The first test run of consumption data from the 2011 - 2012 evaluation period was run on a small section of data from Vectren this morning. Another larger run should be completed next week. The quicker the additional information comes back in from all the CAPs, the quicker the formal requests for data can be made to all the utility vendors.
I will do my best to share the weather normalized consumption data with Roeing so it can be fed back into the Weatherization database's waiting list in a timely manner!
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Beginnings of the 2011-2012 Billing Analysis report
The 2011-2012 billing analysis report is slowing inching forward. Requests for missing information have been sent out to program managers. Once those have all been returned, the utility data requests can begin. In the mean time, here is a breakdown of provider production during the reporting period.
Fifty seven percent of the homes weatherized were done by the legacy providers and 43% were weatherized by the new providers. The six most productive providers weatherized about half (50.5%) of all the homes in Indiana:
- Indiana Builders Association - 1,852
- Northwest Indiana Community Action - 481
- Hoosier Energy REC - 412
- Real Services - 375
- Community Action of Northeast Indiana - 287
- South Central Community Action Program - 280
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
But can you dense pack with it?
Two Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute grads are trying to turn a part of mushrooms into an insulation material. Not the whole mushroom, just the mycelium.
I don't know, just something about mold in a house seems funny to me. I know it isn't really mold, but a part of the mold.
The new start up, Ecovative Design is working on a SIPs-like product that has some filler material between the structural panels. The mycelium feeds on that filler, growing in to fill the space while leaving behind a stronger, somewhat foam-like insulation behind. Only there are no blowing agents involved, which is rather un-foam-like. No harmful VOCs to off-gas!
I don't know, just something about mold in a house seems funny to me. I know it isn't really mold, but a part of the mold.
The new start up, Ecovative Design is working on a SIPs-like product that has some filler material between the structural panels. The mycelium feeds on that filler, growing in to fill the space while leaving behind a stronger, somewhat foam-like insulation behind. Only there are no blowing agents involved, which is rather un-foam-like. No harmful VOCs to off-gas!
Sunday, June 30, 2013
An interesting insight into the sausage making of mechancial ventilation standards...
Indiana's Weatherization program has been incorporating ASHRAE 62.2-2010 for just over a year and a half now with some pushing from DOE. As can be expected of any change, there were some CAPs that wanted to learn how to do it, and do it well. Others were skeptical and a little resistant to change.
Nothing new or outrageous about any of that.
This article at Green Building Advisor gives some insight between the difference of lowly anti-poverty energy conservation program's abilities compared to those of the New Home Construction industry.
I'm not surprised if anyone is a little confused reading the article. I was the first time I read it as well. "Oh great, now we've got to put in even bigger fans!" ran through my head. "After all, Lstiburek wouldn't throw a fit unless it is a fit worth throwing..."
But the clarification comes a little further down:
Now, this should look a little more familiar (but not totally). Or maybe not if you don't look at the back end math of the current 62.2 calculator we've been using in Indiana. The formula above is from the 2013 version of ASHRAE 62.2. Indiana is currently using the 2010 version of ASHRAE 62.2.
The nuance of the difference between 2010 and 2013 aren't the point. Bottom line, Indiana's rag-tag group of Weatherization techs are able to maneuver this fan sizing process day in, day out. While sophisticated new home Builders can't seem to be able to put a blower door in a new home, do some multiplication, and turn a dial in a fan housing.
I do enjoy these little situations where the weatherization 'industry' here in Indiana has its act together better than what could be found in almost any new home. It is a little sad for the state of new homes. But it is something for our weatherization program to be a little proud about.
If anyone is a little skeptical about the impacts a properly sized whole house ventilation system can have, try installing one in your home. The difference isn't big, but it is the little things that aren't there any more. Leaving for a day or two and the house doesn't smell like stuffy house is my personal favorite...
Nothing new or outrageous about any of that.
This article at Green Building Advisor gives some insight between the difference of lowly anti-poverty energy conservation program's abilities compared to those of the New Home Construction industry.
I'm not surprised if anyone is a little confused reading the article. I was the first time I read it as well. "Oh great, now we've got to put in even bigger fans!" ran through my head. "After all, Lstiburek wouldn't throw a fit unless it is a fit worth throwing..."
But the clarification comes a little further down:
Defenders of the new ASHRAE formula point out that the newest version of the standard provides an alternate method of calculating the minimum ventilation rate — a method that may restore at least some of the infiltration credit.The alternate calculation method requires that the home must be tested with a blower door. Once that’s done, and you have a cfm50 result from the blower-door test, you can get an infiltration credit that may reduce the need for mechanical ventilation. You have to use the following formula:
Infiltration credit = 0.052 • cfm50 • (story factor) • (weather factor)The story factor is the number of stories raised to the 0.4 power. So, for a one-story building, the story factor is 1; for a 1 1/2 story building, the story factor is 1.18; for a 2-story building, the story factor is 1.32; for a 2 1/2 story building, the story factor is 1.44; and for a 3-story building, the story factor is 1.55.What’s that you say? You’re not sure what your weather factor is? You'll have to look it up from a list of 1,100 locations.
Now, this should look a little more familiar (but not totally). Or maybe not if you don't look at the back end math of the current 62.2 calculator we've been using in Indiana. The formula above is from the 2013 version of ASHRAE 62.2. Indiana is currently using the 2010 version of ASHRAE 62.2.
The nuance of the difference between 2010 and 2013 aren't the point. Bottom line, Indiana's rag-tag group of Weatherization techs are able to maneuver this fan sizing process day in, day out. While sophisticated new home Builders can't seem to be able to put a blower door in a new home, do some multiplication, and turn a dial in a fan housing.
I do enjoy these little situations where the weatherization 'industry' here in Indiana has its act together better than what could be found in almost any new home. It is a little sad for the state of new homes. But it is something for our weatherization program to be a little proud about.
If anyone is a little skeptical about the impacts a properly sized whole house ventilation system can have, try installing one in your home. The difference isn't big, but it is the little things that aren't there any more. Leaving for a day or two and the house doesn't smell like stuffy house is my personal favorite...
Thursday, May 30, 2013
New digital forms have been uploaded
Just in case you have stumbled here before Ray sends an email out, the latest versions of the digital job books have been uploaded to the Intelligent Weatherization forms page.
Incidental Repair Costs
The most significant change to the work orders are the new way incidental costs are treated. There are now incidental cost spending limits specific to each activity based on how cost effective that conservation measure is. The more cost effective the activity is, the more that can be spent on incidental costs associated with performing that activity. But don't forget, the $500 total incidental cost limit still applies!
For example, there is a 1000 sqft attic with no insulation, but it has some water coming in around the roof's chimney penetration. Just to throw a number out there, lets assume there is $900 worth of insulation that you want added to the attic. Based on the spending limits, you could spend up to $1,377 on incidental repairs before the attic insulation is no longer cost effective. However, you cannot spend that full amount, because the $500 total incidental cost limit applies for the entire job! Don't overspend!
Likewise, there is a small addition on the back of the house that has a water heater vent going through the roof. There happens to be a roof leak around the water heater vent's roof jack. You'd like to insulate the little uninsulated addition's attic. But you can't unless that roof leak is fixed! The addition is only 150 sqft. It would cost $135 to insulate just that back attic. Which means you could spend up to $206 repairing that leaky water heater vent.
If there is an activity that doesn't have a spending limit (insulating a mobile home belly, installing insider storm windows, or minor air sealing), that means there can be no incidental repairs associated with those activities.
ASHRAE 62.2
There was also a couple small changes on the 62.2 calculation tool. The chart was tweaked to show 10 cfm increments instead of 20 cfm. The other change was in the guidance for combustion air. The 62.2 tool was never meant to be the means that combustion air was calculated. But the math was already there for the ventilation sizing, so it made some sense to mention if the house was above or below .4 ACH.
Just because a house is tighter than .4 ACH doesn't mean there isn't enough combustion air. There are other methods of determining how much combustion air is needed based on the known infiltration rate of the house and the btus of the appliances. The form is now more specific in letting the user know if the house is below .4 ACH, that further investigation is needed to determine if there is sufficient combustion air for the appliances, just as it always has been.
Incidental Repair Costs
The most significant change to the work orders are the new way incidental costs are treated. There are now incidental cost spending limits specific to each activity based on how cost effective that conservation measure is. The more cost effective the activity is, the more that can be spent on incidental costs associated with performing that activity. But don't forget, the $500 total incidental cost limit still applies!
For example, there is a 1000 sqft attic with no insulation, but it has some water coming in around the roof's chimney penetration. Just to throw a number out there, lets assume there is $900 worth of insulation that you want added to the attic. Based on the spending limits, you could spend up to $1,377 on incidental repairs before the attic insulation is no longer cost effective. However, you cannot spend that full amount, because the $500 total incidental cost limit applies for the entire job! Don't overspend!
Likewise, there is a small addition on the back of the house that has a water heater vent going through the roof. There happens to be a roof leak around the water heater vent's roof jack. You'd like to insulate the little uninsulated addition's attic. But you can't unless that roof leak is fixed! The addition is only 150 sqft. It would cost $135 to insulate just that back attic. Which means you could spend up to $206 repairing that leaky water heater vent.
If there is an activity that doesn't have a spending limit (insulating a mobile home belly, installing insider storm windows, or minor air sealing), that means there can be no incidental repairs associated with those activities.
ASHRAE 62.2
There was also a couple small changes on the 62.2 calculation tool. The chart was tweaked to show 10 cfm increments instead of 20 cfm. The other change was in the guidance for combustion air. The 62.2 tool was never meant to be the means that combustion air was calculated. But the math was already there for the ventilation sizing, so it made some sense to mention if the house was above or below .4 ACH.
Just because a house is tighter than .4 ACH doesn't mean there isn't enough combustion air. There are other methods of determining how much combustion air is needed based on the known infiltration rate of the house and the btus of the appliances. The form is now more specific in letting the user know if the house is below .4 ACH, that further investigation is needed to determine if there is sufficient combustion air for the appliances, just as it always has been.
Maine is doing it, are you?
The house the auditor describes could be located in the sandy soils of northwest Indiana. The part that caught my eye was this:
It is always encouraging to see actual energy consumption as a part of the auditing and overall weatherization process. Maine is doing it, are you?
A little background: the low income weatherization program insulates and weatherizes homes of folks who qualify for heating assistance. MSHA evaluates the houses and tackles the “worst” ones using highest BTUs per square foot per heating degree day as criteria. Then they apply their limited budget to insulating and weatherizing the building.
It is always encouraging to see actual energy consumption as a part of the auditing and overall weatherization process. Maine is doing it, are you?
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Wx's long tradition of cheap & good enough diagnostics
Back in my old BSU days Dr. Hill made great efforts to get as many diagnostic tools into our hands as possible. It was always fun to use a DIY tool. The all time greatest DIY tool is the cardboard stack effect box. It is about the only good use for a 150 W bulb! Take a tall cardboard box with a light fixture at the bottom. Give it a few minutes to heat the air in the box up, and with a little chemical smoke and some smallish holes at the top and bottom, you can clearly see the air moving into the box's 'foundation' and out the box's 'roof'!
In a pinch a well taped cardboard box will work as a pressure pan. Cut a hole in the cardboard pressure pan and now you've got an exhaust flow hood. Then there is the calibrated air flow gauge. Also known as a trash bag. It is good to hear ACI can call back to some of its earlier, less refined roots!
There are approximately 1.7 cubic feet in 13 gallons. So if you have an exhaust fan moving 30 cfm of air, it would take about three and a half seconds for a 13 gallon trash bag full of air to be completely empty if that fan were moving 30 cfm of air. While the volume of the bag is well known, it must be full of air or the accuracy is reduced. Another source of error is the timing of how long it takes to suck (or inflate) the bag. The more air the fan is moving, the less time there is to measure.
So if you happen to forget your TEC exhaust fan flow hood, ask for a large trash bag and a metal coat hanger if you are in a pinch. Or, if you've got rooms with comfort issues, see how long it takes to fill the trash bag up. That can give you a good feel for how many cfm the duct is delivering.
In a pinch a well taped cardboard box will work as a pressure pan. Cut a hole in the cardboard pressure pan and now you've got an exhaust flow hood. Then there is the calibrated air flow gauge. Also known as a trash bag. It is good to hear ACI can call back to some of its earlier, less refined roots!
There are approximately 1.7 cubic feet in 13 gallons. So if you have an exhaust fan moving 30 cfm of air, it would take about three and a half seconds for a 13 gallon trash bag full of air to be completely empty if that fan were moving 30 cfm of air. While the volume of the bag is well known, it must be full of air or the accuracy is reduced. Another source of error is the timing of how long it takes to suck (or inflate) the bag. The more air the fan is moving, the less time there is to measure.
So if you happen to forget your TEC exhaust fan flow hood, ask for a large trash bag and a metal coat hanger if you are in a pinch. Or, if you've got rooms with comfort issues, see how long it takes to fill the trash bag up. That can give you a good feel for how many cfm the duct is delivering.
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