CPHC Exam

Which of the following factors is not required to calculate the remaining annual heating demand? Select one: a. CFM50 enclosure leakage b. Heating degree hours c. Psi value and lengths of thermal bridges with Psi values greater than 0.006 BTU/hr.ft.F d. Area of enclosure e. U-factors of opaque and transparent assemblies f. Net ventilation volume g. Total heat recovery efficiency h. Delta-T between indoor design temperature and outdoor worst case temperature

H. Delta-T between indoor design temperature and outdoor worst case temperature

What type of wall system contains the most thermal mass?

ICFs

Projects must implement Electric Vehicle Ready provisions whether or not a parking space is required for the project. Select one: True False

False

What is the most likely cause of high relative humidity in an attic or roof cavity?

Air leaks

In the Phius 2021 standard, the United States source energy factor for grid-electricity is ______, the miscellaneous electric loads are estimated at _____% of RESNET Standard assumption, and the residential source energy requirement is a per _____ metric. Select one: a. 2.8, 70, room b. 1.96, 80, person c. 1.8, 70, person d. 2.1, 80, square foot e. 1.8, 80, person

E. 1.8, 80, person

Which three symbols or units are associated with thermal conductivity? Select one or more: a. theta b. hr.ft2.°F/BTU.in c. BTU/hr d. pi e. BTU.in/hr.ft.°F f. k g. kBTU/yr h. lambda

E. BTU.in/hr.ft.°F. F. k H. lambda

A wall assembly from interior to exterior is comprised of the following: - Gypsum wallboard sealed at all joints - 2x6 24"oc framed wall filled with dense-pack fiberglass - 3/4" OSB taped at seams - 4" mineral wool insulation board - Spun bonded polyolefin membrane (housewrap) - 3/8" well-ventilated cavity with PT furring strips - Cement fiberboard cladding Which two functions does the OSB serve in this assembly? Select one or more: a. Thermal Boundary b. Water Resistive Barrier c. Vapor Barrier d. Drainage Plane e. Class II / Class III Vapor Control f. Class I Vapor Control g. Air Control Layer

E. Class II / Class III Vapor Control G. Air Control Layer

In bathrooms, exhaust-air grilles should be placed as close to the door as possible. Select one: True False

False

The primary purpose of a WRB is to

Prevent rain from wetting the exterior sheathing

A passive building located in a mixed humid climate with cold dry winters and hot humid summers will typically achieve better comfort by installing an ERV rather than an HRV. Select one: True False

True

As the temperature and humidity increase in a building, you need to increase the volume of recirculated air to effectively dehumidify the space. Select one: True False

True

What type of moisture barrier should be used on the outside of a basement foundation?

water proofing

Fossil-fuel combustion is allowed on-site for projects certifying to _________ Select one: a. Phius CORE b. Phius ZERO c. Phius CORE REVIVE d. Phius ZERO REVIVE e. All of the above f. A & C only g. B & D only

A & C only (Phius CORE, Phius CORE REVIVE)

Choose two: In the calculation of passive building energy balance, the peak cooling load deliverable via ventilation air is... Select one or more: a. Always less than the peak heating load deliverable via ventilation air b. Subject to a different specific heat capacity of air than the peak heating load c. Subject to a larger delta T between the coil and acceptable indoor air temperature than the peak heat load deliverable via ventilation air d. A number which in reality varies from project to project depending on actual ventilation rates and cooling coil temperatures

A. Always less than the peak heating load deliverable via ventilation air D. A number which in reality varies from project to project depending on actual ventilation rates and cooling coil temperatures

Which of the following factors affect the cooling load? Select four. Select one or more: a. Efficacy of lighting in terms of lumens per watt b. The visible transmittance of a transparent assembly c. The SHGC of a transparent assembly d. Heat gain from equipment and occupants e. Thermal capacity of an assembly f. Orientation and tilt of an assembly

A. Efficacy of lighting in terms of lumens per watt C. The SHGC of a transparent assembly D. Heat gain from equipment and occupants E. Thermal capacity of an assembly

Which three of the following factors are not required for the calculation of solar gains? Select one or more: a. Glazing visible transmittance b. Window reveal depth c. Horizontal obstructions d. Glazing SHGC e. Effect of shading devices f. Window frame U-factor g. Overhang heights and depths h. Glazing U-factor i. Window frame dimensions

A. Glazing visible transmittance F. Window frame U-factor H. Glazing U-factor

Choose two: For Phius Certification, thermal bridges... Select one or more: a. Impact the transmission portion of a building's energy balance b. Impact the internal gains portion of a building's energy balance c. Only occur at corner intersections of assemblies d. Must be included in the WUFI Passive model if THERM indicates linear thermal transmittance greater than 0.006 BTU/hr.ft.F e. Should only be calculated once other certification criteria are satisfied f. Must be included in the WUFI Passive model if THERM indicates linear thermal transmittance equal to or less than than 0.006 BTU/hr.ft.F

A. Impact the transmission portion of a building's energy balance D. Must be included in the WUFI Passive model if THERM indicates linear thermal transmittance greater than 0.006 BTU/hr.ft.F

Choose three: In a passive building enclosure assembly, an air control layer... Select one or more: a. Limits air flow through assemblies and between conditioned and unconditioned space b. Must be comprised of the same material for all air sealing scopes in the building c. Is always on the exterior of the sheathing d. Must leak less than 0.060 cfm per square foot of gross enclosure at 50 pascal e. Protects the building against bulk water intrusion from rain or groundwater f. May also serve as a vapor retarder

A. Limits air flow through assemblies and between conditioned and unconditioned space D. Must leak less than 0.060 cfm per square foot of gross enclosure at 50pascal F. May also serve as a vapor retarder

Best practices for passive building ventilation system layout and installation include which five of the following choices: Select one or more: a. Locate extract/exhaust grilles in baths and kitchen, and supply grilles in living and bedrooms b. Run supply air ducts all the way to the perimeter of the building c. Keep fresh air/outside air ducts short d. Insulate ALL ducts with vapor impermeable insulation e. Keep conditioned ducts inside the thermal enclosure f. Insulate outside air ducts and ducts delivering space conditioning with vapor impermeable insulation g. Use a high-velocity air stream h. Use flex duct to reduce friction losses i. Tightly seal all ducting (<3% leakage)

A. Locate extract/exhaust grilles in baths and kitchen, and supply grilles in living and bedrooms C. Keep fresh air/outside air ducts short E. Keep conditioned ducts inside the thermal enclosure F. Insulate outside air ducts and ducts delivering space conditioning with vapor impermeable insulation i. Tightly seal all ducting (<3% leakage)

Consider all of the following materials to have an R-per-inch-value of 3. Given their embodied energy, which material has the lowest energy payback period? Select one: a. Mineral wool b. Polystyrene c. Polyurethane

A. Mineral wool

Which four of the following items limit transmission losses or gains in a Phius project? Select one or more: a. Thermally broken window frames b. Low ratio of enclosure surface area to interior volume c. Minimized U-factor of glazing d. High R-value opaque assemblies e. Increased effective heat recovery efficiency of the ventilation unit f. High-conductivity intersection and connection details

A. Thermally broken window frames B. Low ratio of enclosure surface area to interior volume C. Minimized U-factor of glazing D. High R-value opaque assemblies

A window has the following attributes: Glazing U-factor = 0.13 BTU/hr.ft²°F Frame U-factor = 0.25 BTU/hr.ft²°F Window Width = 4 ft Window Height = 6 ft Frame thickness = 3 inches (for left, right, sill and head) ΨSpacer = 0.023 BTU/hr.ft°F ΨInstall = 0.034 BTU/hr.ft°F Calculate the installed U-factor of the window (Uw-installed). Do NOT use rounding during the calculation. Round manually to the 3rd decimal place for the result. Select one: a. Uw installed = 0.199 BTU/hr.ft²°F b. Uw installed = 0.121 BTU/hr.ft²°F c. Uw installed = 0.259 BTU/hr.ft²°F d. Uw installed = 0.009 BTU/hr.ft²°F

A. Uw installed = 0.199 BTU/hr.ft²°F

Sizing cooling equipment is more complicated than sizing heating equipment because: Select one: a. Cooling equipment uses more energy and therefore determination of its size requires additional precision b. Both latent and sensible heat loads must be considered c. Cooling equipment requires local control, while heating equipment can be centrally controlled d. Sizing heating equipment only requires the consideration of latent heat gains

B. Both latent and sensible heat loads must be considered

Which four of the following components could fulfill the role of a vapor control layer? Select one or more: a. Rain-screen assembly b. Continuous layer of closed-cell spray foam c. Self-adhering sealing membrane d. Continuous layer of Typar e. 2 layers of rigid foam with staggered and taped seams f. Dense-pack fiberglass insulation g. 2 layers of 30# building paper h. Plywood sheathing with taped seams

B. Continuous layer of closed-cell spray foam C. Self-adhering sealing membrane E. 2 layers of rigid foam with staggered and taped seams H. Plywood sheathing with taped seams

Choose three: If indoor air relative humidity levels are too high, the following risks are present: Select one or more: a. Desiccation of finishes, furniture, instruments b. Increase in dust mite population c. Increased potential for health issues d. Increase in dust accumulation e. Mold growth f. All of the above

B. Increase in dust mite population C. Increased potential for health issues E. Mold growth

Which two of the following techniques prevent capillary suction of groundwater? Select one or more: a. Use of vapor permeable assembly materials for all ground contract b. Use of polyethylene membrane c. Air sealing foundation wall d. Proper flashing of intersections and penetrations e. Large-pore gravel under concrete slab

B. Use of polyethylene membrane E. Large-pore gravel under concrete slab

_________ is not included in the total losses when calculating a whole building energy balance for a Phius project. Select one: a. Conductance through thermal bridges b. Waste heat from appliances and lighting c. Transmission through windows d. Heat losses through air leakage e. Transmission through opaque assemblies f. Heat losses through ventilation

B. Waste heat from appliances and lighting

Which of the following is a requirement for Phius project certification based on comfort? Select one: a. Air velocity > 19.7 ft/min b. Window maximum U-value based on climate and window height c. Relative humidity between 30% and 65% d. Electric baseboard heating in all rooms e. Heating season indoor set-point of 68F f. Cooling season indoor set-point of 75F g. Delta-T between indoor ambient air and indoor mean radiant surface temperature of no more than 7.2F

B. Window maximum U-value based on climate and window height

You wish to compare the annual heat loss through two diff erent wall assemblies you are considering for apassive house enclosure. Wall 1 has an R-value of R-50 (hr.ft2.F/Btu). Wall 2 has an R-value of R-60(hr.ft2.F/Btu). The project's climate has 6000 Heating Degree Days and the net exterior wall area is 1,500 ft2. What is the difference in annual heat loss between the two assemblies? Select one: a. 30,000 Btu b. 720,000 kWh c. 720 kBtu d. 150,000 Btu

C. 720 kBtu

A high-efficiency heat recovery ventilation unit typically recycles _______ times the amount of energy required for its operation. Select one: a. 6-10 b. 18-20 c. 8-15 d. 2-4

C. 8-15

Which of the following is a true statement about calculating Interior Conditioned Floor Area for Phius project certification? Select one: a. Includes all spaces with at least 8' height, omits exterior walls b. Includes all spaces and interior and exterior walls c. Includes all spaces with at least 7' height, including areas with cabinetry d. Includes the stairway once per each floor, counting the mechanical room at 60%, and omits closet areas

C. Includes all spaces with at least 7' height, including areas with cabinetry

Which city has the highest latent cooling load? Select one: a. Colorado Springs (ASHRAE Climate Zone 5B) b. Boston (ASHRAE Climate Zone 5A) c. Miami (ASHRAE Climate Zone 1A) d. Las Vegas (ASHRAE Climate Zone 3B)

C. Miami (ASHRAE Climate Zone 1A)

The total Annual Cooling Demand is a combination of... Select one: a. Transmission heat losses and ventilation heat losses b. High-gain windows and hot exterior temperatures c. Sensible cooling demand and latent cooling demand d. Solar gains and internal gains

C. Sensible cooling demand and latent cooling demand

What is the most effective method for improving indoor air quality? Select one: a. Ventilation b. Filtration c. Source control

C. Source control

The following bulleted phenomenon are examples of which one of the following choices? - Absorption of driving rain - Splash back of rain at grade - Capillary suction and capillary redistribution of groundwater - Built-in moisture - Vapor transport via air infiltration or vapor diffusion Select one: a. Migration of moisture due to vapor pressure differentials b. Convection-driven evaporation c. Moisture storage function behavior at various humidities d. Wetting Mechanisms e. Effusion

D. Wetting Mechanisms

THe ASHRAE/IECC climate zones are labeled with ___ for moist zones, ____ for dry zones, and ______ for marine zones

[A] for moist zones, [B] for dry zones, and [C]

A home was designed with the following conditions: Slab on grade, 2 stories Exterior Boundaries of footprint (to exterior of insulation) 30' x 50' Height from bottom of sub-slab insulation to top of attic insulation 22' iCFA = 2700 sf 3 bedrooms Under Phius CORE 2021, the source energy limit per person for this house is 5202 kWh/person.yr. What is the specific source energy limit for this house, expressed in terms of kBTU per square foot of Interior Conditioned Floor Area per year? Select one: a. 26.3 kBTU/sqft.yr b. 19.7 kBTU/sqft.yr c. 32.9 kBTU/sqft.yr d. 24.5 kBTU/sqft.yr

a. 26.3 kBTU/sqft.yr

During a QA/QC visit to a Phius project site it has been discovered that the insulation contractor installed fiberglass batts instead of the dense pack fiberglass that was specified for the 2x6 walls. The R-value of the fiberglass batts is R-3.4 per inch, whereas the dense pack fiberglass spec called for R-3.8 per in. The gross square footage of the building is 2200 ft². The iCFA is 1800 ft². The exterior wall area is 1880 ft² The previously calculated annual heating demand with dense pack fiber glass insulation was 4.49 kBTU/ft² yr. The Phius annual heating demand limit for this location is 4.6 kBTU/ft² yr. The number of heating degree days is6035 °F.day/yr. Part 1) What is the new specific annual heating demand for this project? Round to 4 places during the calculation and round to three (3) places for your final result. Part 2) If you added 2" of EPS at R-4 per inch to the modified assembly, would the project meet the Phius annual heating demand certification threshold? Select one or more: a. 5.352 kBTU/ft²yr b. 4.622 kBTU/ft²yr c. 6.165 kBTU/ft²yr d. 4.824 kBTU/ft²yr e. 5.987 kBTU/ft²yr f. Yes g. No

a. 5.352 kBTU/ft²yr f. Yes

Features and performance which make 'Passive Solar Buildings' less efficient and less comfortable than' Passive Buildings' include which three of the following choices: Select one or more: a. Large daily temperature swings b. Superinsulation c. Slow temperature fluctuations d. Balanced ventilation e. Net window energy loss f. Daytime overheating due to heavy focus on south glazing

a. Large daily temperature swings e. Net window energy loss f. Daytime overheating due to heavy focus on south glazing

You need to calculate the indoor surface temperature for a particular glazing to determine whether it meets the recommended comfort criteria in your climate. You know the whole window U-value and the indoor and outdoor temperatures you want to use. What two additional pieces of information do you need to complete the calculation? Select one or more: a. The interior surface film resistance b. The exterior surface film resistance c. The U-factor of the glazing alone d. The mean radiant temperature of all the other surfaces in the room e. The psi value of the spacer f. The R-value of the wall assembly the window will be installed into

a. The interior surface film resistance c. The U-factor of the glazing alone

Core Passive Building design principles include which two of the following choices. Select one or more: a. Elimination of mechanical system b. Continuous insulation and minimal thermal bridging c. Vapor-tight construction d. Balanced heat/moisture recovery ventilation e. Maximized window U-value and SHGC

b. Continuous insulation and minimal thermal bridging d. Balanced heat/moisture recovery ventilation

Excluding plug loads, in residential Phius Certified buildings what other energy end-use is typically the highest? Select one: a. Peak heat load b. Domestic hot water load c. Wind load d. Solar radiation load e. Peak cooling load f. Structural load g. Micro-grid load

b. Domestic hot water load

Choose three: Which materials are typically acceptable for air sealing a Phius project's enclosure? Select one or more: a. Conventional house wrap b. Fluid-applied sealants c. Open-cell spray foam d. Drywall glued to the framing e. Masking tape f. Plywood or OSB edge-sealed with air-impermeable tape g. Pressure-fit EDPM sleeves for piping penetrations

b. Fluid-applied sealants F. Plywood or OSB edge-sealed with air-impermeable tape g. Pressure-fit EDPM sleeves for piping penetrations

What two factors are required to calculate heating degree hours for a given period for use in calculating a passive building's energy balance? Select one or more: a. Adjustment factor to convert for 65F basis to 68F basis b. Heating degree days from PHIUS Climate Data fi le c. Length of the heating season d. Heating degree days from EPW Climate Data fi le e. Number of days in the time period

b. Heating degree days from PHIUS Climate Data file e. Number of days in the time period

Choose two: In Phius low-rise residential projects, mechanical ventilation... Select one or more: a. Must only meet the Phius recommended extract airflow\requirements and do not need to comply with any ASHRAE rules or Energy Star\checklists b. Must comply with EPA Indoor air PLUS c. Must comply with ASHRAE 62.1 d. Must comply with both ASHRAE 62.2 and passive building ventilation requirements

b. Must comply with EPA Indoor air PLUS d. Must comply with both ASHRAE 62.2 and passive building ventilation requirements

A Phius retrofit for a small office building with 2400 ft² interior conditioned floor area has an outdoor concrete terrace of 24 ft length on the second floor. The terrace is not thermally broken. A serious thermal bridge remains at the terrace after having planned for an exterior insulation finish system to meet Phius requirements. The thermal bridge coefficient for the terrace is 0.22 BTU/hr.ft.°F. The annual heat demand of the building is calculated at 4.36 kBTU/ft².yr before the heat loss from the terrace is taken into consideration. The project is located in a 6480 °F.day/yr climate. The outdoor winter design temperature is -10°F. The Phius annual heating demand certification threshold for the project is 4.9kBTU/ft².yr. Part 1) Calculate additional annual heat loss through the terrace if kept un-insulated. (Do NOT userounding during the calculation. Round manually to the 3rd decimal place for the result.) Part 2) If this additional heat loss is taken into account does the project still meet the Phius certification criteria for the Annual Heat Demand? (Start with your previous result rounded to 3 decimal places for the calculation. Do NOT use rounding during the calculation and round manually to the 3rd decimal place for your final result.) Select one or more: a. Q = 392.184 kBTU/yr b. Q = 821.146 kBTU/yr c. Q = 460.271 kBTU/yr d. Q = 950.235 kBTU/yr e. Yes f. No

b. Q = 821.146 kBTU/yr e. Yes

In order to achieve a balanced ventilation system, which three of the following strategies should be used? Select one or more: a. Use a setback thermostat to ensure the summer bypass or "economizer" function works properly on the ventilation unit b. Work with the HVAC installer and/or PHIUS+ Rater to make sure there is not more than 10% difference between supply and extract airstream flow rates c. Specify transfer grills or door undercuts to achieve a pressure differential between room and circulation space of no greater than 1 pascal when room door is closed d. Use recirculating air streams to boost either supply or extract air to achieve balance e. Make sure there is an override function at the range hood so the ventilation system is completely shutdown when the range hood is on f. Use Z-ducts to allow for passive airflow of make-up air from outdoors g. Make sure diffusers are accessible to enable the homeowner/occupant to adjust for their personal preferences h. Use adjustable diffusers with airflow balanced to within 20% or 5 cfm, whichever is greater, of the design value

b. Work with the HVAC installer and/or PHIUS+ Rater to make sure there is not more than 10% difference between supply and extract airstream flow rates c. Specify transfer grills or door undercuts to achieve a pressure differential between room and circulation space of no greater than 1 pascal when room door is closed h. Use adjustable diffusers with airflow balanced to within 20% or 5 cfm, whichever is greater, of the design value

Certain Phius performance criteria vary by climate location. What is the primary reason for this? Select one: a. Temperature b. Solar radiation c. Cost-effectiveness & optimized design d. Supply air heating

c. Cost-effectiveness & optimized design

The best time to submit a project to Phius for certification review is Select one: a. Day 1 that construction starts b. One year after full occupancy c. During the design phase d. Immediately after construction is complete

c. During the design phase

Which two of the following factors are not required to calculate the amount of heating or cooling deliverable via the ventilation air? Select one or more: a. Temperature difference between incoming air and max or min air temperature after heating/cooling element b. Ventilation rate c. Heat capacity of air at appropriate altitude d. Heating degree hours e. Temperature correction factor

d. Heating degree hours e. Temperature correction factor