into the details and specifications to ensure excellent construction and occupant comfort. While EUI is great for benchmarking and understanding how good a design is in general, it is not a great design metric.