Zero Energy Home Design Engineering Design 009

Team 7 10/18/13

“Submitted to Wallace Catanach”

Tim O’Neill (tjo5125@psu.edu) Jacob Eaton (jne5074@psu.edu)

Andrew McDonagh (apm186@psu.edu) Bryan O’Donnell (byo5060@psu.edu)

Original Design

House includes

• Geothermal heating • Photovoltaic system • Solar water heater • Rain water barrels • Overhang for the sun • Concrete slab • High insulation • large windows

Table of Contents: Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………… 1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….. 1 Mission Statement………………………………………………………………………… 1 Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………..1 External Research ………………………………………………………………………….2 Customer Needs Analysis………………………………………………………………… 2 External Research (Benchmarking)……..………………………………………………… 4 Product Dissection. ……………………..………………………………………………… 6 Info on House ..……..……………………………………………………………...……… 8 Customer Needs Analysis..……..………..………………………………………...……… 8 Customer Matrix..……..………..……………………………………………..…...……… 9 Concept Generation………………………………………………………………………. 10 Concept Selection………………………………………………………………………… 10 Floor layout……………………………………………………………………………….. 11 Finished house…………………………………………………….……………………… 11 Zero Energy Calculator..………………….……………………………………………… 14 Conclusion..………………………………………………………………...……….…….16 References………..………………………………………………………………….….....16

Abstract:

The objective of this project is to design and construct a Zero Energy Home within our given parameters. The limits for our house were the house had to be practical ($200,000 budget) and be set in an area where zero energy homes are being built. Before we began this project we did preliminary research on 8 zero energy home houses that were already built. The one we liked the most was the house from Perkiomenville, PA and was built by Jackie O’Neil.

We choose to base our house off this similar model but on a smaller scale. The O’Neil house had a total of 2000 sq feet compared to ours, which was only 1300sq ft. Our house only needed to fit a family of four so we able to downsize the house to our liking. We also looked at that houses energy sources and other devices they used to make it a zero energy home. We opted to use geothermal heating along with passive and active solar heating similarly to our benchmark house. A major difference in our benchmark house and the house we choose to construct was the layout of the house. Our floor plan was complexly original and made to our liking. Just like our benchmark house our home itself requires no outside energy and in fact could potentially supply energy back into the grid. Combining this house with an eco-smart living style is a great way to reduce that amount of fossil fuels being used.

Introduction

Human sustainability is one of the main focuses of the 21st century. With the increasing population and decreasing resources society is starting to really focus on energy and the environment. The world is going to run out of fossil fuels so cutting down on the energy use in homes is a great way to reduce energy. A home of 1500 sq ft. to 2000 sq ft in size (3 bedrooms) will use about 500 to 700 kWh per month (source 1). A house that is self-sustaining would be able to produce enough energy for itself and never have to draw energy from fossil fuels. This concept of the future is starting to show up in the present. Our house is deigned to be in a suburban town outside Philadelphia that will house a family of four.

Mission Statement

We must follow the eight steps of the engineering design process. Identify the problem, define the problem, develop possible solutions, select the best possible solutions, model the solutions, test and evaluate the solutions, communicate the solutions, and refine as needed we were able to construct an abstract zero energy home with all the necessary parameters and build a 3-d representation of the house.

Executive Summary

Families in the United States are in need of more efficient homes. Since the 1950’s, homes have been exponentially increasing in size. Many of these homes use mainly fossil fuels and this cannot be sustained for much longer 0because fossil fuels are gradually running out and our homes are not prepared for the exhaustion of the fossil fuel supply. Our homes need to incorporate more fuel-efficient energy sources. For example, the homes need to incorporate high

R-valued insulation and solar panels that can fuel all electricity based appliances in the home. The house needs have specifications similar to that of a Zero-Energy Home.

Many studies were done to develop the design of our home. For example, a survey was taken by local students to narrow down the design. Most students who had two story homes actually used far more energy than those who had one-story homes. Through further research, the design team narrowed down the possibilities for the home design. The home could be designed as either a one-story home or a two-story home. Any more stories would use more energy than necessary. Although the two-story house is an option, we plan on using the one story design. This would be the most sustainable design using as little energy as possible.

There are a few risks involved in building the home. The main concern is the cost of all of the materials needed. Solar panels are very pricy and some of the higher R-value insulation also has a high cost. With a budget of two hundred thousand, we need to be very aware of what we spend our money on. The team must be very frugal in designing this home. The design of the home will be complete by October 7th.

External Research: Benchmarking

“O’Neils house which we based our house off of”

Location (city, state) Pittsburgh , PA House size (floor area in square feet)

2,519 square feet

Number of floors 3 URL of web site where info is found

http://www.zeroenergyintelligence.com/blogspagehtm/?tag=pittsburgh-pennsylvania

Number of occupants 6 Number of bedrooms 3 Type of heating system (forced air, hydronic, radiant floor, heat pump, etc.

geothermal

Main heating fuel (electricity, natural gas, wood, oil, etc.)

Electricity

Size of photovoltaic system (kilowatts)

5.55 kW

Solar water heater (yes or no)

yes

R-value of wall insulation R-20 at the walls.

R-value of ceiling insulation

R-60

Ventilation air heat recovery (yes or no)

yes

Predicted or measured annual energy use

SOL is aiming for zero in all it’s houses

Any other pertinent info The 3-bedroom house sells for $489,000 for 1,850 square feet and has a HERS rating of -4

Montgomery County

Location (city, state)

Perkiomenville, PA

House size (floor area in square feet)

2016ft

Number of floors

3

URL of web site where info is found

http://www.citilogs.com/pdfs/consillience_philadelphia_sustainability_awards.pdf http://philadelphiasustainabilityawards.org/nominees/oneil

Number of occupants

6

Number of bedrooms

3

Type of heating system (forced air, hydronic, radiant floor, heat pump, etc.

geothermal)

Main heating fuel (electricity,

Electricity

natural gas, wood, oil, etc.) Size of photovoltaic system (kilowatts)

5.25 kW

Solar water heater (yes or no)

no

R-value of wall insulation

R-23 at the walls.

R-value of ceiling insulation

offer insulation levels of R-45 at the roof

Ventilation air heat recovery (yes or no)

yes

Predicted or measured annual energy use

102% of the home’s electricity needs on balance (2,911 kWh generated to 2,845 kWh consumed)

Any other pertinent info

home cost in the Philadelphia area ($167/ft2, home cost in the Philadelphia area ($167/ft2

Prior to the design stage, preliminary research on existing zero energy homes was conducted. Several structures were examined to determine which technologies were applicable to this project, and how to best combine them to meet customer needs for a potential client.

In order to create a home that could meet or exceed its own energy requirements, a wide variety of systems were researched and considered. A photovoltaic system was chosen to serve as the main source of energy because of the regular availability of sunlight. It was found that a 10 kW solar array could provide adequate power to meet the average usage of an American household. Additionally, passive solar was utilized by creating large, south-facing windows with the appropriate overhang to provide shade during the summer and full exposure during the winter. Finally, to fully capitalize on the available solar energy, a solar water heater was chosen to supply hot water to the home.

Also chosen for its utilization of free energy was a geothermal heating and cooling system. Furthermore, geothermal systems are relatively low-cost when compared to conventional heating or cooling methods. While both solar arrays and geothermal units can be initially expensive to install, long term maintenance and related costs are usually low. Similarly, the higher cost of increased insulation and a heat recovery system are justified by the long-term benefits of saving energy.

Product Dissection:

Photovoltaic System

http://siliconvalleypower.com/index.aspx?page=1957

PV systems use PV cells to make DC electricity out of sunlight. Normally, PV systems convert this DC power into AC power, which is what households normally use. This power can then be used to power objects around the house such as appliances and electronics. In our zero energy home we decided to use a 5.25 kW photovoltaic system. We chose this keeping in mind the energy savings it would provide down the road, even though being a little more expensive up front, we could afford this since we chose the cheaper small one story design for our home.

Geothermal Pump

http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/geothermal-heat-pumps

Geothermal heat pumps use the constant temperature of the earth as their medium of exchange. Water or some type of refrigerant is passed through pipes buried underneath the Earth. The liquid then absorbs the energy as it travels through the earth to the house. After the liquid travels back to the house, the warm liquid passes over a fan unit that transfers the heat out of the liquid and into the house, or the cool air depending on what season it is or what is desired. Some models of geothermal systems are available with two-speed compressors and variable fans for more comfort. Having one of these will allow our zero energy home to take advantage of this constant temperature that the ground has throughout the year.

Solar Water Heater

http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/solar-water-heaters

There are two types of solar water heating systems: active, which have circulating pumps and controls, and passive, which don't. Passive systems are cheaper, but can also last longer and be more reliable as well. Since there may not always be a freezing temperature where our home is located, in Philadelphia, we still opted to use an integral collector-storage system, or ICS. They feature one or more black tanks or tubes in an insulated box. First, cold water passes through the collecter where it is preheated. The water then continues on to the conventional backup water heater and thi s is what provides a good source of hot water.

We also examined existing patents of Zero Energy homes and internal criteria in the homes to avoid infringement. The one patent that came up on the “United States Patent Index” was inventor Bachrach; Robert Z. of Burlingame, CA with the patent through Applied Materials, Inc. The patent covers a specific type of photovoltaic system. Our intentions are not to infringe on the patent so we will follow the procedure and there should not be a problem.

Global Marketplace

Zero energy homes are not only starting to pop up in the U.S but also in other countries across the globe. Limiting fossil fuels is not just a problem for the U.S but also a problem for all countries so that is why other countries are making strides to cut down on fossil fuel usage and build zero energy homes. Of course it is only the countries that are technologically advanced that are making these transitions. Places like Western Europe, China, Japan, Australia, and parts of the Middle East are making strides to implement zero energy homes in the culture. In 2005, Ireland was actually the first county to actually built and have a self sustaining zero energy home and all other countries have been following in their footsteps.

Information on location We chose to set our zero energy home in the suburbs Philadelphia for a multitude of reasons. For one, PA is in the northeast which is a requirement for the house. The northeast is relatively warm and moderate temperatures over the four seasons. In average, Allentown Philadelphia receives 93 days with sunny days 109 that are party sunny and a total of 204 days of sun (source 2) and an average temp of 54.3.The average daily temp Jan., 30.4° F and July, 76.7° F It’s a good place to use solar panels for active and solar heating because the house would receive a good amount of sunlight throughout the year.

Customer Needs Analysis:

After brainstorming possible ideas and features we wanted to include in our house we decided to use a needs matrix to make sure we met all of our customer needs. We had a variety of needs ranging from durability, style and cost. We then ranked these later on in our selection criteria and picked the best options.

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Needs Matrix

Concept Generation:

Selection Criteria Concept 1 (two story home)

Concept 2 (average single story)

Concept 3 (bigger single story)

3 Bedrooms + + +

Open floor plan 0 + +

Aesthetically appealing + 0 0

Efficient layout - + 0

Requires low energy - + 0

Total Score

Continue with concept

0

No

4

Yes

2

Yes

Concept Selection Matrix:

Weighted Selection Scoring

During the selection process of our zero energy home we chose to use the selections matrices that are shown above. These were used to narrow down the three concepts we were deciding between. The first of which was a two story house. This option was ruled out after the first matrix due to not scoring as high as the other two, especially when it came to energy

Concept 2 Concept 3

Selection criteria Weight Rate Weight Rate Weight

3 bedrooms 15% 5 0.75 5 0.75

Open floor plan 10% 5 0.5 5 0.5

Aesthetically appealing

15% 3 0.45 3 0.45

Efficient layout 30% 4 1.2 3 0.9

Requires low energy 30% 5 1.5 3 0.9

Total score

Continue with concept

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efficiency and layout, which was a very important feature to the house that we wanted. The other two options consisted of a small one story house and a noticeably larger, more spacious one story home. The larger version of the zero energy homes was not chosen due to the thinking that it would require more energy than the smaller concept, somewhat defeating what we set out to do in the first place. Therefore, our group decided to go with the concept labeled number two, the smaller to average size one story house.

Design:

Floor Layout:

Finished House:

Top View

Side view

Side view:

Constructed floor plan:

Energy Calculated/ Cost calculator

Penn State Center for Sustainability

Zero Energy Home Calculator

General Info

Heating & Cooling

Location Philadelphia

Type of heating & cooling system

Electric geothermal heat

pump

Electricity cost ($/kwh) 0.1 Solar Technologies

House type 1 story Size of PV system (kw) 5.25

Conditioned floor area (sq.ft.) 1300 Solar water heater Yes

Number of bedrooms 3

Behavior

Envelope Details

Water conservation A lot

Wall construction

Double 2x4 with 10" foam

Uses clothesline Some

Ceiling Insulation R40

Thermostat setback Some

Window type Triple low-e

Heat thermostat setting (F) 68

Upper floor ceiling area (sq.ft.) 1860

Cool thermostat setting (F) 76

North wall area (gross) (sq.ft.) 343

Results

East wall area (sq.ft.) 314

South wall area (sq.ft.) 330

West wall area (sq.ft.) 314

North window area (sq.ft.) 57

East window area (sq.ft.) 36

South window area (sq.ft.) 70

West window area (sq.ft.) 36

Air tightness

Tight with heat recovery

Appliances

Refrigerator Best

Clothes Washer Best

Dishwasher Best

Small Appliance Input

Extras

Base House Cost $ 139,408

Garage a. None

PV Cost $ 26,250

Hot Tub a. None

Upgrade Costs $ 20,612

Pool a. None

Total House Cost $ 186,269

Windows 19%

Walls 16%

Roof 28%

Floor 32%

Infiltration 5%

Envelope Heat Transmission

$83 $188 $191

$89 $69 $42 -$45

-$165

-$25

-$191

-$705

-$1,000

-$800

-$600

-$400

-$200

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Net Solar PV

Conclusion

We were able to construct our zero energy home within the given parameters and were successful in doing so. Our house cost about $197,000 which was under our budget and our house also supplied enough energy and more to keep itself running. The house is aesthetically pleasing and supported a family of four and located in the suburbs of Philadelphia. We followed the 8 steps of the engineering and were successful in our project

References

Read more: Philadelphia, Pa.: Population, Weather, Demographics, Facts, History, Mayor, Landmarks | Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108580.html#ixzz2hFzB1pUt

Silverman, Dennis. "Southern California Household Energy Savings." physics.uci.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct 2013. <http://www.physics.uci.edu/~silverma/actions/HouseholdEnergy.html>. "Days of Sunshine Per Year in Pennsylvania." Current Results. Current Results Nexus, n.d. Web. 17 Oct 2013. <http://www.currentresults.com/Weather/Pennsylvania/annual-days-of-sunshine.php>.

"Featires and Performance of Zero Energy Homes." Sweep. Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, n.d. Web. 17 Oct 2013. <http://www.swenergy.org/programs/buildings/zeh/features.htm>.

*Other sites directly referenced in report