ASHRAE Journal - June 2021 - 48

TECHNICAL FEATURE
Home Retrofit Results
In Net Positive Energy
Operation
BY JOHN SUZUKIDA; DANIEL BACELLAR; REINHARD RADERMACHER, PH.D., FELLOW/LIFE MEMBER ASHRAE
Residential energy consumption in the U.S., excluding renewables, is approximately
9.1 QBtu (9 × 1018 J)1 based on 2015 data. In 2018, residential CO2 emissions were
approximately 345 million metric tons.2 These numbers will continue to increase as
the population grows if measures to prevent it are not put in place. However, ambitious
actions such as load reduction and use of renewables will greatly slow down if
not reduce these environmental impacts.3 This article presents a case study in which
an existing home was retrofitted to achieve net positive energy (i.e., the home generates
more energy than it consumes) and rely 100% on renewables. It achieved net
positive energy (NPE) in 2019. Modifications mainly targeted load reduction, highefficiency
HVAC equipment and primary energy source shift using renewables (solar).
Materials
Test House: Private Residence in Western Wisconsin
The subject of this study, a private residence in Polk
County, Wis., is a premanufactured home built in 1997.
Polk County, Wis., is in IECC Climate Zone 6,4 which
corresponds to a cold winter and warm-humid summer.
This type of construction was chosen due to limited time
and the challenge of implementing new construction
in a less populated and rural area. The home was delivered
in three pieces, halves split along the long axis and
a roof " cap " that allowed for a more conventional roof
pitch. It measures 16.4 m × 7.9 m (53.8 ft × 25.9 ft), with
130 m2 (1,399 ft2) of occupancy area; it was placed on a
poured concrete foundation with the long axis facing
southwest (Figure 1).
The interior consists of three bedrooms, two bathrooms
and a great room area containing living, dining
and kitchen spaces on the main floor. Exterior walls are
2 in. × 6 in. timber insulated with R-19 fiberglass batt
insulation. The ceiling is insulated with R-38 insulation.
John Suzukida spent 22 years in various positions at Trane, including vice president/general manager where he started Trane's Energy Services Company, vice president/general
manager of its Building Automation Systems Division and senior vice president of global marketing and strategy. Daniel Bacellar, Ph.D., has worked as engineering manager at
Optimized Thermal Systems, Inc., in Beltsville, Md., and is currently conducting HVAC research at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md. Reinhard Radermacher, Ph.D., is a
professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland and CEO of Optimized Thermal Systems, Inc.
48
ASHRAE JOURNAL ashrae.o rg
J U N E 2021

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ASHRAE Journal - June 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - June 2021

Contents
ASHRAE Journal - June 2021 - Intro
ASHRAE Journal - June 2021 - Cover1
ASHRAE Journal - June 2021 - Cover2
ASHRAE Journal - June 2021 - 1
ASHRAE Journal - June 2021 - Contents
ASHRAE Journal - June 2021 - 3
ASHRAE Journal - June 2021 - 4
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ASHRAE Journal - June 2021 - Cover3
ASHRAE Journal - June 2021 - Cover4
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