The Super Insulated Retrofit Book

Shows how to use insulation, vapor barriers, passive solar heating, and improved windows and doors to make a house more energy efficient

Energy-Efficient Retrofit of Buildings by Interior Insulation: Materials, Methods and Tools offers readers comprehensive coverage of current research in German Language Countries. Chapters provide an overview on the development of energy efficiency for building retrofits and the role of internal insulation, cover materials with chapters on Brick, Wood, Plaster, Clay, and Natural Stone, explain the impact of internal insulation in those materials and how to cope with problems such as moisture build, mold and algae growth, provide practical advice on how to apply internal insulation in the most effective way, including Salt Efflorescence, Noise Protection, Fire Prevention, and more. The practical approach of the book, with examples in all chapters, makes it valuable for Civil and Architectural Engineers involved with building retrofit. The book may also be useful to researchers in the field of Building Physics due to the breadth of the coverage. Introduces methods and tools through application examples Presents theory and simulations with practical information to validate models Explores a wide variety of materials and applications Features examples of Residential, Commercial and Historic Buildings Covers all stages of the retrofit process, from planning to inspection and how to avoid damage

This book, written by two authoritative figures in the area of energy technology, is the first to thoroughly describe in simple, clear language the technology known as superinsulation. Appropriate for anyone involved in residential construction and for students of engineering technology, it provides a conceptual understanding of the superinsulated house as well as details for assembling the construction elements of such a system. Includes over 250 photos and architectural drawings.

This book is a complete do-it-yourself guide to home insulation and weatherization, covering solutions from the most basic to advanced energy saving projects.

This book provides detailed information on how to set up Deep Energy Retrofits (DERs) in public buildings, and shares in-depth insights into the current status of the major technologies, strategies and practical best practice examples of how to cost-effectively combine them. Case studies from Europe are analyzed with respect to energy use before and after renovation, reasons for undertaking the renovation, co-benefits achieved, resulting cost-effectiveness, and the business models employed. The building sector holds the potential for tremendous improvements in terms of energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions, and energy retrofits to the existing building stock represent a significant opportunity in the transition to a low-carbon future. Moreover, investing in highly efficient building materials and systems can replace long-term energy imports, contribute to cost cutting, and create a wealth of new jobs. Yet, while the technologies needed in order to improve energy efficiency are readily available, significant progress has not yet been made, and “best practices” for implementing building technologies and renewable energy sources are still relegated to small “niche” applications. Offering essential information on Deep Energy Retrofits, the book offers a valuable asset for architects, public authorities, project developers, and engineers alike.

Designing a superinsulated home has many benefits including improved comfort, reduced exterior noise penetration, lower energy bills, and the ability to withstand power and fuel outages under much more comfortable conditions than a typical home. Extremely low heating and cooling loads equate to much smaller HVAC equipment than conventionally required. Sizing the mechanical system to these much lower loads reduces first costs and the size of the distribution system needed. While these homes aren't necessarily constructed with excessive mass in the form of concrete floors and walls, the amount of insulation and the increase in the thickness of the building envelope can lead to a mass effect, resulting in the structures ability to store much more heat than a code built home. This results in a very low thermal inertia making the building much less sensitive to drastic temperature swings thereby decreasing the peak heating load demand. Alternative methods that take this inertia into account along with solar and internal gains result in smaller more appropriate design loads than those calculated using Manual J version 8. During the winter of 2013/2014, CARB monitored the energy use of three homes in climate zone 6 in an attempt to evaluate the accuracy of two different mechanical system sizing methods for low load homes. Based on the results, it is recommended that internal and solar gains be included and some credit for thermal inertia be used in sizing calculations for superinsulated homes.