Posted: March 10, 2014
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technology Office
The Building Technology Office is offering a new webinar series on getting homes zero-energy ready. The webinars – sponsored by DOE Challenge Home, a blueprint for these ultra high-performance homes – feature experts who discuss critical home systems, how they simultaneously save energy and improve comfort, and how to get these systems right.
Ducts in Conditioned Spaces
Thursday, March 20, noon – 1:30 p.m. ET
With such high performance homes, it’s impossible to justify huge thermal losses from ducts in unconditioned spaces. That’s why one of the program’s mandatory specs calls for ducts in conditioned space. However “ducts in conditioned space” isn’t a one-size-fits-all design requirement in DOE Challenge Home. Over the last several years, DOE’s Building America research partners have worked out the kinks on a toolkit of duct design strategies. In this session, Bill Zoeller, Steven Winter Associates, a leading expert on thermal performance of air, will share the pros and cons of these strategies so you can specify effective distribution systems for any type of project. Register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/252839560
Comprehensive Building Science
Wednesday, March 26, noon – 1:30 p.m. ET
DOE Challenge Homes aren’t just really energy efficient – they’re designed and built using solid building science principles. Version 3 of the ENERGY STAR Certified Homes program, a prerequisite for every Challenge Home, delivers three key systems that improve comfort, indoor air quality, and durability – a complete thermal enclosure system, a complete HVAC system, and a complete water management system. In this webinar, Dean Gamble of EPA will cover the building science basics that underlie these key systems, as well as discuss the top three challenges of each system and how to overcome them. Register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/19446