MAINTAINING A HEALTHY, COMFORTABLE, INDOOR ENVIRONMENT Ben Newell and Ty Newell www.buildequinox.com
Efficiency Vermont is a Registered Provider with The American Institute of Architects Continuing Education Systems (AIA/CES). Credit(s) earned on completion of this program will be reported to AIA/CES for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for both AIA members and non-aia members are available upon request. This program is registered with AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product. Questions related to specific materials, methods, and services will be addressed at the conclusion of this presentation.
Learning Objectives By the end of this program, participants will be able to: Attendees will learn the types of HRVs and ERVs available in North America and learn the details of how H/ERVs work, and how that relates to efficiency. Attendees will learn how to read PHI and HVI listings for H/ERVs. Attendees will learn about indoor air quality issues, and a new indoor air quality assessment method (Black Box IAQ) that provides information on local air exchange rates and the generation/incursion rates of pollutants (CO2, VOCs, and radon). Introduce the concepts of DCV (Demand Controlled Ventilation, "fresh air conditioning", and Equinox Built Environment Engineering's CERVTM (Conditioning Energy Recovery Ventilator).
Course Evaluations In order to maintain high-quality learning experiences, please access the evaluation for this course by logging into CES Discovery and clicking on the Course Evaluation link on the left side of the page.
Newell Instruments Two Divisions Automotive Appliances R&D for Industry Solutions for a Healthy, Comfortable, and Sustainable Lifestyle Military Systems Our laboratory is solar powered We believe in solar!
Build Equinox = Sustainable & Healthy Comfort ASSESS DESIGN CONTROL TEST DEMONSTRATE EDUCATE
What Do We Want in a House? Comfort Healthy Comfort Sustainable Healthy Comfort Building a zero energy house is easy Zero Energy Chicken House at our Lab A comfortable indoor environment with healthy, fresh air is more important than energy
160000 120000 History of House Energy Annual House Energy (kwh) Requirements Infiltration 30ACH@50Pa No insulation Single pane windows People Energy House Energy 80000 40000 Infiltration 10ACH@50Pa 3 insulation Storm windows 2010 conventional Infiltration 6ACH@50Pa 6 insulation Energy Star windows Respiratory illnesses double over 20 years 2010 super Infiltration 0.6ACH@50Pa Fresh Air Ventilation 12 insulation Energy Star windows People dominated energy loads 0 1920 1950 2010C 2010S
Key Ideas An energy star refrigerator uses $30-$40 of energy per year, but stores $6,000 to $8,000 of food for a family of 3 to 4 it s time to think about food preservation rather than energy. A high performance home in a challenging climate costs only $3-4 per day for energy (solar supplied), much less than the cost of one day of illness due to poor indoor air. Our primary focus should be on health and comfort that are maintained in a sustainable manner. not a focus on energy with health and comfort as an afterthought.
Maintaining Healthy Comfort Managing fresh air is essential Natural ventilation sounds nice, and in Hawaii it is nice.in Central Illinois we have few nice days.and Vermont s climate isn t easy either Difficult to manage a purging flow in all rooms Cost due to window wear Labor 10 minutes/day effort = 8 work days or vacation days Additional house cleaning due to unfiltered air Infiltration air is not fresh air Solar powered fans and compressors are natural, too! Conditioning energy for each day of a weather year in Illinois Nice days are at the blue line intersection
Indoor Air Quality Poor indoor air quality impacts: Health Human Performance But, how do you know if your air stinks? Infiltration Pesticides, dust, pollen Molds, etc CO2 VOC Germs H2O radon Exfiltration Filtered Ventilation
% People Dissatisfaction with Odors 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Air Quality You can wait until others tell you it stinks. High levels of carbon dioxide correlate with Increased spread of contagious diseases Drowsiness Headaches Inability to concentrate 0 1000 2000 3000 Average Carbon Dioxide and VOC (ppm)
Or, You Can Measure It What is the rate of fresh air flow into a living space? Two Important Questions What are the generation and flow rates of pollutants into a living space?
12/28 12:00 AM 1/7 12:00 AM 1/17 12:00 AM 1/27 12:00 AM 2/6 12:00 AM 2/16 12:00 AM 2/26 12:00 AM 3/8 12:00 AM CO 2 and VOC [ppm] Black Box IAQ is a Dynamic Gas Analyzer 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 CO2 Sensor VOC Sensor Black Box IAQ test determines local air exchange rate Pollutant (CO2 and VOC) generation rates Trends in pollutant levels due to changes in ventilation or pollutant generation
% Time CO2 Concentration Distribution <10cfm per person results in all air > 1000ppm CO2 100 ~20cfm per person average air = 1000ppm CO2 80 60 40 20 Data from actual homes and public building co2<1000 1000<co2<2000 co2>2000 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Ventilation per person (cfm/person)
Humidity Ratio above Ambient Carbon Dioxide (ppm) Ventilation Impacts on Humidity Without dehumidification, house humidity is always greater than outside humidity No Dehumidification 0.008 0.006 0.004 0.002 Infiltration = 10 cfm Blower door = 0.6ACH50 House Volume = 20,000cu ft 2 Persons continuous Humidity (HRV or none) Humidity (ERV = 50% efficiency) Carbon Dioxide (ppm) 1400 1200 1000 800 600 0 400 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 Infiltration + Ventilation (cfm)
Humidity Ratio below Ambient Carbon Dioxide (ppm) Ventilation Impacts on Humidity Dehumidification Humidity lowered if dehumidifier capacity greater than moisture source generation 0.000 1400-0.002-0.004 Infiltration = 10 cfm Blower door = 0.6ACH50 House Volume = 20,000cubic feet 2 Persons continuous Dehumidification = 10 liters/day 1200 1000 800-0.006 Humidity Carbon Dioxide (ppm) 600-0.008 400 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 Infiltration + Ventilation (cfm)
Humidity Ratio Summer Weather 0.050 Urbana IL July 2010 0.040 Burlington VT July 2010 Frankfurt July 2010 100%RH 0.030 0.005 Humidity change above ambient without dehumidification 80%RH 60%RH 0.020 40%RH 0.010 20%RH 0.000 Pants and Long Sleeves Shorts and Short Sleeves 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 Dry Bulb Temperature (F)
Radon (pci/liter) Carbon Dioxide (ppm) Radon Fresh air ventilation can help manage radon if flow of radioactivity is sufficiently low 14.0 Radon and CO2 vs Ventilation Flow Radioactivity Flow = 20pCi/sec 1400 12.0 10.0 8.0 6.0 Radioactivity Flow = 40pCi/sec Radioactivity Flow = 80pCi/sec Carbon Dioxide (ppm) Infiltration = 10 cfm Blower door = 0.6ACH50 House Volume = 20,000cubic feet 2 Persons continuous Ambient Radon = 0.4pCi/liter 1200 1000 800 4.0 2.0 600 0.0 400 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 Ventilation Flow (cfm)
Efficient Fresh Air Control Given the variation of climatic conditions And, the wide variation of occupancy and occupant activities in a residence How can one expect to manage indoor air quality in a manner that maintains pollutants below a desired threshold while minimizing energy associated with ventilation? Active monitoring and control of indoor air quality is essential for balancing air quality and energy impact
DCV FRESH AIR Conditioning What is the CERV? Conditioning Energy Recovery Ventilator Heat pump technology for exchanging energy when beneficial to do so CERV serves you Demand Controlled Ventilation (DCV) fresh air conditioning system for residences that manages carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds (VOC) levels Smart algorithms for: Heating/cooling/dehumidification Energy recovery Energy efficient defrosting Free conditioning Completed UL listing tests August, 2012 It is NOT a whole house heating/air conditioning system 700-1,000Watts Cooling/2,000-3,000Watts Heating Smoothly interacts with house conditioning
CERV Test Beds Re-home (2011 University of Illinois Solar Decathlon house) Smith Home Urbana, Illinois Equinox House Urbana Illinois Gable Home (2009 University of Illinois Solar Decathlon house)
Cooling Ventilation Mode Cools and dehumidifies when beneficial, exchanging energy between fresh air stream and exhaust air stream When fresh air is nicer than indoor air, maximizes fresh air similar to opening the windows.except it knows to close them when it isn t so nice Unlike an open window, the air is filtered as desired
Cooling Recirculation Mode Additional cooling and dehumidification capacity when desired through recirculation mode Can decide whether the CERV provides as much as it can, or whether it operates only at a level of treating the fresh air Equinox House uses CERV and 1 ton mini-split combo Mini-split AC primarily needed for high occupancy time and exceptionally warm/humid weather
Heating Ventilation/Recirculation Modes Similar to cooling: Heats fresh air when beneficial Can provide additional heat if desired through recirculation Energy recovery from frost (during cold weather, 30% of energy exchange is latent)
9/1/2012 9/2/2012 9/3/2012 9/4/2012 9/5/2012 9/6/2012 9/7/2012 9/8/2012 9/9/2012 9/10/2012 9/11/2012 CO2 and VOC Control (Gable House) 1200 Fresh air ventilation triggered by CO2 level 1000 CO2 VOC 800 Recirc Cool Vent Cool 600 Recirc Heat Vent Heat 400 off 200 0
8/22/2012 8/22/2012 8/23/2012 8/23/2012 8/24/2012 8/24/2012 8/25/2012 8/25/2012 8/26/2012 8/26/2012 Smith House-DCV Control of CO2 & VOC 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 DCV CO2 and VOC setpoints CO2 VOC Recirc Cool Vent Cool Recirc Heat Vent Heat off
Jan-12 Feb-12 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Jul-12 Aug-12 Sep-12 Oct-12 Nov-12 Dec-12 Equinox House Monthly Energy (kwh) Jan 2012 Dec 2012 Equinox 2012 Electrical Energy Usage (kwh) 1200 1000 RainPump KitchRecept Cooktop Dishwasher MainLight DblOven ClothesDryer Fridge Sub-Panel HPWH EV CERV Heat PumpAC 800 600 400 200 FocusOnSolar.com 0
Equinox House Purging Duct Design
Equinox House Fresh Air Supply/Exhaust Air Exhaust Return from Wet Areas (6 inch diameter typical, uninsulated) Fresh Air Supply to Living Areas (6 inch diameter typical, insulated)
Equinox House Temperature (F) (January 1, 2011- September 1, 2012) 120 100 Utility Space 80 Temp (F) Master Bedroom 60 South Bedroom 40 Living Room 20 Outside T 10/18 12:00 AM 8/29 12:00 AM 7/10 12:00 AM 5/21 12:00 AM 4/1 12:00 AM 2/11 12:00 AM 12/23 12:00 AM 11/3 12:00 AM 0 Time
Equinox House Humidity Ratio 0.025 0.020 Utility Space Master Bedroom 0.015 South Bedroom 0.010 Living Room 0.005 Outside 10/18 12:00 AM 8/29 12:00 AM 7/10 12:00 AM 5/21 12:00 AM 4/1 12:00 AM 2/11 12:00 AM 12/23 12:00 AM 0.000 11/3 12:00 AM Humidity Ratio [kgh2o/kgair] (January 1, 2011- September 1, 2012)
11/3 12:00 AM 12/23 12:00 AM 2/11 12:00 AM 4/1 12:00 AM 5/21 12:00 AM 7/10 12:00 AM 8/29 12:00 AM 10/18 12:00 AM CO2 [ppm] Equinox House CO2 (ppm) (January 1, 2011- September 1, 2012) 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 Deb & Ty driving Focus EV from NY to Urbana FocusOnSolar.com
9/3/2012 9/8/2012 9/13/2012 9/18/2012 9/23/2012 9/28/2012 10/3/2012 Gable House Temperature (F) (Warm and Neutral Weather) 100 T From In 90 80 70 T To In T From Out Weather T To Out 60 50 40 Cooling and Venting Venting Recirc Cool Vent Cool Recirc Heat Vent Heat 30 20 off Vent Setpt
9/3/2012 9/8/2012 9/13/2012 9/18/2012 9/23/2012 9/28/2012 10/3/2012 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Gable House Humidity (%rh) (Warm and Neutral Weather) RH in RH Out Recirc Cool Vent Cool Recirc Heat Vent Heat off Vent Setpoint
9/3/2012 9/8/2012 9/13/2012 9/18/2012 9/23/2012 9/28/2012 10/3/2012 Gable House CO2 & VOC (ppm) (Warm and Neutral Weather) 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 CO2 VOC Recirc Cool Vent Cool Recirc Heat Vent Heat off Vent Setpoint 200 0
Summary Our problem is the development of sustainable, healthy and comfortable domiciles and transportation Energy efficient and renewable energy powered living will be found to be the most cost effective means for achieving the above objective Other problems associated with pollution, global warming and resource depletion will automatically be taken care of Ensuring a high quality indoor environment requires active measurement and control in most locations and situations Without active indoor air quality control, one is guessing, resulting in either poor air quality or energy inefficiency
our tools are better than we are, and grow better faster than we do. They suffice to crack the atom, to command the tides. But they do not suffice for the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it. Professor Aldo Leopold; 1938 University of Wisconsin Engineering and Conservation speech Further information: BuildEquinox.com Thank you!