This document summarizes a 200 house development in Killeagh, Co. Cork that aims to be low energy and low carbon. Key points:
1) The development will feature highly insulated and airtight construction, with solar panels and a heat recovery ventilation system to reduce energy demands. Wood pellet boilers will provide backup heating.
2) Calculations show the design will save over 95% of CO2 emissions compared to standard homes.
3) The developer sought a design not reliant on oil or gas to future-proof against price fluctuations. The integrated systems aim to provide comfortable, low-cost heating and hot water.
The document discusses the Passive House standard, which focuses on just three performance metrics for energy efficiency: air infiltration rate of less than 0.6 air changes per hour, annual heating and cooling energy use of less than 4755 Btu per square foot, and total annual energy use for all purposes of less than 11.1 kWh per square foot; meeting these standards requires a highly insulated, airtight building envelope with mechanical ventilation and triple-pane windows designed using energy modeling software. Certification as a Passive House requires meeting the performance standards and undergoing blower door tests to verify the building's airtightness.
Passivhaus Designing for heating load 25th Passivhaus ConferenceNick Grant
Passive solar is dead, long live super-insulation. This paper was presented at the 25th International Passivhaus Conference, online. Passivhaus (Passive House) is the leading international standard for comfortable low energy buildings. This paper recommends designers consider designing for the alternative metric of peak heating load rather than annual energy demand. This means optimising glazing for daylight and views and not for solar gain.
Energy and Indoor Air Quality Impacts of DOAS Retrofits in Small Commercial B...RDH Building Science
Heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) typically accounts for 30% to 50% of commercial building energy use. Small commercial buildings often use oversized and inefficient rooftop air handling units (RTUs) to provide both air conditioning and ventilation. A conversion strategy to reduce energy
consumption is the installation of a very high efficiency dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) to provide ventilation with a separate heat pump system to provide heating and cooling. Decoupling the heating and cooling from ventilation allows for improved energy efficiency and control of space conditions. Upgrades to mechanical systems can also improve the indoor air quality (IAQ) and comfort through control of carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations, dry bulb temperature, and relative humidity (RH).
A pilot study of eight buildings was conducted to investigate the potential benefits of replacing existing RTUs with high efficiency heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) and air source heat pumps in the Pacific Northwest. This report contains results for a subset of seven buildings for which data is available. The
building energy use before and after the conversion was determined using utility data, energy modeling and monitoring. Indoor environmental conditions were measured at hourly intervals for up to one year postconversion using CO2, temperature, and RH sensors. The data was analyzed to determine changes in energy use and IAQ before and after the conversion.
This paper presents the pilot building results pre- and post-conversion. While several factors need to be in place to ensure optimal performance and cost effectiveness, the pilot shows that replacing RTUs with DOAS systems in existing commercial buildings can both reduce energy use as well as improve indoor environmental conditions. This conversion type is viable for a wide variety of building types and scale-up of the retrofits has the potential to significantly improve a previously underserved segment of the building stock.
Presented by James Montgomery at the 15th Canadian Conference on Building Science and Technology.
Building an even better Passivhaus SchoolNick Grant
This document summarizes the key lessons learned from building three Passivhaus schools in Wolverhampton with no extra budget for the Passivhaus standard. It found that higher internal heat gains from students led to more comfortable classrooms despite less solar gain from smaller windows. Simpler designs for ventilation, kitchens, and heating systems performed well while costing less than more complex alternatives. Monitoring identified areas for improvement in summer ventilation strategies and building management systems. Overall, the schools demonstrated that the Passivhaus standard can be achieved affordably in schools through design optimizations and occupant feedback.
Hereford Archive and Records Centre (HARC) is the first Certified Passivhaus Archive building in the UK and only the second in the world. The building was designed by Architects Architype and constructed by Kier Construction. This presentation describes some of the lessons learnt and presents monitoring data from the first year of operation.
The document discusses the Passive House standard, which focuses on just three performance metrics for energy efficiency: air infiltration rate of less than 0.6 air changes per hour, annual heating and cooling energy use of less than 4755 Btu per square foot, and total annual energy use for all purposes of less than 11.1 kWh per square foot; meeting these standards requires a highly insulated, airtight building envelope with mechanical ventilation and triple-pane windows designed using energy modeling software. Certification as a Passive House requires meeting the performance standards and undergoing blower door tests to verify the building's airtightness.
Passivhaus Designing for heating load 25th Passivhaus ConferenceNick Grant
Passive solar is dead, long live super-insulation. This paper was presented at the 25th International Passivhaus Conference, online. Passivhaus (Passive House) is the leading international standard for comfortable low energy buildings. This paper recommends designers consider designing for the alternative metric of peak heating load rather than annual energy demand. This means optimising glazing for daylight and views and not for solar gain.
Energy and Indoor Air Quality Impacts of DOAS Retrofits in Small Commercial B...RDH Building Science
Heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) typically accounts for 30% to 50% of commercial building energy use. Small commercial buildings often use oversized and inefficient rooftop air handling units (RTUs) to provide both air conditioning and ventilation. A conversion strategy to reduce energy
consumption is the installation of a very high efficiency dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) to provide ventilation with a separate heat pump system to provide heating and cooling. Decoupling the heating and cooling from ventilation allows for improved energy efficiency and control of space conditions. Upgrades to mechanical systems can also improve the indoor air quality (IAQ) and comfort through control of carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations, dry bulb temperature, and relative humidity (RH).
A pilot study of eight buildings was conducted to investigate the potential benefits of replacing existing RTUs with high efficiency heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) and air source heat pumps in the Pacific Northwest. This report contains results for a subset of seven buildings for which data is available. The
building energy use before and after the conversion was determined using utility data, energy modeling and monitoring. Indoor environmental conditions were measured at hourly intervals for up to one year postconversion using CO2, temperature, and RH sensors. The data was analyzed to determine changes in energy use and IAQ before and after the conversion.
This paper presents the pilot building results pre- and post-conversion. While several factors need to be in place to ensure optimal performance and cost effectiveness, the pilot shows that replacing RTUs with DOAS systems in existing commercial buildings can both reduce energy use as well as improve indoor environmental conditions. This conversion type is viable for a wide variety of building types and scale-up of the retrofits has the potential to significantly improve a previously underserved segment of the building stock.
Presented by James Montgomery at the 15th Canadian Conference on Building Science and Technology.
Building an even better Passivhaus SchoolNick Grant
This document summarizes the key lessons learned from building three Passivhaus schools in Wolverhampton with no extra budget for the Passivhaus standard. It found that higher internal heat gains from students led to more comfortable classrooms despite less solar gain from smaller windows. Simpler designs for ventilation, kitchens, and heating systems performed well while costing less than more complex alternatives. Monitoring identified areas for improvement in summer ventilation strategies and building management systems. Overall, the schools demonstrated that the Passivhaus standard can be achieved affordably in schools through design optimizations and occupant feedback.
Hereford Archive and Records Centre (HARC) is the first Certified Passivhaus Archive building in the UK and only the second in the world. The building was designed by Architects Architype and constructed by Kier Construction. This presentation describes some of the lessons learnt and presents monitoring data from the first year of operation.
NAGEEB (National Action for Green Energy Efficient Buildings) meeting UK 2016...Bernard Ammoun
This presentation will give you a good idea of the actual Carbon savings when constructing with Green material along with the cost of building a house in the UK using the recommended technologies
Swedish Passivhaus Conference Laholm 2019Nick Grant
The document discusses how to simplify and reduce the cost of Passivhaus design through an approach called value engineering. It argues that embracing constraints can lead to more functional and cost-effective designs, like what occurs in nature. Examples of low-cost Passivhaus projects in the UK demonstrate that cheaper and simpler designs can achieve the performance standards while being better suited for widespread adoption. The document advocates for opening up Passivhaus solutions to make the standard much easier to achieve at scale and impact climate change.
Timber frame construction can be used to build low or zero carbon housing by achieving high levels of insulation and airtightness. Passive houses require air infiltration rates below 0.03 air changes per hour and use heat recovery ventilation systems. Using increased insulation, achieving air tightness of less than 0.1 air changes per hour, and integrating solar technology and heat recovery ventilation can allow timber frame homes to meet future regulations requiring homes that use 62 kWh/m2 or less per year. Proper workmanship will be important to ensure high performance.
Monitored energy use of air to water heat pumps in single Passivhaus dwellings is compared with the design estimates using PHPP. Heat pumps using conventional HFC refrigerants are compared with CO2 refrigerant. The latter gave improved performance for hot water heating but significantly worse for space heating. This is due to the very low heat load of Passivhaus dwellings being below the normal output range of available heat pumps.
Dramatic energy use in the Middle East continues to create problems. This presentation goes through real world solutions that can be cost effectively implemented and contribute to a sustainable world view.
The document summarizes a presentation on solutions for heating Vermont in a way that supports health, the economy and the climate. It discusses why how Vermont heats its homes and buildings matters, and how heating fits into the state's renewable energy and emissions reduction commitments. Examples are provided of efficiency upgrades at the Fairbanks Museum and in a home. Charts show heating trends and the need to transition heating to meet climate goals. Options for heating with wood and pellet fuels are reviewed, along with their costs and incentives.
This document discusses a case study of a deep energy retrofit of a 13-story multifamily residential building in Vancouver, BC. It describes the existing building's poor energy performance and enclosure issues. A comprehensive building enclosure renewal was performed, including exterior wall insulation, new triple-glazed windows, roof and air sealing upgrades. This improved the overall enclosure R-value from R-2.8 to R-9.1. Measured energy savings from the retrofit were 19% total energy, 33% electricity, and reductions in electric baseboard heating and gas fireplace usage. Benchmarking showed the building's energy use intensity decreased from 71 to 56 kBTU/sqft per year, improving its performance significantly.
The document discusses the design of a zero energy house in Ifrane, Morocco for a family of five. Key aspects of the design include:
1) Focusing on energy efficiency through high insulation, passive solar design principles like window placement and shading, and use of renewable energy sources.
2) Relying on a 2.83 kW photovoltaic array and solar water heating to meet the house's estimated annual energy needs of 3,500 kWh.
3) Selecting building materials based on factors like embodied energy, toxicity, and recyclability to minimize environmental impacts and ensure occupant health.
Is Passivhaus a step too far? South Pacific Passive House Conference Auckland...Nick Grant
Is the Passivhaus standard too extreme for a mild climate such as New Zealand? Do we really need to do all the modelling and calculations if we max out the insulation and air tightness? Nick Grant's first presentation at the first South Pacific Passive House Conference in Auckland aims to explore these questions.
The owners of Shirey Handyman, Donna and Riley Shirey are building a Zero Energy Demonstration Home on the shores of Lake Sammamish. Shirey Contracting Inc. is the builder. The Shirey\'s have been building with green and sustainable ideals before it had the name of "Green Building" and can now showcase their work in this wonderful home while educating the public.
Zak Patten - Presentation - Passive House PresentationZak Patten, M.Sc.
This document discusses various aspects of embodied energy, carbon emissions, and toxicity considerations for materials used in passive houses. It summarizes a study that found embodied energy accounts for 40% of the total life cycle energy demand of a passive house, with operational energy at 33% and transport energy at 27%. The document also notes that material choices have a significant impact on embodied energy and carbon emissions. It advocates accounting for these factors in building design and material selection.
The document summarizes a study on improving the energy efficiency of a dwelling home called "Cloonbeg" in Cork, Ireland. Three software packages (RETscreen, DEAP, and SBEM) were used to model the home's base case energy usage and a proposed case with upgrades like increased attic and wall insulation, a more efficient boiler and heating controls, and solar panels. The results found a close correlation between packages and that the proposed upgrades could reduce the home's primary energy demand from 262.72 kWh/m2/yr to 144.46 kWh/m2/yr, saving 118.26 kWh/m2/yr and 27.11 kgCO2/m2/yr in emissions
Passive house Presentation to West Bay SchoolJames Dean
The document summarizes the plans for a new passive house being built by Teddy Dean and James Dean. Some key points:
- The goals are for the house to be comfortable, healthy, energy efficient and produce more energy annually than it uses.
- It will meet passive house standards, which require ultra-high insulation, air-tightness, and mechanical ventilation for heat recovery.
- Features will include triple-pane windows, solar panels, battery storage, heat pump heating/cooling, and LED lighting to minimize energy usage.
- The house is designed to maximize passive solar heating and minimize thermal bridges and heat gain/loss.
This chapter covers energy conservation legislation, application of energy sources, and environmental protection measures within building services engineering. It discusses reducing waste and conserving energy through improved insulation, efficient appliances, and renewable energy sources like solar panels and heat pumps. It also addresses safe waste disposal and water conservation. Key goals are reducing carbon emissions, protecting the environment, and conserving natural resources through new green building technologies and compliance with regulations.
Passive House in a Cold Climate @ BBBB 2015 WI ConferenceTE Studio
This is the lecture I gave at the 2015 Better Business Better Buildings conference at Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. It is a primer on the Passive House building energy standard and its application in new construction and retrofit in a cold North American climate zone.
Passivhaus, If you think it will cost more it willNick Grant
Passivhaus buildings can be cost-effective and have flexible designs if certain principles are followed. Constraints like energy efficiency, size and cost should be embraced rather than seen as limitations. Simple structural strategies like continuous insulation and airtight designs can reduce thermal bridging and construction complexity. Limiting window area and using fixed glazing where possible cuts costs versus mechanical shading or opening windows. Keeping mechanical systems simple with basic radiant heating keeps costs low compared to complex ventilation setups. Past housing examples like Denby Dale show Passivhaus can be achieved at standard costs when principles are followed.
Fingal County Council is pioneering sustainable public housing in Ireland by building energy efficient homes that achieve an A3 building energy rating. The development in Oldtown uses high performance timber frame construction with rigorous air tightness standards to minimize energy usage. Solar panels and a heat recovery ventilation system provide renewable energy to meet domestic hot water and heating needs. This project sets a new standard for sustainable public housing that can help address Ireland's ongoing need for more affordable homes.
NAGEEB (National Action for Green Energy Efficient Buildings) meeting UK 2016...Bernard Ammoun
This presentation will give you a good idea of the actual Carbon savings when constructing with Green material along with the cost of building a house in the UK using the recommended technologies
Swedish Passivhaus Conference Laholm 2019Nick Grant
The document discusses how to simplify and reduce the cost of Passivhaus design through an approach called value engineering. It argues that embracing constraints can lead to more functional and cost-effective designs, like what occurs in nature. Examples of low-cost Passivhaus projects in the UK demonstrate that cheaper and simpler designs can achieve the performance standards while being better suited for widespread adoption. The document advocates for opening up Passivhaus solutions to make the standard much easier to achieve at scale and impact climate change.
Timber frame construction can be used to build low or zero carbon housing by achieving high levels of insulation and airtightness. Passive houses require air infiltration rates below 0.03 air changes per hour and use heat recovery ventilation systems. Using increased insulation, achieving air tightness of less than 0.1 air changes per hour, and integrating solar technology and heat recovery ventilation can allow timber frame homes to meet future regulations requiring homes that use 62 kWh/m2 or less per year. Proper workmanship will be important to ensure high performance.
Monitored energy use of air to water heat pumps in single Passivhaus dwellings is compared with the design estimates using PHPP. Heat pumps using conventional HFC refrigerants are compared with CO2 refrigerant. The latter gave improved performance for hot water heating but significantly worse for space heating. This is due to the very low heat load of Passivhaus dwellings being below the normal output range of available heat pumps.
Dramatic energy use in the Middle East continues to create problems. This presentation goes through real world solutions that can be cost effectively implemented and contribute to a sustainable world view.
The document summarizes a presentation on solutions for heating Vermont in a way that supports health, the economy and the climate. It discusses why how Vermont heats its homes and buildings matters, and how heating fits into the state's renewable energy and emissions reduction commitments. Examples are provided of efficiency upgrades at the Fairbanks Museum and in a home. Charts show heating trends and the need to transition heating to meet climate goals. Options for heating with wood and pellet fuels are reviewed, along with their costs and incentives.
This document discusses a case study of a deep energy retrofit of a 13-story multifamily residential building in Vancouver, BC. It describes the existing building's poor energy performance and enclosure issues. A comprehensive building enclosure renewal was performed, including exterior wall insulation, new triple-glazed windows, roof and air sealing upgrades. This improved the overall enclosure R-value from R-2.8 to R-9.1. Measured energy savings from the retrofit were 19% total energy, 33% electricity, and reductions in electric baseboard heating and gas fireplace usage. Benchmarking showed the building's energy use intensity decreased from 71 to 56 kBTU/sqft per year, improving its performance significantly.
The document discusses the design of a zero energy house in Ifrane, Morocco for a family of five. Key aspects of the design include:
1) Focusing on energy efficiency through high insulation, passive solar design principles like window placement and shading, and use of renewable energy sources.
2) Relying on a 2.83 kW photovoltaic array and solar water heating to meet the house's estimated annual energy needs of 3,500 kWh.
3) Selecting building materials based on factors like embodied energy, toxicity, and recyclability to minimize environmental impacts and ensure occupant health.
Is Passivhaus a step too far? South Pacific Passive House Conference Auckland...Nick Grant
Is the Passivhaus standard too extreme for a mild climate such as New Zealand? Do we really need to do all the modelling and calculations if we max out the insulation and air tightness? Nick Grant's first presentation at the first South Pacific Passive House Conference in Auckland aims to explore these questions.
The owners of Shirey Handyman, Donna and Riley Shirey are building a Zero Energy Demonstration Home on the shores of Lake Sammamish. Shirey Contracting Inc. is the builder. The Shirey\'s have been building with green and sustainable ideals before it had the name of "Green Building" and can now showcase their work in this wonderful home while educating the public.
Zak Patten - Presentation - Passive House PresentationZak Patten, M.Sc.
This document discusses various aspects of embodied energy, carbon emissions, and toxicity considerations for materials used in passive houses. It summarizes a study that found embodied energy accounts for 40% of the total life cycle energy demand of a passive house, with operational energy at 33% and transport energy at 27%. The document also notes that material choices have a significant impact on embodied energy and carbon emissions. It advocates accounting for these factors in building design and material selection.
The document summarizes a study on improving the energy efficiency of a dwelling home called "Cloonbeg" in Cork, Ireland. Three software packages (RETscreen, DEAP, and SBEM) were used to model the home's base case energy usage and a proposed case with upgrades like increased attic and wall insulation, a more efficient boiler and heating controls, and solar panels. The results found a close correlation between packages and that the proposed upgrades could reduce the home's primary energy demand from 262.72 kWh/m2/yr to 144.46 kWh/m2/yr, saving 118.26 kWh/m2/yr and 27.11 kgCO2/m2/yr in emissions
Passive house Presentation to West Bay SchoolJames Dean
The document summarizes the plans for a new passive house being built by Teddy Dean and James Dean. Some key points:
- The goals are for the house to be comfortable, healthy, energy efficient and produce more energy annually than it uses.
- It will meet passive house standards, which require ultra-high insulation, air-tightness, and mechanical ventilation for heat recovery.
- Features will include triple-pane windows, solar panels, battery storage, heat pump heating/cooling, and LED lighting to minimize energy usage.
- The house is designed to maximize passive solar heating and minimize thermal bridges and heat gain/loss.
This chapter covers energy conservation legislation, application of energy sources, and environmental protection measures within building services engineering. It discusses reducing waste and conserving energy through improved insulation, efficient appliances, and renewable energy sources like solar panels and heat pumps. It also addresses safe waste disposal and water conservation. Key goals are reducing carbon emissions, protecting the environment, and conserving natural resources through new green building technologies and compliance with regulations.
Passive House in a Cold Climate @ BBBB 2015 WI ConferenceTE Studio
This is the lecture I gave at the 2015 Better Business Better Buildings conference at Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. It is a primer on the Passive House building energy standard and its application in new construction and retrofit in a cold North American climate zone.
Passivhaus, If you think it will cost more it willNick Grant
Passivhaus buildings can be cost-effective and have flexible designs if certain principles are followed. Constraints like energy efficiency, size and cost should be embraced rather than seen as limitations. Simple structural strategies like continuous insulation and airtight designs can reduce thermal bridging and construction complexity. Limiting window area and using fixed glazing where possible cuts costs versus mechanical shading or opening windows. Keeping mechanical systems simple with basic radiant heating keeps costs low compared to complex ventilation setups. Past housing examples like Denby Dale show Passivhaus can be achieved at standard costs when principles are followed.
Fingal County Council is pioneering sustainable public housing in Ireland by building energy efficient homes that achieve an A3 building energy rating. The development in Oldtown uses high performance timber frame construction with rigorous air tightness standards to minimize energy usage. Solar panels and a heat recovery ventilation system provide renewable energy to meet domestic hot water and heating needs. This project sets a new standard for sustainable public housing that can help address Ireland's ongoing need for more affordable homes.
The document summarizes a Java Emerging Technology (JET) conference held in September 2008. It provides outlines and details on sessions covering topics like Java 7 features and timelines, the EasyB behavior-driven development framework, Scala as an object-oriented functional language, Groovy as a dynamic language, Grails as a web application framework, developments in J2ME, and the Android mobile platform. Examples of code were provided for many of the sessions to demonstrate the technologies.
The document outlines the schedule and topics for Day 2 of the YOW! 2010 conference in Brisbane. Some of the keynotes and sessions included Exploring NoSQL with Erik Meijer, Leveraging Internet Technologies for tools development with Martin Nally, Designing RESTful protocols with Ian Robinson, Emergent design practices with Neal Ford, creating interactive data visualizations with JavaScript, improving software development practices with Jason Yip, and lean software management principles with Mary Poppendieck. Links are also provided to resources for further information.
The document provides an overview of Northern Ireland's Renewable Heat Premium Payments Scheme (NIRHPP). The scheme aims to help homeowners afford renewable technologies like heat pumps and biomass boilers by offering vouchers up to £3,500. To qualify for a voucher, homeowners must meet eligibility requirements and install an eligible technology within set timeframes. Voucher payments are subject to terms and conditions regarding ongoing technology use and potential inspections.
Presentation on some JUnit 4 Goodness that developers who came to JUnit at version 3 may have let slip under the radar. Parameterized tests, matcher assertions and the @Ignore annotations are presented in this slideshow.
The document discusses the concept of passive solar houses and passive houses. It provides examples of early passive solar houses built in Ireland in the 1970s-1980s, which did not meet modern standards for air-tightness, insulation and minimizing thermal bridges. The passive house standard developed in Germany in the 1990s requires ultra-high insulation (U-values <=0.15 W/m2K), minimized thermal bridges, high air-tightness (<=0.6 air changes/hour) and heat recovery ventilation. Meeting this standard poses challenges, particularly the required air-tightness, and may result in low indoor humidity in winter. Simpler passive solar house designs can still achieve low energy usage.
The presentation discusses zero net energy homes, which produce as much energy as they use through efficiency measures like air-tight construction, insulation, and high-efficiency appliances as well as solar panels. These homes have no energy bills after the first year, lower emissions, increased value, and improved health and comfort. With standard building techniques and incentives, zero net energy homes can cost around 5% more than standard homes to build but are a sound investment. Developing the design requires a team that considers the site's characteristics.
This document summarizes Ireland's heat pump programme. It discusses targets to decarbonize energy and increase renewable heating. Over 350,000 homes were identified as potential candidates for heat pumps. Data on completed homes found most were built in the 1970s and air-to-water heat pumps are most common. Barriers like missing documentation and safety issues were identified. Upcoming building code changes in November 2019 will further support heat pump installation. Workshops are scheduled to help contractors address technical challenges and opportunities.
This document summarizes a presentation given at the iCon Environmental Innovation Centre on June 30, 2011 about new business opportunities in the low carbon economy. It discusses Patrick Bellew's work at Atelier Ten designing sustainable, low energy buildings using pioneering approaches like thermal labyrinths and earth duct technology. It also presents several case studies of high-performance buildings designed by Atelier Ten that achieved low carbon conditioning through strategies like geothermal heating/cooling and displacement ventilation. Finally, it summarizes Atelier Ten's design of the Cool-Dry conservatory for Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, which maintains optimal temperature and humidity for plants through biomass-powered dehumidification and cooling.
This document provides information on a proposed new residence designed to meet the Passive House standard. It will have an extremely energy efficient, airtight building envelope with high insulation values. It will use minimal energy for heating and cooling through strategic design including optimized solar orientation, compact shape, and an energy recovery ventilator. The project aims to achieve net-zero energy use through efficient systems and potential solar panels.
New Kid on the Block: Passive House Comes into Pittsburgh's Neighborhoodlucyna99
Super energy efficient and modern Passive House Duplex has been designed for Squirrel Hill neighborhood in Pittsburgh, PA. A Passive House is so well insulated and is so air-tight that heating and cooling energy is cut by up to 80% compared to standard new construction. Half of the duplex is available for pre-sale.
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
In case you missed it !! NuTech gave a presentation at the recent Gas Networks Ireland (GNI) Conference for BER Assessors. The presentation deals mainly with how the NuTech Solar Enhanced Heating and Hot Water system can be used together with a simple and reliable gas boiler system can be used to comply with Part L & achieve an A Rated House. The presentation also gives information on the NuTech Solar Enhanced Ventilation and Hot Water system can be used to satisfy Part L.
Regenerco Power is a UK market leader in renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions. It was established in 2009 to address renewable energy needs in the UK commercial sector. Over the past seven years, through investments of over £30 million, Regenerco Power has delivered solar PV and expanded into biomass, anaerobic digestion, and other renewable technologies. The company works with funders and installation partners to finance, install, and operate renewable energy projects.
The Bullitt Center is a commercial office building located in Seattle, Washington at the intersection of the Central District neighborhood and Capitol Hill. It was opened on Earth Day in 2013 as the world's greenest commercial building and later certified as a "Living Building" by the International Living Future Institute in 2015. The building was designed to generate as much energy annually from its solar panels as it uses and has exceeded expectations for energy efficiency, comfort, and indoor environmental quality in its first year of operation.
R callaghan DT774 Energy and Retrofit Presentationrichcie
This document presents the findings of an energy and retrofit analysis for a flat complex rehabilitation project. It discusses energy use in dwellings, how it is measured, policy drivers for conservation, and the energy performance of the existing and proposed retrofitted buildings. The proposed retrofit aims to achieve an A2 BER rating through fabric upgrades, air tightness improvements, and renewable technologies like solar panels and CHP. The benefits of the retrofit include reduced energy costs and emissions.
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
Embodied Energy Saved In Converted Industrial BuildingsMark1865
Rehabilitating old industrial buildings in Scotland saves embodied energy compared to demolishing them and building new structures. Existing buildings already have energy invested in their construction materials and can be adapted for new uses. Refurbishing buildings retains this embodied energy and avoids the energy costs of demolishing existing structures and bringing in new building materials. Whole life costing and life cycle assessments further demonstrate the energy savings of reusing and retrofitting historic buildings over new construction.
The document provides an update from Fiona Smith regarding nearly zero energy buildings (NZEB) and major renovations of domestic buildings according to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. It discusses Ireland's implementation of NZEB standards for new buildings by 2020 and cost optimal standards for major renovations. It also summarizes the requirements for major renovations to include upgrading insulation, heating systems, and controls when over 25% of a building envelope is renovated. Lastly, it provides examples comparing the standard requirements for new buildings in 2011, 2018 and the NZEB standards.
This document summarizes an energy audit of a split-level home with approximately 1,200 square feet of living space. It describes the construction details and current insulation levels. Air leakage testing found the home to be mildly leaky. Recommendations include replacing the electric furnace with a high-efficiency natural gas furnace, adding insulation to uninsulated areas like the crawlspace and basement, reducing electrical loads, and upgrading attic insulation. Appendices provide additional details on space measurements, weather data, electricity usage charts, and historical natural gas consumption.
- The document discusses the HeatPod project, a whole-house retrofit by Penwith Housing Association to dramatically reduce the carbon emissions and energy use of an existing home.
- The retrofit included external wall insulation, triple glazed windows, an energy efficient heat recovery ventilation system and a ground-source heat pump installed in a conservatory addition called a "HeatPod".
- Initial results showed the home's carbon emissions reduced to around 17kg CO2/m2/year and space heating has not been needed so far, with the internal temperature maintained at 18 degrees Celsius using just the heat pump system.
Better Builder is a magazine geared towards the green energy construction market. Timely articles about new designs and products are featured each issue which comes out 6 times a year.
This document summarizes the renovation of a hollow block house in Dublin, Ireland from an energy rating of F to A3. Key steps included gutting the interior, installing sheep wool insulation and breathable membranes on the walls and roof. An extension was also added using insulated poroton blocks. Renovations like these can upgrade notoriously inefficient hollow block construction while preventing damp issues through the use of breathable materials.
This document discusses an energy analysis carried out by NuTech Renewables for a 22-house social housing scheme in Knockannana, Wicklow for Wicklow County Council. The site slopes south, making it suitable for solar energy, but being in the hills means ambient temperatures will be lower in winter. NuTech Renewables analyzed various house types and constructions to ensure low energy and carbon performance. The project was divided into design, build, and monitoring phases with NuTech involved in each to meet energy criteria and report on performance. Approval was received to proceed based on monitoring the first 10 houses before completing the remaining 12.
The document discusses NIBE air/water heat pumps. It describes that air/water heat pumps capture heat from outside air using a vapor compression cycle similar to a refrigerator. This captured heat is used for heating and hot water. The document specifically discusses the NIBE F2026 and F2300 monobloc heat pumps and provides details on their specifications and performance. It also outlines different system configuration options that can be used with the heat pumps, including controllers and indoor modules.
This document provides information on NIBE ground source heat pumps, including:
1) It introduces NIBE's new generation of heat pumps, the F1145, F1245, and F1345, which offer improved displays, passive cooling options, and modular designs.
2) It describes the four main types of ground sources for heat pumps: rock, surface soil, groundwater, and lakes. Local installers can advise on the best option for each home.
3) It highlights key features and accessories for the F1145/F1145 PC and F1245/F1245 PC models, such as integrated tanks, passive cooling modules, and ventilation recovery units.
Presentation for Action Renewables Association
Belfast 30th November 2009
___________________________________
Heat Recovery Ventilation
in
Low Energy / Low CO2
Housing
1. CASE STUDY:
200 HOUSE LOW ENERGY LOW CO2
DEVELOPMENT AT KILLEAGH, CO. CORK
The rapidly growing public interest in sustainable building is finally starting to impact
on property developers. Bill Quigley of Nutech Consultants describes an innovative
200 house development currently on site in Co. Cork where forward-thinking developers
J & W Leahy Brothers have decided that the market is ready for low energy, low CO2
building.
Probably one of the
most exciting large scale
low energy/low CO2
housing projects in
Europe is being con-
structed at present in
Killeagh, Co. Cork.
The housing at Killeagh
feature the following technologies:
A well insulated fabric with a
real U-value which will match
the calculated value.
The houses are designed to be
very airtight in terms of the
unwanted level of air infiltration.
A highly efficient heat recovery
ventilation system is fitted
which guarantees the level of
fresh air ventilation.
An air solar heating system is
being used which delivers
solar energy to the ventilation
and heating system together
with the domestic hot water
system.
Any required backup energy is
being delivered by way of a
wood pellet boiler that is sited
in the living room and is integrated
with the air solar heating and
ventilation system.
NuTech Consultants, in conjunction
with the Kingspan Century team
designed the low energy/low CO2 fea-
tures for this housing development.
The target was to design a house that
saved some 95% of the CO2 emissions
associated with space and water heat-
2. CI 37
ing demands of a standard 3 to 4 bed-
room house as typically built by a
developer.
In this article we will explain the design
brief for the energy systems as set out
by the developer/builder, the back-
ground to the thinking behind the
design, the systems and hardware
being used and the results in terms of
the actual construction of the houses.
THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AT
KILLEAGH, CO CORK
This development consists of 200 hous-
es. There will be 2, 3 and 4 bedroomed
houses on the site. Some of these will
be bungalows on fairly large sites. The
site size is 22 acres and the resulting
density is roughly 22 houses per acre.
The developer / builder is J & W Leahy
Brothers of Middleton, Co. Cork. The
architect is Richard McGrath and
mechanical services were designed by
EDC Consultants Ltd. All of the energy
calculations and systems were designed
and carried out by the Kingspan
Century team with NuTech Consultants.
THE BUILDER/DEVELOPERS REQUIREMENTS
& BACKGROUND TO THE DESIGN
Initial discussions took place between
Kingspan Century including NuTech
Consultants and J & W Leahy Brothers
to consider possible designs and sys-
tems that could be used to satisfy the
space and water heating demands of
the houses. Bill Leahy, Director of J &
W Leahy's, stated categorically that he
did not want to use oil or gas fired sys-
tems as the primary or secondary ener-
gy supply units for these houses. His
main idea was that he wanted to 'future
proof' these houses and his clients
against oil price rises and availability
of supply. This did put some pressure
on the design team to come up with a
design and energy supply package that
was practical, economical and deliver-
able within a reasonably short space of
time.
It was explained to Bill Leahy that
Kingspan Century with NuTech
Consultants recently completed the
Kingspan Century Formula 1 House
Project. This project had received sup-
port from Sustainable Energy Ireland
under its House of Tomorrow research
and development fund. The team had
arrived at a number of conclusions
principally as follows:
Firstly,
Typically, 1/3 of the energy
required for space and water
heating in a developer type
house is accounted for by way
of heat loss through the fabric.
The second 1/3 is by way of
energy required to counteract
the heat loss due to unwanted
air infiltration and the necessary
air for ventilation.
The third 1/3 is by way of the
Solar panels (opposite & p41) which assist the heat recovery ventilation (HRV) system to pro-
vide adequate quantities of fresh air, and also supply the energy for the domestic hot water
demand. This means that the domestic hot water demand can be reduced by some 60%.
Furthermore, it is possible to use the solar air HRV system as the heating system of the
house, thereby saving in costs. Although general attention to airtightness was based on
factory fitting, proprietary tape and seals are installed on site where necessary (above and
below left) to ensure airtightness.
3. CI 39
energy required for domestic
hot water.
Secondly,
This meant that the energy demand for
space and water heating could be
reduced to as low a figure as economi-
cally possible by doing the following:
Insulate the houses to as high
a level as possible. Ideally this
insulation should be factory
fitted. This deals with the
first third of the energy
demand.
Make the houses as airtight as
is practicable - a level of 0.1
air changes per hour at normal
pressure was decided upon.
This means that a mechanical
ventilation system is required.
It was decided to use a solar
assisted heat recovery ventilation
(HRV) system to provide adequate
quantities of fresh air. This
ensures that the second third
of the energy demand is greatly
reduced.
Utilise the same solar heating
system to supply the energy
for the domestic hot water
demand. This means that the
domestic hot water demand
can be reduced by some 60%.
Furthermore, it is possible to
use the solar air HRV system
as the heating system of the
house, thereby saving in costs.
Building in highly insulated
and airtight construction that
is achieved with Kingspan
Century's special timber frame
design is a huge advantage.
Great use of the 'balanced
thermal capacity' of timber
frame construction can be
made as this allows excellent
use of the low level solar gains
that are available in Ireland in
winter.
Having reduced the energy demand to
as low a figure as practicable, the ener-
gy supply side was addressed. A small
wood pellet stove with a back boiler
was used as the backup energy supply
unit. This stove could be conveniently
placed in the living room. By way of all
of these techniques the Kingspan
Century team with NuTech Consultants
had reduced the CO2 emissions of a
typical house by some 95%.
Bill Leahy decided, following discus-
sions with his fellow directors, to use
these techniques to build the houses at
Killeagh such that they would be low
energy/low CO2 houses that did not
rely on oil or gas as the fuel to supply
the space and water heating demand.
Furthermore, because the energy
demand of these houses is low it would
not require a large tonnage of wood
pellets per year. This meant that the
supply of wood pellets could be by way
of the standard 18kg bags rather than
by way of requiring a delivery of 3
tonne lots to a storage room.
Bill Leahy had considered the use of
ground source heat pumps but rejected
for a number of reasons. Firstly, if the
instantaneous design heat load was
reduced from as much as 10 kW to as
little as 3 kW it did not make sense to
go to the expense of a heat pump and
heating system for such a small load.
Secondly, Bill Leahy was not happy with
the potential CO2 savings with such a
heat pump. For example, if the heat
pump achieved a seasonal coefficient
of performance of as much as 4 and
with electricity delivered by the ESB at
a primary efficiency of 30% then this
meant that the CO2 emissions were
only reduced by approximately 20% -
this was not what he had envisaged as
being the best result. NuTech
Consultants pointed out to Bill Leahy
that heat pumps do have a role to play
in certain circumstances but not partic-
ularly in this case.
In short, Bill Leahy saw that with this
package he would be supplying houses
to his clients that would offer the fol-
lowing major benefits:
Very low running costs for
space and water heating by
way of the house construction
and the fully integrated air
solar heating, ventilation and
hot water system.
Houses that are 'future
proofed' against fluctuating oil
prices and indeed the supply
of fossil fuels.
High levels of comfort in
terms of the average house
temperature and humidity in
autumn, winter and spring.
An increase in the level of
comfort by way of fresh
filtered air and a consequent
reduction in the risks from
dust, pollen, and so on.
A degree of cooling in summer
during both the day and night
by way of the fresh air intake.
Finally, the project was put forward to
Sustainable Energy Ireland for funding
under House of Tomorrow.
SUPPORT UNDER HOUSE OF TOMORROW
The House of Tomorrow Programme
administered by Sustainable Energy
Ireland (SEI) grant aids projects whose
main aim is to save energy. Basically,
energy savings of at least 40% are
required over the base case house to
qualify and the houses must be built to
incorporate certain minimum standards
of insulation. The base case house is
defined as the house being built that
would just satisfy the requirements of
Part L of the 2002 Building Regulations
when considered under the Overall
Heat Loss Method or the Heat Energy
Rating Method. This means it could
have U-values as poor as the following:
Ground Floor < or = 0.37 W/m².K
External Walls < or = 0.37 W/m².K
Roofs < or = 0.25 W/m².K
Windows < or = 2.20 W/m².K
To comply with the rules of House of
Tomorrow the U-values for the various
elements must be as good as or better
than the following:
Ground Floor < or = 0.20 W/m².K
External Walls < or = 0.27 W/m².K
Roofs < or = 0.16 W/m².K
Windows < or = 1.90 W/m².K
The elements of the fabric of the hous-
es at Killeagh have been built to satisfy
and in some cases are better than the
U-values demanded by SEI. NuTech
Consultants examined the houses using
their hour-by-hour energy analysis
computer model. This model takes
account of the following:
The U-values of the elements
of the house
The level of airtightness of the
house
The use of heat recovery ventilation
The use of various areas of air
solar collectors to reduce the
energy demand for heating
ventilation and hot water
The amount of hot water used
per day
The level of occupancy in the
house
The utilisation of passive solar
gains and energy attributable
by way of gains from occupants
Energy supplied by the boiler
with an applied efficiency
Using this model NuTech Consultants
demonstrated that houses being con-
structed by Leahy Bothers would have a
gross saving in energy for space and
water heating amounting to 75% when
compared to the base case house.
This meant that the maximum grant
aid of 8,000 per house was awarded
for the first 50 houses in this scheme.
Results from this project will be fed
through to SEI over the next few years.
The main items of interest are the actu-
al running costs in terms of the number
of kilograms of wood pellets used per
year and the level of airtightness
achieved by way of the construction
methods used.
The House of Tomorrow programme is
a most welcome development in
encouraging builders to build low ener-
gy/low CO2 houses. It allows builders
to become familiar with the principles
4. CI 41
involved in designing low energy hous-
es and helps them to see the benefits
not just for themselves but also for
their customers. Under the require-
ments of the Energy Performance of
Buildings Directive all houses will soon
be energy rated and certified. This will
allow the prospective homeowner to
assess how energy efficient their new
home is. Most builders will want to
deliver an A-rated house to their clients
in the same way as a company such as
Siemens deliver an A-rated fridge to
their customers - Siemens do not manu-
facture any C-rated fridges.
THE TECHNOLOGIES BEING USED
The basic concept is as described previ-
ously. The technologies used are as
follows:
The Kingspan Century special
package of pre-fitted insulation
that has been shown be effective
in terms of its calculated U-value
is the same as its U-value in
practice.
This special package has factory
fitted air tightening seals
which ensures that the house
can achieve an air infiltration
rate of less than 0.1 Air
Changes per Hour.
The NuTech Consultants
designed air solar heating and
hot water system with an
integrated Heat Recovery
Ventilation module. A 3-panel
Sunwarm air solar heating
system is used here linked to
the unique 140 Air Handling
Unit designed by NuTech
Consultants. A Mitsubishi
Lossnay Heat Recovery
Ventilation unit is integrated
into the system and is
controlled by the Sunwarm
controller.
A Wodtke wood pellet boiler is
used as the backup energy
supply system.
This overall system is the heating sys-
tem of the house-the ventilation system
is oversized in order to be the heating
system of the house also. However, in
the first fifty houses a radiator heating
system is being installed on the ground
floor. The bedrooms are heated by way
of the Sunwarm system.
The controls for the system are simple
in that the Sunwarm system is thermo-
statically controlled and will control
whether warm air is delivered to the
house or not. On a warm sunny day in
summer, cool ventilation air will be
delivered to the house while the solar
panels will deliver energy to the
domestic hot water cylinder. On a
sunny day in winter, energy from the
solar panels will be used to provide
both heat to the domestic hot water
cylinder and heat to the house by way
of the ducted air system. The system
is completely automatic and all the
householder has to do is set the ther-
mostat to the house temperature
required. The boiler is also automatic
and will be enabled to fire by way of
the boiler timer and the required tem-
peratures in the house and hot water
cylinder.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE HOUSES
The construction of the houses has
gone very smoothly. The onsite man-
agement team of Oliver Leahy and Alan
Harty has resulted in some impressive
targets being met.
It was found that the Kingspan
Century/Leahy Brothers team could
deliver and erect six houses per week
quite easily. It should be remembered
that these timber frame houses come
pre-insulated and with the airtightening
seals pre-fitted - this speeds up the
building process enormously. With lev-
els of airtightness of 0.1 Air Changes
per Hour being achieved in practice,
this is indeed a remarkable level of
progress in low energy house building
in Ireland. It has to said that the level
of site supervision by the Leahy
Brothers' team and the attention to
detail by their sub-contractors has paid
handsome dividends.
The roofing sub-contractors employed
by Leahy Brothers have installed the
Sunwarm air solar collectors. Similarly,
the Sunwarm air handling unit, together
with the Mitsubishi Lossnay HRV unit
and all of the ducting and controls have
been installed by both the plumbing
and electrical sub-contractors to Leahy
Brothers. This utilisation of the normal
on-site trades has been a huge benefit
to the efficient building of the houses.
NuTech Consultants trained these per-
sonnel in the fitting of the various sys-
tems which on completion will be com-
missioned by NuTech.
IN CONCLUSION
This project has gone extremely well
because of the 'build speed' of this spe-
cial timber frame construction from
Kingspan Century with factory fitted
insulation and airtightening seals.
The utilisation of the existing site
trades also added to the efficiency.
The determination of the builder, the
suppliers, designers and the site team
to build the house as designed such
that it will perform in practice has been
a key element of this project.
In order to ensure this teamwork Leahy
Brothers with Kingspan Century and
NuTech Consultants organised a confer-
ence in the Midleton Park Hotel to
explain to all concerned what technolo-
gies were involved and how each sector
was interdependent with the other.
This conference was attended by all
concerned with the project - the design
team, the build team, all of the sub-
contractor trades involved, the mechan-
ical services team and very importantly
the auctioneers involved in selling the
houses. It was also attended by per-
sonnel from the Department of the
Environment and from HomeBond.
It was felt that, with the attractive
design of the houses and the careful
integration of the technologies
involved, these houses offer the buying
public a wonderful opportunity to own
a house that is 'Future Proof' branded
by Kingspan Century against the energy
supply and price fluctuation situation.
Proof positive of the success of the
approach taken by Leahy Brothers is
the fact that all of the houses in this
House of Tomorrow Project have been
sold. Bill Leahy offered houses with
the option that they could choose
either the 'low energy/low CO2' package
as described above or a standard oil-
fired heating system. All of the clients
opted for the low energy house with
the wood pellet boiler as backup. As
Bill Leahy says …..'I did have to explain
to all of our clients how all of the sys-
tems worked and the technologies
being used in the houses. It took a lot
of talking but, with the high oil prices
and concerns over supplies, all of them
were most pleased to find we were
offering such a well-developed solution
being supplied by large reliable compa-
nies such as Kingspan Century, NuAire
Ltd and Mitsubishi Ireland. Once they
saw the benefits they all went for the
low energy package on offer'.