The Maine Guide to Energy-Efficient Residential Construction: A

4,14
MB Manual of Accepted Practices

92
stron

6398
ID Maine Public Utilities Commission

2006
rok

Contents

Acknowledgments v

Introduction . vii

Part 1. Summary of Maine's Model Building Energy Code . 1

1. Adoption of the Maine Model Building Energy Code 3

2. Buildings that Must Comply . 3

3. Methods of Compliance 3

4. Exempted Buildings 3

5. The Maine Model Building Energy Code and the

International Energy Conservation Code 5

Part 2. Siting and Initial Design Considerations . 7

1. Solar Orientation . 7

2. Prevailing Weather Conditions and Landscaping Considerations . 8

3. Suntempering and Passive Solar Design . 9

4. House Layout 10

5. Green Design 11

Part 3. Important Considerations for the Design Phase . 13

1. Insulation . 13

2. Air Leakage . 15

Materials Used for Reducing Air Leakage 18

3. Indoor Air Quality . 19

ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2003 and Mechanical Ventilation . 21

Radon 22

4. Moisture Control . 24

Alternative Methods of Wall Construction . 27

5. Ventilating Building Cavities . 28

Roof Ventilation 28

Crawl Space Ventilation 30

6. Windows . 30

7. Doors. 32

8. Heating Considerations . 32

Equipment Installation and Maintenance . 34

Sizing Heating Systems . 34

9. Energy-Efficient Appliances 34

10. Energy-Efficient Lighting . 36

11. Promising Technologies 36

Fuel Cells . 36

Photovoltaics . 37

Hybrid Systems . 37

Advances in Heat Pumps . 37

12. Advantages of Building an Energy-Efficent Home . 38

iv

Contents (continued)

Part 4. Recommended Construction Practices 39

1. Foundations . 39

Exterior Foundation Insulation 40

Interior Foundation Insulation 43

Slab-on-Grade Foundation 45

Crawl Space Foundation . 48

2. Floors Over Unheated Spaces . 48

3. Walls . 51

4. Roof Details 55

Insulated Flat Ceilings . 55

Insulated Sloped Ceilings 57

5. Structural Insulated Panel Systems 63

6. Installing Windows and Doors 65

7. Other Measures to Reduce Air Leakage 66

8. Commissioning . 67

Appendixes

A. Heat Loss Calculations . 71

B. R-Values of Common Building Materials 75

C. Comparing Heating Fuel Costs 76

D. Glossary . 78

E. For More Information: References 81

F. Performance or Tradeoff Method of Compliance with REScheck 82