tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66379508725921214882024-03-15T04:45:31.456-04:00First Passive House in PA (Pennsylvania) to Passivhaus StandardsDetails of the design, construction, post construction, and residing phases of the first single family (Passivhaus) Passive House in Pennsylvania (PA).First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-28798241239212987832017-03-20T18:58:00.002-04:002017-03-20T19:48:46.873-04:00Heat-Pump Condenser Ventless Clothes Dryer: Whirlpool WED9290FW<h1>
Heat-Pump Condenser Ventless Clothes Dryer: Whirlpool WED9290FW</h1>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Whirlpool WED9290FW Ventless Heat-Pump Condenser Clothes Dryer</b></td></tr>
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Our home has two laundry rooms. One in our walk-out basement (for the pets) and one on the main floor (for us). To have an extremely tight house, neither of the two rooms are permitted to vent the clothes dryer.<br />
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Up until recently, our available choices for a ventless dryer were pretty limited as the ones that were available in the U.S. market were primarily sourced from abroad and were compact in nature (designed for flats and apartments in Europe).<br />
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In the interim, we chose to only use the pet laundry room and a conventional electric vented dryer that was vented to the interior space of the room which had an ERV return. It wasn't an optimal situation, but it did do the job. We created a filter housing which captured any lint that was exhausted and the ERV did a fine job at removing the moisture of the dryer's exhaust.<br />
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Our waiting paid off because Whirlpool recently released a full-size heat-pump ventless condenser dryer. There is one other full-size condenser dryer on the market as well (LG DLHX4072V), but that unit requires venting.<br />
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After years of compromising, I am pleased to write that we are very happy with our new dryer.<br />
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We are now able to wash and dry full loads of laundry and the drying times do not seem like they are significantly longer than a conventional vented dryer, even on its most efficient energy saving "Eco" drying mode.<br />
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Another wonderful benefit of this dryer is that clothes come out feeling more soft and the drying itself is more gentle on the materials than a conventional dryer.<br />
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Typical energy consumption is about 2kW while its running as compared to 8kW of a conventional electric dryer. My guess is that the effective COP of this heat-pump dryer approaches 3.0 taking into account a slightly longer drying time.<br />
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For those that a looking for an excellent drying solution for their Passive House project, I can't recommend the Whirlpool WED9290FW, highly enough. The additional cost of the dryer, while a little higher than a conventional one, looks to be paid back in about one to two years of usage.<br />
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So far we have not had any mechanical or reliability issues with the more complex configuration of a heat-pump heating source.<br />
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What is nice is that the <a href="https://www.whirlpool.com/-[WED9290FW]-5703598/WED9290FW/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Whirlpool WED9290FW</a> dryer basically acts and feels like a conventional dryer.<br />
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<br />First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-9025701845804139182017-03-20T17:56:00.001-04:002017-03-22T18:36:47.642-04:00Part III: Importance of Maintenance and Upkeep for Maintaining Optimum Passive House Temperature Performance and Minimal Electricity Consumption<br />
<h1>
Maintaining Optimum Passive House Temperature Performance and Minimal Electricity Consumption</h1>
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It's hard to believe, but it's been nearly seven years since we began construction and we continue to learn just how important it is to check and maintain various elements of our home in order to maintain energy efficiency and optimum temperature performance.<br />
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<h3>
Mini-Split Maintenance</h3>
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In a previous article, I covered the importance of <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2014/02/part-ii-importance-of-maintenance-and.html">frequently checking and cleaning the filters of the interior units of our mini-split systems</a>.<br />
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This time around we address the evaporator and condenser coils. Despite the use of the filtration, the interior evaporator coil (and fin assembly) did have a fair amount of buildup of collected particulate matter, the accumulation of which can significantly reduce their efficiency. Having a good number of pets including one Cockatoo certainly doesn't help.<br />
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The simple and inexpensive solution was to make a trip to Lowes and pick up a couple of cans of evaporator coil cleaner. Armed with this, a brush, and paper towel we were able to clean the interior coils easily.<br />
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When the weather gets warmer, we will clean the outside condenser coils of both exterior units.<br />
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<h3>
ERV Filter Maintenance</h3>
As simple and elegant as the Zehnder ERVs are, there are two elements of those systems that should be regularly checked and maintained. The first ones are the enthalpy cores. We generally clean them twice a year, once at the beginning of spring and once at the beginning of fall. We detailed those steps in our previous article.<br />
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This time around, we worked on the intake and return filters. <br />
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The typical MERV 8 G4 filters that are standard with the Zehnder Novus 300 (Paul) are housed in a paper based frame. The MERV 13 F7 filter, however, has a frame that is synthetic. This allows for much easier cleaning and the potential for re-use. The filters for the ComfoAir 200 both consist of plastic housings irrespective of the MERV ratings.<br />
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A trick that we learned is to put the filters in the dishwasher. Prior to this, we submerged the filters in a warm water base consisting of a little bleach. The outcomes were very good.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Bottom filter: F7 MERV 13 for Novus 300, Top filters: red MERV 13 & black MERV 8 for ComfoAir 200)</td></tr>
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We found the optimal filter combinations are to use the MERV 13 HEPA filters on the intake and the MERV 8 standard filters on the return.<br />
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Given that the humidity levels, during the warmer seasons, can be quite high at the intake side supplied by our earth air tubes, we also spray concrobium on the supply filters as well as lightly treat the enthalpy units and air flow interiors of the ERVs. Unlike bleach, concrobium does an exceptional job at eliminating and reducing the potential for future mold growth.<br />
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<h3>
Weather Stripping Examination & Maintenance</h3>
We found two "faults" in our weatherstripping that were the sources of two air leaks which were robbing our conditioned spaces of heat during this past winter.<br />
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The first one was an exterior Loewen swing door. In this instance, one of our dogs had overtime been scratching at the outside door frame in an attempt to open the door using its handle (she is very adept at doing so).<br />
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Unfortunately, she ripped-up a good portion of the door frame's air seal and we didn't discover this for two winter seasons since the damage was primarily on the outside. We only noticed the issue one winter evening, because there was a small ice build-up on an interior section of the door. <br />
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Fortunately, this was a very easy and inexpensive replacement part.<br />
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The second fault occurred at the threshold seal of our garage door. While the garage is "semi" conditioned with a dedicated earth air-tube supply, interior garage temperatures during the winter can still get pretty chilly (typically, no lower than 35F-40F).<br />
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Was caused the damage was a threshold plate screw that had backed itself slightly and it eventually chewed up a portion of the weather stripping. <br />
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We only notice this because the laundry room and the hallway to the garage were feeling a little more chilly. This seal, like the other one, was probably compromised for two seasons.<br />
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With a house that is as tight as ours (<b>0.2 ACH<span style="font-size: xx-small;">50</span></b>), these ostensibly little sealing failures can have a noticeable adverse impact air-tightness of the house as well as minimizing any room-to-room interior temperature variances.<br />
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In terms of general weather stripping maintenance, I would recommend checking the weather stripping of all doors and windows for any dirt, debris, or other potential failure. <br />
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<br />First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-67827410969454484822016-01-08T18:29:00.002-05:002016-01-08T22:12:00.093-05:00Interior Pictures Prior to Move-InIt's been nearly two years since my last post and I've been meaning to follow-up with some passive house post construction articles--as I believe that sort of information is lacking online.<br />
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Now that Lisa and I have a good number of years under our belt living in our passive house, I will be posting some additional stories based upon our real-world experiences.<br />
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I continue to receive questions from readers interested in passive house (or energy efficient) construction and I would hope these upcoming articles can answer some of them. I am open to suggestions for other topics that may be of interest.<br />
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Topics planned, include:<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Real-world heating/cooling performance </i></li>
<li><i>Electricity monitoring with SiteSage (formerly eMonitor)</i></li>
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</i>
<li><i>Earthtube status update</i></li>
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<li><i>ERV performance & maintenance</i></li>
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<li><i>Development cost analysis versus house appraisal </i></li>
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In the meantime, I realized that I have not shared any pictures of the interior of the house.<br />
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As I indicated at the outset of our project documentation, we wanted to design a luxury house that looked more conventional and less like a science project.<br />
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We think we hit this design goal. Below are some pictures and videos of the interior of the house shortly after construction and before move-in.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foyer, South Facing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Custom exotic wood staircase</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61CIph16ImKKboHKMgDbwP2f5cBSpsosvn6GK6nNCLRG9Qzt56dnsXGU3xofjKyZoSRVVtXPwViSDSWipFeJrLAjO_waKTYs9dYY3bkVXWgh7P7bJqWWvuoo3wTBMEzGp-zBSnACZjq8/s1600/bridge-railings-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61CIph16ImKKboHKMgDbwP2f5cBSpsosvn6GK6nNCLRG9Qzt56dnsXGU3xofjKyZoSRVVtXPwViSDSWipFeJrLAjO_waKTYs9dYY3bkVXWgh7P7bJqWWvuoo3wTBMEzGp-zBSnACZjq8/s320/bridge-railings-2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge railings</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJBu7nI2vMdyGhIql3W9RGjSLTUOhGkAl7J3Hvw8zFIknV-dtRdMSv-DfolQ7LNANA3GsEfDSki8ZOPAUKdyy4N890pXW0fDB2cC4MFw0n63AkuIPl03fBL9Y00UP56LUIyyNTMUlq2A/s1600/Dining-Room-1st-Floor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJBu7nI2vMdyGhIql3W9RGjSLTUOhGkAl7J3Hvw8zFIknV-dtRdMSv-DfolQ7LNANA3GsEfDSki8ZOPAUKdyy4N890pXW0fDB2cC4MFw0n63AkuIPl03fBL9Y00UP56LUIyyNTMUlq2A/s320/Dining-Room-1st-Floor.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dining room, 1st floor</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guest bathroom 2nd floor</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQfKkHHo1zZE0aXKHCD8cp7iRMCCEr9NtWf7IURw2dwuGX96s3oVPHcX8TV7lw9gTXkZtGGTmOMS9KAJcCiKSiTN-Fh53-YeJcPBEQmYU869Y0hCkXCguRdP48L_STSv7gSKhcnBLGeE/s1600/master-jetted-tub.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQfKkHHo1zZE0aXKHCD8cp7iRMCCEr9NtWf7IURw2dwuGX96s3oVPHcX8TV7lw9gTXkZtGGTmOMS9KAJcCiKSiTN-Fh53-YeJcPBEQmYU869Y0hCkXCguRdP48L_STSv7gSKhcnBLGeE/s320/master-jetted-tub.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2nd floor master bathroom jetted tub</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyHOYViD27waunLG6uY1pE0ebofOTmO0oA5Kdpw007U82J5KNza9ZtjzCv-pQMo8w7ciTbzGzxcEGAY1L1eKz9w796yuKZz-UpyiHciQCm8I7D4Cd6aMaXEji5Mykrrl0ohTm5DqNNuyw/s1600/master-show-entrance.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyHOYViD27waunLG6uY1pE0ebofOTmO0oA5Kdpw007U82J5KNza9ZtjzCv-pQMo8w7ciTbzGzxcEGAY1L1eKz9w796yuKZz-UpyiHciQCm8I7D4Cd6aMaXEji5Mykrrl0ohTm5DqNNuyw/s320/master-show-entrance.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master bathroom 2nd floor walk-in shower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuS3QO3dTuVVVAKCyqiOgfZUtrNSym6bSEoNDojlPj86lMlP9g3J_Ar9Im8YqOHtYVE1HWTsWag4i2ZRKmVS1Kv9Nreqo8Z1GK_oPSuMXYVfi9xkZApdSTRf-CdR40S8pfjkuGWGcdQ-A/s1600/master-shower-backlit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuS3QO3dTuVVVAKCyqiOgfZUtrNSym6bSEoNDojlPj86lMlP9g3J_Ar9Im8YqOHtYVE1HWTsWag4i2ZRKmVS1Kv9Nreqo8Z1GK_oPSuMXYVfi9xkZApdSTRf-CdR40S8pfjkuGWGcdQ-A/s320/master-shower-backlit.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master bathroom shower backlit stained glass</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBLithqGUDVCJx6hYbylPQzUWzvIIeEtRZFKwIQwww-CU4aq_pZLUCW0BeqNEbC57hFAQm1Y10c16VjDCtWKOgeyHeFd_ep5GNfKvXt-yKz_YumnV9Lu3KtCwfScoTNF6_o5rEq61nuU/s1600/master-shower-stained-glass.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBLithqGUDVCJx6hYbylPQzUWzvIIeEtRZFKwIQwww-CU4aq_pZLUCW0BeqNEbC57hFAQm1Y10c16VjDCtWKOgeyHeFd_ep5GNfKvXt-yKz_YumnV9Lu3KtCwfScoTNF6_o5rEq61nuU/s320/master-shower-stained-glass.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master bathroom 2nd floor walk-in shower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtvxFH1leZ_djbYA-oahowZyeQnrR46SfnllCMnDZ-e3C3hIrFwAAtLKoSUhuUbvcaCbjRJdJnWG6eZ067EH_M4mrt9ejSVVNvufvwyDtaMBakSmjRIXGqshSsad1dYD6uRF7ZKfUOp-c/s1600/Mech-Room-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtvxFH1leZ_djbYA-oahowZyeQnrR46SfnllCMnDZ-e3C3hIrFwAAtLKoSUhuUbvcaCbjRJdJnWG6eZ067EH_M4mrt9ejSVVNvufvwyDtaMBakSmjRIXGqshSsad1dYD6uRF7ZKfUOp-c/s320/Mech-Room-2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ERVs, earth tube outlets, heat-pump water heater</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitgNEOcx68xCxVUZpHy9FyymkPsdIioC35I8A9w1HCHO_gsW4ckH50lLsIvMGAKsBqqklfZFslow0OwGVLOllP2sIdqD6XlvQpxQHujHthGvflJWNValiWT7TRDLbj-QhHH-9KCH8zi5c/s1600/Mechroom-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitgNEOcx68xCxVUZpHy9FyymkPsdIioC35I8A9w1HCHO_gsW4ckH50lLsIvMGAKsBqqklfZFslow0OwGVLOllP2sIdqD6XlvQpxQHujHthGvflJWNValiWT7TRDLbj-QhHH-9KCH8zi5c/s320/Mechroom-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Triple water filtration system, softener, UV treatment, RO unit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2bP2lpv-Nj87pqZuxhzbeYUS_JS-7JrC7EM2S-O3uyrjM09COUsBcXz3gtomRWZy-QFT25nQEHXGzm1h2On8rwLSB4z9gyTgq_ccTlQBZM3jU2umLvP-_tNBn9yXzK3F2j9g8NC5dp8/s1600/Office-Entrance-1st-Floor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2bP2lpv-Nj87pqZuxhzbeYUS_JS-7JrC7EM2S-O3uyrjM09COUsBcXz3gtomRWZy-QFT25nQEHXGzm1h2On8rwLSB4z9gyTgq_ccTlQBZM3jU2umLvP-_tNBn9yXzK3F2j9g8NC5dp8/s320/Office-Entrance-1st-Floor.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Office entrance</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGCQYidDbhr2Xc4jC-O420ENl8iYUH52vmMf5eKgj7VtH_Usm2McKYSSLh-LdkN0NFGmp9-yZ35vmKiA4WQVDpQ1evhtYFkF3bBeJmCLRzcpJ2VryziOS7hFuu5r7dGgOORAzpsBdS20/s1600/powder-room-foyer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGCQYidDbhr2Xc4jC-O420ENl8iYUH52vmMf5eKgj7VtH_Usm2McKYSSLh-LdkN0NFGmp9-yZ35vmKiA4WQVDpQ1evhtYFkF3bBeJmCLRzcpJ2VryziOS7hFuu5r7dGgOORAzpsBdS20/s320/powder-room-foyer.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foyer powder room</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-pAx6rFFHuK-nfwHNdii9OCEPbMbzIIEsGK6bXsxFApHolxdPVU8BgDIeKKJlkl73XSuStivHG-IhTt2O37nwMfO7UTLLGEDxUDl1nXaIbcfCNzOnefbX433SUo1usQ8f8RpdIp3Wtk/s1600/breakfast-room-adjacent-kitchen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-pAx6rFFHuK-nfwHNdii9OCEPbMbzIIEsGK6bXsxFApHolxdPVU8BgDIeKKJlkl73XSuStivHG-IhTt2O37nwMfO7UTLLGEDxUDl1nXaIbcfCNzOnefbX433SUo1usQ8f8RpdIp3Wtk/s320/breakfast-room-adjacent-kitchen.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast room adjacent to kitchen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgci83HQZmNRUyc_J3rrlCrcBLcvpYlGIGkuqLfyz7q5lS_DrNDuOcz17O7hUlmAvk2i4Y0zWBsAuwT0CA6r39EGlCYSqUDb5WtAiJROY7VwmYzHfzR8TVTWD0BTnZIqJ8Dr6NCTAEr-K8/s1600/Great-room-1st-floor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgci83HQZmNRUyc_J3rrlCrcBLcvpYlGIGkuqLfyz7q5lS_DrNDuOcz17O7hUlmAvk2i4Y0zWBsAuwT0CA6r39EGlCYSqUDb5WtAiJROY7VwmYzHfzR8TVTWD0BTnZIqJ8Dr6NCTAEr-K8/s320/Great-room-1st-floor.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great room, North facing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLz4Npo6kUfN2bH4pXqywF1te6ZlgAhuGUDf6dvtjxUXn1nCymrbeWzo0GCM0qTxXqk7XOgOBbYZRgaeeU1-qd81-hsqlt6isUsZ-wvOnRyR_4I34UbR3oFzx8PkMjQR64RQfHEa8cWo/s1600/Kitchen-1st-Floor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLz4Npo6kUfN2bH4pXqywF1te6ZlgAhuGUDf6dvtjxUXn1nCymrbeWzo0GCM0qTxXqk7XOgOBbYZRgaeeU1-qd81-hsqlt6isUsZ-wvOnRyR_4I34UbR3oFzx8PkMjQR64RQfHEa8cWo/s320/Kitchen-1st-Floor.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmt2ICHa_UL6La-mkUYt18Ty8_8HgofvRuQE5U9Dp2VKWRo8NMJqGCWURciihP05ub3AqL2FYR_ohFVKD-g3z2erzZ5Wzpo5vo_m6y83hyphenhyphenQ0wm63GcHj5P-QQvKhP5wCDhAjskTttvtw/s1600/Minisplit-1st-Floor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmt2ICHa_UL6La-mkUYt18Ty8_8HgofvRuQE5U9Dp2VKWRo8NMJqGCWURciihP05ub3AqL2FYR_ohFVKD-g3z2erzZ5Wzpo5vo_m6y83hyphenhyphenQ0wm63GcHj5P-QQvKhP5wCDhAjskTttvtw/s320/Minisplit-1st-Floor.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minisplit 1st floor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyg2qnZXUtODHqvu0iz6vCRdQfx5a8k3TdttFdAFnbOADFue5fFLamZqHEefMr1b8MpOj33SLBpIlYhmYrPNHYgxTYnKiXJf0chnJE8pkK-9qNkuxLIZc2PZx172Ko9MbVNILKsaptNiY/s1600/Office-1st-Floor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyg2qnZXUtODHqvu0iz6vCRdQfx5a8k3TdttFdAFnbOADFue5fFLamZqHEefMr1b8MpOj33SLBpIlYhmYrPNHYgxTYnKiXJf0chnJE8pkK-9qNkuxLIZc2PZx172Ko9MbVNILKsaptNiY/s320/Office-1st-Floor.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Office 1st floor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcx8B6hIUfc2MrmZARdOa-m_uxl8F3iKdL2nbeZtRaA6mVgHdEMe4Zk4g1xQUM3LYPZTEdoCTTrI1Vv9WexUwaBc49s4ZaqZY4R5muE4sSef2pTqhuu-gkcIIfs30SvXYwr5lv0_HFScg/s1600/pet-room-basement.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcx8B6hIUfc2MrmZARdOa-m_uxl8F3iKdL2nbeZtRaA6mVgHdEMe4Zk4g1xQUM3LYPZTEdoCTTrI1Vv9WexUwaBc49s4ZaqZY4R5muE4sSef2pTqhuu-gkcIIfs30SvXYwr5lv0_HFScg/s320/pet-room-basement.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basement pet room & pet shower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXehUji2YTkC3UHOdUumE42-RHLqjoIWy3trgDPXI4aDIlivhdzUkHATM6JkTkKQLB6g5VU2lPkeQ8sXI7GSROOpPrVy4675cDbEcSI0REXDGFIaDNv4nIdR-Z6RmIZK3LoIw6szhHMI/s1600/powder-room-foyer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-58772170971113109932014-02-28T10:12:00.000-05:002014-02-28T10:30:26.084-05:00Improving Passive House (Passivhaus) Temperature PerformanceHaving taken the steps of cleaning both mini splits and the ERVs, identifying appliances of high phantom loads, temperature variances at the intake side of both mini-splits, one mystery remained to be solved: how to figure out a way to extract the greatest efficiency of the mini-splits as we could as we believed our placement was compromising their performance.<br />
<br />
I could not understand how a house could maintain an interior temperature of 62F (at its lowest point) when we experienced an extended power outage that lasted 36 hours which spanned two evenings of temperatures in the single digits. Nor could I understand how the home's interior temperatures could rise to as high as 75F in certain rooms when sunny outside regardless of the outside temperature and yet we struggled to raise the temperatures about 72F when the minis were operating. .<br />
<br />
Since we already determined a connection between our Stiebel Eltron heat-pump water heater and the mini-split located in the basement, I decided to install some foam material--that we had used for insulating our basement slab-- between the floor joists located in the ceiling directly above the mini-split. The hope was that by preventing the cooler air in the mechanical room from supplying the intake of the mini-split, its temperature sensor would be more accurate than before and hence the heating performance would be more accurate and eliminate the need for installing a remote thermostat.<br />
<br />
I am pleased to report that this effort was successful. The temperature setting of the basement mini-split is now more inline with the actual temperature of the entire basement. Furthermore, no longer does the mini-split kick on whenever the Accelera's heat-pump engage.<br />
<br />
Having corrected the basement, the next area that we needed to address was the family room mini-split. This one was especially important because this was the unit that provided heating for the 1st and 2nd floors. The solution turned out to be very simple. What we did was create essentially a vent that connected the closet area of the 1st floor master bedroom--an area located directly behind the curved staircase leading up from the foyer to the 2nd floor bridge. The temperature of the air there is more along the lines of the temperature of the rest of the house.<br />
<br />
I cut a small rectangular area into the drywall of about one inch in height and as long just above the intake of the family room mini-split. I was thrilled to find the the supply temperatures of the air that were now being supplied dropped to within 2F (down from 12F) and set temps are much closer now to actual rooms temps.<br />
<br />
I also determined that the apparent COP increased from a low of about 1.85 to approximately 2.45 at a given outside and interior temperature. The reason for this was the mini-split was no longer being asked to raise the temperature from 82F but a more realistic 68F. Looking at the performance chart of the Fujitsu RLS2s it is clear that heat production, in terms of BTUs, noticeably drops as the interior temperatures rise and hence heating efficiency as well.<br />
<br />
At a low last night (Feb 16th, 2014) of about 18F (very nearly at the temperatures used for determining heat-loads) throughout the night and a high of 24F with overcast conditions, the day earlier, the observed improvements have been dramatic. No longer are the temps falling to 66-67 in the family room through the night regardless of the mini-split temperature settings. Family room set temperature was 70F.<br />
<br />
Following are the temperature profiles of the rooms taken at 7.00-7.30 with an outside temperature of 18F at the time of readings.<br />
<br />
Family room set temp: 70F<br />
Average nightly usage: 1400 watts<br />
<i><br />Master bathrom (1st floor): 69.2/48%<br />Master bedroom (1st floor): 69.4/48</i>%<br />
<i>Family Room: 71.7/45%<br />Kitchen: 70.8/45%<br />Laundry: 69.4/47%<br />Bird Room: 69.0/47%<br />Dining Room: 70.5/48%<br />Study: 70.1/46%<br />Bridge: 71.9/44%<br />Master bedroom (2nd floor): 70.8/47%<br />Master bathroom (2nd floor, south facing): 68.3/49%<br />Back bedroom (2nd floor, north facing): 68.9/47%<br />Front bedroom (2nd floor, south facing): 69.6/48%<br />Shared bathroom (door closed): 68.9/50%<br /> </i><br />
Basement mini set temp: 66F<br />
Nightly usage: ~700 watts continuously<br />
<br />
<i>Basement: 68.0/39%<br />Mechanical Room: 67.8/42%<br />Pet room 67.1/41%<br />Bar Room: 67.6/41%<br />Movie Theatre Room: 68.0/42%</i><br />
Total average about 2.2kw between both units.<br />
<br />
<b>CALCULATIONS</b><br />
<br />
Family Room:<br />
<br />
According to Fujitsu, electric consumption of 2000 watts results in approximately 17,000 BTU/hr at a COP of 2.49 (improved over 1.8 historically) at the temperature conditions experienced.<br />
<br />
Therefore, at about 1400-1500 watts this equates to about 12,300 BTU/hr or 12,000 BTUs--its nominal heat production rating.<br />
<br />
Basement:<br />
<br />
Electric consumption of 700 watts equates to about 6,000 BTU/hr.<br />
<br />
Consequently at about 18,300 BTU/hr production to maintain or slightly raise temperatures throughout night suggests a heat-load of about 2.8 (per square foot). Our PHPP modeling predicted a similar number, which goes to show how accurate and thorough the PHPP modeling software is.<br />
<br />
These results also suggest that we actually did have the heating capacity to handle the entire conditioned interior space (TFA: 6600SF) with only one mini-split (even with the heat-pump DHWH robbing some interior heat from us). All we need to do is take install a blown ducting connection between the first floor and the basement (which could be reversed during the summer months), which is our next project to undertake.<br />
<br />
The observed results also suggest that room-to-room temperature variation has noticeably improved and we do not appear to need the supplemental heating coils installed in the ERV supply ducts as we had believed we may.<br />
<br />
I am kicking myself for having not discovered our design "flaw" earlier as we have now been through two summer and winter seasons. Perhaps had it not been for the fact that this winter has been the coldest one in thirty years and one that has given us plenty of days and evenings below the design temperatures of our climate, we may not have caught this. Without question, eMonitor (now called Sitesage) has played an integral part in assisting us in our resolution.First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-60228016673248766642014-02-18T18:16:00.001-05:002014-03-05T08:43:13.522-05:00Passive House Electricity Consumption: Reducing Electric Use<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnz4BumrQck8gxXIAW77gSvyirrtg_TsHIezg9EBntl1WZhKU42sXaunRj9jIvDLKnl4_f7NuCDK70QYnTS5QrdmeOu3l93HKGwaYcyso2I1dwzvAbCAlT-X1BQfmDptC4gmLG__ER3A4/s1600/base-electric-draw-passive-house-revised.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnz4BumrQck8gxXIAW77gSvyirrtg_TsHIezg9EBntl1WZhKU42sXaunRj9jIvDLKnl4_f7NuCDK70QYnTS5QrdmeOu3l93HKGwaYcyso2I1dwzvAbCAlT-X1BQfmDptC4gmLG__ER3A4/s1600/base-electric-draw-passive-house-revised.png" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Current Electric Consumption</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I am pleased to report that I have solved some of the issues that I have been experiencing of late during this especially cold winter season. <br />
<br />
In a <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2014/01/achieving-and-maintaining-optimum.html" target="_blank">previous article</a>, I had indicated that I had received a higher than expected electric bill for the month of December. As a result of this, I began to investigate where and what I needed to address to bring future bills more into line with what I was expecting.<br />
<br />
To summarize, I undertook several corrective actions:<br />
<br />
1) Cleaned both <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/01/passive-house-ventilation-and-heat.html" target="_blank">Zehnder ERVs</a> to return their efficiencies in heat exchange to specified levels. By cleaning thoroughly cleaning the enthalpy unit and the filters the temperature deltas between the supply and return were significantly improved.<br />
<br />
2) Cleaned both mini-splits' filters and condenser units--that were absolutely cruddy--with a vacuum cleaner, toothbrush, and some water misting.<br />
<br />
Both of these steps made substantial improvements to performance and in the case of the mini-splits the high level of work they had to do (energy consumed) to do very little was rectified. They are now running using significantly less energy on average, producing better air flows, and are providing more consistent temperature performance at a higher COP.<br />
<br />
These experiences have taught me that it is extremely important to perform routine checks and cleaning (when merited) to ensure tip-top performance .<br />
<br />
Also in the case of the <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/01/heating-and-cooling-with-ductless-mini.html" target="_blank">mini-splits</a>, I experienced on one occasion a loss of some coolant early on. Speaking with someone who installs these, I learned that this occurrence isn't entirely uncommon. Furthermore, the mini-split in the family room (providing heat to the majority of the house--1st and 2nd floors) needs a replacement fan blade. It is partially broken which is probably hurting heating and cooling efficiency somewhat.<br />
<br />
Both of these remaining issues will be resolved when my HVAC contractor comes out to service them. I would suggest that owners of minisplits routinely have their units checked. I understand that the fan blades can often pick-up "crud" from accumulated dust and debris coupled with some moisture. If the condenser, blades, and/or the condensate lines get gunky or clogged things can go sideways. Take my advise and have them checked routinely (perhaps as frequently as twice a year).<br />
<br />
Our <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2014/02/emonitor-passivhaus-passive-house-whole.html" target="_blank">eMonitor (now called SiteSage)</a> system is continuing to prove its worth to me. Using it, I have been able to confirm some of the problems mentioned above by their impact upon energy consumption.<br />
<br />
I have since unplugged a wine cooler because it was a electricity hog, consuming about $24 per month alone in electric, placed some electronics on separate power switches, and identified three appliances consuming relatively high levels of phantom power--both Fujitsu mini splits and the Grundfos well-pump. Between them they are consuming about 350 watts of electric continuously. I will be looking at inserting a water pressure switch to cut-off electric to the pump controller when not in use and am considering manual toggle switches of some sort to cut the power to both minis when they won't be needed.<br />
<br />
The minimum draws I have been seeing or about 620 watts. Losing another 330 would get me below 300 watts nominal draw for the whole house--amounting to about a 50% reduction over current levels. That amounts to up to another $20-$40 month of reduction in electric costs, potentially.<br />
<br />
I can't stress enough how important it is to research the phantom loads of any electronics that you incorporate into your project. While the <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/02/passive-house-high-efficiency-well.html" target="_blank">Grundfos well-pump</a> is certainly efficient when it runs, the overall efficiency is reduced because of such high levels of standby power consumption. Speaking to Grundfos technicians, they themselves were not entirely knowledgeable of this fact and as such have taken my feedback to hopefully affect some changes. In the meantime, I am on my own to come up with a solution. The newer Fujitsu RLS2hs I understand have even a higher level of standby power consumption than our RLS2 models. I am pleased to report that our <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/02/kitchen-appliances-form-follows.html" target="_blank">Miele kitchen appliances</a> are good stewards as is the <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/01/heat-pump-hot-water-heaters-stiebel.html" target="_blank">Stiebel Eltron Accelera heat-pump hot water heater</a>. The Zehnder ERVs are also incredibly small consumers of electricity when running.<br />
<br />
The next area of tweaking has positively affected the <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2014/02/improving-passive-house-passivhaus.html" target="_blank">temperature performance</a> and overall comfort levels in the home. I will be covering this in my next article. <br />
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<br />First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-235957466876529862014-02-03T19:06:00.001-05:002014-02-04T09:53:38.709-05:00eMonitor: Passivhaus (Passive House) Whole House Electric Energy Monitoring System<b>eMonitoring the Heartbeat of a Passivhaus/Passive House</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9lI1zY_cVvynKZqZSF58CwjVjguYI9310t0K3xn7r3AIGrS_eHJMXlwwQeAX91Agt8Ubj-VQzxGhA2f7DXxv3Evf8-0fuXwc1kOTy6H_7jMhlJNWrhvjDpb5V7GKdMiklT3P1qEdMQU/s1600/emonitor-power-consumption-refrigerator-over-time.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9lI1zY_cVvynKZqZSF58CwjVjguYI9310t0K3xn7r3AIGrS_eHJMXlwwQeAX91Agt8Ubj-VQzxGhA2f7DXxv3Evf8-0fuXwc1kOTy6H_7jMhlJNWrhvjDpb5V7GKdMiklT3P1qEdMQU/s1600/emonitor-power-consumption-refrigerator-over-time.png" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>eMonitoring refrigerator power consumption over time</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ever since I saw a presentation at the PHIUS convention in Maryland some years back, I had considered implementing a whole house energy monitoring
system for our home as I am a stickler for obtaining real-world
performance data regardless of projects I work on. But the events of the last six weeks--as documented in the of the previous three part series of articles--have prompted me to implement a comprehensive whole house energy/electric monitoring system.<br />
<br />
I opted for <a href="http://www.powerhousedynamics.com/residential-energy-efficiency/" target="_blank">Powerhouse Dynamics eMonitor</a>. They are not inexpensive and require a minimum of a two-year "cloud-based" monitoring contract, but I believe this system will more than pay for itself. You are able to run an extensive amount of reporting of the data which is "continuously" collected. You can even use your smartphone to access the data real-time as there are apps for both the iPhone and Android systems.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Su00XM441yjBWj9gekc0OqozXYI09Ojl7xzL2z3-_KsHEeZz5f1dzZqxw2SSEiOxSENxig9_OeGqgx9S94jikuzmUKS3vEasAZaZKOEItaiygMu2nZqtA0NzN1V_wB4kNDMCiHkJk3E/s1600/emonitor-iphone-app.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Su00XM441yjBWj9gekc0OqozXYI09Ojl7xzL2z3-_KsHEeZz5f1dzZqxw2SSEiOxSENxig9_OeGqgx9S94jikuzmUKS3vEasAZaZKOEItaiygMu2nZqtA0NzN1V_wB4kNDMCiHkJk3E/s1600/emonitor-iphone-app.png" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quick snapshot of the top five consumers of electricity</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The older system (which I purchased) is the eMonitor24 24 circuit CT monitoring system. Unlike the newer eMonitor4-24, the eMonitor24 requires direct CT clamping via a wired connection to the base control unit, meaning the panels have to be exposed. This isn't a problem in our case as they are isolated in the mechanical room.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0o1Wz82rJvDPKQTaOUbVWq1xyMvkCDsaEke2OIU9IDOv079yIdS72__nrRnDCCtg1O7eY1kgT4-1hRyzs-zXfE7MtaN5XJXR6a1NsGu_45wj9JNpjMu2AkrkUzknFHNmrTEHu4Bn8SNc/s1600/emonitor24-connection-electric-panels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0o1Wz82rJvDPKQTaOUbVWq1xyMvkCDsaEke2OIU9IDOv079yIdS72__nrRnDCCtg1O7eY1kgT4-1hRyzs-zXfE7MtaN5XJXR6a1NsGu_45wj9JNpjMu2AkrkUzknFHNmrTEHu4Bn8SNc/s1600/emonitor24-connection-electric-panels.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">eMonitor base control module and CT clamps</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I didn't even need to read the manual as installation and configuration was a snap. Once the control module is connected to your network via its ethernet connnection, it quickly phones home and downloads any software updates required. Configuration takes place on the <a href="https://www.emonitor.us/" target="_blank">Powerhouse Dynamics web portal</a>. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_5vOC0WaQTTrKz4TdtRLItBtDssVaDw6HaV-Bsmr0u8Ca23j-IJcI2NSPyf5bqwbulyoRtTzQgjT01NsAwEd7MRL42AtUer4q213PPBVAcaBteVh8S6ce5R379e7PmNGsGaWds8psCI/s1600/eMonitor24-base-unit-software-update.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_5vOC0WaQTTrKz4TdtRLItBtDssVaDw6HaV-Bsmr0u8Ca23j-IJcI2NSPyf5bqwbulyoRtTzQgjT01NsAwEd7MRL42AtUer4q213PPBVAcaBteVh8S6ce5R379e7PmNGsGaWds8psCI/s1600/eMonitor24-base-unit-software-update.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>eMonitor phoning home to retrieve software updates automatically</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Already I have found some pigs of energy usage (some of which I already suspected) and unnecessary phantom/vampire loads. As you can see in the below image, the wine cooler is continually sucking 200+ watts (it doesn't appear that the compressor is shutting off). That's costing me nearly nearly $24 a month in electric, alone. I have since pulled the plug and will be looking for a more energy efficient appliance. <i>(Note: You'll also notice some spikes in electric exceeding 1000 watts. That's because our plumbed super-automatic <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/02/kitchen-appliances-form-follows.html" target="_blank">Miele Espresso maker</a> also shares the circuit.)</i><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1O6Fr0rfbkUh6lYhPulCYMo-U3wtl83-sFFDpxAiw4waLyrCtWEfhWF3F78Q6lGJ819optGGHO5rOKAnLVWvKICCD971TrZ4V_o85kwZcYfic3jQVau54MzqfamHdB0bDFa_s5sH_tqo/s1600/emonitor-wine-cooler.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1O6Fr0rfbkUh6lYhPulCYMo-U3wtl83-sFFDpxAiw4waLyrCtWEfhWF3F78Q6lGJ819optGGHO5rOKAnLVWvKICCD971TrZ4V_o85kwZcYfic3jQVau54MzqfamHdB0bDFa_s5sH_tqo/s1600/emonitor-wine-cooler.png" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>eMonitoring Wine Cooler: $0.78/day or $23/month</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Without eMonitor, I was only able to take brief snapshots of electric usage with an amp clamp. With eMonitor I am able to get a two dimensional picture over time (just like an EKG). I absolutely love it. eMonitor enables me to observe patterns of compressor operation for the refrigerators, the mini-splits, and the heat-pump hot water heater. The system can also be configured to alert you to particular set conditions--for example, a power failure (through loss of connectivity). <br />
<br />
I also found the our refrigerator as configured was using a more power than what was otherwise suggested on its EnergyStar label. Granted it is the largest side-by-side shipping and we programmed the coldest freezer set temperature, but we were a bit surprised to see its impact on consumption. We have since tailored back the temperature to a more reasonable -18C for the freezer and +1C for the refrigerator. We feel getting the extended storage capacity of food with colder freezer temperatures are worth the trade off. We have already seen a modest reduction of compressor operation.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7YG-cwP7-jSQJZoIlWvsvwGOCq0GHptt3MGZbsOVEIAZM7LChZ6DUyO4DygPlejTrBmdhD3Ihnvpm3uedYZ9Rp8Uwm0gm_2q7RvToNjJAESVEOSrgq4oYOWR_d9JRfgstvAMin8eKoc/s1600/samsung-side-by-side-refrigerator-temperature-settings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7YG-cwP7-jSQJZoIlWvsvwGOCq0GHptt3MGZbsOVEIAZM7LChZ6DUyO4DygPlejTrBmdhD3Ihnvpm3uedYZ9Rp8Uwm0gm_2q7RvToNjJAESVEOSrgq4oYOWR_d9JRfgstvAMin8eKoc/s1600/samsung-side-by-side-refrigerator-temperature-settings.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Using coldest temperatures comes at a cost and blows the EnergyStar estimates out of the water</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As stated in my previous article, it helped me identify a configuration shortcoming with the placement of the mini-split in the basement in the proximity of the hot water heater. And now that the minis have been cleaned and are operating more closely to what they should, their power consumption has been largely tamed.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCH-5R55AjtdPdAAOvWXjDCLj4NyCpVHQv1umEh-r6UaE7xWSE1mmO4gR4VMmOKJx7NPIRWi-UWs-CPMjpMrbUdvRxD46x9dcwdW7kbuQttyzXaL7KDiX46K22TtfHd9Ff5mOYwT6HfY/s1600/emonitor-fujitsu-9rls2-month-to-date-monthly-estimate-cost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCH-5R55AjtdPdAAOvWXjDCLj4NyCpVHQv1umEh-r6UaE7xWSE1mmO4gR4VMmOKJx7NPIRWi-UWs-CPMjpMrbUdvRxD46x9dcwdW7kbuQttyzXaL7KDiX46K22TtfHd9Ff5mOYwT6HfY/s1600/emonitor-fujitsu-9rls2-month-to-date-monthly-estimate-cost.jpg" height="396" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Estimated Monthly Cost of Family Room Mini Split: A Wonderful $28 for February ($0.154/kWh)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Over time, I will be able to get a handle on how the house is actually performing relative to the design goals expressed in the PHPP model and coupled with a whole house room to room temperature monitoring system, I should be able to get a complete handle around our real-world energy consumption.<br />
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If we ever decide to incorporate an active grid-tie photovoltaic system, I should be able to now accurately size one according to our actual power consumption requirements. I will publish more data as I collect sufficient amounts.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUYq_geZEyHoLnFsk8R6r9W3ZcNSQh0FovB3lZajs5JgjVk4R3rfCEGWqLtVEMJ_ukZy8lRf8DUivUOEDOc8hoe7qOWXHRIWrjtghFRiEuOlUN9TlHazWGSBROu6o926DxZdEEMDD0WM/s1600/emonitor-power-consumed-over-period.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUYq_geZEyHoLnFsk8R6r9W3ZcNSQh0FovB3lZajs5JgjVk4R3rfCEGWqLtVEMJ_ukZy8lRf8DUivUOEDOc8hoe7qOWXHRIWrjtghFRiEuOlUN9TlHazWGSBROu6o926DxZdEEMDD0WM/s1600/emonitor-power-consumed-over-period.png" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>eMonitoring usage from Jan 31st, 2014 - Feb 3rd, 2014</i> of circuits</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have found the eMonitor system a thoroughly well-sorted out and refined whole-house energy monitoring system. Every home owner, builder, retrofitter of super energy efficient buildings such as a Passivhaus (Passive House), should include one in their arsenal of tools. It is a wonderful feedback mechanism to your actual accomplishments and can also point to areas where you can improve/tweak your designs. It is one heck of a teaching tool and it enables you to effectively manage an track your overall energy consumption before you get the bill from the utility company.<br />
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<br />First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-62395423112858641982014-02-03T17:10:00.003-05:002014-02-03T17:27:30.422-05:00Part III: Importance of Mini-Split Placement for Whole House Heating and Air Conditioning<b>Current Configuration Short Comings of our Two Minisplits Requiring Remediation</b><br />
<br />
While Lisa and I made a bunch of progress improving the temperature performance of our home, one final mystery remained.<br />
<br />
When the ERVs and mini-splits were properly cleaned the interior
temperatures quickly recovered but once we reached an increase in about four to five
degrees, we found it became increasingly difficult to raise temperatures further. For some reason it appeared that we struggled with raising the temperature of the family room in the evening beyond 70-72F and I was at a loss
to understand why. With potentially 16,000Btu on hand (with these outside temperatures) with two units, I couldn't understand how they could
so effective at quickly increasing the temperature from 66F to 71F and yet
they couldn't seem to raise the temperatures further even after an extended
amount of time having the minis set to 76F.<br />
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Sure we were experiencing some stratification in our open two story family room and foyer (ceiling fan was not on) and our 2nd floor tended to be warmer as a consequence, but I was still at a loss to explain what was going on. <br />
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Speaking with Jason Morosko of <a href="http://www.ultimateair.com/" target="_blank">UltimateAir</a> he did some quick calculations of how many more BTUs--than we were generating--that we would need to raise the temperature of the house taking into account the heat loss of the ventilation system at a given flow (air exchange rate). It appeared that all we needed was an additional 3600 BTUs to do the trick during these super cold nights (of -1F). But 3600 BTUs over what exactly? How much production were we actually producing? Between both units I figured we had a total capacity of about 32K BTUs given these outside conditions. Which would mean we would need a total of about 36K BTUs, but that was assuming these units were always running at maximum capacity (which they were not).<br />
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Upon measuring their energy consumption, it appears that their nominal power consumption is about 585 watts each or about 2.7A at 240v. Assuming a COP of about 1.85 at these low outside temperatures that would mean that each was producing about 3900 or a total of 7800 BTUs combined. Surely we had another 3600 BTU potential between both of them without then need for yet another unit.<br />
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Yet even if we cranked the set temperature to 80F the family room would not get beyond 71.9F. Something was up. But what was it? After some serious head scratching and a couple of discussions with our Fujitsu installer, John, the potential answer became clear. John had suggested that we take a temperature reading on the high side of the unit, the intake side, to measure the temperature. I knew there was some temperature stratification going on (on the 2nd floor), but I wasn't expecting anything at eight feet off the floor. Well was I wrong. As it turned out we measured temperature differences as high as 12F or more above the unit!<br />
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I didn't realize how serious this situation could be until I had the mini-split set to AUTO instead of its heating/cooling/dry function. By happenstance one evening before I was going to bed, I turned the temperature down a couple of degrees C (about 4F). About 10 minutes later I walked by the unit on the way to the bedroom and was surprised to feel "cool" air blowing out of the unit. It occurred to me that the unit actually was going into air conditioning mode! Clearly this was a mistake on my part. Here I was expecting the unit to go in standby monitor mode, but instead it went to cooling mode to lower the temperature. Clearly during the Winter season, the minis should be on HEATING mode only. That was my first lesson.<br />
<br />
The second lesson came from the temperature monitoring of the intake side of the minis. I finally realized that the overhang of the bridge and the nature of its ceiling (recessed as it is) was acting as a trapping mechanism for the heated air that was blowing out of the unit! This is why the unit peaked and stopped heating even with high set temps. We measured air with temperatures in excess of 82F that was being trapped. This could also be accounting for the seesawing or the rapid cycling ramping up and ramping down of the minis. This hurts power consumption because when the units ramp up, they ramp up with a lot of power before settling down to their nominal operating range.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5F3ntcBjviZnN_wsBiL8vDqHOKZ7oFVPQOHIlrUb7zY__jDBX3VD9yHZZ0mI0qKpgeoX8vkrqLXtOIpQJ3j34_XN4q70sFRe4UKUBUs_J1VpAzFGwOg1Bu_dh64nziPO1G7ubbZgQ14/s1600/fujitsu-rls92-mounted-close-low-over-hang.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5F3ntcBjviZnN_wsBiL8vDqHOKZ7oFVPQOHIlrUb7zY__jDBX3VD9yHZZ0mI0qKpgeoX8vkrqLXtOIpQJ3j34_XN4q70sFRe4UKUBUs_J1VpAzFGwOg1Bu_dh64nziPO1G7ubbZgQ14/s1600/fujitsu-rls92-mounted-close-low-over-hang.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fujitsu 9RLS2 mounted in a "pocket" close to bridge overhang</i> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Delving deep into the technical manuals we come across a temperature correction function setting for both cooling and heating modes. While not documented well the Fujitsu minis have the ability to have their temperature readings altered. The programming functions to do so are FUNCTIONs 30 and 31. Each function has four values.<br />
<br />
<i>Cooling Mode (FUNCTION 30): </i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Value 1: 00 - No correction (default)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Value 2: 01 - Slightly cooler correction -4F than indicated</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Value 3: 02 - Cooler correction -8F than indicated</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Value 4: 03 - Slightly Warmer correction +4F than indicated </i></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><i>Heating Mode (FUNCTION 31): </i></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Value 1: 00 - No correction (default)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Value 2: 01 - Slightly cooler correction -4F than indicated</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Value 3: 02 - Slightly warmer correction +4F than indicated</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Value 4: 03 - Warmer correction +8F than indicated </i></span><br />
<br />
At a setting of 02 for FUNCTION 31 this would mean that the unit would allow for a temperature of 76F measured before ceasing heating with a room set temperature of 72F. In our case the temperature deltas have been as high as 12F.<br />
<br />
This really limits are ability to use this feature. The better option for us is to install a wired thermometer and control panel somewhere in the room away from the overhang. This is our next step.<br />
<br />
In the basement, the opposite situation was going on. The basement mini split was mounted high to our ceiling on the wall adjacent to the mechanical room. Once again I was befuddled with another mystery. The room was consistently warmer than the set points of the mini. I couldn't understand why the 9RLS2 would continue to heat when the room was quite a bit warmer than its set point.<br />
<br />
I didn't figure this out until last night with the help of a Powerhouse Dynamics eMonitor24 whole house energy monitoring system (more on this in a future article). Just before the Super Bowl, I took a shower. As I began watching the game, I took a quick look on my iPhone's eMonitor app. What I noticed was as the Stiebel Eltron heat-pump hot water heater was running, so was the mini split at maximum power. How could this be?<br />
<br />
The room was at its set point temperature and yet the unit is cranking out the BTUs. Looking at both power charts--those of the DHWH and the basement mini--I saw the correlation. As the Accelera 300 was running, it was cooling the mechanical room by as much as four degrees. The problem was that the location of the mini-split put its intake on directly on the other side of the wall and sure enough I discovered the intake temperature was being artificially lowered as the hot water tank's heat pump was blowing cooled air from its exhaust towards the wall that where the mini split's intake and thermostat was located. In fact it is appearing, every time the hot water kicks on, so eventually does the mini split. Once again a correction needs to be made with the installation of a remote thermostat and control panel.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMS6BQZj0va_6_OgY2oegf26SmvFvkHGhYtA5M4wG9smp48sbom5WZg9BkIFatzqnhjvS0aAXfN_D6X0SQmrEEtFKLk-z4zYYcIy-H40JPqCTxZNCnE6ERm1BiW1Bcaei4UK3mTIisD50/s1600/fujitsu-9rls2-mounted-close-heat-pump-hot-water-heater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMS6BQZj0va_6_OgY2oegf26SmvFvkHGhYtA5M4wG9smp48sbom5WZg9BkIFatzqnhjvS0aAXfN_D6X0SQmrEEtFKLk-z4zYYcIy-H40JPqCTxZNCnE6ERm1BiW1Bcaei4UK3mTIisD50/s1600/fujitsu-9rls2-mounted-close-heat-pump-hot-water-heater.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fujitsu 9RLS2 located high on the wall adjacent to mech room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzr-ARZolYJiYLh3rvwTP-RqYHMy6DK3IGro6bIjrTeG2mH4N4zoWx5KClUvTVm-8xip8NWSuwxUz6-SWe_jTltp4TohpoqMpDwyLSXrqOv1AqcIaUc4wU6cm_QhxEAMdrsED1kmm-pY/s1600/stiebel-eltron-accelera-300-blowing-cooled-air-towards-mini-split.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzr-ARZolYJiYLh3rvwTP-RqYHMy6DK3IGro6bIjrTeG2mH4N4zoWx5KClUvTVm-8xip8NWSuwxUz6-SWe_jTltp4TohpoqMpDwyLSXrqOv1AqcIaUc4wU6cm_QhxEAMdrsED1kmm-pY/s1600/stiebel-eltron-accelera-300-blowing-cooled-air-towards-mini-split.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stiebel Eltron Accelera 300 Exhausting Cooled Air Toward Min Split</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7NAJ7ytiuXGV4qs1rgWCVDpzuSvnlY9XvfBEZ5mmwceE66Mq8lFZgrmDtqHV9K7uJ-yBe7Vt5ApQolcDWwQLdyB3VpB_YuadwXiodLty7C7kzOMOF1w75xaW4Uqlcx7ZSejGWHgN4NKw/s1600/set-temperature-disparity-to-actual-room-temperature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7NAJ7ytiuXGV4qs1rgWCVDpzuSvnlY9XvfBEZ5mmwceE66Mq8lFZgrmDtqHV9K7uJ-yBe7Vt5ApQolcDWwQLdyB3VpB_YuadwXiodLty7C7kzOMOF1w75xaW4Uqlcx7ZSejGWHgN4NKw/s1600/set-temperature-disparity-to-actual-room-temperature.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Current room temperature in excess of 69F while set temp is 64F</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Remediation Solution</b><br />
<br />
So there you have it. While I may have made some poor choices in location of our mini-splits (in part for the aesthetic value), I would recommend that any builder/designer of an energy efficient home--be they Passivhaus, LEED, or Builders Challenge--that plans on using ductless mini splits choose their locations carefully and install a remote located controlling thermostat.First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-54678482383374842462014-02-03T11:56:00.003-05:002014-02-03T12:28:03.098-05:00Part II: Importance of Maintenance and Upkeep for Maintaining Optimum Passive House Temperature Performance and Minimal Electricity Consumption<b>Maintaining Peak Mini-Split Heating and Cooling Efficiency</b><br />
<b> </b> <br />
Having made some substantial improvements to our ventilation system we looked to our heating system. I had suspected that our Fujitsu 9RLS2 ductless mini-splits were not performing as they should and had initially been under the impression that there may have been something going on with our outside units, but instead what I found was something vastly more simple that was to blame.<br />
<br />
Just like I had been remiss with my upkeep of the ERVs, so it was with the mini splits. Opening the covers up, I was shocked to find that the filters were completely "clogged" with dust build up. I knew these things acted like vacuum cleaners for the air, but even I was floored when I saw how much these systems collected.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbA9crrT3o3tmd2HOZCWC5abHyTp0a4_hxINlTGRKZjZd3V8oqRFl2BRefKP2mKS8INQCBLG8neVc32_SXw_13KpZSODe6tQUCN-fnk2h1AJnB04fcEZy92gwBnxgyMZflXT38E-Q6Y8/s1600/Clogged-Filters-Mini-Split.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbA9crrT3o3tmd2HOZCWC5abHyTp0a4_hxINlTGRKZjZd3V8oqRFl2BRefKP2mKS8INQCBLG8neVc32_SXw_13KpZSODe6tQUCN-fnk2h1AJnB04fcEZy92gwBnxgyMZflXT38E-Q6Y8/s1600/Clogged-Filters-Mini-Split.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dirt Filters Kill Mini-Split Heating and Cooling Performance</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was no wonder then why these units were performing so poorly, both with their heat output and with their air flow. Here I was believing that I would need additional supplemental heat either by adding another mini-split (costly), an ERV post heating system (somewhat costly), or a number of space heaters (inexpensive) when all I really needed to do was to do some simply housecleaning maintenance of my minis! I felt like an idiot that I didn't think to look at this possibility earlier.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvQuqGrFEFxA4fAKC9N2Sequ2NfskS4uhnFIU_xnVx4ibVdEiYgbH8eRpfpdC_ulzLGc06k_NRPPE6z33svafqUxfyV1J-LurgsahL413BS5fHnIm-mQ9TtVSEtPc1TyF3w-x0sACe7A/s1600/clogged-filter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvQuqGrFEFxA4fAKC9N2Sequ2NfskS4uhnFIU_xnVx4ibVdEiYgbH8eRpfpdC_ulzLGc06k_NRPPE6z33svafqUxfyV1J-LurgsahL413BS5fHnIm-mQ9TtVSEtPc1TyF3w-x0sACe7A/s1600/clogged-filter.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One dirty filter!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Filter cleaning is very simple. Once the replacement filters were put back in them supply temperatures returned to 120-130F and flow rates were way up. Within a couple of hours the temperatures of the house rose 3-4 degrees.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcuCcdwKIy3wa6aJIfUsgkxN1NGs7yqsisAm8MBmjdHKQXtQtODor_nBDxyh1U477QCLwY9z63j4K_CNRslGawd_o3f8ZXzl2tkbYvJJ_9Wm8zZNKxpggl2QV6LBIq46_Sc9VcJACkus/s1600/Mini-Split-Cleaning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcuCcdwKIy3wa6aJIfUsgkxN1NGs7yqsisAm8MBmjdHKQXtQtODor_nBDxyh1U477QCLwY9z63j4K_CNRslGawd_o3f8ZXzl2tkbYvJJ_9Wm8zZNKxpggl2QV6LBIq46_Sc9VcJACkus/s1600/Mini-Split-Cleaning.jpg" height="240" width="320" /><span id="goog_1827222117"></span><span id="goog_1827222118"></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Vacuuming the Condenser Unit with the Filters Removed</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here we were going through one of the coldest winters in recent memory and we weren't even bringing our A-game and our comfort and our wallet were paying the price. No longer were the minis cycling frequently nor consuming 1500-2000 watts for extended periods of time without giving us much in return.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijoKXXzzU3pdJ9eWwkhDgy1G6o1GsoqLNOJjmKsIC-spzRv8v_7xxYkdksYuC-N0OxKqYJQFOIr0SkHD2dJSsKBOzhJDpCc705FDqeysoiSCAx5YjHQq4NO86kxM9XSyZFcQxy5JkAo0/s1600/mini-split-crrent-draw.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijoKXXzzU3pdJ9eWwkhDgy1G6o1GsoqLNOJjmKsIC-spzRv8v_7xxYkdksYuC-N0OxKqYJQFOIr0SkHD2dJSsKBOzhJDpCc705FDqeysoiSCAx5YjHQq4NO86kxM9XSyZFcQxy5JkAo0/s1600/mini-split-crrent-draw.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Big power consumption, little heat output!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Beyond the cleaning of filters, I noticed the condensers also appeared pretty gunky. When these units were originally installed the home was still going through its finishing construction. While the dry wall had been up, painting and sanding was under way and our on-site custom built stair case and railing system had been underway. The amount of saw dust that was generated was staggering and even with the mini's filters in place plenty got past them.<br />
<br />
I decided to disassemble wall units and give them a thorough cleaning. I found a small toothbrush was every effective at cleaning the units along with spraying a blend of Clorox and water. Fujitsu told me that it was not uncommon for the blow unit to get a build up of gunk, but I was unsuccessful at getting to this component. I will leave that to my HVAC contractor. Perhaps leaving that to an annual checkup.<br />
<br />
Having completed my cleaning, I can say the units appear to be running much more efficiently and effectively. They may even be operating at a level where I actually do not need any supplemental heat at all, even with temperatures below our design thresholds.<br />
<br />
Both of these experiences have taught me the importance of system upkeep. Passive houses certainly can have less complex mechanical systems in place that need servicing, but the ones that are there clearly require constant attention to ensure they are operating at peak efficiencies. Having a house full of pets certainly adds to the dust factor and while the air is being "scrubbed" by the MHVR and the mini-splits, there is an increased stress on the filtering systems as a consequence.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-89614963217259632372014-02-03T11:11:00.000-05:002014-02-03T11:11:52.574-05:00Part I: Importance of Maintenance and Upkeep for Maintaining Optimum Passive House Temperature Performance and Minimal Electricity Consumption<b>Maintaining Peak ERV Efficiencies</b><br />
<br />
As I indicated in my previous post, December's electric bill was higher than we had expected. This Winter is proving to be especially cold and outside conditions have frequently exceeded our heat-load design parameters. We have a had a couple of days where our temperatures were below that of International Falls and more than a couple of days where we were below those of Nome, Alaska. This morning it was -1F. <br />
<br />
We also running a number of computer systems here 24x7x365. I recently got a Kill a Watt meter and have gone throughout the house identifying and eliminating unnecessary phantom loads from equipment left on that do not need to be. We have moved some of our entertainment equipment off to a power switch and have turned them off and we are being mindful of turning off the two laser printers that we have in our home office. <br />
<br />
Beyond the higher than expected December electric bill, we had been finding that we were experiencing some room-to-room temperature variances that were greater than expected and we also began questioning the performance of our two mini splits. Both units felt like they were working hard(er) but not really delivering the heat that we desired. I was beginning to believe that perhaps we had been experiencing a coolant drop in our heat pumps. Yes the COPs drop when temperatures get really low, but even at these super low evening temperatures, the Fujitsu RLS2s should have been producing a good amount of heat. What I instead was finding that when they were running, the supply temperatures were only in the 90s not the 120s or 130s. Clearly something was amiss and the temperatures in the house suffered as a consequence.<br />
<br />
On January 4th at 07.35 we took spot readings throughout the home.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">South Laundry Room: 65.3F/46%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">South Bird Room (Door Closed): 63.8F/48%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mud Room: 64.4F/48%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">East Kitchen: 65.3F/47%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">North Family Room: 66.3F/44%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">West/North Master Bed 1st Floor: 66.3F/46%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Master Bath 1st Floor: 66.2F/47%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">South Dining Room: 66.2F/43%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">South Study: 66.2F/43%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Powder Room 1st Floor: 66.2F/42%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">South Foyer: 66.5/43%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bridge: 69.8F/39% </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">West/North Master Bed 2nd Floor: 69.2F/40%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">West/South Master Bath 2nd Floor: 65.4F/45%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">North Facing Bedroom 2nd Floor: 64.2F/41%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">South Facing Bedroom 2nd Floor: 64.5F/43%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Basement: 66.5F/43%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Media/Movie Theatre Room (Basement): 66.5F/43%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mechanical Room (Door Closed with Stiebel Eltron DHWH): 66.2F/41F </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bar Room (Basement): 66.3F/42%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dog/Cat/Pet Laundry/Grooming Room (Basement): 65.6F/42%</span></i><br />
<br />
<br />
I first looked at both of our Zehnder ERVs and took temperature/humidity readings at each of the four ports of each. This is what I found.<br />
<br />
<b>Zehnder Novus 300 (Paul)</b><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Intake (EAT Supplied): 46.4F/38%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Exhaust: 51.2F/44%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Return: 66.7F/42%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Supply: 62.7F/41%</span></i><br />
<br />
<b>Zehnder Comfoair 200</b><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Intake (EAT Supplied): 48.9F/35%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Exhaust: 52.8F/31%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Return: 67.2F/43%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Supply: <span style="color: red;"><b>57.5F</b></span>/30%</span></i><br />
<br />
As you can see the <b><u>10 degree</u> temperature delta between the supply and return</b> temperatures of the Comfoair 200 was indicating something was awry and could be accounting for rooms of the house (supplied by it) that were noticeably "colder" than others, especially when their doors were closed.<br />
<br />
The very high heat-exchange efficiencies of the Zehnders (92-93%) should be allowing for a greater amount of heat recovery (temperature) between the supply and return. In the case of the C200 we were off <i>six additional</i> degrees than the Paul unit. <br />
<br />
Examining the duct connections, I found some areas where leaks were occurring which could account for some pressure imbalances. Using special duct tape, I sealed those areas. Next I examined the filters of each unit. Sure enough, they needed cleaning and with several of them, I outright replaced them with new ones. I then took off of the covers of each ERV and removed the enthalpy units. They were an absolute mess!<br />
<br />
I used a vacuum cleaner and a brush to clean them off thoroughly. I even sprayed a little bit of clorox and water blend onto the grills of each. Fortunately both Zehnders are easy to disassemble and clean.<br />
<br />
Once everything was back together and running I retook my measurements. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Zehnder Novus 300 (Paul)</b><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Return: 67.6F/44%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Supply: 63.1F/45%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Exhaust: 51.2F/47%</span></i><br />
<br />
<b>Zehnder Comfoair 200</b><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Return: 68.0F/43%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Supply: <span style="color: lime;"><b>63.6F</b></span>/42%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Exhaust: 52.8F/53%</span></i><br />
<br />
Clearly one can see that we got our expected efficiencies back, picking up more than six degrees on the supply side of the C200! <br />
<br />
Later in the day without any other changes we retook most of our readings through out the home:<br />
<br />
At 13.35<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">East/North Facing Bedroom 2nd Floor (Door Open): 69.6F/41%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">East/South Facing Bedroom 2nd Floor (Door Closed) 70.3F/38%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">East/South Facing Bedroom 2nd Floor (Door Open): 71.7F/38%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bridge (overlooking family room): 71.4F</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bridge (overlooking foyer): 73.1F</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">West/North Master Bedroom 2nd Floor: 71.2F/40%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">West/South Master Bath 2nd Floor: 72.3F/40%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">East "Shared" Bathroom: 71.0F/40%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">South Dining Room: 71.2F/39%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">South Study: 71.0F/39%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">North Family Room: 71.0F/39%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">West/North Master Bedroom 1st Floor: 69.4F/42%</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Powder Room 1st Floor: 69.8F/43%</span></i><br />
<br />
Beyond the heat gains of the morning and early afternoon sun, the temperature variances dropped from 5.7F pre-cleaning to 2.7F post-cleaning. Clearly not only did we improve our heat recovery performance from the ERVs (ie; retaining of heat during fresh/stale air exchange) we also reduced room-to-room temperature variances.<br />
<br />
It is easy to forget those trusty ERVs since they quietly just do their job, but our experiences absolutely underscore the importance of performing routine checks and cleaning of them.<br />
<br />
Next, we looked at our point-source ductless mini splits... First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-15958534570657970372014-01-21T14:25:00.001-05:002014-02-18T18:58:26.372-05:00Achieving and Maintaining Optimum Distributed Interior Temperatures in our Passive House (Passivhaus)Note: There is an <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2014/02/tweaking-passive-house-passivhaus.html" target="_blank">update</a> to this article.<br />
<br />
<br />
This is the second Winter season living in our passive house and although I have not been posting for a while, I have been measuring the real-world performance of the house during the course of the varying seasons and will be sharing our results in the coming months.<br />
<br />
This past summer we got away with needing very little active air conditioning. We used the two <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/01/heating-and-cooling-with-ductless-mini.html" target="_blank">Fujitsu mini-splits</a> primarily for dehumidification purposes when interior RHs approached 60% and our Zehnder ERVs attained equilibrium with the intake air provided by our <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2012/12/earth-tubes-heating-and-air.html" target="_blank">earth air tubes</a> during certain periods of very high outdoor humidity levels. Having windows which only have SHGC values ranging in the 0.40s seems to have reduced the propensity of over heating the interior that may otherwise occur with those having SHGCs of 0.60 or greater.<br />
<br />
The first two months of Winter have proved to be quite a bit colder and have been accompanied by much higher levels of precipitation than previous years. We have also been frequently experiencing outside temperatures below our heat-load design temperatures. These Artic air-blasts (vortexes) are continuing in the coming days. This morning it was -1<span class="st">°</span>F with a windchill factor of -14<span class="st">°</span>F.<br />
<br />
Last December's electric bill was higher than we had expected and I believe we are paying a price, in part, for the increased amount of glazings throughout (particularly on the North side). During the design phase, we decided to make a little bit of a trade off during the coldest three months of the year for the benefit of having spectacular views and a bright house that is naturally lit.<br />
<br />
It is not uncommon in this region of the country to have many days during the season where the sun doesn't shine which further hurts our performance since we do not benefit from the free solar heat gains that we would otherwise receive. During these periods of heavy overcast and shorter periods of daylight, our windows become net heat losers. Loewen windows are not a Passivhaus certified (or certifiable) in their present form.<br />
<br />
In the three years since we built this home, Passivhaus certified window availability has improved considerably in the U.S and with any new construction project we would likely be selecting another manufacturer who could provide triple-panes with U-values in the realm of 0.12-0.14.<br />
<br />
The extremely cold days and nights have pushed our design and have exposed areas that could be improved but have also underscored the importance of regular maintenance of our heating and ventilation equipment (more on this in the next article).<br />
<br />
When we originally designed our heating, air conditioning, and ventilation layout with Zehnder we opted for installing one Fujitsu 9RLS2 ductless mini-split in our family room and another one in our basement. The nominal heating output of these units are rated at 12,000 Btus/hr (at 43<span class="st">°</span>F) and can vary their output between 3000-22000 Btu/hr each. Given our heat load requirements of our climate we figured two units should be sufficient for 6600TFA.<br />
<br />
We had figured that the ERVs would essentially distribute the heating (or cooling) around the home from both of these point sources. We decided to go ductless as the SEER /EER ratings of the 9RLS2 were so impressive--ducted systems are not as efficient. It was suggested by Zehnder that these configurations of point sources coupled with MHVR ventilation to distribute the conditioned air were used successfully abroad. But since we are finding our supply air to be routinely 4<span class="st">°</span>F-4.5<span class="st">°</span>F cooler than the return air temperature in the winter this is not bearing out to be entirely true in our case.<br />
<br />
Perhaps it is a function of the sheer size of the house or its layout but when the doors are <i>closed</i> in the exterior rooms, the temperature deltas can range from 4<span class="st">°</span>F to nearly 8<span class="st">°</span>F (hotter or cooler) than the family room. When the doors are open to all of the rooms the temperature differences range a more amenable 0<span class="st">°</span>F-3<span class="st">°</span>F. We are also finding that we have to do is to essentially overdrive the unit in the family room to raise the temperatures a bit in the other areas because of these temperature imbalances when the doors are closed to the rooms. We are now considering some corrective action.<br />
<br />
One thought was we could have or should have created another ducting system for moving air around the house without going through the enthalpy exchange of the ERVs. This is something we can always add if it turns out that we can not devise a more simplified less invasive approach.<br />
<br />
Another thought was to install small DC fans within our transfers from room to room to assist in moving the air around the house. Yet another thought was to increase the supply rates (at any given setting of the ERVs) in the rooms farthest away from the center of the house.<br />
<br />
Our current thinking is to incorporate a small hydronic post heating system in the supplies of both of our ERVs effectively using our existing ducting system to provide increased levels of heating (or even reduced levels of cooling) throughout the home--depending upon the season.<br />
<br />
We are currently evaluating the feasibility of designing such a system around <a href="http://www.ultimateair.com/Portals/92089/docs/water-to-air%20coil%20instruct%209.6.13.pdf" target="_blank">UltimateAir hydronic post heaters/coolers</a> tied into our <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/01/heat-pump-hot-water-heaters-stiebel.html" target="_blank">Stiebel-Eltron DHW</a> system (robbing Peter to pay Paul, so to speak). We have calculated that we don't need much Btu capacity in either heating or cooling modes. The cost of such a system we expect to run us about $1000-$1500 installed. We are expecting to utilize a dual closed-loop system to circulate either heated or cold water through the "radiators" to do the job.<br />
<br />
I would like to hear from any others who have encountered similar situations and would like to hear of the success (or lack thereof) of any corrective actions.First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-88697297172807538762013-05-22T13:46:00.000-04:002013-05-22T16:05:30.655-04:00Passive House Humidity when ERV/HRV/MHVR Ventilation at Equilibrium<h1>
<span style="font-size: large;">Passive House Humidity when ERV/HRV/MHVR Ventilation at Equilibrium</span></h1>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngqWvc55NGmp5LoRErByocwDgxq-KZRkj20l0UCpuzrcYDtw9zu2TElkY7kISXq4zmurV-GOadg1nx2DaIQvOqyQZ706vAPGiliqTzGutgLdexC-6rLNLxPL42z8lHCq1fqvBbJkkC58/s1600/outdoor-spring-humidity-temperature-may.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngqWvc55NGmp5LoRErByocwDgxq-KZRkj20l0UCpuzrcYDtw9zu2TElkY7kISXq4zmurV-GOadg1nx2DaIQvOqyQZ706vAPGiliqTzGutgLdexC-6rLNLxPL42z8lHCq1fqvBbJkkC58/s400/outdoor-spring-humidity-temperature-may.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>High Temperature & Relative Humidity (Dew Point: 70F), Mid-Afternoon Late May 2013</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In a recent article, I documented our <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/05/indoor-relative-humidity-and-erv.html" target="_blank">passive house humidity profile</a> during elevated levels of outdoor humidity. Once again we find ourselves with a period of very high outdoor humidity levels. Dew points are at their highest so far this season at 70F/22C with an outdoor temperature hovering around low 81F/27C and a relative humidity around 70%. Dew points are expected to rise even further as the week progresses. That's oppressively humid, indeed.<br />
<br />
Fortunately for us, our <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2012/12/earth-tubes-heating-and-air.html" target="_blank">earth tubes</a> are providing temperatures ranging from 58.2F to 59.0 with relative humidity levels ranging from 89% to 88% respectively. This is reducing the dew points our ERVs are receiving down to 55F/13C-58F/14C, at zero operating cost!<br />
<br />
What this means is that our earth tubes are doing the heavy lifting in actual dehumidification. This is a good thing too, as once again we are finding that our ERVs are at equilibrium as it pertains to humidity transfer. In other words, there is no enthalpy exchange going on between the exhaust and intake air and, therefore, no reduction of incoming humidity from the ERV to our supply registers.<br />
<br />
As a consequence we are finding our indoor humidity (RH) levels to once again be tending towards 57-59% without active conditioning. Temperatures are just fine--peaking during the day to about 73F/23F.<br />
<br />
To lower our indoor humidity, we must now rely (for short periods of time) on our mini-split(s) for active air conditioning. Amazingly though we are using only one unit (located in our family room) to do the job. Within one hour of operation the temperature and relative humidity level has dropped to 70.4F/21C and 54%.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, the Fujitsu 9RLS2 is only consuming 2.46 amps at 240 volts (on cooling mode) and 1.1 amps at 240 volts (on dry mode) to do the work. That's fewer than 600 watts and 270 watts, respectively, at its peak consumption (remember it operates in a variable mode)! By my estimate this equates to an operating coefficient of performance (COP) of about 4.2 (very impressive for an air-to-air compressor!)--as good or better than a geothermal system when all components are taken into consideration.<br />
<br />
Contrary to conventional wisdom (which suggest high flow settings to lower indoor humidity) we set our ERVs to their lowest standard operating levels which equate to approximately 17% of total air flow capacity. This enables the ERVs to perform maximum humidity and temperature transfers between exhaust and intake air flows, further improving their efficiency at reducing incoming humidity once the exhaust air reflects the lower indoor relative humidity levels that we attained with the <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/01/heating-and-cooling-with-ductless-mini.html" target="_blank">mini split</a>.<br />
<br />
There appears to be so very little real-world data available online detailing passive house performance, I am providing the following data for those interested in examining passive house behavior during high outdoor temperatures and humidity levels. <br />
<br />
Below is a snapshot of the <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/01/passive-house-ventilation-and-heat.html" target="_blank">Zehnder ERV/HRV/MVHRs</a> operating characteristics:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Date: 05-22-13 at 08.31:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Outdoor Conditions: 73.4F/23C / 81% RH, Dew Point: 67F/13C</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Comfoair 200 at 17% capacity:</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Intake: 58.2F/15C / 89%, DP: 55F/13C</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Exhaust: 60.4F/16C / 88%, DP: 56F/13C</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Supply: 65.8F/19C / 71%, DP: 56F/13C</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Return: 70.8F/22C / 60%, DP: 56F/13C</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Novus 300 (Paul) at 17% capacity:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Intake: 59.0F/15C / 88%, DP<span style="font-size: x-small;">:</span> 55F/13C</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Exhaust: 61.8F/17C / 82%, DP: 56F/13C</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Supply: 67.3F/20C / 67%, DP: 56F/13C</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Return: 70.5F/22C / 64%, DP: 58F/13C</i></span><br />
<br />First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-15429139065226051082013-05-16T09:10:00.001-04:002017-03-21T11:53:49.853-04:00First Passive House in Pennsylvania (PA) Gets Featured in Local Environmental Magazine<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhj-3VoPPCm042kFYCoELKWNrePmhWLRu-wFlQuMeUDbeI4gzvaTh1FY8hso9MnOzN9VoLm4qQ0cBNyyWtCK9xMCHeyYkbU9eFnhHJmdboRnzWgVN4phuWlnh-90OELiCiHgSjCasV8PU/s1600/nabuxmont_magazine-201304lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhj-3VoPPCm042kFYCoELKWNrePmhWLRu-wFlQuMeUDbeI4gzvaTh1FY8hso9MnOzN9VoLm4qQ0cBNyyWtCK9xMCHeyYkbU9eFnhHJmdboRnzWgVN4phuWlnh-90OELiCiHgSjCasV8PU/s320/nabuxmont_magazine-201304lg.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Natural Awakenings April 2013 Issue</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I am pleased to write that our passive house project was featured recently in the environmental and healthy living magazine <a href="http://nabuxmont.com/" target="_blank">Natural Awakenings</a> as the <a href="http://nabuxmont.com/2013/04/01/local-article-new-greenhouse/" target="_blank">First Passive House, PA: <i>The New Greenhouse</i></a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGQNA2WTsR1dG244_wHTmkuGRMGP4oL6mWhmomiH8NhjWSr3bZ6UQNEan8VRgKEfIlKFEOOddkJvQ_Tdi6bE2u0wdQBCQd12gnWBjAccF48Tbw1B4iwkm4Ur0JeX3c-4aD0b1aklryZw/s1600/pittsburgh-tribune-review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGQNA2WTsR1dG244_wHTmkuGRMGP4oL6mWhmomiH8NhjWSr3bZ6UQNEan8VRgKEfIlKFEOOddkJvQ_Tdi6bE2u0wdQBCQd12gnWBjAccF48Tbw1B4iwkm4Ur0JeX3c-4aD0b1aklryZw/s400/pittsburgh-tribune-review.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Our passive house was also <a href="http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/lifestyles/homegarden/s_730448.html#axzz2TZ8FAh2V" target="_blank">mentioned</a> in the <a href="http://triblive.com/news/" target="_blank">Tribune-Review</a>, a Pittsburgh newspaper, a little more than two years ago, in April of 2011.<br />
<br />
I appreciate those in the media who are bring information about <b>passive house (passivhaus) construction</b> into the mainstream . Hopefully articles like these will bring greater awareness and further encourage the building of such homes.First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-26930704170539770552013-05-11T23:14:00.002-04:002013-05-22T16:07:35.669-04:00Indoor Relative Humidity and ERV Conundrum<h1>
<span style="font-size: large;">Indoor Relative Humidity and ERV Conundrum</span></h1>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIP30bN0cbM27f97XjaeUOEBuI3AXVzrOJuMyoWdAWa3JuBy_oELN5U5xhrnJjh5ku3dE8lfBKg6_C56o1HVtj1DULGJylltoY5aXL_0CMVd33iAdKAoiTkrv6owK-NjQQpeJ8uHxeVHE/s1600/erv-ventilation-indoor-humidity-temperature-reading.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIP30bN0cbM27f97XjaeUOEBuI3AXVzrOJuMyoWdAWa3JuBy_oELN5U5xhrnJjh5ku3dE8lfBKg6_C56o1HVtj1DULGJylltoY5aXL_0CMVd33iAdKAoiTkrv6owK-NjQQpeJ8uHxeVHE/s400/erv-ventilation-indoor-humidity-temperature-reading.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Indoor Relative Humidity (RH) and Temperature Reading using only ERV</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
UPDATED: 05-12-13<br />
<br />
These past seven days have been very humid. As I write this, it is currently 61F outside with a relative humidity of 98%. Earlier today, the RH was 100%. Dew points have been in the mid to upper 50s pretty much all week.<br />
<br />
These conditions have ultimately had an impact on our <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/04/real-world-indoor-temperature-relative.html" target="_blank">interior relative humidity levels</a>. For the past five days the indoor relative humidity levels have remained consistently elevated--ranging for the mid to upper 50s.<br />
<br />
While the operation of an <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/01/passive-house-ventilation-and-heat.html" target="_blank">ERV</a> typically serves to reduce indoor humidity levels, we are at a specific point where both the indoor and outdoor conditions are such that our ERVs are not reducing the interior humidity levels at all and may actually be contributing to even higher RH levels. <br />
<br />
Under a more typical situation, the higher humidity intake air supplying the ERV would have some of its moisture transferred to the exhaust air (generally of lower humidity) resulting in dehumidified fresh air coming into the house. However under the current conditions, the indoor relative humidity levels are sufficiently elevated--as a result of occupant activity--to create a circumstance where our ERVs have little or no means of transferring humidity out of the supply air into our exhaust air. We have essentially reached an equilibrium point. <br />
<br />
To make matters especially challenging, since the interior temperatures remain quite moderate (in the low 70s), it is not preferable to use our ductless <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/01/heating-and-cooling-with-ductless-mini.html" target="_blank">mini splits</a> in dry or air conditioning mode as their set temperatures would have to be in lower to mid 60s for their dehumidification mode to effectively function and we would prefer not to have to actively cool the house just for the sake of achieving lower humidity. <br />
<br />
So we have an interesting situation here. Indoor temperatures are fine. Indoor humidity levels are elevated. <br />
<br />
Interestingly enough, I have been sharing our conditions with another passive house owner who is experiencing nearly identical indoor and outdoor conditions over the same period of time.<br />
<br />
I had been operating our ERVs at 95% capacity to promote cooling and ostensibly lower indoor humidity levels, however given this specific combination of indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity conditions, running them on "high" may actually be exacerbating the situation.<br />
<br />
That's what Barry Stephens of <a href="http://www.zehnderamerica.com/products/" target="_blank">Zehnder America</a> believed when I explained my situation. Apparently as the flow rates of the ERVs increase, the efficiencies of temperature and moisture transfer decrease. In other words, exchanging higher rates of air may actually hamper the ability of the ERV to evacuate moisture from the interior of the home.<br />
<br />
This runs contrary to the notion, under "normal" circumstances, that one should operate an ERV on high during times when interior moisture is created (ie; when taking a shower). Zehnder's enthalpy exchange efficiencies are maximized at a flow rate of roughly 50% of maximum capacity. As per Barry's suggestion, I lowered the flow rates back to their standard setting.<br />
<br />
Passsive houses, I believe, tend to have higher indoor
relative humidity levels than those of conventionally constructed
homes and they can sustain these high levels of RH in safe manner. But since the need for active air-conditioning is significantly reduced, I also feel there may be a greater correlation between indoor and outdoor humidity conditions during these times (swing seasons) of the year.<br />
<br />
This morning I tried something new; I opened the window in our
bathroom while I took a shower. My feeling was by doing that, I would
reduce the amount of additional interior moisture introduced. I believe
I was correct in doing this as the impact of the shower on interior RH
appeared minimal.<br />
<br />
Clearly, the operating characteristics of any given passive house is closely tied to its localized climate. In other words, the indoor temperature and humidity profiles of two similarly designed passive houses would be entirely different if one were located in southern Florida and the other in northern Alaska. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In our circumstance, it appears that humidity control may be the greater challenge than temperature control, at least during these periods of extended high outdoor humidity levels. There are whole-house dehumidification solutions available, such as
those from <a href="http://www.ultra-aire.com/" target="_blank">Ultra-Aire</a>, but they are not inexpensive and these systems consume a fair amount of power to
operate.</div>
<br />
Our expectation was that we were not going to
require much A/C during the warm months. It would be disappointing if we ultimately needed to
rely on it more than we anticipated--not for its cooling, but
for its dehumifidication. <br />
<br />
At this moment, I am not considering any "corrective"
action. Even during these times of elevated humidity levels, the house is still tending to settle in around 55-56% RH. Certainly an acceptable level. My preference would be for the RH levels to range from the mid to upper 40s.<br />
<br />
As I write this last paragraph, it is 71.9F and 56% RH inside. Weather forecasts are predicting a return to much lower levels of outdoor RH by early next week. I anticipate our indoor RH levels will return to the mid to upper 40s. Now that the weather is clearing, if the interior temperatures rise from the lower 70s and the humidity levels do not appreciably drop, I will then consider running the mini splits to provide some dehumidification. I will follow up with <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/05/passive-house-humidity-elevated-with.html" target="_blank">another post</a>.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I would be interested to hear from any other passive house owners sharing similar experiences.<br />
<br />
UPDATE 05-12-13: Today turned out to be an absolutely delightful spring day. Outside temperature is 59F and RH is 33% with a dew point of 30F. After opening a couple of windows, the interior relative humidity level hit 34% in a manner of minutes. Since the house is so air-tight, it doesn't take long at all for the effects of an open window or door to be felt throughout the home.First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-90128503726852969742013-05-10T22:15:00.003-04:002013-05-12T11:17:20.017-04:00Earth Tubes: Earth Air Tube Health After Two Years and Two Massive Rain Storms<h1>
<span style="font-size: large;">Earth Tubes: Earth Air Tube Health After Two Years and Two Massive Rain Storms</span></h1>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGnNY0jc_LNPn2ws3wo5-TL5Gncv1OhIVH5j0X_qdNh5r9fbiscAqmluAdzXp9VqnpgXB-qeAWUpHZr7S_r9lHzsbWfF9J_rUCXxloRKB02IIwIfHlg2Bugg7jr4flHtlzKvuCNwNtWY/s1600/earth-tube-interior-coupling.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGnNY0jc_LNPn2ws3wo5-TL5Gncv1OhIVH5j0X_qdNh5r9fbiscAqmluAdzXp9VqnpgXB-qeAWUpHZr7S_r9lHzsbWfF9J_rUCXxloRKB02IIwIfHlg2Bugg7jr4flHtlzKvuCNwNtWY/s320/earth-tube-interior-coupling.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inspection of Earth Tube Interior Coupling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The incorporation of an <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2012/12/earth-tubes-heating-and-air.html" target="_blank"><b>earth tube</b></a> system into our passive house project was done despite the fact that there was little data available about their efficacy and there have been reports of installation failures--resulting in poor (mold-ridden) intake air quality. Even Dr. Feist has questioned their continued use, not so much because of their potential for failure, but because of their installation costs.<br />
<br />
Certainly as ERVs become even more efficient at transferring
temperature and moisture from one air space to another the incremental
benefits of utilizing an earth air tube system may continue to be marginalized in passive house construction.<br />
<br />
Despite these apparent negatives and the fact that earth air tubes are generally misunderstood, the notion of getting cooled and dehumidified air (during the summer) and heated air (during the winter) for "free" without any mechanical system, remains extremely appealing to me. While passive houses are certainly very high tech in design and material composition, they are actually very low tech in principle.<br />
<br />
To my way of thinking, eliminating mechanization in our living space harkens back to the simple living conditions created by the Cliff Dwellers or the Inuit. These historically advanced cultures understood how to create comfortable living conditions year-round simply by working with nature and without requiring electricity. I suspect had it not been for Carrier, our collective building technology today would be further along than it is.<br />
<br />
I had considered several earth tube designs but ultimately went with a design created by Larry Larson of <a href="http://www.earthairtubes.com/" target="_blank">Earth Air Tubes</a>. Larry and his brother's design broke all of the conventional rules. Their system utilized corrugated instead of smooth wall tubing; serpentine configuration instead of straight, level instead of pitched placement. Everyone one of their design ideas sounded quite proper to me, however.<br />
<br />
By using corrugated tubing, the tube surface to air contact ratio was far greater than would otherwise be with a smooth walled tube allowing for much more efficient heat transfer between the incoming air and the ground.<br />
<br />
Bending the tubes during installation encouraged internal turbulence which again would increase the total air to surface contact area resulting in superior heat transfer efficiency. With smooth wall tubing the outside circumference of the air flow would tend to experience the heat exchange, while the interior spaces of the air flow cavity would tend to be neglected. Creating interior turbulence maximizes the contact area of all of the air flow through the tubes.<br />
<br />
Since the tubes were slit along the bottom, they didn't have to be pitched to allow for drainage of the condensate away towards the inlet end of the tube. The drainage occurs immediately below the area of condensation into a drain field consisting of small stone and filter cloth.<br />
<br />
When asked about their long-term reliability, I was told that he has
had great success with his installations and that his earth tubes are
self-maintaining and self-cleaning by their very nature.<br />
<br />
With those assurances, I made the leap of faith and went ahead with their installation. Larry was kind enough to fly out to our house from Iowa to oversee their construction and installation. They were installed two years ago. To my knowledge, our project remains the first (and only) passive house that has incorporated Larry's earth tube design.<br />
<br />
Initially things were terrific. During hot and humid days, the temperature and humidity drops of our intake air were exceptional. I have read a number of articles suggesting that earth tubes don't work well in hot humid climates. Are you kidding me? They are exceptionally well suited to these conditions!<br />
<br />
But soon after their installation, the unthinkable happened. Twice.<br />
<br />
Before the site was graded properly, we got hit with two back-to-back massive rain storms over the course of about two weeks. Unfortunately since we didn't have our grading completed, the storm water wasn't able to drain from our foundation area sufficiently. And while we have long since established a proper gravity fed drainage system away from our foundation, my fear was that the damage to the earth tube system had already occurred--that they had been flooded with muddy water from underneath.<br />
<br />
Shortly after, I believe I was, at times, monitoring elevated levels of relative humidity coming into our ERVs from the earth tubes, instead of lower levels. I was afraid that the drainage slits created to allow for immediate drainage of condensation had clogged with dried mud preventing draining and instead creating a condition of standing water in the tubes--definitely not a good thing to be sure.<br />
<br />
I wasn't about to the throw in the towel just yet, though. So I continued using them through the following winter season and into the next summer. It was during this following summer that I believe the levels of humidity removal were improving over time. As the tubes dehumidified the air, they were rinsing/cleaning themselves out as Larry had suggested they would.<br />
<br />
Fast forward now to this coming summer season, I have been anxious to know what the current actual condition of the tubes are--two seasons after the earth tubes were flooded. To find out, I contacted a sewer and drain cleaning service company to come out to scope the tubes with a video camera. If problems were found they would be able to jet wash the interior of the tubes and vacuum any material away and return them to optimal condition.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5OrHfyrLf4RARfjFSIaoSrNF6QCKw9KpMF1WvR0UUFaLl4fVklnSfGmeARQw_9XWkfYL7XMbhnCDOUedegzEOdPdiUGmapPwfj9Rhs-GyMJPOZths9F5ldWoG1OBJPeX2opaCrjW1rxU/s1600/earth-air-tube-interior-view.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5OrHfyrLf4RARfjFSIaoSrNF6QCKw9KpMF1WvR0UUFaLl4fVklnSfGmeARQw_9XWkfYL7XMbhnCDOUedegzEOdPdiUGmapPwfj9Rhs-GyMJPOZths9F5ldWoG1OBJPeX2opaCrjW1rxU/s320/earth-air-tube-interior-view.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interior View of Earth Air Tube Draining Slits (Lower Right)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I am pleased to report that the video scoping of each of the six earth tubes showed that they appeared to be in very good shape after all. If the tubes had gotten dirty from those two storm events, they appear to have righted themselves.<br />
<br />
I believe these experiences are a testament to the superior design principles of this earth tube system.<br />
<br />
I will continue to post my experiences with these earth air tubes going forward.<br />
<br />
<i>P.S.: While it does appear that these tube fared well with water infiltration, any day we are about to experience yet another event that could create another problem for us--Brood II. The 17 year cycle of cicada mating. Anyone who uses mechanical ventilation would be well advised to make sure both their intake and exhaust ports are screened and/or filtered. </i>First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-45932663300771403142013-05-05T22:53:00.003-04:002013-05-16T16:41:03.535-04:00Monitoring and Reducing ElectricIty Consumption to Signficantly Lower Electric Bill<h1>
<span style="font-size: large;">Monitoring and Reducing Electricity Consumption to Significantly Lower Electric Bill</span></h1>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_9IlN-EOYndap7N9LGV3697qoLJcksuRB0v8M-F2gXNesxPvKbEqeSdCC7d40MB44zEvR81pj-Bh9bRVLULU6LgTGjrsVbo0R5NViQo2Wy0Br1X5lvc3ud96e2-dMX2uRL-lCFYExaD0/s1600/electric-meter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_9IlN-EOYndap7N9LGV3697qoLJcksuRB0v8M-F2gXNesxPvKbEqeSdCC7d40MB44zEvR81pj-Bh9bRVLULU6LgTGjrsVbo0R5NViQo2Wy0Br1X5lvc3ud96e2-dMX2uRL-lCFYExaD0/s320/electric-meter.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Reducing Electricity Consumption to Lower Electric Bill</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Yesterday night, I texted a question to my friend Jason of <a href="http://www.ultimateair.com/" target="_blank">UltimateAir</a> concerning his typical electric consumption with <a href="http://www.sustainablepath.us/" target="_blank">his passive house</a>, especially now that both he and I haven't been operating any heating or cooling for nearly a month.<br />
<br />
I got his response this morning. His most recent electric bill was merely $28 or just 159kwh for the entire month! Simply incredible for a 3200sf duplex passive house. And here I am pleased that we are averaging merely 22kwh per day or 660kwh per month or about $98 a month for 6600sf. I actually believe his meter reading was unrealistically too low from his electric company (relative to his other months). We'll get a better handle on that come his next actual meter reading.<br />
<br />
In any event, it got me motivated to seek out additional sources of
our unnecessary or wasteful electrical consumption in our own passive
house. So, once again I set out with my amp clamp to look for those
sneaky consumers of electrical energy. <br />
<br />
If you recall in a <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/04/real-world-indoor-temperature-relative.html" target="_blank">previous article</a> I had located two sources--the phantom loads of our two <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/01/heating-and-cooling-with-ductless-mini.html" target="_blank">ductless mini-splits</a>--that were using a combined total of 4kwh per day or 120kwh per month of electricity. By shutting the <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/03/tweaking-ductless-mini-split-heating.html" target="_blank">minis</a> off completely at the electrical panel we eliminated this waste.<br />
<br />
I am pleased to report that we have disconnected our LED TV and have
not watched any television for more than a month. Not only do we feel
better about ourselves and have more free quality time together we've
eliminated our "entertainment" system from our energy profile.<br />
<br />
We have a
PC-based server and network system running 24/7 which consumes several
kilowatt hours per day, but that is an essential component. I am
looking to virtualize our server and run multiple instances of operating
systems on it and possibly replace the entire server with a low-power
laptop, but this may be too extreme of a step. Additionally, I use laptop. We also have had a color laser printer
online continuously as well as a fax machine and we are going to turn
them off and then our Grundfos <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/02/water-conservation-whole-house-instant.html" target="_blank">hot water recirculation system</a> to also examine their impact on our electric bill.<br />
<br />
I started looking at our whole house consumption at the main 200amp panel by clamping each 120v leg. I then started clamping each circuit. After about five minutes of clamping I found yet another high consumer of electricity. It was our dual-zone wine cooler! This little wine chiller has been consuming in excess of 5kwh/day or 20% of our current total electric consumption. This amounts to another 180kwh month , nearly $30 month, or $360 year!<br />
<br />
Being an oenophile certainly is coming at a price. But even my vintage Dom doesn't justify this high operating expense. $360 year is nearly the operating cost of a conventional electric hot water heater and more than four times the operating cost of our 30cf refrigerator/freezer! By eliminating this energy hog, we have managed to reduce our daily consumption rate of electricity to merely 15.6kwh or about 468kwh per month during this time of year. This amounts to an electric bill of $60-$70 at prevailing electricity rates, taxes, and tariffs.<br />
<br />
It also suggests that if we ever were to incorporate an active PV system, we may only require a small 5kw system. As we collect more data over the coming seasons, we'll have a better handle on what would be the appropriate size of such a system. I would recommend using this approach--determining your actual electrical footprint--before purchasing a photo-voltaic system of a given size.<br />
<br />
By eliminating both the phantom loads of the <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/01/heating-and-cooling-with-ductless-mini.html" target="_blank">mini splits</a> and the excessive consumption of the wine cooler we've knocked off nearly 11kwh per day or 330kwh month--representing or whopping <u><i><b>40% reduction</b></i></u> of our electric bill! That's huge, any way you slice it.<br />
<br />
I have begun looking for a more energy efficient wine cooler. So far it appears that I have found one that consumes 1.5kwh per day--about $7 of electricity per month or $84 a year. At a savings of nearly $280 a year, it would pay for itself in short order. By the way, any one want a wine cooler?<br />
<br />
It most certainly pays to do your research before making a purchase of an appliance. Living in a <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">passive house</a> and being energy aware has given us a great appreciation of the value of actively monitoring, managing, and reducing our energy (carbon) footprint.<br />
<br />
While I don't personally care for the "hype" sometimes found in articles suggesting a generalized 90% reduction in electric bills--because of appliances, lights, and other electronics <i>not</i> related to heating or cooling--one can certainly have significantly less expensive electric bills with a passive house, energy efficient appliances and electronics coupled with prudent behavior.<br />
<br />
Even if one doesn't live in a passive house, it still pays to examine closely your energy consumption, manage it, and seek ways to eliminate or, at least, reduce wasteful electricity use.<br />
<br />First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-72733321061681967452013-04-24T23:31:00.001-04:002013-04-25T15:15:24.829-04:00Real World Indoor Temperature & Relative Humidity Performance During Spring<h1>
<span style="font-size: large;">Passive House/Passivhaus Real World Indoor Temperature & Relative Humidity Performance During Spring</span></h1>
<br />
As promised in an earlier article, I am providing some real-world indoor temperature performance in our Passive House during this Spring.<br />
<br />
We have yet to install a computerized indoor temperature and relative humidity sensor system, so I am instead taking snapshot measurements manually with my pocket psychrometer.<br />
<br />
This Spring continues to be on the cold side with temperature routinely reaching into the low to mid 30s in the evenings and the 40s during the day time. Puxatony Phil was quite a bit off with his prognostication of an early Spring, this season (I understand Ohio was <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/03/21/ohio-prosecutor-seeks-death-penalty-for-punxsutawney-phil-after-bad-forecast/" target="_blank">suing</a> him for his error, by an over-zealous prosecutor), although their groundhog (Buckeye Chuck) also did not see his shadow on Feb 2nd. Fortunately, the charges have since been dropped.<br />
<br />
For the last three weeks we have turned off our mini splits completely and have relied solely on the solar heat gains from the sun as well as the internal heat gains of occupancy and appliance use. While this Spring has been predominately cold, we had a couple of relatively toasty days back-to-back when interior cooling was desired.<br />
<br />
Without any active heating or cooling, we are consuming an average of 20-22kWh per day. We found we were consistently consuming 26.5kWh per day until we turned off the power to both of the Fujitsu mini-splits at the electric panel. Even in their off position, each mini consumes about 2kWh day with parasitic power consumption. In a conventional home with much higher energy consumption a mere 4kWh per day usage would likely go unnoticed, but at our low consumption levels that usage amounts to about 17% of our total consumption! I will be posting a future article on our energy consumption profile as well.<br />
<br />
Here are some detailed results (format is temperature in fahrenheit and relative humidity as a percentage):<br />
<br />
Date: 04-21-13 at 13.23 (cold day)<br />
<br />
<b>Outside conditions: 46F with a low of 33F during the night.</b> <br />
<br />
Family Room: 71.4/48<br />
Master Bedroom 1st Floor: 72.1/48<br />
Master Bathroom 1st Floor: 73.5/46<br />
Foyer: 72.6/45<br />
Office: 73.5/46<br />
Dining Room: 72.8/47<br />
Kitchen: 72.1/47<br />
Mud Room/Aviary: not recorded<br />
Laundry Room: not recorded<br />
2nd Story Bridge: 72.5/46<br />
Master Bedroom 2nd Floor: 72.1/48<br />
Master Bathroom 2nd Floor: 73.5/46<br />
Exercise Room (door closed): 69.2/47 <br />
Front Bedroom 2nd Floor (door closed):77.7/40<br />
Bathroom 2nd Floor (door closed): 70.1/54<br />
Basement 65.4/51<br />
Movie Theatre Room: not recorded<br />
Mechanical Room: not recorded<br />
Basement Bathroom: not recorded<br />
Dog/Grooming Room: not recorded<br />
Cat Room: not recorded<br />
<br />
Note: With both the exercise and front bedrooms on 2nd floor, carpet installation makes air flow restricted. Need to make adjustments to door heights to allow for better air flow circulation.<br />
<br />
<br />
Date: 04-12-13 at 09.00 (after two showers and ERVs remaining on low setting)<br />
<br />
<b>Outside conditions: 48.3/75 </b>(cold day)<br />
<br />
<br />
Family Room: 71.2/50<br />
Master Bedroom 1st Floor: 71.4/53<br />
Master Bathroom 1st Floor: 71.7/51 <br />
Foyer: 71.7/53<br />
Office: 71.6/51<br />
Dining Room: 71.6/54<br />
Kitchen: 71.7/51<br />
Mud Room/Aviary: 71.4/53<br />
Laundry Room: 71.4/53<br />
2nd Story Bridge: 71.4/51<br />
Master Bedroom 2nd Floor: 72.6/55<br />
Master Bathroom 2nd Floor: 72.6/51<br />
Exercise Room: 71.6/49<br />
Front Bedroom 2nd Floor: 72.3/46<br />
Bathroom 2nd Floor: 72.3/54<br />
Basement 69.0/51<br />
Movie Theatre Room: 68.1/53<br />
Mechanical Room: 66.8/53<br />
Basement Bathroom: 66.9/53<br />
Dog/Grooming Room: 68.1/53<br />
Cat Room: 68.7/50<br />
<br />
Note: Stiebel Eltron heat pump hot water heater acts as an air conditioner during operation, hence the lower temperatures in the basement.<br />
<br />
Date 04-09-13 at 17.26 (hot day)<br />
<br />
Outside conditions: 79.8/29 <br />
<br />
Mud Room/Aviary: 73.7/41<br />
Laundry Room: 73.9/39<br />
Kitchen: 74.3/44<br />
Dining: 74.4/43<br />
Foyer: 74.5/43<br />
Study: 75.3/42<br />
Bridge 2nd Floor: 75.3/42<br />
Bathroom 2nd Floor: 75.2/42<br />
Front Bedroom 2nd Floor (closed): 77.0/44<br />
Exercise Room 2nd Floor (closed): 74/40<br />
Master Bedroom 2nd Floor: 74.8/44<br />
Master Bathroom 2nd Floor: 75.9/43<br />
Family Room: 75.2/not recorded<br />
Master Bedroom 1st Floor: 74.6/43<br />
Master Bathroom 1st Floor: 74.6/45<br />
Basement: 68.7/50<br />
Basement Bar Room: 68.7/49<br />
Mechanical Room: 68.7/49<br />
Movie Theatre Room: 69.2/49<br />
Dog/Grooming Room (with 3 dogs): 69.2/49<br />
Cat Room (with 6 cats): 69.6/51<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Notes:</i><br />
<br />
ERVs were generally set at level 2. We have since programmed the Paul ERV to operate at 98% capacity at level 3 (versus the default 80%), so that we can over ventilate with our earth air tubes to lower indoor temperatures during moderate to hot weather. The Comfoair 200 is now set to level 3 as well, although we have not programmed it to operate at a higher flow capacity as we did the Novus 300 (Paul). When temperatures drop, we lower the air exchange rate so we do not "over cool." If indoor temperature or relative humidity levels rise, we increase the air exchange rate with both ERVs to lower them.<br />
<br />
We are seeing the interior temperatures typically range from 67F to 72F. Relative humidities vary from the 40s to the mid 50s (at their highest after shower use, when ERV are set a level 1, their lowest rate).<br />
<br />
The effects of solar heat gain is clearly seen with the south facing rooms that have their doors closed and circulation air flow restricted.<br />
<br />
We are considering ways to internally distribute the warmer temperatures picked up by solar heat gains with the cooler basement air. More tweaks are in order even though generally the heat variances that exist between the first and second floors are minimal.First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-66768878761383031742013-03-21T10:40:00.001-04:002013-04-07T00:05:27.671-04:00Tweaking ductless mini-split heating and cooling performance in conjunction with mechanical ventilation<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;">Tweaking ductless mini-split heating and cooling performance in conjunction with mechanical ventilation</span></h2>
<br />
I found this past winter to be particularly cold and overcast, providing a good number of days consistently below the heat-load design temperatures of our region. This had an adverse impact on our ability to benefit from free solar heat gains in our interior as did the fact that the house had yet to be fully occupied (we didn't benefit from heat gains of occupants, household electronics, or human activity). But these circumstances did allow us to look at the performance of our building under, what I felt were, more extreme heat-loading conditions.<br />
<br />
Using mechanical ventilation set at a level to replace our indoor air volume, of approximately 60,000cf, eight times a day--with a nominal 3-4 degree fahrenheit deficit--meant that we needed active heating from our <b><a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/01/heating-and-cooling-with-ductless-mini.html" target="_blank">ductless mini-splits</a></b> during these times.<br />
<br />
Unlike a typical passive house, which I believe tends to be smaller--in the realm of 1300 square feet TFA--our home is greater than five times that size, in excess of 6600SF.<br />
<br />
The house has four bedrooms: a master bedroom and bathroom on the 2nd floor; two additional bedrooms and a bathroom on the 2nd floor, and an additional master bedroom and bathroom on the 1st floor (for age-in-place consideration).<br />
<br />
The house is generally symmetrical, sectioned into thirds with the center section consisting of a two story foyer and great room separated by a bridge connecting the two sides of the home.<br />
<br />
The first floor also has a study, dining room, kitchen, and dinette as well as an extended section consisting of a mud room and a laundry room that connects to the attached three car garage.<br />
<br />
Our walkout basement is quite large in its own right, clocking in at an excess of 2000 square feet. At the moment it is about 70% finished.<br />
<br />
With respect to our Zehnder ERV mechanical ventilation system, all of their comfotubes get distributed from the two ERVs location in the basement's mechanical room. This means that a good portion of all of our ventilation duct work is subject to the temperature conditions of our basement.<br />
<br />
Each of the four bedrooms have a supply register located in the ceiling in the furthest corner of each room as do the study, the dining room, and the family room. The return ports are located in each of the three full bathrooms, the kitchen, and the laundry room. The basement consists of three returns and three supplies as well.<br />
<br />
Transfer grills are in place between the two master bedrooms and their adjacent bathrooms; the standard bathroom on the 2nd floor which is shared between the two additional bedrooms; and each of the two additional bedrooms leading to our connecting bridge. <br />
<br />
Having analyzed the floor plans, Barry Stephens of Zehnder and I decided to place our backup heating and cooling ductless mini-splits at a central location and rely on the MHVRs to assist in distributing the conditioned air around the home. Barry suggested that this approach was being used abroad with a measure of success.<br />
<br />
Conservatively estimated, we figured the house would require approximately 19,000 Btu/hr of backup heating at our heat load design temperatures. With the COPs of the Fujitsu RLS2 minisplits approaching 2.0 at those outside temperatures, we figured we would need two of them.<br />
<br />
We selected the Fujitsu 9RLS2, their smallest and most efficient unit, because our air conditioning needs were expected to be either non-existent or minimal--since we are using earth air tubes--and the heating capacities of the 9RLS2, 12RLS2, and 15RLS2 are essentially the same.<br />
<br />
I decided to install both units below the bridge area facing the family room towards the back North side of house. We ultimately determined that given the sheer size of and layout of the home, this setup was not optimal and required tweaking. I was finding the basement consistently ran 10 degrees cooler and the bedrooms, study, mud and laundry rooms were typically six degrees cooler (when without the benefit of solar heat-gain) than the set temperature of the minisplits located in the family room.<br />
<br />
To elevate the temperatures of these rooms to a desirable level, I had to set the thermostat of the mini splits to 74-76 degrees. Clearly, this one not a good situation. Not only did we find the family room to be too warm, we spiked our electric consumption because we had to "over drive" the mini splits. We had hoped the the main ceiling fan would have been sufficient to assist in getting the air moved around and balancing this out sufficiently, but this was not the case.<br />
<br />
I then started documenting the temperature readings of the "cold" rooms and the air temperatures at each of the supply ports in those rooms. This is what I found. On average the air temperatures at the supply ports were consistently six or more degrees lower than current room temperatures. In other words, I was "cooling" the rooms.<br />
<br />
My first concern was that my HVAC installer should have not placed the supply ports at the ceiling in the corner of each bedroom on the 2nd floor. I believed that even with 20 plus inches of blown cellulose insulation in the attic, that I was losing heat to it. Fortunately, as I later found out, this wasn't really the case. However, in the future, I will insist that supply ports always be placed high on the farthest wall of each room and not the ceiling to eliminate the potential of heat loss or gain by keeping them entirely within the confines of the conditioned envelope.<br />
<br />
As I saw it, there were two challenges. One was this large temperature delta with the supplies and the other was the "cold" basement. <br />
<br />
The next thing I tried was closing up the three returns in the
basement with the hopes of causing the ventilation system to
effectively provide more net warm air to the basement. This was a wrong
headed approach as it took the ERVs out of balance which reduced the
efficiencies of the ERVs' heat exchange. <br />
<br />
I shared my experiences with several people including Jason Morosko (of UltimateAir) and Barry as well as the installer of our minis, in hopes of getting some ideas. <br />
<br />
Jason believed it was better that I evacuate the cold air from the basement through the ERV's return ports instead of closing them off and that I should place a small low-voltage fan (like a PC cooling fan) somewhere near the mini splits to direct warmer air into the basement in that manner.<br />
<br />
Barry believed that the configuration we used may have been a bit too ambitious (in its simplicity) given the sheer size and layout complexity of the house and was going considering other options.<br />
<br />
I searched online and found an article about other passive house builders that had experienced similar disparities in room temperatures who experimented by substituting the supply ports in the "cold" rooms with returns and having some measure of success. However, Barry suggested that Zehnder had not found this approach to be an optimal solution either and he discouraged me from making those changes.<br />
<br />
I then began to think that the two issues I was experiencing were interconnected. I thought of my earth air tube system and the temperature moderating that occurs with the air flow through them. I then suspected that I was partially heating the basement directly by the airflow of supply and return ducts the ran throughout the basement ceiling. And since we opted to use a Stiebel-Eltron heat-pump hot water heater located in our mechanical room, instead of a solar hot water system, I believed our basement temperature disparity issues were only going to get worse because of the cooling effect of the hot water heater.<br />
<br />
With this in mind, I had one mini-split moved from the family room and placed into operation in the basement. I am pleased to report, while still not perfect, this revised placement has made a substantial improvement to the balancing out of temperatures throughout the home.<br />
<br />
Not only is the basement extremely comfortable, the temperature differences between the supplies and the rooms are much much smaller. In fact, I am finding that the temperatures at the supply registers are warmer than what they are at the ERV. It is clear to me now that the basement temperatures have a direct impact on moderating the temperatures of the rooms throughout the entire house.<br />
<br />
I am finding when the doors are open on all of the rooms, the temperatures differences from room to room are minimal. They do get more pronounced when the doors are closed, though. When I turn the ERVs off whether the mini splits are on or off, the room temperatures appear to be even more similar suggesting that more tweaking of our ventilation system is in the offing.<br />
<br />
I am also considering elevating the temperatures in the basement a little bit more to see if we could pick up a degree or two in the supply temperatures of the rooms on the 1st and 2nd floor. It's going to take some experimentation and empirical analysis, either way.<br />
<br />
Barry will be making another visit to our home to tweak the balancing of the ERVs further. My goal is to have the rooms experience minimal temperature variation even with their doors closed. We'll see what comes of Barry's visit, but I am considering the idea of placing very-low powered small fans within several transfer registers in the hopes of distributing the indoor temperature more evenly.<br />
<br />
I am certainly open to new ideas from anyone else who has shared a similar experience.<br />
<br />
One final observation I'd like to make: The operational costs of the minisplits have been <i>lower</i> in this configuration than when they were originally. Even when I was running only one of the two in the family room. I suspect this is because each one now works less hard to maintain their respective room temperatures and because the mini splits have variable refrigerant flow (VRF) heat pumps.<br />
<br />
This experience has taught me that strategic placement of your mini splits within the context of your mechanical ventilation configuration is as important as properly sizing your heating and cooling system.First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-36129009809376556402013-03-19T10:40:00.002-04:002013-03-20T15:41:29.572-04:00Central Vacuum System (VAC) for Enhancing Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)<h1>
<span style="font-size: large;">Central Vacuum System (VAC) for Enhancing Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)</span></h1>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBNivW0QaMUwuYrn9LKGgIXpkBhKMPcFG3NLCOOYd3QxoUDTbrs5aftWZxkBZkur__9pvjBbzvqoOBZOGQ5bKJuSYhQD9uIELzIbhD1QyHIYbE7nbvFdBXxWTs3jV9_mhpEJzbE6ZMMY/s1600/vacuflo-central-vacs-for-indoor-air-quality.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBNivW0QaMUwuYrn9LKGgIXpkBhKMPcFG3NLCOOYd3QxoUDTbrs5aftWZxkBZkur__9pvjBbzvqoOBZOGQ5bKJuSYhQD9uIELzIbhD1QyHIYbE7nbvFdBXxWTs3jV9_mhpEJzbE6ZMMY/s1600/vacuflo-central-vacs-for-indoor-air-quality.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Central Vacuum Systems (VACs) for Enhancing Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Looking back, I believe a good choice we made for <b>enhancing indoor air quality (IAQ)</b>, was the incorporation of a <b>Central VAC</b> in our home.<br />
<br />
We've used the Dyson Animal, Oreck, and Kirby--all with modest results. While each can perform adequately well on <b><a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/03/carpeting-choice-smartstrand-from.html" target="_blank">carpeting</a></b>, they simply don't (like every other upright vacuum cleaner) do well on hard floor surfaces such as wood and tile. In any event, we've found that conventional upright vacuum cleaners often kick up some of the "nasties," you're attempting to clean, back into the air. <br />
<br />
Now that we have lived with a central VAC system, we would never design and build a home without one. We selected a <b><a href="http://www.centralvacuumstores.com/Central-Vacuum/Vacuflo/Power-Units-Filtered/FC650-Unit.php" target="_blank">Vacuflo FC650</a></b>. According to Vacuflo, the FC650 consists of a filtered cyclonic power unit, utilizing cyclonic separation as its
primary filtration and a replaceable pleated filter for its secondary filtration. Unlike
central vacuum systems (VACs) that rely on permanent cloth filters, the
performance of VACUFLO doesn't decrease as dirt accumulates.<br />
<br />
As we built an <b><a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2012/11/extremely-airtight-passive-house.html" target="_blank">airtight Passivhaus</a></b>, of course we couldn't use a vented model that would penetrate the outside of the building envelope and compromise the airtighness of the building and cause depressurization. The Vacuflo FC650 was well suited to the sheer size of the interior square footage of our home. The Vacuflo FC650 is marketed as being capable of handling spaces up to 8000SF. Its collection capacity is six gallons. Compare that capacity to a conventional upright vacuum cleaner.<br />
<br />
Even though the central VAC was plumbed early on--during our construction phase (rough framing of secondary wall system)--it was only brought online at the finishing punch-list phase. The Vacuflo unit came with a variety of attachments including two roller types that you find on uprights, but instead of being driven by belts (which ultimately stretch and break), the rollers are driven purely by the suction power of the central power unit. We found the system performed significantly better at cleaning carpeting than any upright we have used to date. One may be surprised to see that even after running an upright, the central vacuum will remove additional debris that was left behind by the conventional uprights.<br />
<br />
We purchased the optional dusting head and successfully used it to thoroughly clean our hard floor surfaces. We were also able to very effectively dust and vacuum off the walls, windows, and trim without kicking up any dust--particularly the very very fine sawdust that had accumulated from sanding the unfinished hardwood floors.<br />
<br />
The amount of super fine saw-dust was incredible and would have taken an extremely long time to remove with something like a <i>swiffer</i> (as effective as they are) or conventional static-type dusting rag. While vacuuming, no discernible dust is kicked up. I would suggest that one purchases the dusting head. They run about $20.<br />
<br />
This cleaning head also worked exceptionally well during our hardwood finishing phase as we were able to use it to suck up the very fine dust that remains after sanding the hardwood floor coatings with 180 or 220 grit paper.<br />
<br />
The central VAC had wall access ports that flip open from a spring loaded tight seal and accept a 30 foot hose that can turn the system on and off with a toggle switch. The port operates on low power. The connecting plumbing terminates in the basement's mechanical room which is especially good for sound isolation. The Vacuflo FC650's container can be easily removed as can its replaceable filter.<br />
<br />
The total cost of the system installed was approximately $2000. For that you get an appliance that, I believe, goes a long way towards enhancing the overall indoor air quality of your home.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Reference:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.vacuflo.com/" target="_blank">Vacuflo Central Vacuum Systems (VACs)</a></span></b></li>
</ul>
First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-16405874215996593252013-03-18T10:37:00.002-04:002013-03-19T09:23:20.080-04:00Low VOC/Zero VOC Paint for Enhancing Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)<h1>
Low VOC/Zero VOC Interior Paint for Enhancing Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)</h1>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATaF3YK3ibpJMIVT2CNsJ-HIJ6GjXDgkgAuM-we0ehoOSdkVa4R_oLsKebaLHTq0Qzamso_tQYI9pzhe_mVBVjS5QOjlMFeMUVgQpExYoA93M2dF2lMsUrORmFCFOl7tAM-F8ydRJXk4/s1600/sherwin-williams-duration-paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATaF3YK3ibpJMIVT2CNsJ-HIJ6GjXDgkgAuM-we0ehoOSdkVa4R_oLsKebaLHTq0Qzamso_tQYI9pzhe_mVBVjS5QOjlMFeMUVgQpExYoA93M2dF2lMsUrORmFCFOl7tAM-F8ydRJXk4/s200/sherwin-williams-duration-paint.jpg" title="Sherwin-Williams Duration Paint" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sherwin-Williams Duration Paint</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
When it came to interior paint selection, we considered only two manufacturers: <b>Benjamin Moor</b>e and <b>Sherwin-Williams</b> and only brands that would contribute to enhancing <b><a href="http://www.epa.gov/iaq/ia-intro.html" target="_blank">indoor air quality (IAQ)</a></b>.<br />
<br />
One of my older cousins has been a professional house painter for many years and swears by Benjamin Moore--the only paint he uses. We had considered two of their paint series, <b>Aura</b> and <b>Natura</b> each environmentally friendly having very little VOCs or no VOCs including their colorants. The paint, however is not inexpensive, to be sure, and painting a home of 6000+ SF with such costly paint would get quite expensive as it is not discounted.<br />
<br />
The paint, however, we ultimately selected was Sherwin-Williams <b>Duration</b>. (Emerald had not been available at the time). What appealed to us was that Duration is a <b>very low VOC paint</b> (even more so now since Sherwin-Williams colorants have become <b>zero VOC</b> themselves like Benjamin Moore); is durable and washable even with low-gloss sheens; and is anti-microbial to resist formation of mold & mildew. <br />
<br />
Like Benny Moore, this paint is not inexpensive either, however every once and awhile Sherwin-Williams has a 40% sale on their paints. This substantial discount was simply too good for us to pass up and the timing was perfect; their sale coincided with our painting schedule.<br />
<br />
If that wasn't enough, Sherwin Williams extended very favorable payment terms, which allowed me to cover the expense of the materials through the construction draw from our bank.<br />
<br />
A nearby Sherwin-Williams paint store had an interior designer on staff who assisted us in selecting paint colors at our job site--she made several visits. There was a complementary service and she was absolutely fabulous. <br />
<br />
Amazingly, my wife and I largely agreed on the final color selections. One color was offered to us that was no longer being marketed, but was available if specifically requested--in other words, you had to know it existed. It was a (bolder) historical red-color that we selected for our dining room. We very much liked the combination of paint colors between the walls and the coffered ceiling. <i>(I will be providing pictures and walk-through videos in upcoming posts.)</i><br />
<br />
Once the first couple of coats went on, the quality and smell of the indoor air improved significantly as the smell of drywall and plaster dissipated and we found absolutely no objectionable odors emanating from the paint once it was on the walls. We had read online some complaints about newer environmentally friendly paints giving off very unpleasant odors for extended periods of time.<br />
<br />
Overall, we were extremely impressed with Sherwin-Williams and their friendly and supportive staff and, based upon our experiences, I recommend that any builder should give them serious consideration. SW's newer formulated Emerald paint was not available at the time, had it been, we would have most likely selected this paint as it is even more environmentally friendly than Duration.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Online References:</span></i><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.sherwin-williams.com/" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sherwin-Williams</span></i></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.benjaminmoore.com/" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Benjamin Moore</span></i></a></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-43811044453762554662013-03-16T07:11:00.001-04:002013-03-19T09:42:39.745-04:00Passive House Carpeting and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)<h1>
<span style="font-size: large;">Passive House Carpeting: I<span style="font-size: large;">mproving Indoor Air Quality (IA<span style="font-size: large;">Q) with </span></span>SmartStran<span style="font-size: large;">d</span> </span></h1>
For the most part, Lisa and I selected flooring of unfinished hardwood, marble, and porcelain. However for three rooms we decided to use carpeting. The rooms selected were to be the rooms used the least, they were: the second master bedroom located on the first floor (we have a master on the second floor with wood flooring) and the third and fourth bedrooms located on the second floor.<br />
<br />
Having lived in a homes that have had wall to wall carpeting with pets, we wanted to minimize its use. While carpeting can sure feel very nice below tired feet, it can also attract and retain many nasty things the lurk about in your home. Hard surfaced floors tend to provide more healthy interior living spaces, since dust, dander, grime, etc. can not get a foothold--unlike carpeting--and can certainly contribute to improving <b>indoor air quality (IAQ)</b>.<br />
<br />
Lisa and I visited a number of carpeting suppliers and certainly did quite a bit of research online.<br />
<br />
Ultimately we selected <b>Mohawk Flooring's SmartStrand carpeting</b>. It is marketed as an environmentally friendly extremely durable and stain resistant carpeting whose stain resistance does not come from a wearable material on the carpeting strands. <br />
<br />
SmartStrand is composed of nearly 40% of renewable material (corn-based, not petroleum-based) and is claimed to require less energy and produces less than 60% of greenhouse gases during its production relative to the production of typical nylon-based carpeting.<br />
<br />
SmartStrand also complies with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (<a href="http://new.usgbc.org/leed" target="_blank">LEED</a>) Credit MR 6.0 for rapidly renewable materials, and can be recycled back into carpet and other end-use products and <br />
<br />
For the carpet pad, we had considered flat rubber padding, but it was very difficult to source so we instead went with a special-order high-density pad that had a "water-proof" membrane that prevents liquids from penetrating and reaching the plywood sub-floor. <br />
<br />
So far, we are <span style="font-size: small;">quite</span> pleased with the carpeting. Within 24 hours of install, there was almost no remaining (new-carpet) smell (which would be the result of offgasing) that can be so typical of other materials produced from petroleum-distillates and contain VOCs.<br />
<br />
We have been sensitive to indoor air quality (IAQ) and strove for minimizing potential of offgasing, therefore every building component we could select (such as <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2012/12/passive-house-insulation-insulating.html" target="_blank">insulation</a>) had little or no VOCs, did not offgas, nor would give off noxious/toxic fumes during a potential fire. This is especially important for extremely <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2012/11/extremely-airtight-passive-house.html" target="_blank">airtight</a> building, such as a Passivhaus, even though it is <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/01/passive-house-ventilation-and-heat.html" target="_blank">mechanically ventilated</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Online Resource:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.mohawkflooring.com/flooring-products/carpet/smartstrand.aspx" target="_blank">SmartStrand Carpeting</a> (Mohawk Flooring's Official Site)</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-10976983642320372272013-03-10T12:02:00.004-04:002013-03-18T11:30:56.791-04:00High Indoor Humidity and How to Control & Reduce It<h1>
<span style="font-size: large;">High Indoor Humidity<span style="font-size: large;"> Levels </span>and How to Control & Reduce Them During Construction</span></h1>
<br />
I am going to cover a topic that I have yet to find much detailed information online--a circumstance that you will likely encounter when constructing a super insulated and airtight building like a Passivhaus--high indoor humidity levels.<br />
<br />
I believe this is a most important subject matter--for those few of us who actually <i>build</i> passive houses--as I virtually guarantee you will encounter high or elevated levels of relative humidity during some phases of construction of your Passivhaus. When you do, you may be alarmed, as we were. Don't panic, things will get better, but it does require vigilance and effective management.<br />
<br />
It is a fact that during much of the construction period, you introduce <u><i><b>lots</b></i></u> of <b><i><u>moisture</u></i></b> into the interior spaces of your home. It's unavoidable and there is no way around it, so it's best to be prepared for it. <b>Monitoring and maintaining reasonable levels of indoor humidity is <i>extremely</i> important</b> as you don't want to create a mold factory during the construction period, especially behind the interior walls.<br />
<br />
To that end, I am going to discuss, what I believe are, the key areas that contribute to high levels of relative humidity (RH) and moisture production. The EPA recommends maintaining indoor RH levels between 30%-55%, with the sweet spot being at about 45%. At this optimal RH level, the interior air quality tends to be the best as are the conditions that minimize the production of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and dust mites.<br />
<br />
<b>Lumber and Wood</b><br />
<br />
We constructed a <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2012/11/double-wall-framing-passive-house-to.html" target="_blank">double wall</a> system. The exterior walls
were <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2012/10/structural-insulated-panels-sip-walls.html" target="_blank">SIPs</a> and the interior walls were created with 2x4 wooden studs. <br />
<br />
Lumber was everywhere and all of it was moisture rich when it was first used. It takes a good number of years for wood to dry out. In the meantime, its going to be a source of interior/indoor humidity and moisture for an extended amount of time.<br />
<br />
In our particular circumstance, the extended length of time it took
to construct our home only exacerbated the situation. The duration of
time that the interior of our home was exposed to the outside elements
and/or unconditioned air was (much) longer than we would have preferred. We
went through full seasons of spring and summer with at least some
section of the building opened to the outside. Furthermore, we went
through fall and most of the following winter without active heating from our <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/01/heating-and-cooling-with-ductless-mini.html" target="_blank">mini-splits</a>.<br />
<br />
That meant, extended interior exposure time to (at times very) high levels of
humidity. Which, in turn meant that all of the wood, already moisture rich, took on even higher levels of moisture from the outside warm humid air; all of the studs, floor plywood, and OSB acted as sponges. Keep in mind that even if this were not the case and our building would have been "buttoned-up" quickly, the wood used in new construction always has elevated levels of moisture content, initially.<br />
<br />
To make matters even worse, since we didn't begin conditioning our home, we used propane heaters to heat the interior spaces while we worked. And you know what that meant? You guessed it, even more moisture and humidity were introduced inside.<br />
<br />
<b>Poured Concrete Slab (or Foundation Walls)</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2012/11/insulated-slab-for-passive-house.html" target="_blank">Concrete slabs</a> are another significant contributor to elevated or high levels of indoor humidity. In our case, we used a high PSI concrete (between 5000-6000 PSI) at a nominal thickness of five inches. It takes a couple of years for concrete completely to dry out, especially higher density concrete. With sub <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2012/11/insulated-slab-for-passive-house.html" target="_blank">slab insulation</a> and an airtight vapor barrier below it--just like that of exterior SIP or ICF walls--the moisture has only one pathway to go, to the inside. Expect any basement to be a source of elevated levels of humidity for some time. <br />
<br />
<b>Airtightness/Vapor Barrier (with SIPs and ICFs) on Exterior Walls</b><br />
<br />
Of course any properly
constructed Passivhaus is going to be airtight and the best airtightness
designs are those that are accomplished at the earliest possible phase
of construction and at the most outer sections of the building--the exterior walls.<br />
<br />
The significance of this, especially when coupled with SIPs or ICF construction, is that any drying out can again only occur towards the inside of the building as the moisture has only one pathway out. That meant high levels of indoor humidity. Be prepared for it, it's going to happen. And since there is only one pathway for all of the moisture to leave, it's going to take a good bit longer too.<br />
<br />
As Lisa
and I were shooting for airtightness levels exceeding 0.2 ACH<span style="font-size: xx-small;">50</span> (three
times the Passivhaus standard) we made certain that we achieved the best
<a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2012/11/air-sealing-our-passive-house-one-air.html" target="_blank">airtight performance</a> possible at the earliest time. We didn't count on getting any further <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2012/11/making-airtight-house-finding-big-air.html" target="_blank">air tightness</a> benefits
from drywalling and insulating, as so many builders typically do. The very first
official blower door test indicated a 0.68 ACH<span style="font-size: xx-small;">50</span>--already extremely airtight and that was merely after the SIPs, the <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2012/11/windows-passive-house-glazings-and.html" target="_blank">windows</a>, and <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2012/11/extremely-airtight-passive-house.html" target="_blank">airtight membranes</a> were utilized and before we even began the iterative process of making our home especially airtight.<br />
<br />
When a building is extremely airtight, the ACH<span style="font-size: x-small;">n </span>is essentially nil and without active ventilation or dehumidification when the building is closed-up humidity has no where to go.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Insulation</b> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2012/11/extremely-airtight-passive-house.html" target="_blank">Insulation</a> can be another large source of increased indoor humidity and in our case, it was. We used wet spray blown cellulose throughout and lots of it. Our SIPs gave us a nominal R38 R-factor. We then sprayed another five inches of blown cellulose on the first and second floors to give us a final insulating R-value of ~R58. In our walkout basement, we used 11 inches of blown/sprayed cellulose in addition to our <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2012/05/pennsylvania-pa-passive-house-below.html" target="_blank">superior walls</a> to give us a similar final R-value. 11 inches of wet sprayed cellulose contains a lot of moisture.<br />
<br />
We even added more moisture with our insulation since we insulated every interior wall and filled every floor joist cavity which had plumbing (for sound deadening).<br />
<br />
We did let several days go by before dry walling, but even after a week in the basement, 11 inches of wet spray cellulose was still far from completely dry. Dry walling closes any remaining moisture from insulation inside, causing it to take even longer for it to completely dry.<br />
<br />
If you are using wet spray cellulose, keep from dry walling for as long as you can to allow the insulation to dry out as quickly and thoroughly as possible.<br />
<br />
At this phase, relative humidity levels were in the high 60s to low 70s. This is not a place we wanted to be for any extended period of time. To help with reducing these extremely high levels of indoor humidity, we used several dehumidifiers running 24 hours a day and box fans to move the air around. Be ready for a healthy electric bill during this period. Getting the humidity down was our primary objective at this time.<br />
<br />
<b>Drywall & Plaster</b><br />
<br />
Another source of indoor humidity and moisture was <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2012/11/drywall-selection-to-increase-thermal.html" target="_blank">drywall and plaster</a>. Levels of indoor humidity were basically at their highest at this point. We took a double hit here, because not only did the drywall and plaster significantly contribute to humidity in themselves, they slowed down the rate of drying of all of the lumber and insulation behind it.<br />
<br />
We continued relying on our dehumidifiers and fans to assist in drying things out and they certainly did. I can not even tell you how many times we dumped filled containers of water from these things, but it was a lot. On average I dumped two-three containers of water each from two dehumidifiers per day for an extended period. I couldn't get over how much water came out of the air. <br />
<br />
Fortunately, with all of this effort, were did make progress--our indoor relative humidity levels were dropping and got into the high 50s--as long as we kept running the dehumidifiers. If we stopped using them, the relative humidity levels increased to the low 60s again.<br />
<br />
<b>Paint</b><br />
<br />
We used an ultra-low VOC water-based latex paint for all of our interior walls. The effect from painting on indoor humidity was quite interesting. Initially it added moisture, so expect humidity levels to rise after each coating. But after each coat of the paint dried (which happened pretty quickly), humidity levels drop again and dropped even further than where they were before we began painting. <br />
<br />
The reason? Because once dried paint is on the walls, the rate of drying of everything behind the paint is substantially reduced. This doesn't mean that the moisture went away, it just means that the release of moisture is substantially slowed. Therefore the positive impact of dehumidifying is felt that much more and they really helped extracting that moisture out of the air quickly.<br />
<br />
At this point we had made some serious progress. We were were able to achieve and maintain RH levels in the mid (to occasionally lower) 50s.<br />
<br />
Getting the relative humidity levels below 60% was an important milestone, as the possibility of mold formation is inhibited below this level.<br />
<br />
<b>Hardwood Flooring</b><br />
<br />
Lisa and I chose to use a lot of hardwood flooring throughout the house. Not only do hardwood floors look great, they also lead to a healthier indoor living spaces. Hardwood doesn't trap odors, dust (much of it from dead skin), dirt, and dander as does carpeting. But, unfinished hardwood floors need to acclimate to the interior conditions, meaning the wood has to dry out, which in turn means more interior moisture. We let our hardwood acclimate for nearly five weeks. Given the expense and the quality of the wood (Patagonia Rosewood), we wanted to be absolutely certain that the wood got adequately conditioned to the building, especially in light of the challenges we were overcoming.<br />
<br />
To measure moisture levels of various materials, we purchased a moisture meter, available from Home Depot or Lowes. We were able to monitor the levels of moisture content in our plywood floor, drywall, concrete foundation slab, and our unfinished hardwood. I would certainly recommend that you purchase one to do the same. We waited until the moisture content of the wood was within a small percentage of the moisture content of the plywood sub-floor before installing the flooring.<br />
<br />
<b>Mission Accomplished!</b><br />
<br />
I am most pleased to report that with of this effort and running our mini-splits (when we had them installed) in dehumidification modes (during the summer) or opening the <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2012/11/passive-house-doors-with-and-without.html" target="_blank">windows and doors</a>--when outside humidity levels were very low--and heating (when needed) during this past winter, we are now at nominal indoor relative humidity levels of the low to mid 30s when empty to the optimal mid 40s when occupied--at indoor temperatures of about 70-72F and that includes the basement as well.<br />
<br />
Using our <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2013/01/passive-house-ventilation-and-heat.html" target="_blank">ERVs</a> and the pre-dehumidified air coming out of our <a href="http://passivehousepa.blogspot.com/2012/12/earth-tubes-heating-and-air.html" target="_blank">earth air-tubes</a> supplying the intake air to the ERVs, certainly helped in transferring moisture from the inside to the outside, as well.<br />
<br />
Even our basement feels very comfortable and dry and nothing like how a typical basement feels. Coming to the warmer months, we are hoping that we won't require much active air-conditioning (or any, for that matter) because our humidity levels are so optimal at this point.<br />
<br />
I attribute our success in achieving and maintaining such healthy levels of indoor relative humidity in such a short period-- despite our early handicap--to being vigilant and because we effectively monitored, managed, and controlled our indoor humidity levels throughout the construction period.<br />
<br />
Most conventionally designed and heated buildings can be especially dry with forced-air heating systems. I am very pleased to see that we can maintain RH levels of 45-47% (at temperatures of 70-72F) during the winter. Having our indoor humidity levels within this range makes for most comfortable living conditions and when inside, we are completely oblivious to the fact that we are in the winter season. It's a wonderful feeling, indeed.First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-91196786292608079142013-02-28T15:13:00.000-05:002013-02-28T19:05:24.418-05:00Passive House Empirical Results: Measuring Real-world Energy Consumption Performance<h1>
Passive House Empirical Results: Measuring Real-world Energy Consumption Performance</h1>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVlNAQM6jN1jYKi6QZh8XtWwxigXbeEFHwefNQqpXbsMJABghjR9Hf_2eNbgcPpgKvuVrGY-nr20MhnDP9KmRrtCrTRZOb1CoG45Arajsll4TLfdR8XJHeY3yRSv7tV8ziy4IClbEPghw/s1600/PRH2-SRC-product-tmb.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVlNAQM6jN1jYKi6QZh8XtWwxigXbeEFHwefNQqpXbsMJABghjR9Hf_2eNbgcPpgKvuVrGY-nr20MhnDP9KmRrtCrTRZOb1CoG45Arajsll4TLfdR8XJHeY3yRSv7tV8ziy4IClbEPghw/s200/PRH2-SRC-product-tmb.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Digital Pocket Psychrometer PHR2 from Fieldpiece. Cost approx. $60.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Theory is all well and good, but ultimately the engineer in me wants real-world empirical data. As trusted and proven as PHPP is, at the end of the day, I wanted to actually measure how our house was performing.<br />
<br />
Most of the measurements and analysis that I have made have been without much occupancy, so I figured this would be the worst-case scenario (not benefiting from the internal heat-gains of both my wife and I as well as our four-legged companions). I have now accumulated data over a period of about a year--including all four seasons during that time.<br />
<br />
Before getting into some of our results, in future articles, I wanted to share with you the basic and inexpensive tools that we have utilized that made those measurements.<br />
<br />
The first area of analysis that we focused on was interior relative humidity levels, which were initially quite elevated. <br />
<br />
Beyond RH, I took numerous temperature measurements (and subsequent electrical consumption of active/backup heating) to maintain certain interior set-temperatures.<br />
<br />
This last winter has been especially cold (with a good number of days being lower than our outside (heat-load) design temps). We also found this winter to be an especially overcast one (resulting in reduced solar heat-gain). All of these external conditions, I believe, pushed our design to the limit.<br />
<br />
Since my wife and I still live primarily in our existing home as we haven't quite yet moved into our passivhaus, I have been able to isolate specific electric consumption over discreet periods to get a very good handle on how the building is performing and the electrical energy it is consuming.<br />
<br />
We also have found that there remains further tweaks that have to be made, particularly to our MHVR system, even though it had been commissioned once by Barry Stephens of Zehnder America, as we found one of the units have been performing below spec (more on this later). We expect to examine this in the coming weeks.<br />
<br />
Here are the simple (and inexpensive) tools and practices we have been using, to this point.<br />
<br />
For temperature measurements:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Portable "weather stations" from Lacrosse with remote sensors. (Moderate accuracy).</li>
<li>Pocket digital psychrometer from Fieldpiece (More accurate)</li>
<li>Infrared Spot Thermometer (for surface temperature readings) (Moderate accuracy)</li>
</ul>
<br />
These devices are readily available either at an HVAC supplier or at retail building materials stores such as Home Depot or Lowes.<br />
<br />
For electrical consumption measurements: <br />
<ul>
<li>Amp clamps (120v/240v), for real-time energy consumption readings</li>
<li>Simple meter readings over discreet periods of time</li>
</ul>
<br />
We are expecting to use more thorough electric consumption monitoring tools once the energy consumption gets more complicated.<br />
<br />
These are the tools/vendors we are considering:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.powerhousedynamics.com/" target="_blank">Powerhouse Dynamics (eMonitor)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.theenergydetective.com/" target="_blank">The energy detective TED</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.faronics.com/" target="_blank">Faronics Powersave</a></li>
</ul>
<i>Note: I would appreciate any feedback from those that have actually used these products.</i><br />
<br />
With these inexpensive tools and some analysis, I have been able to calculate Btu losses over discreet periods of time, as well as estimated Btu output from our mini-splits at varying indoor set temperatures and outside temperature and relative humidity levels. I was also able to roughly determine effective COPs/EERs of the mini-splits as well. First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-70413981866558661082013-02-23T16:16:00.004-05:002013-02-25T14:07:24.858-05:00Passive House kitchen appliances: form follows function with Miele<h1>
<span style="font-size: large;">Passive House <span style="font-size: large;">k</span>itchen appliances: form follows function with Miele</span></h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfKmf1BI5zFvYO-TKXBoN6O5z6lTtqEDBRKNTwGivhs4q_rNCbksrIwSVVwvtz9o77uu3sGc3vT5am8TL25DHncptTa9MjM93bgneqrb3pyut2WCfnTjYReDPbTukcVA9I8uWSKXxftY/s1600/miele-masterchef-wall-oven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfKmf1BI5zFvYO-TKXBoN6O5z6lTtqEDBRKNTwGivhs4q_rNCbksrIwSVVwvtz9o77uu3sGc3vT5am8TL25DHncptTa9MjM93bgneqrb3pyut2WCfnTjYReDPbTukcVA9I8uWSKXxftY/s1600/miele-masterchef-wall-oven.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Miele Masterchef Wall Oven</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2>
Did I say I love to cook?</h2>
This article doesn't particularly have anything to do with Passive House, however, a home is where you live and appliances are part of the building equation. Beyond Energy Star (which appliances are today), most energy efficient appliances should do the trick.<br />
<br />
Who says we can't have a little fun, here?<br />
<br />
This may sound chauvinistic: the best chefs in the world are men. There, I said it. (Please refrain from hate mail, ladies).<br />
<br />
So while the closets belong to my wife, the kitchen is my playground. Unfortunately, Lisa doesn't know how to cook much. But, I am hoping this is going to change over time. How, you might ask? Well by having her use some very nice kitchen appliances, that's how...and by attending master chef cooking classes that are offered for free by Miele at their US headquarters located in Princeton, NJ (about an hours drive). <br />
<br />
Truth be told, I have a lot to learn too and I very much enjoy attending their cooking classes--you also get free wine. How's them potatoes?<br />
<br />
As we did with our cooktop, we had considered kitchen appliances from a good number of manufacturers including: Viking, Wolf/Sub-zero, <a href="http://www.gaggenau.com/" target="_blank">Gaggenau</a>, <a href="http://www.kuppersbuschusa.com/" target="_blank">Küppersbusch</a>, Thermador, GE Monogram, Dacor, Bluestar, and DCS.<br />
<br />
We preferred to have all of our kitchen appliances provided by one (or at most two) manufacturers, which shortened our list. a bit, as some only made cooking appliances. Ultimately, we opted for Miele throughout with the exception of our refrigerator and dual-zone wine cooler. The refrigerator we chose was a Samsumg 30CF side-by-side. We didn't particularly care for a "shallow" cabinet depth 'frig.<br />
<br />
Using Miele's appliances may be intimidating for some. They certainly appeal to my engineering sensibilities, but with all of their capabilities, they are, in fact, pretty easy to use.<br />
<br />
Miele offers two levels of appliances--the standard series and the (more expensive) masterchef series. I think it's ironic to call their high-end series "master chef," because most cooking can be accomplished with a simple selection of items from a menu, meaning that you don't really need to know much about cooking to prepare great tasting food.<br />
<br />
The masterchef series of ovens allows for quick selection of food and how it is to be prepared.<br />
<br />
For example do you have a roast? Well you can select it from the menu. Do you like it rare (as I do)? Well you can select that too and the European convention ovens do their thing automatically. All one needs to do is insert a probe into the food.<br />
<br />
We opted for three ovens (count them, three). A large European convention oven, a speed oven that can cook with convention, microwave, or both and (not to be seen to often in an American kitchen) a steam oven (that is located in our island to the right of our induction cooktop).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguDYBiLIB546tsMWUr4mQKPRtYRCUTFnijMppEhxODUfe7ARcbsretE2RwOIaKUwbZeJ7aH7Wn6g7v1zOdG6klnrfaABD_T51COkqdt-1LOCwcyFa7m1SHyh3gzoVB-VXN4aJlwQprgig/s1600/miele-speed-oven-h-4084-bm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguDYBiLIB546tsMWUr4mQKPRtYRCUTFnijMppEhxODUfe7ARcbsretE2RwOIaKUwbZeJ7aH7Wn6g7v1zOdG6klnrfaABD_T51COkqdt-1LOCwcyFa7m1SHyh3gzoVB-VXN4aJlwQprgig/s320/miele-speed-oven-h-4084-bm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Miele Masterchef Speed Oven</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The masterchef oven can handle six racks (count 'em six) and is able to cook about 120 cookies at a time. The bottom rack also rides on wheeled (ball-bearing type) which makes for very easy casserole dish removal. Especially nice is that their MC ovens can rotisserie two birds at at once. Very cool stuff, indeed.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Cooking with steam </h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_wUiWQjCPbQXwimhH50gVYLbSH9rbAt2L_F97hSe2uoUpFO1bXDXnblpRIljdLh6iTGnzJ5m0m38ZOzYk9ALRlkdUmKZETvfWQEQ19KfEg6F5o84IyBvdGlW_1gRtCHxhQswlj4NlKc/s1600/miele-steam-oven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVjn81oGoXlbqyGqe0Cn0wpAiPWtTHqf-kZWJSO4CGLepprX3iv9TbY7G5Jdcm7SQH8Xu-_uda9Ob7iqFY3MqTsdvr604ShfYC5EtshKXPZFvpxS2ReBEtkNyS9B8bqHIewVX4BN7rrU/s1600/miele-steam-oven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVjn81oGoXlbqyGqe0Cn0wpAiPWtTHqf-kZWJSO4CGLepprX3iv9TbY7G5Jdcm7SQH8Xu-_uda9Ob7iqFY3MqTsdvr604ShfYC5EtshKXPZFvpxS2ReBEtkNyS9B8bqHIewVX4BN7rrU/s320/miele-steam-oven.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Miele Steam Oven</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Their steam oven can cook up multiple trays of food with no migration of flavors from one item to the next. One can cook the best tasting and looking brockley in the world while steaming clams or shrimp without any migration of smell or flavors from one dish to the next. You won't find many of these in kitchens in the US. In fact, our supplier sold only one unit in a year and that unit was to us. That's unfortunate because these ovens are more versatile than a microwave oven. I understand that you will see more of these ovens in Europe.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Did I say we like to drink coffee?</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaU6Q42w2whP4q0krG5VoK8mgpiwmMvXmYzChNA9jUErNYG_Gpfbd99FVzCDTM8hO46WQB-Ht6aV5SO9WqFEAlJY0aqh4fm33ayWlhMZToZalDLZjyTkcBhM7lF27zOA3stDSbcdv3DMg/s1600/miele-coffee-espresso-machine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaU6Q42w2whP4q0krG5VoK8mgpiwmMvXmYzChNA9jUErNYG_Gpfbd99FVzCDTM8hO46WQB-Ht6aV5SO9WqFEAlJY0aqh4fm33ayWlhMZToZalDLZjyTkcBhM7lF27zOA3stDSbcdv3DMg/s320/miele-coffee-espresso-machine.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Miele Plumbed Espress/Cappuccino/Coffee Maker</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My favorite appliance is, without a doubt, a plumbed espresso maker. This baby isn't one of those little faux Keuring or Bosch portable espresso units which take little containers of coffee and dried milk (for "cappuccino"). This is the real McCoy, a true espresso maker which forced pressurized steam through freshly ground coffee beans. The Miele has two coffee containers, one for whole beans and one for pre-ground coffee. I wouldn't call Miele's coffee make a true professional-grade make, such as those made by <a href="http://www.gaggia.com/" target="_blank">Gaggia</a>, it's probably more accurate to define it as a prosumer grade appliance.<br />
<br />
It can also produce genuine cappuccino, by frothing 2% milk from a thermos-type container that can retain temperature of the milk for quite some time and also be placed in the refrigerator when not in use. Clean up is a pain, though, when it comes to the milk frothing part. Special tablets must be used for proper cleaning and it takes a little while. That can be fine if one makes multiple cappuccinos throughout the day, but it becomes quite tedious for one-offs.<br />
<br />
The Miele can also dispense instant-hot water for making tea and hot-chocolate on the spot. It also can be programmed for different user profiles each with customized settings suited to the individual. Yes, I know, perhaps it is a little "get-over-yourself," but hey Lisa and I love our coffee. The Miele unit can make single or multiple cups of coffee and can even fill a vessel for large amounts.<br />
<br />
Flavored coffee beans can not be used as they can gunk up the grinding mechanism. Speaking of coffee grinding, the coarseness of the beans can be tailored to your preference.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Did I say I hate doing the dishes?</h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcTxL7ajSsW7jlhK6FOXyl6gKCRp8CiJurQXML1nTHp5AO8tK_7ScR7rIOlx3D_gTlOldoTweR0ITm0_A1bi7MLD7KEJ7FOMzoeCI9tuTwghlgdsngXr5hcJJdo-sgEPY_bRZbD6K1QA/s1600/miele-dishwasher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcTxL7ajSsW7jlhK6FOXyl6gKCRp8CiJurQXML1nTHp5AO8tK_7ScR7rIOlx3D_gTlOldoTweR0ITm0_A1bi7MLD7KEJ7FOMzoeCI9tuTwghlgdsngXr5hcJJdo-sgEPY_bRZbD6K1QA/s1600/miele-dishwasher.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miele's unique cutlery tray</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Once again we opted for Miele's dishwasher. They are quiet, low profile, and have a separate cutlery tray. They use consume little energy and are very efficient with water usage.First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-52203336485105155002013-02-23T15:37:00.002-05:002013-02-25T14:09:57.380-05:00Cooktop ventilation: Vented or recirculation range hoods and downdrafts?<h1>
<span style="font-size: large;">Cooktop ventilation: Vented or recirculation range hoods and downdrafts</span></h1>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpQLoGtLhC6V83kDRTJaGJ4P79aJyiFIzfqft-FRAAw8UCZ3YaayivFE0P67GuKZs0ZEs-OgZupbE5yfRmc1EdQmN3eXNiKMH2ykEgQX8V5LfRyQV9OxPkxc7w9eilGoX30f4blz5PFM/s1600/dacor-epicure-erv3615-downdraft-range-hood_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpQLoGtLhC6V83kDRTJaGJ4P79aJyiFIzfqft-FRAAw8UCZ3YaayivFE0P67GuKZs0ZEs-OgZupbE5yfRmc1EdQmN3eXNiKMH2ykEgQX8V5LfRyQV9OxPkxc7w9eilGoX30f4blz5PFM/s1600/dacor-epicure-erv3615-downdraft-range-hood_.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dacor Epicure 36" Downdraft Range Hood</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The next challenge we needed to overcome was cooktop ventilation. Vented range hoods were out of the question for the same reason that vented dryers are not appropriate for passivhaus construction. Some range hoods have 1500cfm blowers. That is nearly EIGHT times the air leakage capacity of our extremely airtight house! In fact, even with makeup air provided by our ERVs, that blower unit simply would be strained and incapable of venting anything near that rate.<br />
<br />
This left us little choice but to use a recirculating range hood or downdraft unit.<br />
<br />
Our kitchen, dinette and great room are essentially all interconnected as we have a very open floor plan. We didn't want a large range hood permanently overhanging our center island as we felt that it would make the kitchen more confining. Miele makes a number of very contemporary European range hoods and one that even retracts itself electronically.<br />
<br />
In the end, we opted for a stealth mounted self-retracting downdraft ventilating unit. Downdrafts are not as efficient in ventilating cooktop odors as their ceiling mount equivalents. It is recommended that downdrafts be operated for several minutes prior to actually cooking as to establish a horizontal airflow pattern.<br />
<br />
The higher in elevation a fully extended downdraft unit is, the better it will be at ventilating. There were several candidates that we considered. Thermador has a downdraft that raises to nearly 13 inches, which is pretty high, however we couldn't use it because its depth was too bulky to be mounted behind our cabinet draws.<br />
<br />
Only one downdraft we found could fit the bill. That was a Dacor unit. What is especially impressive about the Dacor downdraft hood, was when fully extended it reaches 15" in height.<br />
<br />
The downdraft hood is also pretty quite during operation as the blower is located a fair distance away in our downstairs basement.<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
We selected a remote 600cfm blower that was located in our basement
in close proximity to our mechanical room. In that area we have an
MVHR/ERV/HRV return which can be remotely operated in boost mode. Ventilation<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> challenges were also a reason as to why we selected an induction cook<span style="font-size: small;">top. We didn't have to worry about <span style="font-size: small;">v<span style="font-size: small;">entilation</span> the byproducts of f<span style="font-size: small;">uel combustion, namely CO and <span style="font-size: small;">moisture<span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The kitchen <span style="font-size: small;">has two returns</span></span> as well.<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span>We
find this configuration to be effective at ventilating<span style="font-size: small;"> our cooktop without compromising airti<span style="font-size: small;">ghtness.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">In future postings<span style="font-size: small;"> I will include pictures <span style="font-size: small;">and videos of <span style="font-size: small;">the actual<span style="font-size: small;"> interior space<span style="font-size: small;">s </span>of our home.</span></span></span></span></span> </span></span>First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6637950872592121488.post-83086106223066816222013-02-23T15:03:00.001-05:002013-03-26T11:00:15.147-04:00Cooktops: gas, electric, induction hobs, or a combination?<h1>
<span style="font-size: large;">Cooktops: Gas, electric, induction hobs, or a combination?</span></h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBa96Jg7zE6s6-hil3Mw1hM9kNskzXiwvjj-pfaYI4WH-mrxLqQBnfkTGnYWTFQS8VlQfu3VPEJC3gJF0CR39nPiO8sknLIlaEqDK4_lRrJqBRAPut96Uo669DslV7YOQdg87CzUkeKIc/s1600/miele-36-inch-induction-cooktop-hob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBa96Jg7zE6s6-hil3Mw1hM9kNskzXiwvjj-pfaYI4WH-mrxLqQBnfkTGnYWTFQS8VlQfu3VPEJC3gJF0CR39nPiO8sknLIlaEqDK4_lRrJqBRAPut96Uo669DslV7YOQdg87CzUkeKIc/s320/miele-36-inch-induction-cooktop-hob.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miele 36" Induction Hob (Cooktop)</td></tr>
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I love to cook.<br />
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As stated in an earlier article Lisa and I gravitated towards high-end kitchen appliances from Miele. We had considered Viking, Wolf/Sub-zero, <a href="http://www.gaggenau.com/" target="_blank">Gaggenau</a>, <a href="http://www.kuppersbuschusa.com/" target="_blank">Küppersbusch</a>, Thermador, GE Monogram, Dacor, Bluestar, and DCS cooking appliances among others.<br />
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Frankly, we found both Viking and Wolf to be a bit ostentatious and "get over-yourself" in appearance and bulk, the "Hummers" of cooking appliances. Miele appliances, on the other hand, are understated yet elegant and, we found, quite utilitarian. We were fortunate that Miele's USA corporate headquarters were located relatively close to us in Princeton, NJ.<br />
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At their headquarters Miele has their entire line of appliances, as well as kitchens that would make any professional chef proud. In fact, they have professional chef on staff. Miele offers cooking classes for prospective and current owners of Miele's cooking appliances by appointment only. In these classes, one not only gets instructed on how to cook with their appliances, but how to cook certain recipes including some very nice desserts.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSLwjJ8G2iym3SHHUsSE5yuN7R-DKBika45-7bN6IZ3PRO_9PBLgdZwH7gVPV2v2ZuMZmqsgTeJ33XCxxjkAVRjm4nHCNHAnV3R6zVU6RvQ-ToeyZlt0wc5DymHp4LT_zPPZQKxJsJ_TE/s1600/miele-gas-cooktop-km3485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSLwjJ8G2iym3SHHUsSE5yuN7R-DKBika45-7bN6IZ3PRO_9PBLgdZwH7gVPV2v2ZuMZmqsgTeJ33XCxxjkAVRjm4nHCNHAnV3R6zVU6RvQ-ToeyZlt0wc5DymHp4LT_zPPZQKxJsJ_TE/s320/miele-gas-cooktop-km3485.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miele 36" Gas Cooktop</td></tr>
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Miele offers a host of different cooking appliances. One of the first decisions we had to make was whether to use gas (liquid propane), radiant, or an induction cooktop. Gas certainly appealed to me as its burners can create high levels of Btus (good for wok cooking), flame/heat output can be quickly altered, and yet can offer very low levels of heat for safely melting butter, chocolate, and creating reductions (I like cooking with sherry, marsala, and other wine-based sauces). At the end of the day, we did not choose gas, since we wanted to get away from fossil fuel consumption and the fact the we had an especially tight passive house, we figured that it would be better to "play it safe" by using an electric cooktop of some form.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0Kvjbg72xuHoMVna2gIuzve_V-y3YvNV5HU4vYMEXu2o-pz9VrO8XZXxnY-DIJis38v8DxGpsMdZJNPjhOej9imYW2BHhAus515MbHPLuN5g0vdl0Np9bo457wVw1iH29zo7VO2qcmo/s1600/miele-radiant-cooktop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0Kvjbg72xuHoMVna2gIuzve_V-y3YvNV5HU4vYMEXu2o-pz9VrO8XZXxnY-DIJis38v8DxGpsMdZJNPjhOej9imYW2BHhAus515MbHPLuN5g0vdl0Np9bo457wVw1iH29zo7VO2qcmo/s1600/miele-radiant-cooktop.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miele 36" Radiant Cooktop</td></tr>
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I have used radiant cooktops for years, but they are relatively inefficient and are sluggish in temperature alteration as one has to wait for the glass surface to lose or gain heat even after adjustments to the "burner" are made. Another thing to consider is that it takes a good long while for the glass above the burners to cool down. This was a concern since we have some cats, and anyone who has had cats, knows that they are curious little creatures that like to get around and that means the potential of walking on our island where the cooktop was installed.<br />
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Induction appealed to us. It is our understanding that many chefs' kitchens abroad have converted over to induction cooking as induction hobs offer many of the same benefits of gas cooking and in some cases provide distinct advantages as well.<br />
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Induction cooktops direct essentially all of the heat generated to the food that they are cooking. Induction works with a magnetic field that "excites" the ferrous material in cookware (those that have it, of course). Where as a flame-based burner loses much of its heat to the sides of the pots, inductions direct the vast majority of their heat directly.<br />
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Pots of cold water can be brought to a full boil in less than a minute (it is fun to watch). This means one can boil pasta all that much quicker. And yet, induction hobs can operate at especially low temperatures. In the case of Miele, chocolate can be left on for extended periods of time without concern for burning it.<br />
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For those that are accustomed to cooking with double boilers (for making lemon meringue pie, for instance), one can dispense with them as they are not required with induction cooking. <br />
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Perhaps the most remarkable attribute of induction cooking is the fact that the cooktop itself does not get hot directly as does a radiant cooktop. The surfaces get "hot" as a result of picking up heat from the pans themselves.<br />
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It always makes for a good conversation piece to show dinner guests that one can place an ice-cube right up against a pan that is being heated and see that the ice does not melt. The area that is heated is within the foot print of the pan itself. This is also a wonderful thing if in the even a pot boils over, making for painless clean-up of the cooktop. Temperature changes happen nearly instantaneously. One thing to keep in mind, induction hobs tend to make slight buzzing/humming sounds when turned on high. This is entirely normal.<br />
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Some very expensive induction cooktops are zoneless. That is they can
heat any number of pans of any number of shapes and sizes where ever they are placed on the cooktop. <br />
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In the case of Miele, they offer two sizes of induction hobs, a four burner 30" and a five burner 36". Europeans tend to use smaller cooking appliances than here in the US. Miele also offers individual cooking appliances that can be installed on counter tops in a modular fashion. We selected the five burner 36" induction cooktop. Unfortunately, we had to discard much of our cookware as they were not magnetic.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifY1CmfoUsizEmasPyCPsmNqWzqxzZk-ASnihD6B8LP5esdihyphenhyphenEGlBcvLmvjnAYDcOdS9BMlrvjjEH2NiniTXhgLOt95ZsBLTQ2TCzp3d6CbXYqP7KSwt9qCV7cbybHdf2_H4sXd5iAP0/s1600/miele-modular-cookware.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifY1CmfoUsizEmasPyCPsmNqWzqxzZk-ASnihD6B8LP5esdihyphenhyphenEGlBcvLmvjnAYDcOdS9BMlrvjjEH2NiniTXhgLOt95ZsBLTQ2TCzp3d6CbXYqP7KSwt9qCV7cbybHdf2_H4sXd5iAP0/s320/miele-modular-cookware.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miele Modular Cookware</td></tr>
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Miele also has some nice features including what I call "stand-by" cooking mode. If one takes a phone call and/or needs to answer the door, the cooktop can be set to temporarily drop the temperatures of all of the burners to prevent overflow and burning.<br />
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Miele offers a combination cooktop/cookware starter kit that includes a small collection of <a href="http://www.demeyere.be/" target="_blank">Demeyere</a> cookware. <a href="http://www.lecreuset.com/" target="_blank">Le Creuset</a> is another fine manufacture of induction compatible cookware. Nether of these brands are particularly inexpensive, but fortunately we are in close proximity to a Le Creuset factory outlet. Factory seconds (with very minor and sometime imperceptible blemishes) are frequently available at significant discount.<br />
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Since cookware has to be in direct contact with the cooktop to work, wok cooking is more challenging. There are flat bottomed wok pans that can work pretty well, though. And while some induction cooktops can generate a high amount of effective BTUs, they are not going to generate heat on the order of 100k BTU that can be found in commercial applications.<br />
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For those who absolutely have their hearts on using wok induction cooking, check out the stunning Küppersbusch induction wok, which maintains contact are the edges of a properly shaped wok.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-R3sPC-0cchDZq_CLILyEEfF4SRnB03ou3WqvnTCJ2Eq8iXEeGQm8Fk1Wrxp8cdKEXGUWtU4bjkwx3kmPjTVONwrJxD5lK9FZY9g2GGJEwWFys4gKKm6jl7LcvxrxDRL9oyHhtIGP2o/s1600/kuppersbusch-induction-wok-cooktop.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-R3sPC-0cchDZq_CLILyEEfF4SRnB03ou3WqvnTCJ2Eq8iXEeGQm8Fk1Wrxp8cdKEXGUWtU4bjkwx3kmPjTVONwrJxD5lK9FZY9g2GGJEwWFys4gKKm6jl7LcvxrxDRL9oyHhtIGP2o/s320/kuppersbusch-induction-wok-cooktop.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Küppersbusch Induction Wok Hob</td></tr>
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My calculations suggest that induction hobs can operate at higher COPs,
effectively generating more BTUs per watt than a typical electric
range.<br />
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One take away, that I can think of, if the cooktop surface itself is
damaged, the entire cooktop has to be replaced as the surface is not
replaceable. So be careful when cooking with larger heavy pots or
grills. Be sure that the base of the pots or the cooktop itself is free
of cooking materials or other debris.<br />
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Induction hobs, especially the higher-end models, are quite expensive, often north of $3000. That's certainly not cheap, but there are less expensive models available. At any rate, Lisa and I are quite happy with Miele's induction hob. It is a beautiful and very functional appliance. First Passive House in Pennsylvaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04743919388043479340noreply@blogger.com5