SystemVision · Advanced Energy guarantees the heating and cooling energy consumption, and the...

2019 Contractor’s Guide

COPYRIGHT ©2019 ADVANCED ENERGY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED VERSION 2019.3.1

SystemVision

COPYRIGHT ©2019 ADVANCED ENERGY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED • VERSION 2019.3.1 • PAGE 2

HISTORYINTRODUCTION

Since 2001, SystemVision has been certifying new homes in North Carolina, guaranteeing their heating and cooling bills, and ensuring that the homes meet a high standard for comfort, durability, health, safety, energy efficiency and environmental responsibility. As of April 2019, SystemVision has guaranteed over 5,400 homes!

North Carolina Housing Finance AgencyThanks to the NC Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA), Advanced Energy’s partner in SystemVision, through which funding is available to select nonprofit organizations to help defray the costs often associated with building high-performance homes.

These nonprofits must become a Self Help or Community Home Loan Pool Member with NCHFA. For more information on how to become a member and reserve funds, contact Josh Burton, Sonia Joyner, or Donna Coleman at NCHFA at (919)877-5700.

About Advanced EnergyAdvanced Energy, a nonprofit based in Raleigh, is committed to ensuring that every home in the nation is healthy, safe, durable, comfortable, energy efficient and environmentally responsible. Our staff of building science experts provides training and consultation services to a variety of clients in the building industry.

SystemVision Home StatusBuilders and raters can view the status of their homes at www.hometracking.org.

SystemVision GuaranteeAdvanced Energy guarantees the heating and cooling energy consumption, and the comfort of the original homeowner for two years. The heating and cooling usage is calculated after a full year of occupancy by estimating the base load usage (e.g., TVs, appliances, water heating, lights, etc.) and subtracting the base load from the total energy used. If the home uses more energy for heating and cooling than the guarantee, Advanced Energy will reimburse the homeowner and initiate a diagnostic process to address the cause.

The SystemVision guarantee gives the homeowner certain responsibilities. These responsibilities are laid out on the guarantee information sheet (see Resources), as well www.systemvision.org. Questions regarding the guarantee can be submitted to [email protected].

Heating & Cooling

394467

121 121

303

Base Load

358

213 167 0

470 470 470 470 470 470 470 470 470 470 470 470

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

kWh

Total Annual Heating & Cooling Electricity Usage = 3842 kWh

Total Annual Heating = 2691 kWh

Total Annual Cooling = 1151 kWh

1030

858

SystemVision Guarantee Example

COPYRIGHT ©2019 ADVANCED ENERGY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED • VERSION 2019.3.1• PAGE 3

INTRODUCTIONPROCESS

Pre-Construction1. NCHFA Loan Pool Application and Three-Party Contract

2. NCHFA Funding Reservation Request

3. Minimum of 3 weeks before starting to build, submit new floor plans, PRIF (see Resources) and HVAC load calc to [email protected]

4. Complete New Builder Orientation before first home

5. Rater is assigned

Construction6. Begin Home

7. Framing Check• Submit completed Framing Checklist to rater and request inspection, if needed

8. Insulation Check• Submit completed Insulation Checklist to rater and request inspection

9. Final Check• Submit completed Final Checklist to rater and request inspection

10a. If someone other than Advanced Energy is your approved rater:

• Send completed checklists and inspection requests to your approved rater’s email

• Follow approved rater’s agreed upon process for scheduling

10b. If Advanced Energy is your rater:

• Send completed checklists and inspection requests to [email protected]

• Contact Advanced Energy at least three business days before intended inspection date

• Advanced Energy will contact you within one business day

Post-Construction11. Advanced Energy issues SystemVision Guarantee

• Emailed to loan pool member

12. Homeowner education on SystemVision guarantee provided by the builder/developer

13. Advanced Energy issues invoice• Emailed to loan pool member

• $1,200 per house for two inspections (framing/insulation and final)

• Third inspection charged at $100 per hour, max. $200, any additional inspections charged at $150 per hour, max $300

14. NCHFA Releases Funds to loan pool member


INTRODUCTION2019 PROGRAM STANDARDS

1. Air Tightness

1.1. Air tightness shall be less than or equal to .20 CFM50 per square foot of conditioned envelope area.1.2. All air leakage paths from the home to the crawl space and from the crawl space to outside shall be air

sealed. *For air sealing checklist details, see www.systemvision.org.

2. Moisture Management and Indoor Air Quality

2.1. Drainage: Finished grade shall be sloped away from foundation walls or slab. Surface drainage shall be diverted to a storm sewer conveyance or other approved point of collection that does not create a hazard. Lots shall be graded to drain surface water away from foundation walls. The grade shall fall a minimum of 6 inches (152 mm) within the first 10 feet (3,048 mm) from the foundation walls. For exceptions, see the North Carolina Residential Building Code Section R401.3.

2.2. Slabs: A ground vapor/moisture barrier with a rating of no more than 0.1 perm shall be installed under the slab and have 100% coverage with overlapped seams.

2.3. Crawl Spaces: All crawl spaces shall be closed and have the following components:

2.3.1. A sump pump or drain to daylight with a backflow preventer shall be located at the lowest point of the crawl space.

2.3.2. All air leakage paths from the home to the crawl space and from the crawl space to outside shall be air sealed.

2.3.3. Vapor/Moisture Barrier

2.3.3.1. Walls: Vapor/moisture barrier shall be sealed, mechanically fastened and run up walls to within 3 inches of mudsill.

2.3.3.2. Floors: Vapor/moisture barrier shall be sealed at all seams and penetrations and to wall vapor/moisture barrier.

2.3.4. Drying Mechanism: A standalone dehumidifier or supply register with backflow preventer that provides 1 CFM/30SF of floor area.

2.3.5. For the duration of construction, crawl spaces shall have at least (1) a vapor/moisture barrier covering the ground. (2) a drying strategy (e.g., temporary crawl space vents or a dehumidifier.)

2.4. Metal drip edge flashing shall be installed on all roof edges according to National Roofing Contractors Association or manufacturer specifications.

2.5. Roof overhang depth from the face of the wall to the face of the fascia must be a minimum of 12 inches.

2.6. Only if installed, gutters must have downspouts that terminate at least 5 feet away from the foundation and be independent of the foundation drain system.

2.7. At least one entry will have a weather-protected overhang of 3 feet in depth and a width of at least 18 inches from either side of the entry’s rough opening.

3. Framing and Insulation

3.1. Roof framing shall allow for 10 inches of vertical space from the exterior of the top-plate to roof sheathing.

3.2. Insulation shall be installed to the Insulation Institute’s or manufacturer’s specifications, with no gaps, voids, compression or wind intrusion. Insulation and the continuous air barrier shall be installed in physical contact with each other.

3.3. Attic accesses shall be insulated to a minimum of R-30. Insulation must be securely fastened. This will require an insulated, air sealed and weatherstripped box to be constructed for attic pull-down stairs.



3.4. Insulation levels shall, at minimum, equal those in the following table.

To locate climate zone, see https://up.codes/viewer/north_carolina/iecc-2009/chapter/3/climate-zones#3*Closed crawl spaces require either the subfloor or walls to be insulated.

**If using spray foam at the roof deck to create a sealed attic, use a minimum of 6 inches of either open or closed cell spray foam and covering the roof rafters.

3.5. In and around a crawl space, if insulation is installed at the foundation walls, insulated framed walls must be covered with a rigid air barrier and air sealed on all six sides, crawl space access shall be insulated with a minimum of R-5 rigid insulation securely fastened, and access shall be air sealed and weatherstripped to the outdoors.

4. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Ventilation

4.1. Equipment Minimum Performance Values:

4.1.1. Furnaces: At least 90% efficient

4.1.2. AC: At least 14 SEER

4.1.3. Heat Pumps: At least 14 SEER and 8.2 HSPF

4.2. All duct connections shall be sealed with a UL-listed “bucket” mastic product.

4.3. Total duct leakage, measured in cubic feet per minute at 25 Pascals, shall not exceed 3% of the conditioned square footage. Building cavities shall not be used as ducts.

4.4. Mechanical systems shall be sized to within 6,000 Btuh (or closest available size) of the whole-home ACCA Manual J total load. ACCA Manual J room-by-room load calculations, including all inputs and outputs, shall be submitted for each plan to verify sizing. A physical copy of the load calculation with the AHRI certificate shall be attached to the AHU or submitted to the rater prior to the final inspection.

4.5. Heat pumps shall have an outdoor thermostat installed to prevent supplementary heater operation when the heat pump is capable of meeting load. The lockout shall be set no lower than 35F and no higher than 40F.

4.6. The measured airflow for each room shall be within +\- 20% or 25 CFM of the ACCA Manual J calculation. This will require supply dampers to be installed for bedrooms and bathrooms.

4.7. Total system airflow shall be set between 300 and 400 CFM per ton in cooling or to total system airflow as specified by the manufacturer.

4.8. Whole-House Ventilation: There shall be a filtered whole-house mechanical fresh air ventilation system capable of meeting the current version of ASHRAE 62.2 that complies with one of the following options:

Option 1: Supply Ventilation: Air handler cannot have a PSC motor. System shall be designed to operate intermittently and automatically based on a timer and restrict outdoor air intake when not in use (e.g., motorized damper). Ventilation at a minimum shall occur 10% of every 24 hours and at a maximum 50% of every 24 hours. If additional ventilation is needed, Advanced Energy will adjust the guarantee to account for additional energy usage.

Option 2: Design and install an approved balanced ventilation strategy including ERVs or HRVs.

CLIMATE ZONE SLAB WALLS CEILING** FLOORS* CRAWLSPACE WALLS*

Zone 3 NA R-19 or R-15 + 3 cont. R-38 R-19 R-5 cont.

Zone 4 R-10 R-19 or R-15 + 3 cont. R-49 R-19 R-10 cont.

Zone 5 R-10 R-21 or R-15 + 5 cont. R-49 R-30 R-15 cont.



4.9. Spot Ventilation: All ventilation ducts shall terminate beyond the exterior skin of the building.

4.9.1. All bathrooms shall have a fan vented to the outside that exhausts 50 CFM intermittently. (Requires a minimum fan rating of 70 CFM.)

4.9.2. All kitchens shall have a fan vented to the outside that exhausts 100 CFM. (Requires a minimum fan rating of 120 CFM.)

4.10. All ventilation ducts, excluding kitchen exhaust ducts, shall be insulated.

5. Pressure Balancing

5.1. All rooms within the conditioned space, except baths and laundry, shall not exceed +/- 3 Pascals pressure differential with respect to the main body when interior doors are closed and AHU is operating. Returns, transfer grilles or jump ducts shall be used to balance each room in addition to door undercuts.

6. Plumbing

6.1. Water heaters shall have a UEF as indicated in the table:

6.2. From the water heater, the first 3 feet of hot and cold pipes shall be insulated to ≥ R-4.

6.3. Toilets shall be 1.3 GPF or less (including dual-flush models). Showerheads shall be 2.25 GPM or less. Kitchen faucets shall be 2.2 GPM or less. Bath faucets shall be 1.5 GPM or less.

7. Appliances & Lighting

7.1. Dishwashers and refrigerators, if provided by the builder, shall be ENERGY STAR® certified.

7.2. Home shall not have any incandescent lights. All exterior lighting shall use LEDs.

8. Aging in Place/Visitability

8.1. One house entry door, one bedroom entry and one bathroom entry must be a minimum of 32 inches clear. A visitable route from an exterior entrance through interior hallways must provide access to these interior entries, and this route must be a minimum of 36 inches clear throughout.

8.2. One bathroom shall have continuous blocking in walls using a minimum of 2x6 with the bottom located 31 inches above the floor around both toilet and shower to allow for future grab-bar installation.

9. Combustion Safety and Radon Mitigation

9.1. Any combustion appliance inside the conditioned space or closed crawl space, other than gas ranges, shall be direct (sealed) vent or power (fan) vented. Vent-free gas logs and wood fireplaces are not allowed.

9.2. One hard-wired CO detector shall be installed per 1,000 square feet of living space (minimum one per floor) in homes with any combustion appliance located within the conditioned space or that have an attached garage.

9.3. Radon-ready house/passive mitigation: Install a 3 to 4 inch diameter PVC pipe T-fitting from below the crawl space liner or slab. Connect it to a pipe that runs vertically through the house and exhausts to the exterior a minimum of 12 inches above the roof and 10 feet from openings into conditioned spaces. Install a power supply accessible to the upper top 50% of the pipe in case there is a need to convert to an active radon system.

WATER HEATER TYPE UEF VALUE

Electric Tank .93

Gas Tank .60

Gas Tankless .61

Heat Pump Any


Builder/Developer:

Site Super: Phone:

Framer Company: Phone:

HVAC Contractor: Phone:

House Address:

City/State/Zip: Plan Name:

Framing Checklist Requesting Field Inspection by Rater? Yes: No:

CHECKLISTFRAMING

YES NO N/A Q/A

FOUNDATION

1.Finished grade shall be sloped a minimum of 6 inches within the first 10 feet away from the foundation walls.

2.

Radon-ready house/passive mitigation: Install a 3 to 4 inch diameter PVC pipe T-fitting from below the crawl space liner or slab. Connect it to a pipe that runs vertically through the house and exhausts to the exterior a minimum of 12 inches above the roof and 10 feet from openings into conditioned spaces. Install a power supply accessible to the upper top 50% of the pipe in case there is a need to convert to an active radon system.

3.A vapor/moisture barrier with 100% coverage and overlapped seams is installed under all slabs.

4.Slabs built in Climate Zones 4 and 5 are insulated to at least R-10. (vertical slab edge insulation)

5.Crawl spaces are graded to a low point and have a sump pump or drain to daylight roughed in.

6.

Crawl spaces have the following during the framing inspection:• A vapor/moisture barrier covering the ground.• If crawl space vents are used, they will be sealed when construction is

complete.• If crawl space vents are not used, a drying strategy may be needed

during construction.

FRAMING

7.Roof framing allows for 10" of vertical space from the exterior edge of the top plate to roof sheathing.

SLA

BC

RA

WL

PR

EP


YES NO N/A Q/A

8.Attic platforms are raised to a height that allows for the installation of the same insulation R-value used elsewhere in the attic.

9.Metal drip edge flashing shall be installed on all roof edges according to National Roofing Contractors Association or manufacturer specifications.

10.Roof overhang depth from the face of the wall to the face of the fascia must be a minimum of 12 inches.

11.At least one entry will have a weather-protected overhang of 3 feet in depth and a width of at least 18 inches from either side of the entry’s rough opening.

12. If continuous rigid insulation is not used, all exterior wall studs are 2×6.

13. Transfer grills, jumper ducts, or individual room returns are roughed in.

14.One bathroom shall have continuous blocking in walls using a minimum of 2x6 with the bottom located 31 inches above the floor around both toilet and shower to allow for future grab-bar installation.

15.

One house entry door, one bedroom entry and one bathroom entry must be a minimum of 32 inches clear. A visitable route from an exterior entrance through interior hallways must provide access to these interior entries, and this route must be a minimum of 36 inches clear throughout.

AIR SEALING

16.Sill seal and/or caulk has been used to air seal bottom plates of exterior to the subfloor.

17.

All penetrations and cracks in the building shell are air sealed with foam, mastic or caulk. This includes, but is not limited to: holes for MEP, bands between floors, beam pockets, bottom plate to sheathing, top plate to sheathing.

18.Rigid air barrier is installed and air sealed at all chases, behind all tubs and showers, and on the attic side of all knee walls.

19.All air leakage paths from the home to the crawl space and from the crawl space to outside shall be air sealed.

OTHER

20. All recessed lights are insulation contact (IC) rated and airtight.

21.All bath fans are rated to exhaust at least 70 CFM and point in the direction of the termination location.

CHECKLISTFRAMING


CHECKLISTFRAMING

YES NO N/A Q/A

22.Request AHRI Certificate and ACCA Manual J room-by-room load calculationand confirm mechanical systems will be sized to within 6,000 Btuh (or closestavailable size) of whole home total load.

23. Building cavities shall not be used as ducts.

Comments and Corrective Work Order Items:

BUILDER CERTIFICATION

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:

RATER CERTIFICATION

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:


CHECKLISTINSULATION

YES NO N/A Q/A

1.

Insulation levels meet or exceed those in the following table:

CLIMATE ZONE WALLS CEILING FLOORSCRAWL

SPACE WALLS

Zone 3 R-19 or R-15 + 3 cont. R-38 R-19 R-5 cont.



2.Insulation is installed to Insulation Institute’s or manufacturer’s specifications, with no gaps, voids, compression, misalignment, or wind intrusion.

3.If using spray foam at the roof deck to create a sealed attic, use a minimum of 6 inches of either open or closed cell spray foam and covering the roof rafters.

4.All insulated walls (including knee walls, walls behind tubs, walls under stairs, and framed walls in crawl spaces) are framed with six rigid, air-tight sides.

5.Wind baffles are installed along the perimeter of attic insulation, including vaulted and cathedral ceilings, and allow at least 8 in. of insulation to be installed over top plate.

6.Sill seal is installed on the vertical face of all interior and exterior wall top plates. Exception: builder may use caulk, foam, or mastic to seal top plates to drywall from the attic side after drywall is installed.

7.Windows and doors have backer-rod, caulk, or foam between the frame and rough opening.

8.UL listed bucket mastic has been used to seal all connections (flex, collars, plenums, boots, and boxes) in the duct system (total duct leakage must be less then 3%). Building cavities shall not used as ducts.

9. Metal seams have been sealed with bucket mastic.

Builder/Developer:

Site Super: Phone:

House Address:


Rater: Phone:

Insulation contractor: Phone:


CHECKLISTINSULATION



Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:

RATER CERTIFICATION

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:

YES NO N/A Q/A

10.Rigid metal splicing collars have been used at all flex duct splices and have been sealed with bucket mastic.

11. Fresh air ventilation is filtered. The filter will be easily accessible.

12. Dampers have been installed in all supply ducts and bedroom return ducts.

13. Ventilation ducts do not have turns or bends greater than 90°.

14. Ventilation ducts terminate beyond the exterior skin of the home.

15. All ventilation ducts, excluding kitchen exhaust ducts, are insulated.

16.Transfer grills, jumper ducts, or individual room returns are installed for pressure balancing in all bedrooms.


Insulation is installed to meet SystemVision R-value Requirementsa.

a. R-Values are minimums.

b. “R-13+R-5” means R-13 cavity insulation plus R-5 insulated sheathing. If structural sheathing covers 25 percent or less of the exterior, insulated sheathing is not required where structural sheathing is used. If structural sheathing covers more than 25 percent of the exterior, structural sheathing shall be supplemented with insulation sheathing of at least R-2.

c. Sufficient insulation to fill the cavity, R-19 minimum.

INFORMATION SHEET: NC CLIMATE ZONESINSULATION

Raleigh

DurhamGreensboro

Asheboro

Winston-Salem

Statesville Asheville

Charlotte

Wilmington

GreenvilleWilson

New Bern

CLIMATE ZONE CEILING FRAME WALL FLOORCRAWL SPACE

WALLSLAB

Zone 3 R-38 R-19 or R-15+3 R-19 R-5 N/A

Zone 4 R-49 R-19 or R-15+3 R-19 R-10 R-10

Zone 5 R-49 R-21 or R-15+5b R-30c R-15 R-10


INCORRECT

INCORRECT

INCORRECT CORRECT

Insulation is installed to fill the cavity between conditioned and unconditioned space without gaps, voids, misalignments or compression.

TECH TIPSINSULATION

CORRECT

CORRECT

Tools for Insulation Installation

https://insulationinstitute.org


INFORMATION SHEETS: WIND BAFFLE INSTALLTIONINSULATION

2" min.

8" minimumof insulation

2" min.

Air sealing at seams & joints, typical

INCORRECT CORRECT


CHECKLIST

YES NO N/A Q/A

1.


2.All penetrations in ceiling drywall (for lighting, ceiling fans, bath fans, etc.) are sealed with caulk or foam.

3.Attic hatches are weatherstripped and have at least R-30 insulation securely attached. This will require an insulated, air sealed and weatherstripped box to be constructed for attic pull-down stairs.

4.Electric water heaters have an uniformed energy factor (UEF) of at least 0.93. Gas water heaters have a UEF of at least 0.60.

5.The first three feet of hot and cold pipes from the water heater are insulated to at least R-4.

6.

Plumbing fixtures do not exceed the maximum flow rates listed in the following table:

FIXTURE TOILETS (dual-flush

models)

SHOWER-HEADS

KITCHEN FAUCETS

BATHROOM FAUCETS

Flow Rate 1.3 GPF(1.1 & 1.6 GPF)

2.25 GPM 2.2 GPM 1.5 GPM

7.Dishwashers and refrigerators, if provided by the builder, are ENERGY STAR® rated.

8.No incandescent lights have been installed in the home. All exterior lighting shall use LEDs.

9. All kitchens have a fan vented to the outside and exhaust 100 CFM.

10. All baths have fans vented to outside and exhaust 50 CFM.

FINAL

Builder/Developer:

Site Super: Phone:

House Address:


Rater: Phone:


CR

AW

L

YES NO N/A Q/A

11.

Whole-House Ventilation: There shall be a filtered whole-house mechanical fresh air ventilation system capable of meeting the current version of ASHRAE 62.2 that complies with one of the following options:OPTION 1: Supply Ventilation: Air handler cannot have a PSC motor. System shall be designed to operate intermittently andautomatically based on a timer and restrict outdoor air intake when not in use (e.g., motorized damper). Ventilation at aminimum shall occur 10% of every 24 hours and at a maximum 50% of every 24 hours. If additional ventilation is needed, Advanced Energy will adjust the guarantee to account for additional energy usage.OPTION 2: Design and install an approved balanced ventilation strategy including ERVs or HRVs.

12.

Crawl space foundation• A sump pump or drain to daylight with a backflow preventer is located

at the low point of the crawl space.• All penetrations in crawl space walls are sealed with caulk or foam.• Vapor/moisture barrier is sealed, mechanically fastened to walls (not

taped), and extends up all walls and piers to within 3" of the mudsill or floor joist.

• Vapor/moisture barrier completely covers the ground and is sealed to the wall vapor/moisture barrier and also at all seams and penetrations.

• There is either a standalone dehumidifier or a supply register with a backflow preventer that provides at least 1 CFM per 30 ft2 of floor area

• The crawl space access door is weatherstripped and insulated to the same value as the crawl space wall.

13.HVAC checklist has been reviewed with HVAC contractor or completed by HVAC contractor.

14.

Combustion devices or an attached garage:• All combustion devices inside the conditioned space, other than gas

ranges, are direct vent or power vent-free gas logs and wood fireplaces are not allowed.

• One hard-wired carbon monoxide (CO) detector is installed per 1,000 ft2 of living space, with a minimum of one per floor.

15.Caulk or mastic has been used to seal all supply boots, return boxes, andbath fans to their rough openings.

16.Heat pumps have an outdoor thermostat installed that prevents auxiliaryheater operation when temperature is no lower than 35°F and no higher than 40°F.

CHECKLISTFINAL

GA

S


CHECKLISTFINAL

YES NO N/A Q/A

17.

Radon-ready house/passive mitigation: Install a 3 to 4 inch diameter PVC pipe T-fitting from below the crawl space liner or slab. Connect it to a pipe that runs vertically through the house and exhausts to the exterior a minimum of 12 inches above the roof and 10 feet from openings into conditioned spaces. Install a power supply accessible to the upper top 50% of the pipe in case there is a need to convert to an active radon system.

18.

DrainageFinished grade shall be sloped away from foundation walls or slab. Surface drainage shall be diverted to a storm sewer conveyance or other approved point of collection that does not create a hazard. Lots shall be graded to drain surface water away from foundation walls. The grade shall fall a minimum of 6 inches (152 mm) within the first 10 feet (3,048 mm) from the foundation walls. For exceptions, see the North Carolina Residential Building Code Section R401.3.

19.

Roof• Metal drip edge flashing shall be installed on all roof edges according

to National Roofing Contractors Association or manufacturer specifications.

• Roof overhang depth from the face of the wall to the face of the fascia must be a minimum of 12 inches.

• Only if installed, gutters must have downspouts that terminate at least 5 feet away from the foundation and be independent of the foundation drain system.

• At least one entry will have a weather-protected overhang of 3 feet in depth and a width of at least 18 inches from either side of the entry’s rough opening.

MO

IST

UR

E

CHECKLISTFINAL


CHECKLISTFINAL

Airtightness and Pressurization Ventilation Flows

House Airtightness: CFM50 Kitchen: CFM

Duct Airtightness: CFM25 Bath 1: CFM

Pressure Balanced: Bath 2: CFM

Window Structure: Bath 3: CFM

U-Value: Outside Airflow : CFM

SHGC Vaule:Outside Airflow

Run Time: CFM

Mechanicals and Appliances

AHU/Indoor Coil Water Heater

Make: Make:

AHU Model #: Model:

Location:

Efficiency: UEF

AC/Outdoor Coil Ductwork

Make: Location:

Model: R-Value:

Outdoor thermostat setting (this applies to heat pump systems only)

This house has no incandescent light bulbs inside or outside.

If provided by the builder, the dishwasher and refrigerator are ENERGY STAR® appliances.



CHECKLISTFINAL

CHECKLISTFINAL



Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:

RATER CERTIFICATION

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:


CRAWL SPACEFINAL

Supply Air at 1 CFM/30 SF or Dehumidifer

All Penetrations in Wall Air Sealed

3" TermiteInspection Gap

Sump or Drainto Daylight

HVAC Unit

SealedWall/Floor Liner

Weather-stripped Door

All Penetrations in Floor Air Sealed

COMPONENT DESCRIPTION/PURPOSE

Floor LinerThe floor liner is a sealed vapor/moisture barrier that covers 100% of the crawl space floor. The floor liner retards moisture from the crawl space floor from entering the crawl space.The floor liner overlaps wall liner and is sealed.

Wall LinerThe wall liner runs from under the floor liner up the masonry walls to 3" below the mudsill where it is mechanically fastened and sealed to the wall. The wall liner retards moisture from the masonry walls from entering the crawl space.

Sump Pump/Drain to Daylight

The sump pump/drain is located at the low point of the crawl space. The purpose of the sump pump/drain is to:

1. help rid water from under the floor liner 2. remove water that may accidentally accumulate on top of the floor liner from bulk water issues.

Supply Air/DehumidifierThe drying mechanism maintains an appropriate level of humidity (typically below 70% RH) in the crawl space to prevent moisture related problems.

Air/Pest Sealing

All holes in the crawl space walls, band joists, and floor system above the crawl space are sealed with an appropriate sealant. Sealing is done to isolate the crawl space from the outside and conditioned space. In addition to isolating the space the sealing also can effectively limit the intrusion of pests into crawl space.

Insulation

The insulation for the closed crawl space can be located on the crawl space walls or in the floor system above the crawl space. When the crawl space walls are insulated there must be 3" of exposed masonry below the mudsill and the band joists of the crawl space must be insulated. The insulation helps complete the thermal envelope of the home and retard heat transfer into or out of the structure. The 3” exposed masonry ensures better pest management.


CHECKLIST: DESIGNHVAC

YES NO N/A Q/A

DESIGN

1.

HVAC equipment meets or exceeds the following minimum performance values:• Heat pumps: 14 SEER, 8.2 HSPF.• Furnaces with A/C: 90% efficient, 14 SEER.

2.An ACCA Manual J room-by-room load calculation, including all inputs and outputs, is submitted to Advanced Energy [email protected] prior to installation.

3.Mechanical systems are sized to within 6,000 Btuh (or closest available size) of the whole home ACCA Manual J total load. Note: If multiple systems are to be installed, minisplits will be necessary.

4.

A filtered whole-house mechanical fresh air ventilation system capable of meeting the current version of ASHRAE 62.2 is installed that complies with one of the following options:• OPTION 1: Supply Ventilation: Air handler cannot have a PSC motor.

System shall be designed to operate intermittently and automatically based on a timer and to restrict outdoor air intake when not in use (e.g., motorized damper). Ventilation at a minimum shall occur 10% of every 24 hours and at a maximum 50% of every 24 hours. If additional ventilation is needed, Advanced Energy will adjust the guarantee to account for additional energy usage.

• OPTION 2: Design and install an approved balanced ventilation strategy including ERVs or HRVs.

HVAC Contactor:

HVAC Contact: Phone:

House Address:


Rater: Phone:


HVAC CERTIFICATION

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:

RATER CERTIFICATION

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:


CHECKLIST: ROUGH-INHVAC

YES NO N/A Q/A

ROUGH-IN

1.

Total duct leakage must be less than 3% of the conditioned square footage. UL listed bucket mastic has been used to seal all connections (flex, collars, plenums, boots, and boxes) in the duct system. Building cavities shall not be used as ducts.

2. Metal seams have been sealed with bucket mastic.

3.Rigid metal splicing collars have been used at all flex duct splices and have been sealed with bucket mastic.

4. Fresh air ventilation is filtered. The filter will be easily accessible.

5. Dampers have been installed in all supply ducts and bedroom return ducts.

6. Ventilation ducts do not have turns or bends greater than 90°.

7. Ventilation ducts terminate beyond the exterior skin of the home.

8. All ventilation ducts, excluding kitchen exhaust ducts, are insulated.

9.Transfer grills, jumper ducts, or individual room returns are installed for pressure balancing in all bedrooms.

HVAC CERTIFICATION

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:

HVAC Contactor:


House Address:


Rater: Phone:


RATER CERTIFICATION

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:


YES NO N/A Q/A

FINAL

1.Caulk or mastic has been used to seal all supply boots, return boxes, and bath fans to their rough openings.

2.Heat pumps have an outdoor thermostat installed that prevents auxiliary heater operation when temperature is no lower than 35°F and no higher than 40°F.

3.Total system airflow is set between 300-400 CFM per ton of cooling capacity, or set to total system airflow as specified by the manufacturer.

4.Airflow for each room is within 20% or 25 CFM of the ACCA Manual J calculation.

HVAC CERTIFICATION

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:

RATER CERTIFICATION

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:

CHECKLIST: FINALHVAC

HVAC Contactor:


House Address:


Rater: Phone:


Equipment Sizing and Selection

• Heat pumps and air conditioners, if used, must be sized according to ACCA Manual J and be installed within a ½ ton of that size.

A room-by-room Manual J load calculation must be completed for each floor plan (not for each house). Please indicate on the Plan Review Input Form (PRIF) who will be responsible for the load calculation - either the HVAC contractor or Advanced Energy. HVAC contractors should refer to the Load Calculation Input Form in this section and the appendices for a list of required reports and inputs. If you elect Advanced Energy to complete this load

calculation, the fee is $0.15 per square foot.

• Heat pumps and air conditioners shall have a minimum seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) rating of 14 and a heating season performance factor (HSPF) of at least 8.2.

• Furnaces shall be 90% efficient and their cooling systems shall have a minimum SEER rating of 13.

Air Distribution

• All joints in the air distribution system shall be sealed with bucket duct mastic and fiberglass mesh.

• Total duct leakage measured in CFM at 25 Pascals (with reference to the outside) shall be less than 3% of the conditioned floor area (i.e., if the house has 1,000 sq. ft. of conditioned space, there shall be no more than 30 CFM of duct leakage when tested). Building cavities shall not be used as ducts.

• Tested airflow must be within ± 20% or 25 CFM of the designed airflow in each room. The HVAC contractor is responsible for balancing the system at start-up.

Mechanical Equipment Installation

• Heat pumps must include an outdoor thermostat to lock out the heat strips no lower than 35°F and no higher than 40°F.

• Inert gas (nitrogen) shall be used during any brazing and soldering of refrigerant lines.

• Condensation drain shall be installed to meet local codes and manufacturer’s specifications.

• Airflow volume across the indoor coil and heat exchanger shall meet manufacturer’s specifications of 300-400 CFM.

• Indoor and outdoor units must be matched according to the AHRI Directory or the manufacturer’s listing.

• Correct charge must be installed per manufacturer’s specifications.

STANDARDS + SPECIFICATIONS:HVAC

Bucket Mastic must be used to seal ducts

Load Calculations Template If you would like a WrightSoft SystemVision template for your climate zone, please email [email protected] to request one.


Ventilation and Moisture Management

• Bathroom: Each bathroom must have an exhaust fan that exhausts a minimum of 50 CFM directly to the outside. This is the measured flow as installed, not the rated flow.

• Kitchen: Each kitchen must have a range hood or exhaust fan that exhausts a minimum of 100 CFM directly to outside. This is the measured flow as installed, not the rated flow.

• The kitchen exhaust must be hard ducted to the outside with a back-draft damper installed. Recirculating range hoods are not acceptable. Typically the 120 CFM models will be adequate to provide 100 CFM of flow. The quieter the hood, the better; homeowners will often not use them if they are too noisy.

• Whole-House Ventilation: There shall be a filtered whole-house mechanical fresh air ventilation system capable of meeting the current version of ASHRAE 62.2 that complies with one of the following options: OPTION 1: Supply Ventilation: Air handler cannot have a PSC motor. System shall be designed to operate intermittently and automatically based on a timer and restrict outdoor air intake when not in use (e.g., motorized damper). Ventilation at a minimum shall occur 10% of every 24 hours and at a maximum 50% of every 24 hours. If additional ventilation is needed, Advanced Energy will adjust the guarantee to account for additional energy usage. OPTION 2: Design and install an approved balanced ventilation strategy including ERVs or HRVs.

• If supply ventilation is used the system must have a mechanical damper, a filter that is accessible, and an aircycler.

• Outside air intakes must be installed at least 18 in. above finished grade or 12 in. above the roof deck. They must also be at least 10 ft. from plumbing vents, chimneys, combustion appliance vents, dryer vent terminations and exhaust fan terminations.

• All ventilation ducts in unconditioned spaces must be insulated.

Closed Crawl Spaces

• Closed crawl spaces shall have a strategy for humidity control. One approved method is to deliver supply air (1 CFM per 30 sq. ft. of crawl space floor area). The HVAC contractor should coordinate with the builder about the drying strategy.

• When supply air is used as a drying strategy, the supply duct shall have both a backflow damper and a manual damper.

The backflow damper is installed to prevent entry of crawl space air into the supply system when the system is not operating. The manual damper is installed to adjust the

amount of airflow into the crawl space.

Pressure Balancing and Return Air Paths

• No pressure with a magnitude greater than 3.0 Pascals with reference to the main body may exist in any bedroom.

• Some form of pressure relief in addition to ¾ in. door undercuts is required between each bedroom and the main body of the house. Examples of pressure relief strategies include dedicated returns, jump-over ducts and transfer grilles.

Combustion Safety

• Any combustion appliance inside the conditioned space or closed crawl space, other than gas ranges, shall be direct (sealed) vent or power (fan) vented. Vent-free gas logs and wood fireplaces are not allowed.

• One hard-wired CO detector shall be installed per 1,000 square feet of living space (minimum one per floor) in homes with any combustion appliance located within the conditioned space or that have an attached garage.

The following are strongly recommended:

• Ducts should not touch any exterior walls.

• All flexible ductwork should not be compressed more than the thickness of the insulation.

• All flexible ductwork should be supported at least every 4 ft. and have no bends greater than 90 degrees.

STANDARDS + SPECIFICATIONS:HVAC

Tools for ASHRAE 62.2

• RiteVent App (Free on Apple Store)

• RED Tool www.residentialenergydynamics.com/redcalcfree/tools/ASHRAE6222013


CRITICAL DETAIL: BATH EXHAUST FANHVAC

Orient the fan outlet so the duct will have the shortest and straightest route to the outside of the building.

Bath fans must have backdraft damper to keep outside air from entering the bathroom. Remove shipping tape from the damper and ensure it swings freely.

Caulk all of the holes between the drywall and the fan housing unit as well as all holes in the housing unit.

Ensure that your bath fan will pull a minimum of 50 CFM once it is installed. Install a fan rated for 70 CFM.

Bath Exhaust Fan: Introduction

Each bathroom that has an exhaust fan must exhaust a minimum of 20 CFM continuously or 50 CFM intermittently directly to the outside.

ORIENTATION

DAMPER

SEALING

RATING


TRANSFER GRILLE

TRANSFER GRILLE

JUMPER DUCT

JUMPER DUCT

Small pressure differentials between the interior and exterior of a house, or between spaces within the house, can have a significant impact on human health and safety and on the durability of the building.

For all rooms within the conditioned space – except baths and laundry – include properly sized returns, transfer grilles, or jump ducts.

Check the chart below for the size transfer grille needed, depending on the air supplied to the room or suite in question. If there is more than one supply in the room or suite in question, remember to add all of the supply flows and size the transfer grille on that total. Always go up a size in transfer grille if you find that the chart leaves you between regular sizes.

Sizing chart for transfer grilles:

Room/Suite supply airflow (CFM)

Net free area

required (in2)

Area required

after door undercut

(in2)

Transfer grille height required for listed width in

inches

Jump Duct Diameter Required

(in)10" 12" 14"

50 27 3 0.4 0.3 0.3 6

75 40.5 16.5 2.2 1.9 1.6 6

100 54 30 4 3.4 2.6 8

125 67.4 43.4 5.8 4.9 4.2 8

150 80.9 56.9 7.6 6.4 5.5 12

175 94.4 70.4 9.4 7.9 6.7 12

200 107.9 83.8 11.2 9.4 8 12

Assuming ¾" door undercut and net free area as 0.75 of total grille area.

Strongly recommended: Bar-faced grills may be more expensive than stamped grills, but they perform much better in these applications.

CRITICAL DETAIL: PRESSURE BALANCINGHVAC


INSULATE BOOT SEAL SEAMS

MASTIC BOOT

SEAL TO SUBFLOOR SEAL TO DRYWALL

INSTALL ZIP TIE MASTIC CONNECTION

INSTALL LINER

CRITICAL DETAIL: BOOT DUCT SEALINGHVAC

Duct Sealing Requirements:All joints in the air distribution system shall be sealed with bucket duct mastic and fiberglass mesh.

Total duct leakage measured in CFM at 25 Pascals (with reference to the outside) shall be less than 3 percent of the conditioned floor area (i.e., if the house has 1,000 sq. ft. of conditioned space, there shall be no more than 30 CFM of duct leakage when tested). Building cavities shall not be used as ducts.


INSULATE COLLAR SEAL SEAMS

MASTIC PLENUM MASTIC COLLAR

MASTIC PLENUM TO AHU

INSTALL ZIP TIE MASTIC CONNECTION

USE BUCKET MASTIC

Duct Sealing Requirements:All joints in the air distribution system shall be sealed with bucket duct mastic and fiberglass mesh.

Total duct leakage measured in CFM at 25 Pascals (with reference to the outside) shall be less than 3 percent of the conditioned floor area (i.e., if the house has 1,000 sq. ft. of conditioned space, there shall be no more than 30 CFM of duct leakage when tested). Building cavities shall not be used as ducts.

CRITICAL DETAIL: PLENUM DUCT SEALINGHVAC


NOTES


NOTES

THE MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PREPARED BY ADVANCED ENERGY, A NONPROFIT CORPORATION.

NEITHER ADVANCED ENERGY, ITS MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS, THE ACKNOWLEDGED INDIVIDUALS, NOR ANY PERSON

ACTING ON BEHALF OF THEM: (A) MAKES ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THE USE OF

ANY INFORMATION, APPARATUS, METHOD, OR PROCESS DISCLOSED IN THIS PUBLICATION THAT SUCH USE MAY

NOT INFRINGE PRIVATELY OWNED RIGHTS; OR (B) ASSUMES ANY LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE USE OF, OR FOR

DIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE USE OF, ANY INFORMATION, APPARATUS, METHOD,

OR PROCESS DISCLOSED IN THIS PUBLICATION; OR (C) HAS ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY DAMAGES THAT RESULT FROM

ANY NEGLIGENT ACT OR OMISSION INVOLVED IN THE PREPARATION OF THE MATERIAL. ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF

MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR USE IS SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED.

Advanced Energy

www.advancedenergy.org909 Capability Drive, Ste. 2100Raleigh, NC 27606919-857-9000

You can find resources to support your work in the SystemVision New Construction Program www.systemvision.org

Some of the support materials on our site include:• Program Standards• SystemVision Process• New Builder Orientation Checklist• Plan and Load Review Input Form (PRIF)• How-To Guide for Scheduling Inspections• Framing, Insulation, and Final Checklists• Homeowner Guarantee• High-Bill Inquiry Instructions• Training Videos• Technical Tip Information Sheets• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)• Marketing Materials

If you would like to make a request for additional online resources, email the SystemVision team at [email protected]

RESOURCES

Date post:	28-Jul-2020
Category:	Documents
Upload:	others
View:	0 times
Download:	0 times

SystemVision · Advanced Energy guarantees the heating and cooling energy consumption, and the...

Documents