RoughDesigns

Easy Energy Modeling

Do it with Excel!

My old house's deep energy retrofit is saving energy!

 

Energy savings have been up every year I  finished another bit of the:

Frost proof shallow foundation (Click Here for the payback calcs) 

Super insulation in the attic.

What else can I do that will save ENERGY and MONEY and "Be Worth Doing"

Check out the Pay Back / Life Cycle Cost page (click here)
 
You'll also see that too much of anything, even at  saving energy is bad thing.

To get you started, below I'll be downloading the files I used for my basic building energy modeling:

  • energy use
  • solar energy available
  • heating load
  • pay back time
  • life cycle costing
  • degree days
  • btu conversion for oil and electricity

Then you know you are saving energy, have a green building, and will make the green stuff needed to pay for your sustainable building retro fit.

 
Many heating / AD equipment manufacturers offer software to do that part of a building energy model.  Often it's a customized excel workbook, proving using "just" excel does the job.  The only part of a building energy model they calculate will be heating, cooling and CFM air the HVAC system will need to move, but, that's alot for free easy energy modeling software! 

Document Library

NameDescription
Document8yr Oil-Energy Costs8yr Oil-Energy Costs
DocumentEnergy NotesEnergy Notes
DocumentOil-Energy Most of ChartOil-Energy Most of Chart
DocumentGlenns Falls TempsGlenns Falls Temps
DocumentGlens Falls NY ClimateClimate Data 2012-13
Document15_DD_nyserda15_DD_nyserda
Document16_032510_Master_Heatloss_Calc16_032510_Master_Heatloss_Calc
Document17_032510_Master_Heatloss_Calc17_032510_Master_Heatloss_Calc
Document18_2013_8_yr_Oil_-_Energy_Use18_2013_8_yr_Oil_-_Energy_Use

None of this is as hard as it looks.  Figuring out the pay back on insulation and super insulation can probably be summed up as :

Scenario 1;  current insulation 1/2 of recomended then you should insulate, how much insulation do you need:  you need to at least triple your current insulation and you should at least provide 50% more than current standards, how much will insulating save you - well, it'll pay back in one to two years.  this vaires alot with what other work is required to do your insulation.  the less the better.  Do it yourself:  can you install insulation yourself, yes, best home improvement project you can do yourself.

Scenario 2:  you have recommended insulation levels,, how much insulation do you need, none, except in your attic, even if you have the current recomended insulation, I'd say move to super insulation, insulating attics is cheap, savings best. 

Scenario 3:  you are already well above recommended insulation levels, how much more insulation do you need,  none.  Your money would be best spent installing a frost proof shallow foundation, capturing solar energy, or installing a heat recovery ventilator.

 

 

Restoration

 or
Renovation

-  That is

       the question
 

Preservation is possible, as I've shown.  Sustainability is enhanced by NOT THROWING OUT any more than you have to.   I've been able to preserve nearly the entire historic, and much better built fabric of the building. I end up with a studier, quieter, massier house (mass is always good for energy efficency - mediates temperature swings) AND the local landfill got less trash.

 

I'm restoring a working house, it housed some of the origional estates' workers, then morphed into a 20 person rooming house as lords and lairds became passe.   I consider workers housing as noble a manor house and I consider my work a restoration, physically, carefully keeping nearly all the existing historic fabric, and intellectually, reconfiguring it not as a modern manor house, a Mc Mansion, for a few, but again, for congerate living suited to our modern age.   
Frost Proof

Shallow Foundation

-

Experiences w/

Old House Rehab

 

It is saving me the $40,000 or so it would cost to underpin the house, install a foundation and insulate it.  Nor would this have addressed the rim joist, a major source of heat loss.

(Click Here For More)