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Low-Load Space Conditioning Needs Assessment

Heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment must be right-sized to ensure energy performance and comfort. With limited low-load options in the HVAC market, many new-construction housing units are being fitted with oversized equipment that creates system efficiency, comfort, and cost penalties. To bridge the gap between currently available HVAC equipment that is oversized or inefficient and the rising demand for low-load HVAC equipment in the marketplace, HVAC equipment manufacturers need to be fully aware of the needs of the multifamily building and attached single-family (duplex and townhouse) home market. Over the past decade, Steven Winter Associates, Inc. (SWA) has provided certification and consulting services for hundreds of housing projects and has accrued a large pool of data that describe multifamily and attached single-family home characteristics. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America research team Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB) compiled and analyzed these data to outline the characteristics of low-load dwellings such as the heating and cooling design loads.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Technology Solutions Case Study: Low-Load Space-Conditioning Needs Assessment

Low-load options in the heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) market are limited, so many new-construction housing units are being fitted with oversized equipment that results in penalties in system efficiency, comfort, and cost. To bridge the gap between currently available HVAC equipment and the rising demand for low-load HVAC equipment in the marketplace, HVAC equipment manufacturers need to be fully aware of the needs of the multifamily building and attached single-family home markets. Over the past decade, Steven Winter Associates, Inc. has provided certification and consulting services for hundreds of housing projects and has accrued a large pool of data that describe multifamily and attached single-family home characteristics. In this project, the research team Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB) compiled and analyzed the data from 941 low-load buildings in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions to outline the heating and cooling design load characteristics of low-load dwellings. Within this data set, CARB found that only 1% of the dwellings had right-sized (within 25% of design load) heating equipment and 6% had right-sized cooling equipment.

Air-source heat pumps↗

Building America Case Study: Low-Load Space-Conditioning Needs Assessment, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic; Technology Solutions for New and Existing Homes, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)

With limited low-load options in the HVAC market, many new-construction housing units are being fitted with oversized equipment - thus facing penalties in system efficiency, comfort, and cost. To bridge the gap between currently available HVAC equipment and the rising demand for low-load HVAC equipment in the marketplace, HVAC equipment manufacturers need to be fully aware of multifamily buildings and single-family homes market needs. Over the past decade, Steven Winter Associates, Inc. (SWA) has provided certification and consulting services on hundreds of housing projects and has accrued a large pool of data. CARB compiled and analyzed these data to see what the thermal load ranges are in various multifamily apartments and attached single-family home types (duplex and townhouse). In total, design loads from 941 dwellings from SWA's recent multifamily and attached single-family work across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic were analyzed. Information on the dwelling characteristics, design loads, and the specifications of installed mechanical equipment were analyzed to determine any trends that exist within the dataset. Of the 941 dwellings, CARB found that only 1% had right-sized heating equipment and 6% of the dwellings had right-sized cooling equipment (within 25% or less of design load).

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Deep Retrofits for Multifamily: Experiences in Scaling to Zero Energy: Preprint

Zero net energy (ZNE) buildings are needed to reverse the growing trend of increasing energy consumption. But to make dramatic changes, existing buildings must be renovated at scale. In addition, the building stock must be electrified so that its energy needs could be met by renewable generation. Such aggressive goals often mean very high custom design and capital construction costs. Suitable options for comprehensive envelope retrofits can be too expensive to be practical, and electrification requires upgrades to building-level electrical infrastructure. This paper is a case study of eight projects—primarily multifamily residential—that strived for zero-energy, all-electric retrofits. The design teams were challenged to create solutions that could be replicated at scale, showing decreasing costs with broader adoption. Key technologies considered in designing cost-effective, scalable solutions include industrialized prefabricated retrofit components, modular HVAC solutions, and innovative domestic hot water systems. We trace the progress toward the goals set and examine the choices made by the teams as they encountered technical, logistical, and cost barriers. We also discuss financial challenges for multifamily retrofits, provide guidance for incentives, and examine procurement processes for design services and technologies.

ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION↗