EA New Homes Measures Guide - Earth Advantage

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2012 Earth Advantage Residential Measures Resource Guide 4.3.6 House Dry-out: No central heating or propane used Accountability Form: General Energy Materials Water 0 1 0 2 0 Description: This measure rewards methods other than using the house's forced air system or portable propane heaters for house dry out. Suggested methods include large fans, dehumidifiers, and portable electric heaters. Health Land Benefit: Drywall compound brings a large quantity of water into the building. Drying out the project is typically done by running the forced air heating system. This practice draws dust, debris and moisture into the ducts and reduces indoor air quality for the occupants. Portable propane heaters are not allowed because, combustion can add several gallons of water vapor to the air for each gallon of fuel burned. Verification: EA Rater will visit the home during the dry out period to confirm the method used. (This will likely be an unscheduled visit when the rater is nearby.) 4.3.7 Hard Ducting: All ducting is metal Energy Health Materials Water 0 0 0 1 0 Description: The duct system is built with galvanized sheet metal and sealed with water-based mastic on all mechanical seams and manufactured connections to reduce air leakage. Ducts in unconditioned spaces will be insulated to R8. Land Benefit: Metal duct is strong and durable and should last for decades. Metal duct also creates less resistance to air flow so that more conditioned air reaches the building. Finally, metal duct can be cleaned many times over its life to protect indoor air quality. Verification: EA Rater will examine the duct during the rough inspection. The rater will confirm that mastic paste has been used to seal all joints and that duct in unheated spaces is properly insulated. 4.3.8 Forced Air Zoning System Energy Materials Water 1 0 0 0 0 Description: A forced air zoning system regulates air flow to different parts of the building. These systems should be electronically controlled. This could be a system with a single furnace and dampers to create heating zones or multiple furnaces to serve different areas. All systems need to have a thermostat in each zone. Health Land Benefit: Often only a portion of the building needs heating or cooling, but with most systems it isn't possible to send conditioned air to just one area. Forced air zoning systems target heating and cooling energy only to areas where it is needed. This improves comfort and reduces energy by not over-conditioning some areas unnecessarily. Verification: EA Rater will confirm the presence of forced air zoning by identifying zone dampers in the duct system. This is best done during the final inspection. Page 36 of 70
2012 Earth Advantage Residential Measures Resource Guide 4.3.9 Non-ducted System Energy Materials Water 0 3 0 3 0 Description: Designing the house with a non-ducted heating or cooling system. Systems that should receive these points are ductless heat pumps, hydronic heat, and zonal electric. Health Land Benefit: Duct systems account for a very large amount of the energy used in buildings. Much of the impact is direct heat loss and air leakage from the ducts. However, large furnace blowers also create pressure differences throughout the building that contribute to building air leakage. These imbalances can also pull moisture, allergens, and harmful soil gases into the house or create moisture problems in building cavities. Forced air heating systems and the associated ductwork also consume a considerable amount of valuable space. Verification: EA Rater will confirm a non-ducted heating system on the plans and during site visits. 4.3.10 Zonal Pressure Relief (ZPR) for ducted systems Energy Health Land Materials Prerequisite Description: A properly-installed HVAC duct system balances house pressures through all living spaces of the house. Air must have an unobstructed path from each supply register to the return grille. Zonal pressure relief is required in any room that is 75 square feet or larger, has a supply register, and has a door. Pressure relief can be provided in several ways. 1) Cut the bottom of the door to allow a full one-inch space between the bottom of the door and the top of the finished flooring. 2) Install a transfer grille through the wall. 3) Install a transfer duct from the room into the central zone. 3) Install a direct return in each room. The goal of pressure relief is to maintain a pressure difference across the door of no more than 3 Pa. Door undercuts are effective only in smaller rooms with only one supply. In rooms with more than one supply, a transfer duct or direct return is usually the most effective method. Water Benefit: Forced-air heating systems include large blowers to move conditioned air through the house. Ideally, all the air that is delivered to the house through supply registers flows through the house to the central return. Unfortunately, interior doors block the ideal air flow and create severe pressure imbalances. Supply air is ?bottled up? behind bedroom doors, while other areas are starved for air. Pressure problems in houses can also cause naturally-vented combustion appliances to back-draft, which brings harmful flue gasses into the building. Systems with adequate pressure relief provide better safety, comfort, and efficiency. Verification: For ducted systems, EA Rater will identify the method of zonal pressure relief for each room (usually bedrooms) and will measure zonal pressure. The pressure difference of each bedroom with respect to the main living area (or hallway) must not exceed +5 Pa. 4.3.11 Pre-fabricated Sealed Boot Energy Materials Water 0 1 0 0 0 Description: A pre-fabricated sealed boot is a mounting system that allows air supply boots to be tightly sealed to a ceiling, wall, or sub floor. (A boot is the termination that connects a round duct to a rectangular grille opening.) Some models come with an adjustable boot hanger that quickly attaches between joists, trusses, or studs. A foam gasket provides a tight seal to the drywall or sub floor. A cardboard cover prevents dirt and debris from entering the duct during construction. It is most common to use this product in the ceiling. Health Land Benefit: This product can save labor, keep ducts clean, and reduce air leakage. Verification: EA Rater will visually verify the presence of pre-fabricated sealed boots. 4.4 Air Quality Page 37 of 70
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