Instructor Cate O’dahl

Session One –Green HVAC and Healthy Homes

 This class consists of all online Lecture with 11 hours of Lab required  See the Course Syllabus for details  If this is your first online course, use the tools on the home page to help you understand how to use Canvas Online Learning Management Tool

SessionTopic Week 1Green HVAC and Healthy Buildings Week 2Codes, Regulations & Certifications Week 3Building Science Week 4House as a System Week 5Fact vs. Fiction Week 6Equipment & Product Selection Week 7Testing & Code Compliance Week 8Customer Service Week9Business Development - Building Science & Business Science Week10Green VHAC

 The Syllabus will be reviewed Week 1 during the first lab meeting.  If you miss this first lab meeting, YOU are required to familiarize yourself with course assignments and assessment OR contact the instructor.  The syllabus is linked in Canvas and will be ed to you prior to the Week 1 lab meeting.

  Course Information ◦ Includes contact info for instructor Includes contact info for instructor   Course Objectives ◦ Introduce students to online learning ◦ Teach students to understand how green building strategies affect quality HVAC installation, service, and repair ◦ Inform students of new code, regulations, and building certifications that affect current HVAC industry standards ◦ Provide latest equipment and product information for changing industry ◦ Begin to learn how to look at HVAC as one component in the house as a system ◦ Prepare students for the changes in HVAC industry to better equip them for a changing workforce.

  What you will learn in this course – see syllabus   Textbook Residential Energy, Cost Savings and Comfort for Existing Buildings, John Krigger/Chris Dorsi Sixth Edition ISBN - 13:

  Additional Required Reading Materials Click the links to connect to reading materials assigned for this class.  Washington State Energy Code Builder’s Field Guide, 2009, 8 th Edition, available on line, click link from your computer to access pdf document. Full document: Washington State Energy Code Builder’s Field Guide, 2009, 8 th Edition  Residential Pressure & Air Leakage Testing Manual, Retrotec Inc., revised , available on line, click link from your computer to access pdf document. Residential Pressure & Air Leakage Testing Manual, Retrotec Inc.,  Read this: The Building Connection, available on- line, click link from your computer to access pdf document. Read this: The Building Connection

  Student Network Account   Readings, Assignments Homework

  What you will learn in this course   Textbook   Online Course Necessities   Student Network Account   Readings, Assignments Homework

  What you will learn in this course   Textbook   Online Course Necessities   Student Network Account   Readings, Assignments Homework

 Getting Started   Attendance   Grades   Course Schedule   Computer Labs & Tutoring   Campus Safety& Security Information   Disability Services

  Student Code of Conduct   Netiquette and Privacy ◦ Be sure to READ this section so you are prepared to fully participate in the online Discussion Forums   5 Keys to Success

 “If you steal from one author, it's plagiarism; if you steal from many, it's research.” Wilson Mizner  So, remember, if you directly quote one author, you must make a citation, if you see the general idea in three or more instances, paraphrase.

 Green HVAC is a new way of thinking about an old problem  Einstein said “We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” So, if we agree there is a problem in the United States with residential heating and cooling system efficiency, then according to Einstein, we need a new way to think about the problem to create a solution.

 Green HVAC is a new approach to Traditional HVAC that solves some of the efficiency (waste) issues with current HVAC design, installation and maintenance.  This course is designed to prepare HVAC students for changes in the industry toward green HVAC including more energy efficiency and improved indoor air quality in residential home construction, renovation, and repair.  Students will learn basic building science as it applies to green building and, especially to HVAC to understand the “house as a system”.basic building science house as a system  The class covers new codes and regulations affecting any home repairs, discussions of green options for standard HVAC install, repair or services, including new technology, equipment, and strategies that improve energy savings and indoor air quality.new codes

 Green, as a term associated with building and development, also referred to as “Sustainable” where strategies are designed to increase efficiency, reduce waste, and reduce the impact on the natural environment. It includes water, energy, materials and it comes with an entire new vocabulary that defines its parameters.  In this session we will ◦ Introduce and define Green Building ◦ Introduce and define Green HVAC ◦ Introduce and define a healthy home ◦ Introduce and define indoor air quality ◦ Define important factors for discussing Green HVAC ◦ Set context for HVAC within the scope of overall green building

 Green building, also referred to as sustainable construction, refers to a set of design, construction, and operations & maintenance strategies that:  Protect the natural environment  Preserve and protect water quality  Improve and enhance indoor air quality  Improve and enhance energy efficiency

 The primary green categories include: ◦ Site ◦ Water ◦ Energy Efficiency ◦ Indoor Air Quality ◦ Materials Efficiency

 Comfort  Air quality  Operations & Maintenance

 HVAC is an integral component to energy efficiency  Equally important to indoor air quality (IAQ)  Indoor air quality is a component of a Healthy Home ◦ Americans, on average, spend 90% of their time indoors ◦ Good indoor air quality, then affects the health of building occupants

 Microbial contaminants (mold, bacteria)  Gases (including carbon monoxide, radon, volatile organic compounds)  Particulates  Any mass or energy stressor that can induce adverse health conditions.

 Using ventilation to dilute contaminants, provide filtration, and source control are the primary methods for improving indoor air quality in most buildings.ventilation

 Green HVAC refers to ◦ Energy efficient mechanical systems ◦ Optimized delivery systems ◦ Integrated design to enhance air quality  Healthy Homes include ◦ Construction & design that drives IAQ ◦ Material selection choices that protect IAQ ◦ Mechanical systems that support air quality, particularly ventilation ◦ Operations & Maintenance that preserves IAQ

 In this class we will explore how HVAC service and installation can affect a building’s energy efficiency  We will discuss how diagnostic tests and computer software used to document a building’s energy performance  That is, how well does the HVAC system work in the building considering the system itself, the building shell or envelope, appliances, climate, and occupant behavior Sample EPS Score

 Especially in homes with ducted HVAC systems, the efficiency of the HVAC system directly affects the quality of indoor air ◦ Leaky ducts drawing air from crawl spaces and attics can introduce contaminants  Air leakage in the building’s envelope (uncontrolled ventilation) also can affect IAQ

◦ Construction & design  Construction includes thermal and air barrier ◦ Material selection choices that protect IAQ  Finish materials made without toxic ingredients  Adhesives, coatings, and sealants that are low-toxic

◦ Mechanical systems that support air quality, particularly ventilation  Properly vented combustion devices  Combustion Safety procedures Thoroughly sealed duct work  Duct work in conditioned spaces ◦ Operations & Maintenance that preserves IAQ  System Commissioning  Owner’s Manual  Scheduled maintenance

 Equipment and Distribution  Climate influences  Occupant influences  Goal of Green HVAC

 New heating and cooling equipment options offer energy savings  New diagnostic tests allow for eliminating waste in the system ◦ Duct Leakage Testing  Using a duct blaster to test for leakage in air ducts – new contraction and existing buildings.  Air leakage in forced air duct systems is now recognized as a major source of energy waste in both new and existing houses and commercial buildings

 Studies indicate that duct leakage can account for as much as 25% - 30% of total home energy loss Up to 40% when ducts are in unconditioned spaces  In many cases has a greater impact on energy use than air infiltration through the building shell.  Duct leakage is often the single largest cause of performance and comfort problems.

 The distribution system is an integral part of many mechanical ventilation systems. It can have a significant effect on the ventilation rate and efficiency of a home. Duct leakage is a source of energy loss, ventilation rate loss, and a source of indoor pollution (in return ducts). When ducts are run through unconditioned spaces like attics, crawlspaces, garages, basements and other locations outside the heated or cooled parts of the house, they not only leak air to and from the outside, but any heat lost through the walls of the duct (by heat conduction) is also lost to the unconditioned space instead of heating and cooling the house.  Source

 The building envelope has a direct affect on choices made for HVAC – one of the largest used of energy  Improvements to the building envelope have the potential to reduce Green House Gas emissions from new and existing buildings.  Local climate influences the appropriateness and cost-effectiveness of many decisions pertaining to building envelope design and product selection.

 Even a perfectly designed HVAC can become inefficient quickly if it’s not operated correctly ◦ Filters need to be changed ◦ Temperature settings may be altered  Good Green Building contractors provide an O & M Manual to help reduce issues associated with occupant behavior

 The goal of this class is to introduce green building topics, terminology, strategies into the HVAC certificate series.  The goal of Green HVAC in the industry is to improve energy efficiency and occupant health and home environment quality.

 Durability  Thermal Comfort  Energy savings, as opposed to cost savings  Renewable/alternative Energy Sources for residential applications – solar electric, solar thermal, wind, geo-thermal, micro- hydro  Integrating renewable into existing systems

The Challenge, according to the Washington State Energy Code, is that  Recent research and testing of new homes in the Pacific Northwest and across the United States shows the importance of a properly installed HVAC system.  Interactions between system components, the house envelope, and other equipment can seriously affect: ◦ Occupant health and safety; ◦ Occupant comfort; ◦ Equipment and structural durability; and ◦ Energy efficiency.  Durability of all system components can therefore reduce energy waste and increase efficiency.

 Thermal Comfort — A Key to Occupant Satisfaction and Productivity  Traditional Environmental Comfort Factors ◦ Temperature of the room air, ignoring moisture content (i.e., the dry-bulb temperature) ◦ Relative humidity of the room air ◦ Speed of any room air that's hitting the occupant ◦ Average temperature of the solid surfaces surrounding the occupant (i.e., the mean radiant temperature) ◦ The amount of solar heat directly hitting the occupant through windows  Other Comfort Factors ◦ Occupant activity level and clothing level ◦ Adaptive factors, such as the amount of control we have over our comfort conditions ◦ Variability, i.e., whether letting space conditions fluctuate somewhat is more comfortable than rigidly constant conditions  Goal is to manage for these comfort factors when designing, installing, or servicing HVAC systems

 This important factor has more to do with how to talk about energy efficiency than as a tangible factor.  We will address this further in Week 8 – Customer Service  Point here is to reframe the way you think and talk about energy efficiency from cost savings to energy savings.

 Renewable energy ◦ Energy Conservation is the single greatest source of renewable energy ◦ Solar electric ◦ Solar water heating ◦ Wind ◦ Geo-thermal ◦ Mini-Hydro

 Since conservation is the greatest single source of renewable energy, conceptually it would seem to be a relatively simple task to “integrate” into existing systems  Downside is this integration requires consumer education, occupant behavior changes and modifications, which are hard to alter, quantify, and report.

 Integrating other renewable energy systems into residential applications is much easier.  Plan for integrating renewables into existing systems in the design phase: ◦ Pre-wire for solar photovoltaic ◦ Pre-pipe for solar hot water

 Energy supplies and resources can no longer be taken for granted  Business Decisions  Equipment  NEW Code – set up for next class

 Peak Oil ◦ Many experts agree that our societies have used over ½ of all available oil reserves on the planet and that those remaining reserves are more difficult to extract and may cause environmental tragedies in doing so, namely the Deepwater Horizon incident in 2011.Deepwater Horizon incident  Peak Natural Gas ◦ Some experts agree that natural gas reserves are in the same perilous quantity scenario as oil, with equal environmental concerns. environmental concerns  Problems with Nuclear Option ◦ Disposal and risks from natural disasters.risks from natural disasters  High costs of obtaining new sources for new demand

 The links provided on the previous slide present only one side of these very large issues.  Since these issues are not the basis of this class, we will not explore them in depth, but I encourage any class member who has questions about the veracity of these claims, to do research and submit an Extra Credit paper backing up your claims.

 Over 30% of heat is lost through most improperly installed or maintained duct work  Improperly sealed building envelopes also offer opportunities for inefficiencies. ◦ The building envelope – the interface between the interior of the building and the outdoor environment, including the walls, roof, and foundation – serves as a thermal barrier and plays an important role in determining the amount of energy necessary to maintain a comfortable indoor environment relative to the outside environment. Source – Center for Climate and Energy Solutions

 Choosing to build green  Certifying a project  Choosing subcontractors that align with green building choices  Plan and design well to avoid cost overruns  Get training and education to support your business decisions

 Combustion safety Confined spaces and even unconfined spaces should ALWAYS direct vent because of potential for incomplete combustion  High Efficiency models  Energy-Star certified equipment

 Going Green in HVAC isn’t just a personal choice  New 2009 Washington State Energy Codes increase requirements for energy efficiency.

 Washington State Energy Code  EPA Renovation Regulations  Green Building Certifications