Thermal performance of residential duct systems in basements

Conference · Fri Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:392514

Treidler, B; Modera, M P ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States). Energy and Environment Div.

There are many unanswered questions about the typical effects of duct system operation on the infiltration rates and energy use of single-family residences with heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in their basements. In this paper, results from a four-house field study in Maryland and computer simulations are used to examine the potential for improvement in efficiency of air distribution systems in such houses. The field study results are focused on characterizing the airflow performance of the four duct systems and the physical characteristics of the houses and duct systems. Simulations of a basement house, the characteristics of which were loosely based on those from the measured houses, were performed to investigate the energy-saving potential for basement houses. The simulations estimate that a 9% reduction in space-conditioning energy use is obtained by sealing 80% of the leaks and adding insulation with an R-value of 0.88 C{center_dot}m{sup 2}/W (5 F{center_dot}ft{sup 2}{center_dot}h/Btu) to uninsulated sheet-metal ducts that are accessible from the basement. Simulations were also run with all ducts insulated to 17.6 C{center_dot}m{sup 2}/W and with no duct leakage, for which the savings in energy use was increased to 14% of the original consumption.

• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 392514
• Report Number(s): CONF-960254--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
AIR FLOW
AIR INFILTRATION
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DATA
DUCTS
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
HEAT LOSSES
HOUSES
LEAKS
PERFORMANCE
POSITIONING
SPACE HVAC SYSTEMS
THERMAL INSULATION