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International Workshop on Full Scale Test Facilities for Energy and Hygrothermal Performance: 30 March 2011, Brussels, Belgium

Aussi disponible en Français: Bulletin électronique du Centre canadien des technologies résidentielles (CCTR)

Nous sommes fiers de vous présenter notre premier bulleti n électronique mettant en évidence les résultatsde recherches effectuées dans des installations canadiennes uniques et de classe mondiale dans le domainedes technologies résidentielles. Au moins deux fois l'an, nous vous tiendrons au courant des nouveaux projets en vue et des publications les plus récentes., Also available in English: Canadian Centre for Housing Technology News

The objectives of this project were:1) To evaluate the impact of operating a natural gas fireplace on house energy consumption.2) To monitor the resulting room air temperatures, wall and window surface temperatures, to determine if the risk of condensation and mould growth has been increased.3) To monitor any change in furnace operation due to fireplace operation., Not confidential, for external distribution

This paper presents the results of three weeks of summer field measurements of interior highly reflective perforated shading screens installed on the windows of a typical two-storey detached house compared to typical interior Venetian blinds installed in an identical neighbouring house., 11th International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA) Conference: 27-30 July 2009, University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland

This paper presents the results of three weeks of summer field measurements of exterior insulating rollshutters installed on the windows of a typical two-storey detached house compared to typical interior Venetian blinds installed in an identical neighboring house., v. 1, 12th Canadian Conference on Building Science and Technology: 06 May 2009, Montréal, Quebec

This paper describes a prototype desiccant evaporative cooling system (DEC) and presents its performance in term of indoor humidity control and energy efficiency. Experimental and simulation results show that the desiccant evaporative cooling system can achieve better humidity control and acceptable comfort conditions. The simulation results show that the desiccant cooling system is especially well suited for areas of the country with a high latent load. However the study identified a series of improvement measures to undertake in order to improve the energy efficiency of the unit., 12th Canadian Conference on Building Science and Technology: 06 May 2009, Montréal, Québec

This paper presents the results of tests conducted to determine the impact of spectrally selective coated glass on energy consumption. Two low-emissivity (low-e) coatings were compared on a whole house basis: a high solar heat gain glazing and a low solar heat gain glazing technology. In addition to impact on energy consumption, testing evaluated differences in room temperatures, window surface temperatures, and the transmission of solar radiation Correlations between incident vertical solar radiation and consumption were developed and used to predict annual energy consumption and to compare the potential savings of the two technologies., Aussi disponible en français: Monitorage estival et hivernal de vitrages à gain solaire élevé et gain solaire faible dans une installation canadienne de maisons jumelles, ASHRAE Transactions: 21 June 2008, Salt Lake City, Utah

Exterior window shading devices have the potential to reduce solar overheating in summer and heat losses in winter, and to improve the thermal comfort of occupants compared to interior shadings. This paper reports on the first winter of field measurements intended to develop guidelines for effective exterior, mid-pane (inside the window) and interior window shading devices. Exterior insulating rollshutters were installed on the windows of a typical, four-bedroom, two-storey detached house and their performance was compared to interior blinds installed in an identical neighbouring house. In both houses, the shading devices were open during daytime hours admit solar heat in and were closed during night-time to reduce window heat loss., IBPSA-Canada eSim Conference: 20 May 2008, Quebec City

A 5kW, second-generation, solid oxide fuel cell for a residential application was tested. Heat from the fuel cell was used for space and hot water heating, and electricity was sent to and from the grid. The project examined residential combined heat and power issues such as thermal storage, grid connection, optimal fuel cell sizing, natural gas use, electricity and heat outputs, contribution to space and hot-water heating, and supplementary heat (natural gas) requirements., Micro-Cogeneration 2008, April 29, 2008, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

The energy consumption of twin research houses was compared for high solar heat gain (HSG) and low solar heat gain (LSG) glazing systems. The glazing systems were compared for 28 days during the winter and 23 days during the summer. During these periods, all 31 glazing units in the test house were fitted with LSG glazing and compared to 31 HSG glazed windows in the reference house. The impact of the glazing on solar gains, heating and air conditioning energy consumption, window surface temperatures and room temperatures was monitored. RESFEN, HOT2000 and ESPr computer simulation was used to compare the field trial and modeling results., On a comparé la consommation énergétique des systèmes de vitrage à apport par rayonnement solaire élevé (ARSÉ) et à apport par rayonnement solaire faible (ARSF) installés sur des maisons de recherche jumelées. Les systèmes de vitrage ont été comparés pendant 28 jours en hiver et 23 jours en été. Durant ces périodes, tous les 31 carreaux de la maison d'essai ont été dotés de vitrage ARSF et comparés aux 31 fenêtres à vitrage ARSÉ de la maison jumelle témoin. L'incidence du vitrage sur les valeurs d'apport par rayonnement solaire, la consommation d'énergie par le chauffage et la climatisation, les températures à la surface des fenêtres et les températures ambiantes a été surveillée. On a utilisé la simulation par ordinateur RESFEN, HOT2000 et ESPr pour comparer les résultats des essais in situ et ceux de la modélisation.

This paper describes a demonstration project that examined the feasibility of distributed cogeneration to satisfy the total energy needs of a house. It presents operational results of the heat pump system in heating mode. The residential total energy system consisted of: two one-ton ground source heat pumps; an air handler for supplemental/back-up heating; a natural gas fired hot water tank; an indirect domestic hot water tank; and, a multistage thermostat. The bore-field for the heat pumps consisted of three vertical wells arranged to suit a typical suburban landscape. Two of the wells served the heat pumps and the third well was arranged between the other two to sink the waste heat from a future cogeneration unit. The heat pump system was sized to satisfy the cooling load in Canada's heat dominated climate, leaving room in the operation of the system to accept waste heat from the cogeneration unit, either directly or indirectly, by recycling the heat through the ground to the heat pumps., World Energy Engineering Congress: 15 August 2007, Atlanta, GA.

The question: 'How large an effect can changing the glazing system's solar heat gain characteristics have on the overall energy consumption of a house?' can be posed by energy analysts, homeowners and glazing specialists alike. In an effort to quantify such an effect, two sealed, low emissivity, insulating glazing systems (with different solar transmission properties) were evaluated in a side-by-side experiment involving twin-houses, comparing their respective effects on house heating energy consumption (i.e., natural gas for space heating and electricity for air distribution) in a cold climate. This research project was conducted at the Canadian Center for Housing Technology (CCHT) located on the National Research Council Campus in Ottawa. This facility consists of two R-2000 houses that are very nearly identical in every aspect, and are fully instrumented, 11th Canadian Building Science and Technology Conference: 22 March 2007, Banff, Alberta

During the winter heating season of 2002-2003 and the summer cooling season of 2003, the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology (CCHT) ran a series of trials to determine actual energy savings from thermostat setting in one of its R-2000 test houses. The unique nature of the CCHT Twin House Facility allowed not only the examination of energy savings, but also whole house performance. During the thermostat experiments, important factors that affect occupant comfort were explored, including: air temperature recovery time from set-back and set-up, house surface temperatures during winter set-back, solar effects, and summer house humidity: giving a broad picture of the effects of thermostat set-back/set-up in a typical R-2000 home.

An experiment at the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology (CCHT) showed that most of the energy savings achieved by more efficient furnace fan motors can be obtained by using low-cost, commercially available, programmable fan controllers with standard (PSC) motors. Energy efficient fan motors (brushless DC, or ECM) can save up to 75% of fan energy, but they are expensive, and retrofits to existing furnaces are not practical. The fan controllers are easy to install in houses with standard fan motors. The identical CCHT houses have mid-efficiency gas-fired furnaces with PSC motors. The experimental house was fitted with a fan controller while the control house continued to operate normally. Four different furnace fan schedules were run in the experimental house, and the consumption of furnace natural gas and electricity were monitored for several days in each schedule. To investigate possible effects on indoor air quality and comfort, carbon dioxide (CO2) was released in both houses, and CO2 levels and temperatures at several points were compared. The fan controller produced 49% to 65% reductions in furnace fan electricity, and 7% to 10% increases in furnace natural gas use, when compared with continuous circulation. This fuelswitching results in net savings to homeowners, and if the saved electricity is fossil fuel generated, it results in net reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. CO2 levels did increase, but remained well below Health Canada limits, and within levels generally observed in Canadian houses. There were no statistically significant differences in temperatures., ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings 2006, American Council for an Energy Effiicient Economy: 13 August 2006, Pacific Grove, CA., U.S.A.

The first fuel cell (FC) in a residential application in Canada was tested at the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology (CCHT). A 5kW second-generation solid oxide fuel cell manufactured in Canada was run for 1587 hours during the late winter and spring of 2005. Modifications to one of the CCHT houses allowed heat from the FC to be used for space heat and hot water, and electricity to be sent to and from the grid. This project demonstrated the performance of a residential FC combined heat and power (CHP) system, and examined residential CHP integration issues such as thermal storage, grid connection, and optimal FC size. Data collection included the FC's natural gas use and outputs of electricity and heat, electricity to and from the grid, heat to space heat and hot water, and supplementary heat (natural gas) required. The efficiency with which the FC generated electricity (DC & AC) and heat were measured, and found to agree with the manufacturer's specifications. The average measured efficiencies of the fuel cell, in terms of the lower heating value (LHV) of natural gas, are: DC electrical: 46.6%, AC electrical: 24.7%, and thermal: 27.6%. Combining AC and thermal yields an overall efficiency of 52.3%., ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings 2006, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy: 13 August 2006, Pacific, Grove, CA., U.S.A.

The first fuel cell in a residential application in Canada was tested at the CCHT. A 5kW second-generation solid oxide fuel cell manufactured in Canada was run for 1587 hours during the late winter and spring of 2005. Modifications to one of the CCHT houses allowed heat from the fuel cell to be used for space heat and hot water, and electricity to be sent to and from the grid. This project demonstrated the performance of a residential fuel cell combined heat and power (CHP) system, and examined residential CHP integration issues such as thermal storage, grid connection, and optimal fuel cell size., La première application résidentielle de la pile à combustible a été testée au CCTR. Une pile à combustible à oxyde solide de seconde génération et de 5kW, fabriquée au Canada a fonctionné pendant 1587 heures au cours de l'hiver et du printemps 2005. Des modifications à l'une des maisons du CCTR ont permis d'utiliser l'énergie de la pile à combustible pour chauffer l'eau et des locaux, le surplus d'électricité étant retourné au réseau électrique. Cette expérience a permis d'établir la performance de la pile à combustible combinée à un système de cogénération (pour le chauffage et la production d'électricité) et de déterminer la configuration la plus efficace pour le stockage et la récupération de la chaleur, la connexion au réseau électrique et la meilleure taille de pile à combustible.

The purpose of this project is to establish inter-dependence of lighting on the overall energy usage in housing. Based on the inter-dependence effects, the overall impacts of compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) in housing applications can be evaluated., Ce projet a pour but de déterminer l'interdépendance entre éclairage et consommation d'énergie primaire dans les logements. Il est possible d'évaluer l'incidence globale des lampes fluorescentes compactes (LFC) dans les applications liées au logement en se fondant sur les effets de l'interdépendance.

Temporarily adjusting the temperature setting on the thermostat at night or while residents are away from home offers an attractive solution to energy savings. During the winter heating season of 2002-2003, the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology (CCHT) ran a series of trials to determine actual energy savings from thermostat setback, and to examine the resultant house temperatures and recovery times. As a follow-up to these winter experiments, a set of summer trials were performed to determine the effect of thermostat setting on air conditioning performance. This document examines the results.

This project was based on recent studies at the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology (CCHT) that demonstrated the effects of energy efficient furnace fan motors on both electricity and natural gas use. Electronically commutated motors (ECM) were shown to reduce the kWh required in moving air constantly by ~75%. This resulted in a reduction in total house electricity consumption during the heating season by ~ 25%. In other parts of the year there is a similar reduction in kWh required for constant movement of air, and a further reduction in the electricity required for cooling by ~10%. At the same time natural gas use for heating is increased by ~14% in order to maintain a proper energy balance owing to missing motor heat. The net effect is still a significant reduction in utility bills (electricity and natural gas), and there will also be a significant net reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions if the kWh are produced from fossil fuels, particularly coal., Ce projet est fondé sur de récentes études menées au Centre canadien des technologies résidentielles (CCTR), qui ont mis au jour les incidences qu'ont les moteurs de ventilateur des appareils de chauffage à air pulsé éconergétiques sur la consommation tant de l'électricité que du gaz naturel. Il a été démontré que les moteurs à commutation électronique (MCE) réduisent de ~75 % l'énergie (kWh) consommée par le déplacement constant de l'air. Ceci a entraîné une réduction de ~25 % de la consommation d'électricité résidentielle totale durant la période de chauffage. Durant d'autres périodes de l'année, on a noté une réduction similaire de l'énergie requise pour assurer le mouvement constant de l'air, de même qu'une réduction supplémentaire de ~10 % de la consommation d'électricité nécessaire au refroidissement des maisons. Parallèlement, la consommation de gaz naturel pour le chauffage se trouve augmentée de ~14 % pour maintenir un équilibre énergétique adéquat prenant en compte la perte de la chaleur provenant des moteurs. L'incidence finale demeure une réduction considérable du montant des factures de chauffage/climatisation (électricité et gaz naturel), sans compter la réduction également appréciable des émissions nettes de gaz à effet de serre (GES) lorsque l'énergie est produite à partir de combustibles fossiles, plus particulièrement du charbon.

Twin research houses at the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology (CCHT) offer an intensively monitored real-world environment with simulated occupancy to assess the performance of small-scale energy conversion technologies. This paper presents one of several energy conversiontechnologies assessed at the twin house facility since 1998. Highlighted is the adaptation of a Stirling engine deployed in combined electrical and thermal integration of a house. Issues such as electrical grid connection, heat storage, control strategies and overall energy utilization are discussed. Small combined heat and power (CHP) plants that can generate electricity and heat at the single building are beginning to emerge as a viable alternative to large power generating stations in somecircumstances. The next generation of CHP to be investigated will be fuel cells. While still in the developmental stage, fuel cells are promising for small-scale CHP applications, and several Canadian companies are currently involved in the development of these systems. Once the technology is developed, the next challenge will be the integration into the building's electrical and heating (HVAC) systems. Issues such as CHP system sizing, need for storage, meeting peak loads, dissipation of excess heat, etc. will need to be addressed. Field testing first generation prototypes in a well controlled but realistic residential setting would significantly accelerate development of these systems., The Joint NSC-NRC Workshop on Construction Technologies: 26 April 2004, Taipei, Taiwan

In 2003, Natural Resources Canada, National Research Council Canada, and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation developed and demonstrated a test facility at the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology (CCHT) which incorporated the capability of assessing residential micro combined heat and power (CHP) systems under real-world conditions. The intent of the project was to adapt one of two existing research houses at CCHT to integrate a prototype CHP unit that would provide some electricity and heat to the house, and supply surplus electricity back to the grid. Documentation of the adaptation and CHP operation, including building integration issues and CHP performance characteristics, were key objectives, with the intent of providing valuable information to CHP manufacturers and researchers alike., En 2003, Ressources naturelles Canada, le Conseil national de recherches du Canada et la Société canadienne d'hypothèques et de logement ont élaboré et validé une installation d'essais au Centre canadien des technologies résidentielles (CCTR) qui permet d'évaluer en situation réelle les systèmes résidentiels de micro-production combinée électricité-chaleur (PCEC). Le but du projet est d'installer dans l'une des deux maisons d'essai du CCTR une centrale capable de produire de l'électricité et de la chaleur pour les besoins de la maison-témoin et un surplus d'électricité qui serait renvoyé au réseau, de documenter l'installation et le fonctionnement de la centrale, y compris son intégration et son rendement, dans le but de dégager des enseignements importants à l'intention des fabricants de centrales PCEC et des chercheurs.

A research project was undertaken at the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology to benchmark the energy performance of twin houses and assess the relative energy performance of two different natural gas combo systems. Commissioning and benchmarking of the twin house facility was performed in preparation for these first experiments with the combo systems. One gas combo heating system consisted of a conventional water heater that provided domestic hot water directly and space heating through a heating coil in an air handler that was connected to the house's forced air distribution system. The second gas combo was connected in the same way, but featured condensing gas technology. Both units were installed in parallel to the reference equipment in the same house - a conventional hot water heater and a condensing gas furnace., The 9th Canadian Conference on Building Science and Technology, 27 February 2003, Vancouver, B.C.