This class will look at specific building examples, covering a broad spectrum of building types and architectural styles in multiple climate zones. We’ll review details to understand the building science behind each project. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of the broad applicability of Passive House for all building types and climates. New & retrofit, Historic restoration, Commercial & complicated.
California’s new Title 24 energy code and Passive House recommends high performance attics. Summer attic temperatures can easily add ½ to 1 ton of air conditioning load. The 2016 and 2019 T-24 energy codes require these loads be mitigated. These codes prescriptively require attics and roofs with multiple layers of insulation in what seem to be in confusing and contradictory locations. This class examines how to design and build high performance attics and roofs assemblies that delivery energy efficiency and
Improved design, installation and commissioning practices lead to a dramatic improvement in building energy consumption, indoor air quality, and comfort. There are six performance factors that can be applied to HVAC design, installation and/or commissioning. In the Optimizing Residential Forced-Air series, we will review how each factor can be specified at design, implemented during installation, and tested/adjusted during commissioning. We will also look at how we can redesign our approach to high performance HVAC systems to support CA climate goals,
Our final class in this series will bring this home to cover the evolution of Passive House design here in California. We’ll review up to four specific projects located in Northern California, including a Sacramento project. Details for each project will be shared to gain an understanding for how this approach varies across our local climate zones, and how Passive House may be cost-effectively implemented in our region. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how the Passive House
Comfort problems can occur in homes even when the equipment appears to be working perfectly well. Most comfort problems are related to design issues and can be easily diagnosed using basic design principles and simple diagnostic tools. This class will cover the most common comfort complaints, the diagnostic tests, how to interpret the results and how to use industry standard design principles to suggest solutions. Learning objectives: Understanding the most common symptoms of comfort problems vs. equipment problems Understanding how
Part 1 Setting the Stage: Carbon in the Built Environment This session will take a holistic view of carbon drivers in the built environment. The first part in the series will set the stage for the next two courses, outlining key definitions and drivers and presenting a path towards carbon neutral design. Through case studies we'll explore holistic carbon on recent projects and areas where designers can have the most significant influence.
This virtual course focuses on requirements in the 2022 Energy Code (Title 24, Part 6) for accessory dwelling units (ADU) in an event supported by Energy Code Ace and BayREN. We will discuss how to identify the ADU type and its impact on Energy Code requirements for envelope, mechanical, photovoltaics (PV), battery storage or battery ready and HERS measures. We will also review how the compliance metrics differ depending on ADU type, including the new EDR source energy metrics for
There are 82 million detached single-family homes in the US, and according to the US Energy Information Administration, there are 6.8 million in California. The average cost of energy in US households is about $2,060 per year according to Energy Star with nearly half of that money going to heating and cooling. The average home also adds 7.5 tons of greenhouse gasses each year. Steve Easley will draw upon his building science consulting experience to illustrate the most cost-effective, best
Experiences and lessons learned from early building electrification market and community development. Since 2015, Revalue.io has been preparing communities for the transition to clean energy through energy-saving building improvements (including insulation, heat pumps, etc.) and removing home health hazards such as lead, mold, pests, etc. Working with local, minority contractors and utility program administrators, Revalue.io provides a full-service custom “No Wrong Door” service for property owners, tenants, and local contractors to access resources such as rebates, grants, and other incentives
Zero-carbon homes are on the fast track to mitigate climate change. Using less energy for space conditioning and hot water production throughout the year than conventional duel-fuel systems, zero-carbon homes are more thermally comfortable than traditional buildings. Zero-carbon homes are not very different than what we are building today. In this class we will learn the jargon, building materials, and the technical expectations needed to retrofit or new-build an energy efficient and thermally comfortable zero-carbon home. We will also learn
Air sealing has emerged as the number one technique to help make our buildings more energy efficient, achieve unprecedented indoor thermal comfort, and produce clean and fresh indoor air control. This session will show the entire air sealing process of a new structure from the ground up or achieving very airtight assemblies in remodels and additions or the compulsory air tightness for Passive House.
This is class 3 of 6 in 3C-REN’s High Performance Fundamentals Certificate series. Earn a 3C-REN certificate of completion after finishing the series and passing short quizzes at the end of each class. Building enclosures – the roof, walls, and floor – are the first line of defense between nature and people. Enclosure performance is optimized when air sealing and insulation – two underappreciated and typically underperforming features – are done to high-performance standards rather than the status quo. The preceding
