• About
• Take Action to Save Energy
• Partner With DOE
• Activities
  • Solar Decathlon
  • Building America
    • Research
    • Innovations
    • Research Tools
    • Building Science Education
    • Climate-Specific Guidance
    • Solution Center
    • Partnerships
    • Publications
  • Home Energy Score
  • Home Performance with ENERGY STAR
  • Better Buildings Neighborhood Program
  • Challenge Home
  • Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals
• Technology Research, Standards, & Codes

Technical Update Meeting - Summer 2012

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building America program held the third annual Technical Update meeting on July 24-26, 2012, in Denver, Colorado. This meeting showcased world-class building science expertise for high performance homes in a dynamic new format. Researchers from Building America teams and national laboratories came together to discuss key issues currently limiting implementation of high performance homes.

The meeting also included working sessions from each Standing Technical Committee (STC) that outlined work that will best assist in overcoming technical challenges and delivering Building America research results to the market. Learn more about the STCs and the research planning process.

Read the summary report from the meeting. This report and meeting presentations are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs.

• Building Technologies Office Update: U.S. Department of Energy
• What We Know, and What We Don't Know

Meeting Presentations

Issue #1: How Do We First Do No Harm with High-R Enclosures?

What materials and approaches provide the "perfect," cost-effective, production-level, high-R enclosures for all major U.S. climate regions that ensure no moisture damage?

• Moisture Performance Through Field Testing for High Performance Homes
• Overview of High-R Enclosures
• Exterior Wall Retrofit Strategies with Exterior Insulating Sheathing

Issue #2: What Emerging Innovations are the Key to Future Homes?

What are the most important emerging innovations that will solve critical problems and capture new performance opportunities for future homes?

• Ductless Hydronic Distribution Systems
• Home Energy Management Systems and Reduced Consumption
• Excavationless Foundation Insulation for Existing Homes
• Role of High Insulating Windows in Achieving 50% Energy Savings in Residential Retrofits

Issue #3: HVAC Proper Installation Energy Savings: Over-Promising or Under-Delivering?

What energy savings are realistically achievable by following quality installation standards for installation, operation, and maintenance of residential HVAC?

• Guidelines on Airflow and Charge Verification
• Improving Installed Furnace Performance – A 48-House Case Study
• A Pre-Delivery Inspection for Your HVAC System

Issue #4: Are High Efficiency Hot Water Heating Systems Worth the Cost?

What are realistic energy savings associated with the latest advanced and forthcoming water heating technologies and are they cost effective?

• Performance of Gas-Fired Water Heaters in a 10-Home Field Study
• Tankless Water Heaters: Do They Really Work?
• Cost-Effective Water Heating Solutions

Issue #5: How Much Insulation is Too Much?

How do we define the cost-effective limit for improvements in enclosure efficiency?

• Decision-Making Approaches for Enclosure Insulation Levels
• Optimizing High Levels of Insulation
• Cost Analysis Approach for Codes

Issue #6: Do Codes and Standards Get in the Way of High Performance?

What gaps and barriers in codes, standards, and rating systems limit achievement of 50% homes?

• Challenges with Existing Home Mechanical Systems Codes: Examples from Florida
• Prescriptive Codes: A Cure or a Curse?
• Impact of Code on Potential PVC Duct System Solution

Issue #7: What are the Best HVAC Solutions for Low-Load, High Performance Homes?

What components and controls are required to implement the "perfect," cost-effective, production-level low-load space conditioning systems for all major U.S. climate regions?

• Sensible and Latent Load Control with Centrally Ducted Variable Capacity Space Conditioning Systems in Low Sensible Load Environments
• HVAC for Low-Load Homes
• Dual Integrated Appliances (Combi Systems)
• Minimized Space Conditioning Distribution Strategies for Low-Load Homes

Issues #8: Better Technology Doesn't Always Win – How Can We Ensure that Doesn't Happen to High Performance Homes?

What market delivery solutions are most effective in communicating and validating the value of high performance home innovations?

• Winning with Co-Opetition
• Communicating the Value of Energy Efficiency Research Results
• Successful Marketing Practices of 30% Community Scale Builders

Issue #9: What are the Best Ventilation Techniques?

How do we address ventilation in all climates? What is the best compromise between occupant health and safety and energy efficiency?

• Recommendations for Meeting ASHRAE Standard 62.2
• Thoughts on ASHRAE 62.2