Comparative Performance of Two Ventilation Strategies in a Hot-Humid Climate
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Comparative Performance of Two Ventilation Strategies in a Hot-Humid Climate Sarah Widder—PNNL Eric Martin, Dave Chasar, Janet McIlvaine, and Bryan Amos—BAPIRC Ken Fonorow—Florida HERO February 2017 NOTICE This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States government. Neither the United States government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, subcontractors, or affiliated partners makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or any agency thereof. This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at www.nrel.gov/publications. Available electronically at SciTech Connect http:/www.osti.gov/scitech Available for a processing fee to U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors, in paper, from: U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information P.O. Box 62 Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0062 OSTI http://www.osti.gov Phone: 865.576.8401 Fax: 865.576.5728 Email: [email protected] Available for sale to the public, in paper, from: U.S. Department of Commerce National Technical Information Service 5301 Shawnee Road Alexandria, VA 22312 NTIS http://www.ntis.gov Phone: 800.553.6847 or 703.605.6000 Fax: 703.605.6900 Email: [email protected] Comparative Performance of Two Ventilation Strategies in a Hot-Humid Climate Prepared for: The National Renewable Energy Laboratory On behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America Program Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy 15013 Denver West Parkway Golden, CO 80401 NREL Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308 Prepared by: Sarah Widder—Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Eric Martin, Dave Chasar, Janet McIlvaine, and Bryan Amos— Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction Ken Fonorow—Florida HERO NREL Technical Monitor: Stacey Rothgeb Prepared under Subcontract No. KNDJ-0-40339-05 PNNL Clearance Number 24201 February 2017 iii The work presented in this report does not represent performance of any product relative to regulated minimum efficiency requirements. The laboratory and/or field sites used for this work are not certified rating test facilities. The conditions and methods under which products were characterized for this work differ from standard rating conditions, as described. Because the methods and conditions differ, the reported results are not comparable to rated product performance and should only be used to estimate performance under the measured conditions. iv Table of Contents Definitions .................................................................................................................................................... x Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................. xii Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................. xiii 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1 2 Materials and Methods ......................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Logistics ........................................................................................................................................ 5 2.1.1 Study Location and Study Homes .................................................................................... 5 2.1.2 Experimental Schedule ..................................................................................................... 9 2.1.3 IAQ Contaminants of Concern ....................................................................................... 10 2.2 Monitoring Equipment and Methodology ................................................................................... 11 2.2.1 Whole-House Mechanical Ventilation Fan Flow Rate ................................................... 13 2.2.2 Building Envelope and Duct System Performance ........................................................ 13 2.2.3 Air Exchange Rate ......................................................................................................... 13 2.2.4 Electric Energy Use ........................................................................................................ 14 2.2.5 Temperature and Relative Humidity .............................................................................. 14 2.2.6 CO2 Measurement .......................................................................................................... 15 2.2.7 Condensate Measurement .............................................................................................. 15 2.2.8 Total Volatile Organic Compounds ............................................................................... 15 2.2.9 Formaldehyde and Acetaldehyde ................................................................................... 15 2.2.10 Nitrogen Dioxide ............................................................................................................ 16 2.2.11 Radon ............................................................................................................................. 16 2.2.12 Mold ............................................................................................................................... 16 2.2.13 Homeowner Surveys ...................................................................................................... 17 3 Results and Discussion ..................................................................................................................... 18 3.1 Continuously Monitored Parameters: Energy Use, Temperature, Relative Humidity, and Carbon Dioxide ........................................................................................................................................ 18 3.1.1 2013 Cooling Season Data and Analysis (6/28/13–10/15/13) ...................................... 19 3.1.2 Summer Condensate Data and Analysis (6/24/2014–8/19/2014) .................................. 25 3.1.3 Heating Season Data and Analysis ................................................................................. 26 3.1.4 Mixed Season and Annual Data and Analysis ............................................................... 30 3.2 Seasonally Sampled Parameters .................................................................................................. 33 3.2.1 Air Change Rate ............................................................................................................. 36 3.2.2 Formaldehyde ................................................................................................................. 40 3.2.3 Acetaldehyde .................................................................................................................. 46 3.2.4 Volatile Organic Compounds ......................................................................................... 50 3.2.5 Nitrogen Dioxide ............................................................................................................ 57 3.2.6 Radon ............................................................................................................................. 59 3.2.7 Mold ............................................................................................................................... 60 3.2.8 Homeowner Survey Data ............................................................................................... 60 4 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................ 61 5 References .......................................................................................................................................... 64 Appendix A. Sampling Protocol .............................................................................................................. 68 Appendix B. Field Data Sheet .................................................................................................................. 72 Appendix C. Quality Assurance and Quality Control ............................................................................ 73 Appendix D. List of IAQ Samplers and Relevant Standards ................................................................ 74 Appendix E. Homeowner Questionnaire ................................................................................................ 75 Appendix F. Laboratory Analysis Summary .......................................................................................... 78 Appendix G. Weather Conditions in Gainesville, Florida, During the Monitoring Period ................. 82 Appendix H. Indoor Home Plots .............................................................................................................