New buildings account for a relatively small percentage of the energy used in the building sector. Retrofitting existing housing and commercial/industrial facilities is an important goal in terms of energy savings. It is also a complex endeavor, with many factors to consider, from preserving historic features to controlling costs.
The following articles and reports discuss a wide variety of materials, situations and techniques that may be encountered when undertaking an energy-efficient retrofit. As well, many case studies are provided to illustrate how to do retrofits right.
Building Science Corporation seeks to further the energy efficiency market for cold climate, New England area retrofits by supporting projects based on solid building science fundamentals and verified implementation. The utility company National Grid engaged BSC as a partner to develop guidelines for its Deep Energy Retrofit Pilot Program. In addition to guideline development, BSC has acted as a consultant for these projects and others following similar retrofit strategies.
Basements can account for up to one quarter of the typical energy consumption in a house. Therefore, insulating foundations is a critical measure for achieving high performance buildings. This is important in both new construction and retrofits of existing buildings. The fundamental problems and “best practice solutions” for moisture-safe basement insulation have been well established. However, many foundations are damp (either due to bulk water or capillary “wicking” of moisture) or of a type of construction that is not easy or straightforward to insulate (such as rubble foundations). Damp foundation repair methods can be “leveraged” to provide energy efficiency benefits. An example of this “hybrid” approach is spray foam insulation, which can be an effective means of liquid phase water control (leaking basement), vapor phase water control (diffusion and air leakage transported condensation) as well as an effective insulation.
Building Science Corporation (BSC) has been working with Byggmeister, a partner on the Building America (BA) team, on retrofit projects under the BA program. Byggmeister is a local design-build firm that specializes in energy efficient retrofits and new construction. The Duclos, Eldrenkamp and Panish Energy Group (DEEP Energy Group), which is associated with Byggmeister, conducts design-phase energy analysis and monitors completed projects. The Byggmeister multifamily test home located in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts (Jamaica Plain or J.P. Three-Family) is a three-story brick row house . The test home is examined with the goal of producing a case study that could be applied to similar New England homes. Basic areas of research that this report is expected to contribute include finding the combination of measures that are feasible, affordable, and suitable for this type of construction and acceptable to homeowners.
This research project developed baseline engineering analysis to support the installation of thick layers of exterior insulation (2” to 8”) on existing masonry walls and wood framed walls through the use of wood furring strips (fastened through the insulation back to the structure) as a cladding attachment location. Furthermore, water management details necessary to connect the exterior insulated wall assemblies to roofs, balconies, decks, and windows were created to provide guidance on the integration of exterior insulation strategies with other enclosure elements.
This project examines implementation of advanced retrofit measures in the context of a large-scale weatherization program and the archetypal Chicago, Illinois, brick bungalow. In response to the apparent weatherization program limitations with respect to homes with masonry bearing wall construction, this research project examines two distinct strategies for insulating and air sealing the top of houses. One strategy applies best practice air sealing methods and a standard insulation method to the attic floor. The other strategy creates an unvented roof assembly using materials and methods typically available to weatherization contractors.
