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D. Home insulation vs energy conservation practices D.1 Walls and Ceilings D.2 Doors and Windows D.3 Attic D.4 Roof D.5 Basement D.6 Garage D.7 Fireplace D.8 Weather Stripping D.9 Hot Water Tank and Pipes E. Thermal comfort E.1 Temperature and relative humidity in the home E.2 Heating systems and their health and environmental problems E.3 Passive solar heating E.4 Hot water radiant E.5 Electric radiant E.6 Individual heat pumps E.7 Electric convention heaters (baseboard or wall type) E.8 Central forced air (units can be electric, fuel fired or heat pump) E.9 Wood, oil or gas heaters E.10 Kerosene heaters F. Domestic Water Heating G. Sound and Noise Control Section 2.4.3 Assessment Scoring |
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Conserving energy is to maximize the gains while minimizing the energy losses. Energy gain is made through the heat produced within the house by people, lighting and appliances. A person gives off the heat equivalent of a 100-watt light bulb. Energy is gain from sunlight entering through windows; a south-facing window can gain more heat than it loses. The furnace supplies the bulk of the heatig. The largest source of heat loss in a typical house is uncontrolled air leakage. Heat is loss by: a) Conduction: heat is transferred
through the building material, such as basement walls;
Home insulation materials are rated by R-value (resistance to heat flow) per unit thickness. There are many types available such as rigid, loose-fill, batt, etc. Each type has specific applications for which it is best suited. Insulation is also rated by its RSI-value. RSI values indicate thermal resistance in metric terms while R-values represent Imperial measurements. The higher the resistance value, the slower the rate of heat transfer through the insulating material. The amount and type of insulation being used vary according to the amount of space and money available. Some general rules should be followed: a) fill cavities or gaps completely to prevent air
circulation;
To be effective, insulation must be able to fill the space completely and evenly, resistant to heat flow, able to withstand heat and moisture, resist air movement, act as an air barrier, and durable. An air-vapour barrier must be built to protect the structure of the house from potential damage caused by water vapour condensing in insulated walls and ceilings, and seal the house against the leakage of cold winter air to the inside and the escape of heated air to the outside. The best material is 6 mil polyethylene and is installed on the warm side of the insulation. There are numerous products and home improvement measures designed to save quantities of energy and money. There are also easy-to-implement energy savings measures which require only small investments which will pay for themselves in energy savings in less than a year. Air leakage is a major source of heat loss in a house, and it can easily be reduced. Sealing all the gaps and cracks can reduce your heating fuel bill by 20% to 30% . Look for caulking materials that are durable and flexible. The caulking material should be flexible because of the constant shrinkage
and expansion of the wood in the home. Subtract the cost of materials from
the savings made in heating bills.
D.1 Walls and Ceilings ____1. Do you choose glass fibre or cellulose insulation
so as to avoid insulation products that are environmentally damaging (CFCs
used as a foaming agent in insulation contribute to stratospheric Ozone
depletion, HCFCs are greenhouse gases contributing to global warming as
CO2 does)?
D.2 Doors and Windows ____1. Do you have a double-glazed windows (single
glazed windows lose about 12 times as much heat as an insulated wall of
the same area; double-glazing windows can save 3.6 cubic meters of natural
gas or 4.5 liters of heating oil per day, and they reduce heat loss by
50% over single glass windows)?
D.3 Attic ____1. Is the attic hatch insulated and weather stripped?
D.4 Roof The roof is a major area of heat loss. It is, therefore, one of the first parts of a building that should be designed for energy conservation. The design of roofs involve decreasing air leakage, adding insulation and improving ventilation so that heat loss is reduced. Each home has a different roof design: flat, low-sloping or cathedral roofs. Moisture damage from rain and snow on the outside and excess humidity on the inside can lead to a rapid deterioration of the wooden frame of the roof. Roof designs may also be renovated. Even the smallest renovation may allow you to develop a more energy-efficient home. Some houses which have undergone a complete renovation with attention to energy conservation have had their fuel bills reduced as much as to 90 percent. Energy conservation provides returns beyond a reduced fuel bill. Itreduces dependence on improved energy sources, reduces environmental disruption, and the home is more comfortable to live in. ____1. Have you weatherstripped and insulated your
attic hatch?
D.5 Basement ____1. Is the space between the sill plate and the
foundation caulked and sealed all around the house (there should be no
air leakage where the exterior wall meets the top of the basement walls
or the foundation; a caulking compound such as acrylic or ruberized compounds
will adhere to both the concrete and wood)?
D.6 Garage ____1. If your garage is heated, is it well insulated
(as well as your house)?
D.7 Fireplace ____1. Is the opening of the fireplace sealed when
not in use?
D.8 Weather Stripping ____1. Are the mail chutes, pet doors, milk boxes,
and basement doors well sealed and airtight?
D.9 Hot Water Tank and Pipes ____1. Is there an extra layer of 8 cm foil-faced
insulation around the hot water tank (wrap the insulation, foil facing
out, around the tank and seal the joints with duct tape)?
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E. Thermal comfort Temperature and humidity have direct effect on comfort and health. Thirty degree Celsius is comfortable to most people if the humidity is very low, but twenty degree Celsius feels hot if the air is humid. For this reason we must rely on a graph of temperature versus relative humidity to determine a zone for best comfort and health. The best range of relative humidity is between 40% and 60%. It is best for health and comfort, perspiration will not readily collect, fungus growth and the spread of bacteria will not go on, and building materials, fabrics and furnishings will be least affected. Relative humidity (R.H. %) is the percentage of the maximum capacity of air to carry water at any given temperature. Saturated air has a 100 % R.H. The capacity of air to carry water is dependent on its temperature. Cool air has the least capacity to carry water, while warm air has the greatest. Now air in the home will contain more or less humidity than outside air depending on the amounts of: * evaporation of water from our bodies and from cooking,
bathing, washing, and breathing;
A well sealed, insulated, and ventilated (both naturally and mechanically) home with a well design heating and cooling system will bring to the home comfort, health, and significant financial benefits. Condensation occurs when warm moisture-laden indoor air meets a surface
cold enough to draw the moisture from the air. Moisture can damage window
frames, walls and ceiling materials and create rot problems and highly
allergenic fungi.
E.1 Temperature and relative humidity in the home ____1. Have you stopped using humidifiers with a water
filled pan or reservoir connected to a wick to add moisture to the air
by evaporation (these parts become a breeding place for airborne microorganisms
which create illness such as the legionnaires diseases)?
E.2 Heating systems and their health and environmental problems Your heating system must provide you a high level of comfort at an affordable price and so, its design, selection and installation must be given full consideration as the remaining of the home is being designed. Heating systems are a vital part of every home, providing comfortable temperatures during cold and hot weather throughout the year. In Alberta, Canada, over 90% of these systems are fueled with natural gas. Manufacturers of heating systems equipment have developed energy-efficient equipment which can significantly reduce annual heating bills. Other factors that can affect your annual heating costs are: house size, insulation levels, construction quality, and lifestyle. Over 85% of the homes in Alberta has a central forced-air system whereby heat is delivered to the house by circulating warm air. Forced-air circulation provides fresh air throughout the home. If the furnace has a two speed fan, the low speed can be used year round to maintain humidity and air freshness, and air can be filtered to a high level using an electronic filter. On the other hand, radiant heating systems provide a high degree of comfort, are clean and quiet, low maintenance, possibility for individual room control, and take-up less room. Forced-air heating systems have large ducts and furnace, are noisy, need monthly maintenance, and cause more drafts. Radiant systems have a heat distribution problems, are more expensive to operate, and it is more expensive and difficult to add air conditioning. Other homes have room-to-room convectors, woodstoves or infloor heating and rely on radiation and convection to circulate the heat. Combination hydronic and forced-air systems give high-efficiency (90 to 95 %) gas furnaces and boilers. Maximizing the efficiency of your heating system, and its safety, should be your first concerns. Maximum heat must be obtained out of the system while ensuring its safe operation. Higher efficiencies can be achieved by: * Changing the system to allow it to operate more
efficiently;
Lowering the temperature setting of the thermostat by one degree will save approximately three percent of your fuel bill. A proper house insulation will allow you to lower the thermostat by 2 C with no change of comfort. Automatic set-back thermostats will lower the setting at night and raise it just before getting up in the morning. Make sure the thermostat is located on an inside wall where it is not affected by cold drafts, the heat from appliances, the sun or lights. Furnaces should be expected to last 15 to 20 years, boilers slightly
longer. For safety reasons, any problem that allow combustion gases to
escape into the home must be remedied immediately to avoid dangerous health
and safety problems.
E.3 Passive solar heating ____1. Are the heat storage materials safe and accessible
(better use ceramic tile, concrete or brick walks and floors)?
E.4 Hot water radiant ____1. Are the heated surfaces outgasing contaminants
(the piping system may use toxic antifreeze solutions) which can be easily
ventilated out?
E.5 Electric radiant ____1. Are the heated surfaces outgasing contaminants
which can be easily ventilated out?
Heat pumps can provide both winter space heating and summer air conditioning. A typical system consists of a heat pump located on the outside of the home, and a furnace and hot water tank inside. The heat pump uses electrical energy to capture thermal energy. A heat pump is a machine that absorbs heat energy from a cooler space (heat source) and delivers it to a warmer space (heat sink). Because a heat pump can reverse its function (heating or cooling) each heat exchanger coil can be an evaporator or condenser coil. Various types of heat pumps can be used in conjunction with an electric, gas or oil furnace to obtain an oil or gas add-on heat pump, or electric heat pump. ____1. Are the heat pumps sealed well enough to stop
the refrigerant from being emitted?
E.7 Electric Convention Heaters (baseboard or wall type) Electric baseboard heating systems consists of individually controlled room-by-room convectors. These systems are expensive to operate compared to natural gas. These units are also used as supplementary heating systems. ____1. Do you keep units unobstructed (furniture should
be placed at least 8 cm from units)?
E.8 Central Forced Air (units can be electric, fuel fired or heat pump) A central forced-air system is made up of a furnace with a fan to circulate the heat, supply ducts to deliver warm air to each room, and return air ducts to draw cool air back to the furnace. Furnace operation is controlled by a centrally located thermostat. House air can readily be humidified, filtered, heated or cooled. Conventional furnaces have a low "seasonal efficiency" (the many cycles of starting-up, running and cooling-off, all under different weather conditions, reduce a system's efficiency; the constantly burning pilot light and the chimney heat loss also contribute to a reduced efficiency). Efficiency has been improved with the introduction of electronic ignition (improves combustion efficiency by 5 to 7 percent by replacing the constantly burning pilot flame with a device that ignites only when the thermostat calls for heat), and automatic flue dampers which reduce heat loss up the chimney by blocking the chimney flue when the furnace is not operating (an increase by 2 to 8 percent depending of the tightness of the damper when closed). An induced draft fan increases further the efficiency of the furnace to about 75 percent by drawing a controlled amount of combustion air into the furnace. An even greater efficiency can be obtained by adding an extra heat exchanger which further extracts heat from the combustion gases. ____1. Is the unit emitting fuel fumes and flue gases
contamination which can be easily ventilated?
E.9 Wood, Oil or Gas Heaters Wood and coal burning furnaces can have efficiencies around 60 percent but can vary depending upon the heat value and moisture content of the wood or coal being used. The heat exchanger and chimney must be inspected and cleaned regularly, and ashes disposed of. ____1. Is the unit emitting fuel fumes and combustion
gas contaminants which can be easily ventilated?
E.10 Kerosene Heaters ____1. Do you make sure that your kerosene heater
is well vented (they discharge all their noxious combustion products into
the home)?
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F. Domestic Water Heating Domestic hot water heating for homes constitutes a small portion of total energy consumption and, as homes become more energy-efficient, this energy consumption becomes a larger portion. Reducing water heating costs can be achieved by conserving hot water i.e., by using low flow showerheads and faucets, insulating the hot water tank and lines, and reducing the water tank temperature to as low a level as possible. Reducing costs is also achieved by using more efficient water heaters for fuel-fired systems. ____1. Do you apply energy conserving practices to
hot water use?
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G. Sound and Noise Control Noise is a significant pollutant of modern life, contributes to tension, and to psychological and physical deterioration, increases the incidence of heart disease, ulcers, and high blood pressure. Noise affects children and their development at home, produce significant deficiencies in children attention span and learning skills. Noise will interrupt needed deep sleep, promote fatigue, and cause non-reversible hearing loss. Sound energy is measured in decibel (dB). The smallest sound which can be heard by a person with unimpaired hearing is 0 dB. Sound intensities up to 60 dB are comfortable background levels. Occupational health standards allow only 2 hours of exposure per day to 100 dB noise without ear protection. Noise in excess of 110 dB is very painful and will cause rapid hearing damage. The most damaging exposure in homes is created by loud music, power tools and appliances, fans, noisy pipes, and urban or industrial noise. ____1. Do you turn down the music to an acceptable
comfortable level?
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Section Assessment Scoring
I(normalized) = 0.200
In this assessment, the values used for I(normalized) are the
same as those obtained and described in section 2.3 The Mathematical
Model. The two tables in The Scale of Values obtained from
the survey, guess-estimated and standard give all normalized
values in their last columns. Although most values were not given here,
they were obtained a few years ago by evaluating each impact as shown in
section
2.3 under Impact equation example: Forestry. It is obvious
now that one has to keep updating these impact equation calculations every
year as the world is changing very fast. Their calculations are a very
powerful educational tool and should be used in school to educate students
in thinking globally and in terms of interactions and their multidimensional
effects within themselves and on all four major interacting quality systems.
To become responsible in sustaining Earth has to start at early stage in
someone's life and calculating impact equations would be one of their first
steps.
Section Rating
= Sub-section % total
x 0.200
= GESDI for
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