Technical Details in Energy Code Compliance
The construction techniques listed on this page are at the
forefront of best energy-efficient construction practices.
Some of these techniques are contained in the International
Residential Code (IRC) and the International Energy Conservation
Code (IECC) while others have been developed more recently
by leading building science experts. Jurisdictions that encourage
builders to adopt these practices facilitate the development
of homes with a system focus and thereby provide a higher
level of comfort, efficiency, and safety for occupants.
Ductwork Tightness
Ducts sealed with Mastic® seam sealer allow all areas
of a home to receive an appropriate amount of conditioned
air. When ducts are wrapped with duct tape, conditioned air
is guaranteed to leak through joints and seams, resulting
in unnecessary energy losses. A Duct
Blaster can be used to test the tightness of a ductwork
system. This provides a performance measure that can be used
in lieu of a physical inspection. Some builders are even using
mechanical ventilation systems, finding economic, health,
and safety benefits in having tight ductwork, smaller but
highly effective HVAC appliances, and continuously introduced
fresh air.
Crawl Spaces
Insulating
crawl space walls or the floor above a crawl space increases
the thermal performance of a home. At the same time, increasing
awareness of moisture management issues has caused proactive
builders to seal crawl space floors with a polyurethane wrap
or even a thin concrete slab.
HVAC Sizing
The
obvious utility savings resulting from a smaller HVAC system
is often met with the fear of inadequate cooling or heating.
Current building technology allows builders to properly size
the HVAC for the home in question. There are a number of software
programs that require input such as house volume, duct leakage,
home orientation, heating degree days (HDD), and window type
and coverage to produce recommendations for HVAC sizing. In
Colorado’s climate, using the results of HVAC sizing
calculations can significantly reduce energy consumption in
a home.
Insulation
While
the presence of insulation is one of the first construction
techniques that comes to mind in the development of an energy-efficient
home, the manner in which insulation is installed is just
as important. Fiberglass batts that are compressed or do not
provide complete coverage within a wall space do not provide
the maximum level of R-value possible. To counter such problems,
workers must be informed of the importance of cutting batts
to exact size and stapling edges to framing members (rather
than in the middle of a wall space). Blown insulation (cellulose
or fiberglass fill) provides even better R-value and uniformity
and, as an added bonus, provides a vapor barrier throughout
all wall areas.
Avoiding Mold
Sealing the envelope of a home is good for the cause of energy
efficiency. However, a very tightly sealed home may not allow
entering moisture to get back out. This can lead to the growth
of mold. Building codes often require moisture barriers on
wall surfaces depending on their solar orientation and this
helps to reduce the presence of mold. Additional moisture
management techniques, however, can eliminate or nearly eliminate
mold from occurring. For instance, sealing crawl spaces and
structural subfloors with polyurethane keeps moisture out
of a home’s ground level. Proper flashing techniques
on roofs, windows, and doors assure that water never enters
a home in the first place as do properly installed house wraps
and wall drainage systems. There is no reason a home cannot
be both highly energy efficient and mold free. A leading book
on this subject, Builder’s Guide for Cold Climates
(available for purchase from E-Star), provides
outstanding guidance on these moisture management construction
techniques. construction techniques.
More Information
|
