Aeration of Stored Grain.

4 p

Aeration of Stored Grain.

4 p

Opportunities for Energy Conservation and Improved Comfort From Wind Washing Retrofits in Two-Story Homes - Part I

Wind washing is a general term referring to diminished thermal control caused by air movement over or through a thermal barrier. The primary focus of this paper is towards a specific type of wind washing where wind can push attic air into the floor cavity between first and second stories of the home through ineffective (or missing) air barriers separating attic space from the floor cavity. A second type of wind washing studied in this project involved insulation batts on knee walls where space between the batts and the wall board allowed air movement against the gypsum wall board. During hot weather, the first type of wind washing pushes hot air into the floor cavity (between the first and second stories) thereby heating ceiling, floor, and interior wall surfaces (see Figures 1 and 2). Condensation may occur on cold supply duct surfaces within the floor cavity resulting in ceiling moisture damage. In cold climates, cold air from wind washing can chill surfaces within the interior floor space and result in frozen water pipes. Through the summer of 2009, a field study tested thirty-two two-story homes and found significant wind washing potential in 40% of the homes. Part I of this paper will highlight the evaluation methods used and the extent of wind washing found in this study. Repairs and energy monitoring were completed in six of these homes to evaluate retrofit methods and cost effectiveness of retrofit solutions. These results are discussed in Part II of this paper.Florida Solar Energy Center, University of Central Florid

Estimates of the Quality of Complementary Feeding Amongvietnamese Infants Aged 6-23months Varied by Howcommercial Baby Cereals Were Classified in 24-H Recalls

The World Health Organization\u27s (WHO) standardized questionnaire for assessing infant and young child feeding practices does not include commercial baby cereals (CBC), which are derived from several food groups and are fortified with micronutrients. We examined how different scenarios for classifying CBC affect estimates of the quality of complementary feeding in children ages 6−23 months in Vietnam in 2014 (n = 4811). In addition to the WHO standardized 24‐h recall questionnaire for infant and young child feeding, we asked mothers about the consumption of CBC. The five resulting scenarios were S1 – omitted CBC; S2 – CBC classified as grains; S3 – as grains and dairy; S4 – as grains, dairy and fruit/vegetables; and S5 – as grains, dairy, fruit/vegetables and any others. Including CBC resulted in 4−11 percentage points higher in the prevalence of children who were fed each of the six food groups compared with what was reported in the WHO standardized questionnaire. Minimum dietary diversity (% fed ≥ 4 out of the 7 food groups) was higher in S5 (90%) than in S1 (84%), S2 (84%), S3 (85%) and S4 (86%). Minimum acceptable diet was also higher in scenarios S5 (80%) than in S1 (74%), S2 (75%), S3 (75%) and S4 (77%). Consumption of iron‐rich foods was 94% when CBC was accounted, which was higher than the alternative scenario (89%). In summary, when CBC were included, population‐level estimates of dietary quality were higher than when CBC were omitted. Guidance is required from the WHO about how to account for the consumption of CBC when estimating the quality of complementary feeding

Why Doesn\u27t 25 Years Of An Evolving Energy Code Make More Of A Difference?

This paper was presented at the 2015 Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference (BECC). New and more stringent building energy codes are implemented with the assumption and expectation that significant energy conservation will occur. While simulation and various analysis methodologies may be reasonably sound at estimating the energy impact, the actual impact is largely dependent upon new code enforcement and occupant behavior. This work is based upon the research question: Do homes built to a newer energy code deliver measurable energy savings compared to homes built to a much earlier energy code? This residential research study was focused on comparing measured energy use of new code to old code homes. The new code group represented homes built to the 2007 Florida energy code, with 2009 supplement. The old code group were built to the code in effect from June 1, 1984 to Dec. 31, 1985. Energy monitoring equipment was installed to measure whole house, space heating/cooling, and domestic hot water energy use. Interior temperature and relative humidity were also monitored. Using utility bill and end-use monitored data, savings for the new code homes were determined to be 13% for cooling energy, 39% for heating energy, and 5% for domestic hot water energy. The overall annual energy savings of space heating, cooling and domestic hot water were 13%. This paper presents the methodology of the research along with reasons why the measured savings are far less than predicted by simulations of homes built to the two codes. The results may be useful in policy decisions or evaluating the long-term implications of residential building energy codes

Investigating Solutions To Wind Washing Issues In Two-Story Florida Homes, Phase 2

With U.S. Department of Energy goals of reducing existing home energy use by 30% and new home energy use by 50%, it is imperative to focus on several energy efficiency measures, including the quality of air and thermal barriers. This report provides results from a second-phase research study of a phenomenon generally referred to as wind washing. Wind washing is the movement of unconditioned air around or through building thermal barriers in such a way as to diminish or nullify the intended thermal performance. This study focused on the impact of poorly sealed and insulated floor cavities adjacent to attic spaces in Florida homes

Building Envelope Air Leakage Failure In Small Commercial Buildings Related To The Use Of Suspended Tile Ceilings

Recent research over the last few years is providing a better understanding about the building envelope of small commercial buildings. These buildings have very similar construction to single-family residential buildings, but unlike residential buildings, they usually have a suspended tile ceiling between the conditioned space and ceiling or attic space. Testing indicates that the building envelope in small commercial buildings is substantially less airtight than residential buildings and the cause is associated with the suspended ceiling. Ceiling airtightness test results from two buildings are presented in this paper and show that they are very leaky. The pathways in the ceiling plane are one necessary constituent for airflow to occur across the ceiling. The second constituent needed is a pressure difference across the ceiling. Data and observations from three buildings are used to illustrate the impact that four primary driving forces and a leaky ceiling have on small commercial buildings. The severity of impact from ceiling air leakage failure depends on the amount, direction, and quality of airflow

Overview And Summary Of Design Ideas From The High Performance Green Relocatable Classroom Charrette

Past research has shown that energy use can be reduced by 81% in improved new portable classrooms in Florida. On June 2-3, 2008 a design charrette was held in Palm Beach Gardens with the goal of developing qualities that should be considered for a High-Performance Green Relocatable Classroom (HPGRC) standard for Florida or other regions in hot and humid climates. This charrette is just one of many steps that would be involved in development and acceptance of a HPGRC standard. It is hoped that the results of this can be shared with others and used to build on the development of improved relocatables. This document provides a summary of ideas developed during the charrette as well as incorporates ideas from other resources such as research publications, Collaborative for High Performance Schools, and Advanced Energy Design Guide K-12

Investigating Solutions To Wind Washing Issues In 2-Story Florida Homes; Phase 1

Wind washing has been identified as a potentially significant issue regarding energy, demand, comfort, and humidity in some two-story Florida homes. In its most common configuration, wind washing occurs when attic spaces over first-floor portions of the home abut the second story, and the floor cavity of the second story is open to that attic space. Wind blowing into attic vents can push hot attic air into the inter-story floor cavity, bypassing the typical thermal boundaries of the building and introducing considerable heat into the house. Wind washing can also occur when there is little or no attic involved, where outdoor air can infiltrate directly into the floor cavities. Phase 1 of a study to identify these air flow failures and possible insulation system failures in adjacent knee walls has been completed. Field testing has been completed in 32 homes and monitoring and repair has been implemented in six homes. Significant wind washing potential has been found in about 40% of the tested homes. Relatively few knee wall insulation problems have been identified, though it is common for knee walls facing into attic spaces to have effective R-values of less than 10. Monitoring of temperature, humidity, and AC energy consumption in six homes was implemented for about two months, repairs were implemented, monitoring continued for about 6 to 8 weeks after repair. Energy and peak demand analysis was implemented. Annual cooling energy savings averaged 15.3% and peak demand savings averaged 12.6% for these six homes. Because the wind washing potential identified in the six repaired homes was less than other homes tested later, the research team believes that these cooling energy and demand savings are less than might otherwise be found