A new guide published by the U.S. Department of Energy focuses on high-performance ventilation on new multifamily construction.
“Measure Guideline: Ventilation Guidance for Residential High-Performance New Construction – Multifamily,” contains decision criteria for weighing cost and performance of various ventilation systems. It includes design and installation instructions for the most cost-effective and performance-effective solutions for multifamily unit ventilation that satisfy the requirements of ASHRAE 62.2-2016.
Dwelling unit ventilation approaches that are compliant with ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2016 within enclosures constructed in accordance with the ICC 2015 International Residential Code (IRC) currently are not typical, the guide says. Exhaust-only and supply-only ventilation strategies can both be problematic in multifamily dwelling units that are constructed to meet the 2015 IRC or ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2016 air tightness requirements.
Balanced ventilation strategies are strongly recommended for multifamily construction and have been shown to be effective. This document provides guidance on balanced ventilation strategies and on several other issues including kitchen exhaust and supplemental dehumidification.
Related Stories
| Feb 17, 2014
Channeling weather forecasts to building systems can yield significant energy savings
Using weather forecasts to predict outdoor temperature changes can lead to significant energy savings, exceeding 10%, researchers say.
| Feb 17, 2014
Lawmakers may take away control of Florida hospital project from the VA
The project is $100 million over budget and has missed its scheduled completion date.
| Feb 17, 2014
Business, labor at odds over toughening of OSHA silica dust rule
OSHA says the rules will protect workers and prevent 700 fatalities annually. Others say the rules would hurt businesses and jobs.
| Feb 17, 2014
Tulsa, Okla., mulls code change to require storm shelters in new schools
State and city officials are pushing for increased bonding capacity to pay for the storm shelters.
| Feb 13, 2014
Appraisal Institute issues guidelines on evaluating green property
The Appraisal Institute and the Institute for Market Transformation have issued guidelines for training property appraisers to evaluate green buildings.
| Feb 7, 2014
New LEED Dynamic Plaque system will measure building performance
The U.S. Green Building Council recently unveiled the LEED Dynamic Plaque, which is a new system designed for benchmarking and comparing post-occupancy building performance on a global scale.
| Feb 7, 2014
Los Angeles officials struggle to deal with needed seismic retrofits
Sixteen years ago, the Los Angeles City Council decided against requiring retrofits of existing buildings because of the projected cost and the threat of losing 20,000 apartment buildings.
| Feb 7, 2014
Los Angeles officials struggle to deal with needed seismic retrofits
Sixteen years ago, the Los Angeles City Council decided against requiring retrofits of existing buildings because of the projected cost and the threat of losing 20,000 apartment buildings.
| Feb 7, 2014
EPA, Freddie Mac collaborate on energy- and water-efficient apartments
Freddie Mac will gather data on energy and water use from property owners, and encourage lenders to spend on energy-efficient investments for multifamily housing.
| Feb 7, 2014
ASHRAE releases new refrigerant standards
The 2013 editions of ASHRAE’s major refrigerants-related standards, incorporating 41 new addenda, have been published.