All posts by Seamus Sheehy

Self Builder Passive House
Airtightness, Heat Recovery

House Ventilation-Part 1

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Controlling the Supply of Fresh Air

It is now time to research the solutions available in order to guarantee a fresh air supply into the house, extraction of the stale air and recover heat before the stale air is sent on its way.

There are a number of options -Use the hole in the wall in each room (with no heat recovery), use a central extract system (with no heat recovery), use decentralised heat recovery or a fully ducted heat recovery system .

From previous experience and research the hole in the wall system does not work well taking into account that we have a wind speed of almost twice that of Germany. The system creates draughts and one has only to view the number of vents blocked up and the dependence on the correct speed of wind blowing to supply fresh air in Irish dwellings to realise it does not work.

The central extraction systems  either using the stack effect (using temperature differences between the inside and outside) and   Bernoulli’s principle (using wind) with no fans is an option. One can use extraction systems that are powered by fans. These do work it appears but they need careful design .

Localised vents in different rooms that use heat recovery such as the Lunos , Aereco and Glidevale iMEV system offer powered heat recovery but when I priced these they were more or less the same price as a fully ducted system and require more holes than I want through the fabric of the building.

Another system recently certified by the Passive House Institute is a heat recovery system that requires two units at either end of a building called (fresh-r). I can see the system working in an open plan environment but the cost is more or less the same as the other solutions above.

If one wants to compare certified heat recovery systems one can use the certified component list on the passive house  web site Certified Heat Recovery Products.  These products are independently tested by the Passive House Institute.

I will be selecting a centralised heat recovery system because I feel if it is specified, designed , installed and commissioned correctly it offers the best solution. I also plan to use it as a clothes dryer in order to get extra value out of it.

What is in a typical centralised Heat Recovery System,

It typically has two energy efficient fans, a plastic heat exchanger, filters to clean the air, enclosed in an airtight box and a means to control the fan speed. It is a simple unit but the cost is high (in line with the price of other systems above except for the hole in the wall or a stack system)

How it works

Passipedia-basics types_of_ventilation

How much does it cost

I was informed recently that the Passive House Institute charges heat recovery manufactures around €60,000 for testing and certification and then there are ongoing yearly costs that need to be passed down to the consumer. A Heat Recovery Company also needs to pay for National test (separate to the Passive House Institute) in different countries which also needs to be passed down to the consumer. There appears to be no European standard test that can satisfy all EU countries.

The product I was originally interested in was from a company called Paul but for some reason the price has risen substantially- I received a price for a Paul 450 unit two years ago and it was €2000 . It is now nearly €3000 -why?. One reason is that that the product was taken over by another HRV supplier Zehnder. I will try not select these products as I see no reason why the price of the unit increased by nearly a €1000. The price above is for large air supply volumes. A three bedroom house may only need a small unit costing 50% less.

Alternative Choices

One of the highest energy efficient certified units available is from a company called Maico-an Irish representative is available. Prices start at around €2400 for a more efficient unit than the PAUL unit .  Other options are from Brink such as  the Excellent 400 plus also available in Ireland. Systemair Gmbh also have units available in Ireland.

Ducts

I did not think this area was going to be as complex as it is. Lets start-there are different choices of ducts from metal round, plastic round,  flexible round, rectangular and all other types of shapes. The bottom line is that large round metal ducts (150-200mm) are the most efficient and quietest and have the lowest air speed.

The flexible ducts vary between two types either Aluminum or Polyethlene with general sizes between 125mm (steel), 90mm, 75mm and 65mm. The smaller the duct equates to more losses- an increase in noise and possible draughts because of the higher air speed (careful placement and selection of the outlets in rooms to minimise these effects are important). I will be trying to select and use a 90mm semi-rigid duct (outside diameter) or larger steel duct. I want to avoid the use of the 75mm duct and all its permutations such as each room being supplied with two 75mm ducts in parallel.

Larger ducts need mufflers or silencers as room noise can travel between rooms . If one has an attic or one can find a way to install the 125mm steel duct with insulation in particular routes the larger ducts may be the best way to go.

Be aware that installing a false ceiling can double the cost of the HRV. I will review  all possible systems of ducts . If one uses steel I have been advised that one needs to insulate these as it can take a long time to heat up if the temperature drops leading to colder air being supplied for the initial start up.

The flexible ducts have multiple accessories to connect each part and extra cost is associated with this. The weaknesses of extra connections affects reliability. I will try and simplify the system of connections (somehow).

  • Ducts need to be cleaned (design and plan for this)
  • Keep the duct lengths short and straight to minimise losses.
  • Use large radius bends rather than 90 degree bends.
  • Consider placing ducts in the foundation when building new.
  • Some plastic ducts are antistatic (minimises dust collection on inside)
  • Some plastic ducts have antibacterial liners
  • Some plastic ducts are odourless and use physiologically and toxicologically safe polyethylene.
  • Some plastic ducts are smoother on the inside than others (minimises losses and reduces noise).

The non monetary factors for using a centralised Heat Recovery System that I can think of are:

■ comfort (help to filter diesel particles , pollen, outside smog etc from the forced incoming air)

■ building protection and health/hygiene (remove high level of moisture from cooking, showers, baths, and people that could damage the fabric of the building, CO2 from persons in the house and VOC (chemicals from furniture, beds, floor carpets, paints, plastics etc) and supply enough oxygen to get a good nights sleep. Reduced noise because windows do not need to be left open and no holes exist  in the outer walls of bedrooms.

■  security (can keep windows closed)

■ thermal energy efficiency (recover up to 90% of the heat energy leaving the building)

The Plan

I want to see if I can design the HRV with the 150/125mm steel ducts or use the 90mm polyethylene outside diameter ducts with the antibacterial liner, antistatic liner and low emission polyethylene.

Each of the polyethylene ducts return to either a supply manifold or extract manifold (see example below).

Manifold_Junction
HRV Manifold

If I end up selecting the 150/125mm steel ducts these will use no manifold and the individual rooms are tapped into the main duct.

Extra Functionality Planned For the HRV

In order to get the most value from the centralised Heat Recovery Unit I plan to make a special cabinet to dry clothes using a feed and return air supply. I will add a heater to the cabinet to give the clothes a drying boost where necessary.

Calculators

An interesting calculator I found is one that calculates the losses of ductwork and air speed. One can experiment using rectangular versus round ductwork and the inner roughness of the ductwork here.  One can see the air speed change as one reduces the size of the ducts. There are another few options on the right hand side menu to calculate other factors.

Example of Duct Losses

HRV Duct
Flexi Duct

Background Research and Notes

  • MVHR are not a fit-and-forget systems
  • Based on European CEN Standard 13779 ventilation for ‘medium’ air quality should be at least 10 L/s per occupant (15 L/s for high indoor air quality).-non residential
  • Ventilation rate of 8 l/s (30m3/h approximately) per person identified in CIBSE Guide A8
  • In order to achieve an air exchange of about 0.33 ach (air change per hour), one would have to open the windows wide for 5 to 10 minutes every three hours – even at night! –Source
  • Biggest complaints -noise  and draughts (over dining area, bedroom areas etc) causing users to switch the HRV off.
  • Balance the air going in against going out-not practical to reach 0%. Aim for less than 10%-allowable imbalance between intake and exhaust air flow for these systems is 10%
  • Filters not changed can increase (double) the cost to run because the fans use more electric power to send air around.
  • Ensure that the HRV is accessible in order to change the filters.
  • A good strategy for the summer appears to be to reduce HRV speed/flow rate and open windows.
  • Total cost of HRV if left on appears to be around €60 for electricity and €60 for filters (Once a year). Check cost of replacement filters for own unit.
  • Ducts need to be cleaned every few years so the design needs to make it accessible.
  • A larger HRV unit than required can be more silent because it does not have to work near its full ventilation capacity.
  • A measured air noise level of less than< 24db for bedrooms (Finnish Guideline) . Can it be specified and delivered?
  • Noise levels up to 30 dB(A) were described as “too noisy” by more than 40 % of respondents. The standard for certified PassivHaus dwellings [13] is a limit of 25 dB(A) in both living rooms and bedrooms. Source
  • Maintaining indoor humidity below 7g/kg should help to reduce the risk of excess mite growth.
  • Note that air speeds greater than about 0.3 m·s–1 are probably unacceptable except in naturally ventilated buildings in summer when higher air speeds may be desirable for their cooling effect.CIBSE Guide A8
  • Significant problems were found with the commissioning of HRV systems, with only 16% of systems being found to have been commissioned correctly with respect to air flow and balancing. Source
  • 44% of kitchens meeting the minimum requirement of 13 litres per second.Source
  • Measured air flow in 88% of systems utilising rigid ducting were equal to or greater than their design air flow values, whereas between only 40 and 44% of systems utilising flexible ducting met their respective design value. Source
  • Any leakage through the dwelling envelope will have an impact on the efficiency of the heat recovery component. Source
  • Lack of appropriate airtightness, lack of complete commissioning, poor air flow and extract rates (and associated lack of compliance with regulatory standards), lack of balance and inappropriate duct types. Source
  • Wolfgang Feist‏@WolfgangFeist-You don’t believe this?The “trick” is:We have a F8 fine filter at the external air (“fresh air”) inlet, therefore supply air is very clean

In another technical paper the following was noted as the cause of excessive noise. The source of the document is here

Extract from document shown below

“The following list of issues are all taken from actual findings on investigations that have been reported. Issues that can lead to excessive noise for occupants are noted under the following headings of design, installation, commissioning and maintenance.

Design issues

• Centralised MEV or MVHR unit located in inappropriate place for break out or structure borne noise, e.g. bedroom cupboard or on rafters in loft above a bedroom.

• Poor ductwork layout – too many bends can lead to additional fan pressure requirement and regenerated noise

• Specification of flexible ductwork

• Inadequate attenuation of duct borne noise

• Installation issues

• Ductwork kinked or damaged inhibiting flow

• Ducts not connected up to supply or extract valves (which will inhibit flow and require higher fan setting)

• Wrong type of outlet fitted (using extract outlets for supply air can lead to regenerated noise)

• No anti-vibration mounts used

• Failure to ensure ductwork is clean when installed prior to commissioning

• Use of flexible ductwork where not specified”

Recent Research

I note the above is summarised at the recent passive house conference (see below).

HRV

Partitions, Sound Proofing

Internal Partitions and Soundproofing

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Partitions

The internal partitions were recently installed.

Passsive House
Passive House Build

Solutions now need to be planned to minimise noise between some of the rooms. The effort one puts into this needs to be balanced with the fact that there will be a 10mm gap under the doors for the air to circulate when using heat recovery.  I might install a supply and extract outlet in the important rooms in order to minimise noise. How much noise will travel in these ducts is for another day.

Proposed Method

All the air gaps (wall to floor gaps, sockets, switches and service cavity) around the partitions need to be filled.

I will fill the ceiling and wall gaps of the service cavity with rockwool (see below).Perimiter Insulation

The method to reduce the noise I am considering for the walls is a product that uses a dampening material between two sheets of plasterboard. One of these products is Green glue and the other is Quietglue pro.  The solution appears to perform very well and I feel it is the simplest method. I plan to take  extra measures between the study and living room such as including rigid insulation (Rockwool RWA45 but I note the insulation costs €37 in Ireland and £13 in England (more research required) .

The performance values used to measure the sound proofing in America is called STC (Sound Transmission Class) and is measured in decibels (dB) against 16 different frequencies. If the sound level was 80dB in one room and the measured sound level in the other room had a  STC of 37dB the sound reduction would have a figure of STC 43.

STC only calculates the dB levels down to a frequency of 125 Hz. One needs to be aware that low frequency sound can exist from drums , traffic and an additional solution may be required.

The performance test data of the Green Glue can be found here

If one was to use one layer of green glue with an extra sheet of plasterboard one would achieve a STC value of 43 for a 4 inch wooden stud wall with 24 inch centres.

If one was to use 4 inch block this would achieve a STC of 44.

Filling a standard 4 inch wooden stud wall (with 16 inch stud spacings) with fibreglass and using plasterboard on each side achieves a STC of around 39. If one increased the stud spacing to 24 inches and filled it with insulation then the STC value would be 46.

If one was to leave out the insulation on a standard wooden stud wall one would achieve a STC value of 34.

A good source of information on sound proofing is at USG (Gypsum)

Robust Airtightness

In locations where the partitions meet the airtight membrane I am using Solitex Plus (see below -blue material). If one used only the airtight membrane it can easily be damaged.

Passive house
Solitex Plus

 

Insulation, Software Tools, Thermal Bridge, Tools and Aids, Windows

Thermal Bridges

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As part of the passive house requirement one needs to eliminate or minimise heat loss through linear lengths or points around the house. Some of the thermal bridges in my build are typical of other builds. I hope to provide more details in the future.

One of the main linear heat losses is with window/door installations (its connection with the wall frame ). It has been said numerous times that selecting a high quality window/door and installing it poorly can equate to buying a low energy window .

As mentioned before I will use the free software called Therm to calculate the losses. The first detail to tackle is the glazing which was directly mounted in the frame of the house without a window frame.  These windows are 2.4 metres x .9 metre and there are 11 of these mounted on the south face.

The calculation of these linear losses can be expensive to get done so I will be doing the task myself and have it checked by others. I am surprised that good details are hard to come by on the web for free to help the self builder. One of the most time consuming exercises with thermal bridge calculations is drawing the detail. If one undertakes drawing this oneself using CAD (Computer Aided Design) software it can help to reduce the cost of the calculation.

When one needs to come up with a detail to minimise the losses there are a lot of products that help to keep the losses under control. These are semi-rigid insulation products like compacfoam, foamglass blocks, standard insulation, TECTEM, PU or rockwool and fibreglass products and aerogels (which is one of the highest performing insulators being made).

To date there appears to be very few online resources to guide the self builder or provide details that one can use before one starts a build.

Some background and details I found to date on thermal bridges can be found at the following links.

What is a Thermal Bridge

Leeds Beckett University

Scottish Thermal Bridge Details Link

Example of Heat Loss through a glass spacer

Below is an example of the thermal bridge calculations one needs to carry out to establish the thermal bridge performance values in W/(mk).

  • One draws the detail as a DXF file using a drawing package (or draw the detail manually in Therm)
  • Import the detail into Therm Software
  • Add the technical details such as thermal conductivity of each item
  • Tell Therm where on the drawing to stop the calculation (Adiabatic)-top and bottom of the drawing shown below.
  • Tell Therm what the internal and external temperatures are
  • Go to a spreadsheet and calculate the psi values of the thermal bridge detail for the passive house performance value.

When this is done one ends up with the calculation and an image like that shown below. In this image the glass is shown near the top right.

Drawing Detail

 

In the next image the colours show the temperature gradients. The purple colour is the outside temperature at -10 degrees.

colour infrared
There is thermal bridge software that one can buy where the software calculates the psi value without using a spreadsheet but Therm is free and there are courses available in Ireland.

If one wants to show the real design and installation details of the thermal bridge values for the Irish regulations rather than the accredited details (without a performance value)  one needs to use a certified thermal bridge accessors but this is not the case for the Passive House Institute.

We can all look forward to the day when standard construction details that are typically used in Ireland are already calculated for the self builder and there will be no need to pay to find out the thermal bridge losses . The Scottish accredited details (see above link) come close to taking the guess work out of construction.

 

Airtightness, Insulation, Window/Door Installation, Windows

Window Wall Build Up

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Batten and Counter Batten fixing

Below are a few images of the build-up I used around the windows. The first image shows the batten (45x40mm planed ) build up on the window wall. I tried to offset the battens around the windows so as to minimse thermal bridges. The wall battens are installed at 90 degrees to the vertical window sections behind the OSB.

Passive House Timber Frame Build Up
Insulation

The image below is the RWA45 rockwook installation before the airtight membrane was installed. The wooden strips on the window sill are there to support the sill board. I kept them away from the window frame in order to decrease the thermal bridge. I now plan to use Rockwool RWA45 on all window sills as it performs better at not absorbing water as seen on a previous blog.

Window Insulation Detail Passive House
Thermal Bridge Build Up

The next image shows the finish layer of battens over the membrane.

Passive House Window Detail
Batten Finish Detail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The window (below) which was installed in the structural frame of the building (I purchased the glazing without the frame 2.4mx.9m) provides light and solar gain. Small lengths of floor board OSB were cut to size in order to build up the insulation and provide a base for the plasterboard finish.

wood spacers for insulation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Insulation is placed up against the glass and I plan to place a timber bead around the edge . Plasterboard will then finish the detail.

glazing insulation for glass in structure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The finished (near finished) wall looks like this below.

Passive House Wall Detail
Window Wall Detail
Electrics, KNX, LED Lighting, LED Lighting

KNX-Lighting Control Part 2

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Lighting and KNX control.

In a previous blog I discussed the advantage of using KNX for the lighting control only.  Some of the KNX control options are expensive so in order to keep things simple and affordable I have decided to use the following devices to control the lighting.  As most of the LED lights are using around 5 Watts of power I will also eliminate the dimming functions and ensure that the layout of the lights in the ceiling can be switched on separate circuits in the larger rooms (a simple form of dimming in a way).

Universal Interface

The hardware required will be a KNX binary input /output device  with 12 inputs/outputs to connect to standard light switches. The advantage is that the cost is reduced by not using a special KNX light switch.  A single KNX switch can cost up to €100 while a simple mechanical switch that costs €2 or €4 approximately can carry out most of the primary switching functions and is designed to work on the KNX system.

My preference and research on the best value for money is a product made by ABB called an Universal Interface US/U 12.2 . Expect to pay around €120 for one of these  which has 12 inputs/outputs (Equates to €12 euro per room). It can also carry out dimming control with a suitable KNX actuator (device that switches the power from a central distribution location). There are numerous other functions built in that are relevant to lighting and indication control.

Universal Interface
EIN KNX Interface

The plan is to mount one of these Universal Interfaces in 4 different areas in the house (The size of one of these units is approximately 52mm in diameter) .  A maximum of 12 light switches will connect to this Universal Interface. It is recommended to keep the cable feeding the light switches to a maximum length of 10 meters (although I have found it works reliably up to 100 meters). I will be using screened alarm cable (6 core) to each of the switches. In this way I plan to leave a spare core for each switch so that other functions can be applied in the future without re-decorating.  I will be using a push to make light switch as this allows one to use the same pair of cables for two way control and optimise the use of the cores in the cable.

Each 12 channel Universal Interface will have its own  KNX 12 channel switch actuator ( see below-it can control 12 different lights using 230 volt power in the building) that will switch the LED lights. One location to source these is http://www.eibmarkt.com

Switch Actuator

For the switch actuator (relay control of the lights) one can select the equivalent 12 channel KNX actuator. If one goes to the above web site or other KNX web sites and enters EIB KNX switch actuator 12-fold, SA.12.16  in the search engine one will find these units. Expect to pay around €230 for one. If one goes to http://www.eibmarket.com they have one for around €239 including VAT.  This works out at a cost of around €20 per room along with the savings in wiring and flexibility in the future as discussed in the previous blog.

actuator

Dimming Option

If one wants to dim LED lights one needs to research a suitable dimmer for the LED light. There  are different technologies used to dim LED lights so one needs to establish which LED lights to use first before committing to purchasing a dimming function. I am aware of two types such as leading edge and trailing edge controls for dimming.  As I will not be dimming the low wattage lights a simple actuator is all that is required.

Airtightness, Building Physics, Cladding, Foundation, Insulation, Roof, Walls, Windows

Building Science and Physics

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I recently came across a few videos from America on the subject of building physics. They may help the self builder when trying to figure the wall system, roof design or insulation to use.

The videos are presented by Joseph Lstiburek who outlines the do’s and dont’s in a very direct manner.  He is the founder of Building Science Corporation.

In the videos he references the American method of describing heat loss which is the R value (resistance to heat loss per inch- a higher number is better) while in Europe we mainly use the U value (ease in which heat travels through an object-a lower number is better but it includes boundary air films). The R value is the thickness of the insulation divided by the K value or in the examples  presented by Joseph Lstiburek the R value of 2 of the Irish building is approximately equivalent to a U value of 0.5.

This video starts with the progress for insulating buildings in 1000 years (starting with an Irish Church) and covers the perfect wall, roof and slab and the importance of designing buildings for the climate they are situated in.

Video  (Below)

Commercial Thermal Bridging , LEED Building Problems, Water problems.

Physics Discussed (2nd law of thermodynamics)

  • Heat flow is from warm to cold
  • Moisture flow is from warm to cold
  • Moisture flow is from more to less
  • Air flow is from a higher pressure to a lower pressure
  • Gravity acts down

Quality Assurance-Figuring out what the right thing to do is

Quality Control– Executing it

The building layer order of importance for a wall, roof and slab and the importance of continuity between the layers as shown below in order of importance.

  • Water control layer
  • Air control layer
  • Vapour control
  • Thermal control

The 500 year wall-Keep the water out of it. Allow the vapour to get out from the inside or outside if it gets in. Keep the air out of the wall from the outside and inside. Put all the thermal layers on the outside and put the cladding on the outside.

He also analyses the LEED energy standard.

To Vent or not to Vent (Roofs-cold, warm and SIPS)

This video covers venting and airtightness of SIP roofs.

What happens when one uses a white roof membrane versus a black one.

Building Enclosures

Why increasing insulation is a game changer in the future . Moisture and durability issues that lie ahead because of extra insulation.

 

Airtightness, Alarm, CCTV, Electrics, Insulation, LED Lighting, Walls

Wall/Ceiling System

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Wall/Ceiling  Electrical Services

For the internal wall build up I am using a double batten wall system. This wall system allows one to easily install services. In a previous experiment on building a workshop (used as a means to experiment on a small building before commencing the house) I installed a single row of horizontal battens on the OSB board. This made it very difficult to run services that need to run vertically. I had to install metal protecting plates and cut notches in the wood in order to ensure that I did not damage wiring due to the final layer of plasterboard screw fixing.

When one uses a counter batten system it facilitates running services such as power,  lighting, phone, internet, alarm etc without the risk of screw damage. This system also helps to reduce the cost of installing these services (see the image of a cable behind the batten below).

One can make use of a wall system like this if a soft insulation such as cellulose or fiberglass is behind the final batten which will support the plasterboard finish.

Wall Cable Routes
A row of battens run vertically behind the membrane in order to facilitate running services.

When working at ceiling level one may need to use a counter batten system in order to allow for recessed lighting otherwise it will mean installing special electrical enclosures cut into the airtight membrane. I have installed counter battens to a depth of approximately 90mm in the living and kitchen areas for LED downlights (see the previous post link on the 26/04/2015). In the bedroom areas I will only use a single batten system in order to install hanging pendent fittings.

Floor Level Insulation.

At floor level I installed Rockwool insulation for two reasons -one was to minimise the thermal bridging (heat loss around the wooden sole plate that the timber wall sits on) and the second reason was to minimise the damage to the insulation if there was a water leak.

I carried out a test where I placed 50mm of Rockwool RWA45  (product in the left bowl) and Metac (fiberglass-product in the right bowl below) in water in order to see what would happen if there was a leak. The Rockwool absorbs very little water but the fiberglass sank and became completely saturated and would possibly never dry out. Both insulation’s were submerged initially and then left for the duration of the test.

Rockwool Metac
Rockwool versus Fibreglass for water damage.

Below is an image of the Rockwool installed at floor level under the fibreglass in order to minimise the risk of insulation damage at floor level and minimise thermal bridging.

Rockwool
Rockwool Installed at Floor Level (green colour)

Airtight Membrane Installation

When installing the airtight membrane I was surprised how quickly the knife goes blunt. Rather than using the disposable knives and blades I now use a sharpener with the knife.

Knife and Sharpner

Software Tools, Windows

Windows (Part I)

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How many times did we see on Grand Design or other home build programs the stories of things going wrong with the windows/doors. Now after going through the process hopefully the following may help other self builders.

Technical

First of all the technical detail. The most important element of the windows is the glass. Some important functions-

  1. Capture heat (free energy) from the sun in the winter/autumn/spring to heat the house. (Called the g value)
  2. When the heat is captured or created in the house minimise the loss through the window (Called the Ug value for the glazing. )The Uw or U-value usually includes the whole window (including the frame ) but be aware that some window company’s may quote only the glazing value rather than the glazing and frame.
  3. Minimise cold air draughts (cold air descending at the window surface) that one may feel if one sits near a window (this is caused by the glazing not being able to keep the differential temperature between the inside and outside below 3 to 3.5 degrees Celsius. (eliminated by triple glaze systems)
  4. Maintain a sense of light in the room (the light level can be typically reduced by 30% (for triple glazed systems) when one tries to balance the above factors.
  5. Ensure that west facing and south orientation windows are correctly shaded (or by means of special glass) in the summer/autumn so that the house will not overheat .

The type of glass used in a self build can reduce the amount of insulation required in the house. One has to balance the g value ( g value represents the maximum amount of solar energy passing through the glass and 0.0 or 0% represents a window with no solar energy transmittance-if glass had a 53% = 0.53  g factor it would let 53% of the solar heat through. ) with the Ug value which represents the heat loss over a surface area in W (m2/k).

The glass that works in Germany may not necessarily work in Ireland. One needs to balance these two values to suit your house and orientation in the PHPP software.

Another important factor is the glazing spacer used between the panes of glass. Most high quality windows will use a thermally broken spacer to ensure that the minimum amount of heat is lost through the glass spacer. One can see this by viewing the colour of the spacer -if is it silver/metallic  then it more than likely has a high heat loss. If it is black it more than likely is a highly insulated spacer.

Window Spacer (Black)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Practical Choice

Options are available in general to have the windows opening out or opening in (with or without tilt and turn).  Tilt and turn mean that blinds and curtains need to be taken into account.

I believe there are only two or three manufacturers of sliding doors that are airtight. Other options are folding units.

  • Review the type of hinges (galvanized, steel, brass etc) and the handles specified (shapes).
  • Some opening out windows/doors have the option of a locking system  to ensure that a breeze will not affect the ventilation or damage them when left open.
  • Establish which doors need external key locks for entry .
  • Establish how many sets of keys you will receive
  • There is an option to have wooden or PVC windows clad with aluminium (evaluate which is more suitable in your environment such as being beside the sea versus fully sheltered).
  • Ensure the Ral colour touch up paint kit is available for small scratches and knocks that happen on site.
  • Establish if you want alarm contacts pre-installed.

Cost Choices

  • A window with minimum openings (more energy efficient) will be significantly cheaper than a window with multiple openings (less energy efficient).
  • A window that stays within the manufactures standard sizes and truck delivery size is going to be cheaper.
  • A window that has a non standard shape is going to be more expensive.
  • Sliding/Folding mechanisms and making them airtight is more expensive.
  • Establish if one can use glazing without a frame in your design (roughly 50% cheaper).
  • A certified passive house window will be more expensive. See link to certified components- Passive House Institute Certified Components

 Importance of Installing Windows Correctly

The frame that holds the glass and those used in passive houses will have an insulator such as cork or other insulation material separating the inside of the frame from the outside climate in order to reduce the heat loss. An equally important detail of a window is how it is going to be installed. This can account for over a third of the heat loss if it is just placed in an opening and secured with a steel band/bracket and then foam filled around the edges. So in real terms money spent on a high performance window/door can be negated completely by installing it poorly.

Below is a video I came across for guidance on installing windows  in a timber frame build (Ireland) with a breathable insulation on the outside and a sketch of an externally insulated block work building later on in the video. There are a number of videos in this series.

In my case I installed the windows in a wooden frame on a ventilated facade. As wood is a fairly good insulator (thermal conductivity of approximately 0.13w/(mk) ) I took the extra step of providing a better insulator around the reveal in order to improve the installation method and reduce the heat loss on the frame as the external cladding is vented with cement board. I am in the process of doing up the thermal bridge calculation using the free software Therm to calculate the actual linear heat loss (Thermal Bridge psi value denoted by the symbol Ψ).  The other type of heat loss is known as the U value and is a measure of surface area in watts per m2 per degree change (W/m2/K).

Where the window or doors were installed on concrete I installed Compacfoam  (rigid insulation) under the window/door and I will insulate and provide an airtight seal up to this material.

Window Frame Mounted on Compacfoam (insulator) in order to minimise the heat loss against the concrete floor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glazing (with no frames)

I installed some glazing in the structure of the building without the frames in order to reduce costs. The timber frame manufacturer, Matthew O Malley Timber Limited, rebated the openings and I then taped and sealed the glazing. There were 12 glazing units of 2.4 metres by 0.9 metres approximately.

I installed security tape in the rebate. I experimented with other security tape but found the following tape to be better-Closed cell polyolefin foam tape which conform to BS 7950 Manual Glazing Test from tapes direct in the UK.

Glazing openings with rebate in timber.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the structure of our home is made with gluelam this helps to minimise the movement in a timber frame build to facilate installing glazing without a frame. I am not sure if glazing can be installed directly in a standard timber frame build.

Other important factors to consider are:

  • air-tightness (the normal passive certified window will have two or three seals mounted in the frame) .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Design, Roof, Solar Hotwater, Solar PV

PV (Photovoltaic)-Converting light to Electricity (Part I)

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The PV Plan 

I really like the possibility of converting light to electricity. In the spirit of innovation I will simplify the PV system and reduce  the cost by returning to using DC power directly from the PV panels.  As I have no intention of transmitting power around the countryside this is another reason for staying with DC.

The passive house standard I feel helps in this approach by reducing the energy required in a house to a very low level which creates the synergy to make this leap for me to design a DC power heating system for our house.

Solar Background Information

The energy from the sun varies throughout the year due to cloud and the amount of air mass (AM) it has to pass through to reach the earth. When the angle of the sun is low in the sky the solar energy has to pass through more air which means less solar energy is available to convert light into electricity (example winter months).

Air Mass and PV
Air Mass

When a PV manufacturer quotes the output power of their PV panel the international standard is to quote the output power at an air mass of 1.5 . An air mass of 0 is know as outer space where no air exists (AM0) . This is where the maximum energy can be captured if one lived in space. An air mass of 1 is when the sun is at its highest point in the sky (AM1) when on earth. The AM value of 1.5 is around 48 degrees off the highest point on earth.

Measuring the Solar Energy (W/m2)

In the winter months from tests I have carried out with my pyranometer ( a device that measures the solar energy-see below) the solar power I am recording with a data logger was between 0 and 400 watts per m2 (It can be higher on sunny days). In the spring/summer months the power can reach 1000 watts per m2 and more.

Pyranometer
Pyranometer for measuring Solar Energy (Sensor top left of image and Solar Panel under test beneath it)

Harvesting Solar energy in the winter months for me is the priority which will entail the correct location and angle of the solar PV panel for the winter sun. The strategy is to try capture as much of the winter sun as possible  by balancing the solar gain of the glass in the south windows of the house (part of the passive house performance phpp calculations) and supplement this with the DC (Direct Current) electricity from solar PV panels to provide space and primary heating etc. It is very noticeable at this stage of the build the real benefit of gathering energy from the winter sun through the glass.  (See previous blog on performance data 23/05/2015).

In order to give an idea of the solar energy available I recorded the irradiance when the sun was behind a dark cloud (see image below). This equates to around 200 watts per m2 solar energy. When the sun came out from behind the cloud it reached over 1000 watts per m2 in the month of April.

Solar Energy

Sun behind dark grey cloud is approximately 200 W/m2 of solar energy (above image). Most inverters start to loose their effeciencys at this point.

Solar Power example

Sun behind dark grey cloud is approximately 112 W/m2 of solar energy on the typical overcast day. Most inverters would stop working at this level. 

Below is an example of the changes that take place on a sunny/cloudy day in May

Solar Sunshine
Solar Irradiance Level examples over a 10 minute period.

In the above chart one can see an example of how difficult it is for an inverter to keep working efficiently (they work efficiently from approximately 200 w/m2).  The bottom line on the left is 100 watts/m2, The top line is 700 watts/m2 (click on the image to see more detail) .  In the winter time values from around 50w/m2 to 200w/m2 are the lower limits and the upper limits are around 600w/m2.

Self Build Homework (Develop a DC powered Solar Harvesting Unit)

For the above I do need to find a way of maximizing the output power of the PV panels as the iradiance varies. For this I need to develop a simple black box (a small amount of simple components) that will match the solar energy created by the PV panels and maximise the output over the winter months. I am close to having a working prototype to see this in action (all tests look good so far ).

The equipment to be purchased for the above will be 4 solar panels and the mounting brackets. 4 solar panels will provide around 1 KW of power (max). This will cost around €1000. More groups of these will be added in the future. (If any one has 4 spare panels to loan so that I can test the control unit I am building – please let me know.)

In essence I plan to create what I call a DC Solar Harvesting Unit (DCSHU) that will have specific electric power functions around the house.

 

Airtightness, Roof

Battens for Internal Use (Lesson for self builder)

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Supply and Delivery of Wood

An item I feel worth monitoring is the supply of wood for internal use (untreated wood –no preservative used ). By monitoring I mean the moisture content. For example I received battens for the ceiling fixing of plasterboard. Some batches after 2 weeks grew mould. It was luck and the fact that I was not ready to install it that averted a real problem if it had been nailed to the rafters.

Mold
Mold on wood supplied

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did comment mentally to myself when I was carrying it into the house that some pieces were much heavier than others but that experience did not cause alarm. A symptom that I now know is that they were wet and this has a consequence.

In order to monitor the moisture content of dry wood supplied by building providers on site for the likes of battens that are used to secure plasterboard I will from now on use a moisture meter. When my supply was delivered I did not have a wood moisture meter at hand (they cost 20 to 30 euros). I do now .  Even though the wood was purchased and supplied as definitely dry . Once I had it stacked indoors certain batches were obviously not as promised as mould started to appear within two weeks.  The lesson going forward is have a moisture meter at hand. Test it while still on the lorry and send it back to the builder providers if the moisture levels are too high.