Professional Documents
Culture Documents
some degree. This thermal resistance property is expressed a R-value. Optimizing insulation
thickness and R-value is a key design task for all high-performance homes. Advanced framing
techniques allow space for added insulation and reduce thermal bridging. In addition to saving
energy, advanced framing allows you to build more efficiently.
Once space heating and cooling has been addressed, water heating methods, the second
largest opportunity for efficiency improvement must be considered. To optimize energy
efficiency in a zero energy home, builders and designers should look at the type and location of
water heating system they install as well as strategies for minimizing the use of hot water by
residents. Water heater efficiency is expressed by energy factor, which is essentially the
percentage of fuel converted to useful heat. EF is expressed as a decimal where .90 EF is 90%
efficient. Selecting the right type of water heater depends on the amount of hot water to be used,
the climate, and the building design. Solar thermal water heaters were a standard element of zero
energy homes, and they may still be a good choice for a large households. If your home provides
hot water for more than 5 people and will continue to do so for the next 20 years or so, then it
pays to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a solar thermal system. Smaller households will find
that upfront costs to install an electric water heater, along with enough PV capacity to run it, will
be much lower. The water heater will be best if located close to sinks, showers and appliances
where the hot water will be used. Shorter hot water pipe runs will save energy and water
U-value is the rate of heat transfer expressed as a decimal number from 0 to 1. Lower
numbers mean less heat transfer. A single pane of glass is a bout U-1.0. A typical-glazed
window would be around U.40, and triple-glazed windows would be around U-0.20. The
reported U-value takes into account both the glazing and the frame. Solar heat gain coefficient
tells how much of the sun's heat is allowed to penetrate the glass. SHGC is also expressed as a
decimal from 0 to 1. Lower numbers mean less solar heat gain. Window technology is
improving rapidly. Select the most cost-effective windows with a heat loss rate of U-0.25 or
lower. In some situations and climates, this may be advanced double-glazed windows, while
other situations may call for triple-glazed windows. More heat flows through the frame than the
insulated glass unit. This has two implications. First, look for windows that have the smallest
frame profile, because the frame has a higher thermal transmission than triple pane glazing.
Second, it is more energy efficient to use fewer, larger windows with the same glazing area than
more, smaller windows, because larger windows have a higher glass frame ratio. Operable
windows can be strategically placed to allow for optimal summer cross ventilation, which will
reduce the summer cooling load. Make sure of the stack effect to ventilate and cool the building,
by placing operable windows near high points to allow warmer air to escape and near low points
to draw cooler air in. All operable windows should be casement or awning where possible
because they seal better than sliders or single-hung windows.
Using the sun for heating through south facing windows during winter lowers heating
costs. Shading those same windows in the summer lowers cooling costs. Solar tempering aims
to optimize this passive use of the sun's heat, without incurring the added cost of thermal mass
needed to achieve maximum passive solar heating. Since zero energy homes are so airtight, a
continuous source of fresh filtered air and moisture control are critical to its success. This need
for ventilation has a silver lining: zero energy homes are healthier and more comfortable than
standard homes. Highly energy efficient ventilation systems, known as heat recovery ventilation
systems or energy recovery ventilation systems expel stable air while recovering its heat and
returning that same heat to the home with the fresh air. Grid-tired solar photovoltaic panels
currently provide the most cost-effective form of a renewable energy for a zero energy home.
They can power all the energy needs of a home including lighting, heating and cooling systems,
appliances and hot water. However, they are the most expensive component of a zero energy
home and strategies for reducing or mitigating those costs are important to consider.
https://www.wbdg.org/resources/building-science-concepts