BASC Search | Building America Solution Center

Publication Date

Sun, 09/01/2013 - 12:00

Right - the vapor barrier is extended up the sides of the piers in this crawlspace, which is sealed and insulated to house the HVAC ducts.

This home is heated with in-floor hydronic radiant heating tubes that were installed on top of the R-20 rigid foam under-slab insulation.

An ultra-efficient layer of R-20 rigid foam foundation insulation covers the ground underneath the vapor barrier and radiant floor loops, which will circulate water heated by an ultra-efficient geo heat pump.

Building Science Introduction - Heat Flow

Information guide providing background information about heat flow in residential buildings.

Encapsulated Ducts

Guide that illustrates how and when to encapsulate ductwork in unconditioned attics, increases the R-value of duct insulation, mitigating condensation issues and reducing air leakage.

Rooms Containing Fuel-Burning Appliances - Code Compliance Brief

An entirely new section in the 2015 IECC/IRC regarding fuel-burning appliances basically requires the appliance to be isolated from the building thermal envelope, located either outside or within a separate room if the fuel-burning appliance is supplied by open combustion air ducts. This brief provides an overview of the requirements and further details of approving the actual "room".

Calculating Design Heating Loads for Superinsulated Buildings, Ithaca NY

Author(s)

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

Steven Winter Associates

Organization(s)

CARB,

SWA

Publication Date

August, 2015

Case study describing heating loads for super-insulated buildings.

No Excessive Coiled or Looped Flex Ducts

Guide outlining how to correctly install flex ducts without excessive coils or loops.

No Ducts or Air Handlers Located in Garage

Guide describing how to design HVAC systems to be located within the conditioned space of the home, either in a utility closet or in an air sealed conditioned attic, basement, or crawl space.

CCHRC: Thermal Mass in Alaska

Publication Date

May, 2014

Author(s)

Craven

Organization(s)

Cold Climate Housing Research Center,

CCHRC

Video describing what thermal mass is and answering some frequently asked questions about how to utilize it in Alaska.

DOE ZERH HIA 2013 Case Study: Preferred Builders, Old Greenwich, Connecticut

Author(s)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

U.S. Department of Energy

Organization(s)

PNNL,

DOE

Publication Date

April, 2013

Case study describing a DOE Zero Energy Ready Home 2013 Housing Innovation Award Winner in Old Greenwich CT, that scored HERS 42 without PV and HERS 20 with PV.

After setting precast concrete basement walls on an 8-inch bed of trap rock, this builder sprayed 2 inches of closed-cell spray foam directly onto the ground then laid piping for radiant floor heating before pouring the concrete floor slab.

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Measure Guideline: Buried and/or Encapsulated Ducts

Author(s)

Mantha Pallavi,

Zoeller William,

Shapiro Carl

Organization(s)

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

August, 2013

Project discussing buried or encapsulated ducts and their pros and cons.

Design for Extreme Heat

Information guide describing ways to design a home to be resistant to extreme heat.

Gas-Fired Boilers - Code Compliance Brief

The intent of this brief is to provide code-related information about gas-fired boilers to help ensure that the measure will be accepted as being in compliance with the code. Providing notes for code officials on how to plan reviews and conduct field inspections can help builders or remodelers...