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Infiltration meets ACH50 requirements

Description

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home (Revision 07)

Exhibit 2 DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Target Home.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home program allows builders to choose a prescriptive or performance path. The DOE Zero Energy Ready Home prescriptive path requires builders to meet or exceed the minimum HVAC efficiencies listed in Exhibit 2 of the National Program Requirements (Rev 07), as shown below. The DOE Zero Energy Ready Home performance path allows builders to select a custom combination of measures for each home that is equivalent in performance to the minimum HERS index of a modeled target home that meets the requirements of Exhibit 2 as well as the mandatory requirements of Zero Energy Ready Home Exhibit 1.

Exhibit 2, Insulation and Infiltration) Whole house leakage must be tested and meet the following infiltration limits:

  • Zones 1-2: ≤ 3 ACH50;
  • Zones 3-4: ≤ 2.5 ACH50;
  • Zones 5-7: ≤ 2 ACH50;
  • Zone 8: ≤ 1.5 ACH50;
  • Attached dwellings: ≤ 3 ACH50.

Footnote 23) Envelope leakage shall be determined by an approved verifier using a RESNET-approved testing protocol.

How to Determine Infiltration

Building envelope leakage should be determined by an approved verifier using a testing protocol approved by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). Whole-house air leakage testing is conducted with a blower door test.

Climate zones are based on the Climate Zone Map, which can be found in the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (2015 IECC Figure R301.1):

IECC climate zone map.
Figure 1. IECC climate zone map.

 

More Info

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References and Resources*
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Website listing implementation timelines and links to various versions of the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home national program requirements.
*For non-dated media, such as websites, the date listed is the date accessed.
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