Green HVAC

HVC 220Instructor

Cate O’dahl

Green HVAC

Session One –Green HVAC and Healthy Homes

This class consists of all online Lecture with 11 hours of Lab required

See the Course Syllabus for details If this is your first online course, use the tools on the home page to help you understand how to use Canvas Online Learning Management Tool

Class Orientation

Session TopicWeek 1 Green HVAC and Healthy BuildingsWeek 2 Codes, Regulations & CertificationsWeek 3 Building ScienceWeek 4 House as a SystemWeek 5 Fact vs. FictionWeek 6 Equipment & Product SelectionWeek 7 Testing & Code ComplianceWeek 8 Customer ServiceWeek9 Business Development - Building Science & Business

ScienceWeek10 Green VHAC

Class Schedule

The Syllabus will be reviewed Week 1 during the first lab meeting.

If you miss this first lab meeting, YOU are required to familiarize yourself with course assignments and assessment OR contact the instructor.

The syllabus is linked in Canvas and will be emailed to you prior to the Week 1 lab meeting.

Syllabus

Course Information◦ Includes contact info for instructor

Course Objectives◦ Introduce students to online learning◦ Teach students to understand how green building

strategies affect quality HVAC installation, service, and repair

◦ Inform students of new code, regulations, and building certifications that affect current HVAC industry standards

◦ Provide latest equipment and product information for changing industry

◦ Begin to learn how to look at HVAC as one component in the house as a system

◦ Prepare students for the changes in HVAC industry to better equip them for a changing workforce.

Syllabus, con’t

What you will learn in this course – see syllabus

TextbookResidential Energy, Cost Savings and Comfort for Existing Buildings, John Krigger/Chris Dorsi - 2009 Sixth Edition ISBN - 13: 978-1-880120-23-1

Syllabus, con’t

Syllabus, con’t Additional Required Reading Materials

Click the links to connect to reading materials assigned for this class. Washington State Energy Code Builder’s Field Guid

e, 2009, 8th Edition, available on line, click link from your computer to access pdf document. Full document: www.energy.wsu.edu/Documents/entire_guide.pdf

Residential Pressure & Air Leakage Testing Manual, Retrotec Inc., revised 2011-08-05, available on line, click link from your computer to access pdf document.

Read this: The Building Connection, available on-line, click link from your computer to access pdf document.

Student Network Account Readings, Assignments Homework

Syllabus, con’t

What you will learn in this course Textbook Online Course Necessities Student Network Account Readings, Assignments Homework

Syllabus, con’t

What you will learn in this course Textbook Online Course Necessities Student Network Account Readings, Assignments Homework

Syllabus, con’t

Readings, Assignments Homework Getting Started Attendance Grades Course Schedule Computer Labs & Tutoring Campus Safety& Security Information

Disability Services

Syllabus, cont.

Student Code of Conduct Netiquette and Privacy

◦Be sure to READ this section so you are prepared to fully participate in the online Discussion Forums

5 Keys to Success

Syllabus, cont.

Cate O’dahl on Academic Honesty “If you steal from one author,

it's plagiarism; if you steal from many, it's research.” Wilson Mizner

So, remember, if you directly quote one author, you must make a citation, if you see the general idea in three or more instances, paraphrase.

Green HVAC is a new way of thinking about an old problem

Einstein said “We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

What is Green HVAC?

So, if we agree there is a problem in the United States with residential heating and cooling system efficiency, then according to Einstein, we need a new way to think about the problem to create a solution.

Green HVAC is a new approach to Traditional HVAC that solves some of the efficiency (waste) issues with current HVAC design, installation and maintenance.

This course is designed to prepare HVAC students for changes in the industry toward green HVAC including more energy efficiency and improved indoor air quality in residential home construction, renovation, and repair.

Students will learn basic building science as it applies to green building and, especially to HVAC to understand the “house as a system”.

The class covers new codes and regulations affecting any home repairs, discussions of green options for standard HVAC install, repair or services, including new technology, equipment, and strategies that improve energy savings and indoor air quality.

What is Green HVAC?

Green, as a term associated with building and development, also referred to as “Sustainable” where strategies are designed to increase efficiency, reduce waste, and reduce the impact on the natural environment. It includes water, energy, materials and it comes with an entire new vocabulary that defines its parameters.

In this session we will ◦ Introduce and define Green Building◦ Introduce and define Green HVAC◦ Introduce and define a healthy home◦ Introduce and define indoor air quality◦ Define important factors for discussing Green HVAC◦ Set context for HVAC within the scope of overall green building

Green HVAC and Healthy Homes

Green building, also referred to as sustainable construction, refers to a set of design, construction, and operations & maintenance strategies that:

“Green” Building

Protect the natural environment Preserve and protect water quality Improve and enhance indoor air quality Improve and enhance energy efficiency

The primary green categories include:

◦ Site

◦ Water

◦ Energy Efficiency

◦ Indoor Air Quality

◦ Materials Efficiency

Green Categories

Comfort

Air quality

Operations & Maintenance

Key Components to Healthy Home

HVAC is an integral component to energy efficiency

Equally important to indoor air quality (IAQ)

Indoor air quality is a component of a Healthy Home◦Americans, on average, spend

90% of their time indoors◦Good indoor air quality, then

affects the health of building occupants

Green HVAC and Healthy Homes

Microbial contaminants (mold, bacteria)

Gases (including carbon monoxide, radon, volatile organic compounds)

Particulates Any mass or energy stressor that can induce adverse health conditions.

Indoor Air Quality is Affected by

Using ventilation to dilute contaminants, provide filtration, and source control are the primary methods for improving indoor air quality in most buildings.

Green HVAC and Healthy Homes

Green HVAC refers to◦Energy efficient mechanical systems◦Optimized delivery systems◦Integrated design to enhance air quality

Healthy Homes include◦Construction & design that drives IAQ◦Material selection choices

that protect IAQ◦Mechanical systems that

support air quality, particularly ventilation

◦Operations & Maintenance that preserves IAQ

Green HVAC and Healthy Homes

In this class we will explore how HVAC service and installation can affect a building’s energy efficiency

We will discuss how diagnostic tests and computer software used to document a building’s energy performance

That is, how well does the HVAC system work in the building considering the system itself, the building shell or envelope, appliances, climate, and occupant behavior

HVAC is an integral component to energy efficiency

Sample EPS Score

Especially in homes with ducted HVAC systems, the efficiency of the HVAC system directly affects the quality of indoor air◦Leaky ducts drawing air from crawl spaces and

attics can introduce contaminants

Air leakage in the building’senvelope (uncontrolled ventilation) also can affect IAQ

Energy Efficiency affect Indoor Air Quality

◦Construction & design Construction includes thermal and air

barrier

◦Material selection choices that protect IAQ Finish materials made without toxic

ingredients Adhesives, coatings, and sealants that

are low-toxic

Indoor air quality is a component of a Healthy Home

◦Mechanical systems that support air quality, particularly ventilation Properly vented combustion devices Combustion Safety procedures

Thoroughly sealed duct work Duct work in conditioned spaces

◦Operations & Maintenance that preserves IAQ System Commissioning Owner’s Manual Scheduled maintenance

Indoor air quality is a component of a Healthy Home

Equipment and Distribution Climate influences Occupant influences Goal of Green HVAC

Purpose of HVAC System

New heating and cooling equipment options offer energy savings

New diagnostic tests allow for eliminating waste in the system◦Duct Leakage Testing Using a duct blaster to test for leakage in air

ducts – new contraction and existing buildings. Air leakage in forced air duct systems is now

recognized as a major source of energy waste in both new and existing houses and commercial buildings

Equipment & Distribution

Studies indicate that duct leakage can account for as much as 25% - 30% of total home energy loss Up to 40% when ducts are in unconditioned spaces

In many cases has a greater impact on energy use than air infiltration through the building shell.

Duct leakage is often the single largest cause of performance and comfort problems.

Duct Leakage

The distribution system is an integral part of many mechanical ventilation systems. It can have a significant effect on the ventilation rate and efficiency of a home. Duct leakage is a source of energy loss, ventilation rate loss, and a source of indoor pollution (in return ducts). When ducts are run through unconditioned spaces like attics, crawlspaces, garages, basements and other locations outside the heated or cooled parts of the house, they not only leak air to and from the outside, but any heat lost through the walls of the duct (by heat conduction) is also lost to the unconditioned space instead of heating and cooling the house.

Source http://bcap-ocean.org/residential-ducts

Distribution System

The building envelope has a direct affect on choices made for HVAC – one of the largest used of energy

Improvements to the building envelope have the potential to reduce Green House Gas emissions from new and existing buildings.

Local climate influences the appropriateness and cost-effectiveness of many decisions pertaining to building envelope design and product selection.

Climate Influences

Even a perfectly designed HVAC can become inefficient quickly if it’s not operated correctly◦Filters need to be changed◦Temperature settings may be altered

Good Green Building contractors provide an O & M Manual to help reduce issues associated with occupant behavior

Occupant Influences

The goal of this class is to introduce green building topics, terminology, strategies into the HVAC certificate series.

The goal of Green HVAC in the industry is to improve energy efficiency and occupant health and home environment quality.

Goal of Green HVAC

Durability Thermal Comfort Energy savings, as opposed to cost

savings Renewable/alternative Energy Sources for

residential applications – solar electric, solar thermal, wind, geo-thermal, micro-hydro

Integrating renewable into existing systems

Important Factors:

The Challenge, according to the Washington State Energy Code, is that

Recent research and testing of new homes in the Pacific Northwest and across the United States shows the importance of a properly installed HVAC system.

Interactions between system components, the house envelope, and other equipment can seriously affect:◦ Occupant health and safety;◦ Occupant comfort;◦ Equipment and structural durability; and◦ Energy efficiency.

Durability of all system components can therefore reduce energy waste and increase efficiency.

Durability

Thermal Comfort — A Key to Occupant Satisfaction and Productivity

Traditional Environmental Comfort Factors◦ Temperature of the room air, ignoring moisture content (i.e., the dry-bulb

temperature) ◦ Relative humidity of the room air ◦ Speed of any room air that's hitting the occupant ◦ Average temperature of the solid surfaces surrounding the occupant (i.e., the mean

radiant temperature) ◦ The amount of solar heat directly hitting the occupant through windows

Other Comfort Factors ◦ Occupant activity level and clothing level ◦ Adaptive factors, such as the amount of control we have over our comfort

conditions ◦ Variability, i.e., whether letting space conditions fluctuate somewhat is more

comfortable than rigidly constant conditions Goal is to manage for these comfort factors when

designing, installing, or servicing HVAC systems

Comfort

This important factor has more to do with how to talk about energy efficiency than as a tangible factor.

We will address this further in Week 8 – Customer Service

Point here is to reframe the way you think and talk about energy efficiency from cost savings to energy savings.

Energy Savings, as opposed toCost Savings

Renewable energy◦Energy Conservation is the single

greatest source of renewable energy◦Solar electric◦Solar water heating◦Wind◦Geo-thermal◦Mini-Hydro

Renewable /Alternate Energy Sources

Since conservation is the greatest single source of renewable energy, conceptually it would seem to be a relatively simple task to “integrate” into existing systems

Downside is this integration requires consumer education, occupant behavior changes and modifications, which are hard to alter, quantify, and report.

Integrating Renewables into Existing Systems

Integrating other renewable energy systems into residential applications is much easier.

Plan for integrating renewables into existing systems in the design phase:◦Pre-wire for solar photovoltaic◦Pre-pipe for solar hot water

Integrating Renewables into Existing Systems

Energy supplies and resources can no longer be taken for granted

Business DecisionsEquipmentNEW Code – set up for next class

Context for GreenTrend vs. fad

Peak Oil ◦ Many experts agree that our societies have used over ½ of all

available oil reserves on the planet and that those remaining reserves are more difficult to extract and may cause environmental tragedies in doing so, namely the Deepwater Horizon incident in 2011.

Peak Natural Gas◦ Some experts agree that natural gas reserves are in the same

perilous quantity scenario as oil, with equal environmental concerns.

Problems with Nuclear Option◦ Disposal and risks from natural disasters.

High costs of obtaining new sources for new demand

Energy Outlook

The links provided on the previous slide present only one side of these very large issues.

Since these issues are not the basis of this class, we will not explore them in depth, but I encourage any class member who has questions about the veracity of these claims, to do research and submit an Extra Credit paper backing up your claims.

Controversy on Energy Demand

Over 30% of heat is lost through most improperly installed or maintained duct work

Improperly sealed building envelopes also offer opportunities for inefficiencies.◦ The building envelope – the interface between the

interior of the building and the outdoor environment, including the walls, roof, and foundation – serves as a thermal barrier and plays an important role in determining the amount of energy necessary to maintain a comfortable indoor environment relative to the outside environment. Source – Center for Climate and Energy Solutions

Case for Energy Efficiency

Choosing to build green Certifying a project Choosing subcontractors that align with green building choices

Plan and design well to avoid cost overruns

Get training and education to support your business decisions

Business Decision

Combustion safety Confined spaces and even unconfined spaces should ALWAYS direct vent because of potential for incomplete combustion

High Efficiency models Energy-Star certified equipment

Equipment

Going Green in HVAC isn’t just a personal choice

New 2009 Washington State Energy Codes increase requirements for energy efficiency.

Latest WSEC

Washington State Energy Code EPA Renovation Regulations Green Building Certifications

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