Deep Energy Cuts for a Fresh Start
This case study describes an energy-efficient retrofit of 1930's bungalow in Pittsburgh, PA, done in 2008 by New Jersey builder and remodeler Bill Asdal. The gut rehab brought the home’s Home Energy Rating System (HERS) index scores from 185 down to an impressive 65, performance that makes the home 35% better than the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code. The builder kept the shell but stripped the walls down to the studs to seal, caulk, and insulate the building envelope; they also upgraded HVAC, water heating, appliances, lighting, and windows with higher performance but readily available products. A blower door infiltration test showed an air infiltration rate reduction from 0.53 ACH to 0.21 ACH and modeling of energy use showed a drop in total annual energy use from 271 million BTU to 92 million BTU. The home was used as a demonstration home at the ACI 2008 conference in Pittsburgh PA. The builder, Bill Asdal, was the chair of the retrofit committee of the National Association of Home Builders which is partially sponsored by DOE's Building America program. The article, under this title, appeared as the cover story in the trade journal Home Energy magazine Jan Feb 2009 issue. A modified version of this case study under the title "Comprehensive Energy Retrofits Case Study: Asdal Builders, LLC, Pittsburgh, PA" was distributed at the EEBA (Energy and Environmental Building Alliance) Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado, Sept 28-30, 2009.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 993355
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-68500; BT0101000
- Journal Information:
- Home Energy, (January/February 2009), Journal Name: Home Energy, (January/February 2009); ISSN HOENE2; ISSN 0896-9442
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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