Flexible Residential Test Facility: Impact of Infiltration and Ventilation on Measured Heating Season Energy and Moisture Levels

Stacey Rothgeb; Stacey Rothgeb

Flexible Residential Test Facility: Impact of Infiltration and Ventilation on Measured Heating Season Energy and Moisture Levels

Stacey Rothgeb, Stacey Rothgeb (NREL Technical Monitor)

Building Technologies and Science Center

Research output: NREL › Subcontract Report

Abstract

Two identical laboratory homes designed to model existing Florida building stock were sealed and tested to 2.5 ACH50. Then, one was made leaky with 70% leakage through the attic and 30% through windows, to a tested value of 9 ACH50. Reduced energy use was measured in the tighter home (2.5 ACH50) in the range of 15% to 16.5% relative to the leaky (9 ACH50) home. Internal moisture loads resulted inhigher dew points inside the tight home than the leaky home. Window condensation and mold growth occurred inside the tight home. Even cutting internal moisture gains in half to 6.05 lbs/day, the dew point of the tight home was more than 15 degrees F higher than the outside dry bulb temperature. The homes have single pane glass representative of older Central Florida homes.

Original language	American English
Number of pages	33
State	Published - 2013

Bibliographical note

Work performed by BA-PIRC/Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, Florida

NREL Publication Number

NREL/SR-5500-60118

Other Report Number

DOE/GO-102013-4041

Keywords

BA-PIRC
building air leakage
Building America
infiltration
internal moisture gains
residential
residential buildings

Access to Document

https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy13osti/60118.pdf

Cite this

@misc{e6d2e83cba344f28a477eb1aae1c8a52,

title = "Flexible Residential Test Facility: Impact of Infiltration and Ventilation on Measured Heating Season Energy and Moisture Levels",

abstract = "Two identical laboratory homes designed to model existing Florida building stock were sealed and tested to 2.5 ACH50. Then, one was made leaky with 70% leakage through the attic and 30% through windows, to a tested value of 9 ACH50. Reduced energy use was measured in the tighter home (2.5 ACH50) in the range of 15% to 16.5% relative to the leaky (9 ACH50) home. Internal moisture loads resulted inhigher dew points inside the tight home than the leaky home. Window condensation and mold growth occurred inside the tight home. Even cutting internal moisture gains in half to 6.05 lbs/day, the dew point of the tight home was more than 15 degrees F higher than the outside dry bulb temperature. The homes have single pane glass representative of older Central Florida homes.",

keywords = "BA-PIRC, building air leakage, Building America, infiltration, internal moisture gains, residential, residential buildings",

author = "Stacey Rothgeb and Stacey Rothgeb",

note = "Work performed by BA-PIRC/Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, Florida",

year = "2013",

language = "American English",

type = "Other",

}

TY - GEN

T1 - Flexible Residential Test Facility: Impact of Infiltration and Ventilation on Measured Heating Season Energy and Moisture Levels

AU - Rothgeb, Stacey

A2 - Rothgeb, Stacey

N1 - Work performed by BA-PIRC/Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, Florida

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - Two identical laboratory homes designed to model existing Florida building stock were sealed and tested to 2.5 ACH50. Then, one was made leaky with 70% leakage through the attic and 30% through windows, to a tested value of 9 ACH50. Reduced energy use was measured in the tighter home (2.5 ACH50) in the range of 15% to 16.5% relative to the leaky (9 ACH50) home. Internal moisture loads resulted inhigher dew points inside the tight home than the leaky home. Window condensation and mold growth occurred inside the tight home. Even cutting internal moisture gains in half to 6.05 lbs/day, the dew point of the tight home was more than 15 degrees F higher than the outside dry bulb temperature. The homes have single pane glass representative of older Central Florida homes.

AB - Two identical laboratory homes designed to model existing Florida building stock were sealed and tested to 2.5 ACH50. Then, one was made leaky with 70% leakage through the attic and 30% through windows, to a tested value of 9 ACH50. Reduced energy use was measured in the tighter home (2.5 ACH50) in the range of 15% to 16.5% relative to the leaky (9 ACH50) home. Internal moisture loads resulted inhigher dew points inside the tight home than the leaky home. Window condensation and mold growth occurred inside the tight home. Even cutting internal moisture gains in half to 6.05 lbs/day, the dew point of the tight home was more than 15 degrees F higher than the outside dry bulb temperature. The homes have single pane glass representative of older Central Florida homes.

KW - BA-PIRC

KW - building air leakage

KW - Building America

KW - infiltration

KW - internal moisture gains

KW - residential

KW - residential buildings

M3 - Subcontract Report

ER -

Flexible Residential Test Facility: Impact of Infiltration and Ventilation on Measured Heating Season Energy and Moisture Levels

Abstract

Bibliographical note

NREL Publication Number

Other Report Number

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this