Study Guide 4 (quiz 3)
Positive Displacement Ventilation
Reduces air distribution energy by having air heated by occupants and machines rise out of the room and is replace by fresh air (mini stack effect)
Building-related Illness (BRI)
Refers to symptoms of a diagnosable illness that can be attributed directly to a defined IAQ problem
Radiant barrier
Reflects heat (primarily used to prevent overheating in hot climates). Used on roofs or in attics. Requires an airspace to be functional
Insolation (not to be confused with insUlation!)
incoming solar radiation
Daylighting strategies
increases consumer activity, increases learning, increases productivity, decreased illness feasibility and optimization: windows must see the light of day glazing must transmit light install daylight activated controls (auto-dimmers) design daylight for the task assess daylight feasibility for each portion of the building
Noise criterion (NC)
is a rating for max. allowable interior noise or noise from equipment. (Used as a spec for different types of spaces)
Urea formaldehyde (UF)
an integral part of the composition of particle board and plywood. These materials emit UF after they have been manufactured and installed in construction. The rate of emission of UF is affected by the temperature and humidity of the installation location.
Low-E coating
blocks solar heat but still allows visible light to pass through. can affect SHGC and VT
Sound transmission coefficient (STC)
measures the noise reduction of a building component. (SRI in the U.S.)
Passive Solar design
more windows on the south to let light in in northern climates. Less windows/ more insulation on the north to stop cold winds from affecting the interior temp
Electromagnetic Radiation or Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs)
naturally occur in the form of light and heat.
Aspect ratio
ratio of longest dimension to shortest dimension of a building (for Southern climates, E/W facade longer than N/S
Building massing
shape affects energy use (solar exposure and surface area)
Clerestory
small strip of windows located high on a wall
Legionellosis
two important bacterial diseases. they are not spread via person to person contact, but through the soil to air and water to air links indoors and outdoors. Sources include hot tubs, vaborizers, humidifiers, and contaminated force air heating systems. Algae and other aquatic life can promote Legionella growth
Passive ventilation
use of natural phenomena to ventilate.
Insulation
we are trying to keep energy in one place. Insulation to slow movement of heat from one place to another
Chemical Factors - combustion by-products
by-products created under condition of incomplete combustion like gas, wood, and coal stoves; unvented kerosene space heaters, fireplaces under downdraft conditions: and tobacco smoke Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, combustion particulates
Daylight ducting
collects sunlight and channels it through "ducting" to be delivered into interior spaces
Sawtooth roof
daylighting strategy where the roof is angled so that a window can be placed underneath to let light in. Window should be oriented to the north for diffused light
Orientation
facades should generally be oriented to the cardinal directions, not with walls facing SE for example
Thermal mass
high mass materials retain heat and should be placed where they can receive direct sunlight high mass materials: concrete, cement, masonry, brick, tile
Light shelves
horizontal surface placed below clerestory windows to direct light farther into the space and reduce direct glare
Biological contaminants: Viable Agents -- Bacteria and viruses
From humans. May result in allergenic or pathogenic reactions. Humidity and air flow rates affect this. May spread where moisture is present
Off-gassing
Offgassing is the evaporation of volatile chemicals in non metallic materials at normal atmospheric pressure. Can happen for years and can produce odors
Variable-frequency Drive (VFD)
Proper fan sizing with VFD motors... changes the speed and thus the power consumption depending on load to reduce air distribution energy
Radon mitigation strategies
Foundation needs to be tight and there should be good fresh air ventilation in the building to avoid radon as well as a radon mitigation system (gravel and pipe)
Thermal comfort: Environmental control factors (controlled by building design) - ?
Air Speed
Amount of time avg. Americans spend indoors
90%
Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) / Tight building syndrome
A condition in which at least 20% of the building occupants display symptoms of illness for more than two weeks, and the source of the illness cannot be positively identified.
Plug loads
Electrical consumption by electronics that are plugged in. Up to 50% of operational energy
ABC's of noise control
Absorb. Block. Cover.
Energy heel truss
Allows full insulation thickness at wall to roof corners. (Insert vertical piece under roof to extend the exterior wall so that the layer of insulation in the attic can extend all the way into the corner and be more efficient)
Visible Transmittance (VT)
Amount of visible light that passes through the glazing from 0-1, same as percentage
Biological contaminants: Non-Viable Agents -- Dust
Can form from various particles including skin cells of humans and pets
Chemical Factors of IEQ - volatile organic compounds (VOC's)
Carbon containing compounds that readily evaporate at room temp and are found in many housekeeping, maintenance and building products made with organic chemicals Six major classes of VOC's: Aldehydes Alcohols Aliphatic hydrocarbons Aromatic hydrocarbons Ketones Halogenated hydrocarbons EPA warns of health effects of VOCs
Electrosmog
Caused by: • Cordless phones • Mobile phones • Cordless baby alarms • Cell phone towers • Wireless LAN networks • Bluetooth and NFC signals Also exist around power lines (High power and household current)
Thermal comfort: Personal control factors (difficult/impossible to control with building design)
Clothing (measured in CLO) and Personal metabolism (measured in Mets)
Phantom loads
Electrical draw by devices even though they are turned off
Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)
Environmental, health and productivity issues related to air quality, AND lighting quality, noise, sound issues, temp, humidity, odors, vibrations, and other similar concerns found within built spaces
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Environmental, health, and productivity issues related to the air quality found withing built spaces
Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRV)
Exchange heat between fresh incoming air and stale exhaust air
Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERV)
Exchanges heat and humidity
Noise and noise control methods
Exterior: Place "service" space (storage areas, restrooms, janitors' closets, mechanical rooms) as buffer on noisy side. Earth berms, concrete barriers Windows: Allow daylight and control heat and glare, but are vulnerable to noise transmission. Interior: Extend wall from floor to structural deck above •Insulate partitions to required STC values •Locate offices and conference rooms so that they are not adjacent to mechanical rooms
Common insulation materials
Fibers: Cellulose, fiberglass, mineral wool, cotton, wool Foams: polystyrene foams, polyurethane foams, icynene foams, bio based foams, cement foams, mycelium (fungus) aerogel
Thermal comfort: Environmental control factors (controlled by building design) - Temperature
Generally accepted ranges for comfort are: • Winter: Temperature between 68° and 75° F, and relative humidity between 30 and 60% • Summer: Temperature between 72° and 80° F, and relative humidity between 30 and 60%
Stack effect
Heat rises so create a hole at the top of the building to let it escape and ventilation in the sides to draw cool air in
Biophilia
Humans crave connection with nature and improving the ability of people inside building to connect with the outside world provides positive benefits for their psyche and health.
Physical factors (a.k.a. sensory or experiential factors): sound/noise transmission
Issues of acoustic comfort for the buildings occupants and its neighbors. Noise is defined as unwanted sound Noise from air handling systems, machinery/equipment, lighting, and ambient noise outside Sound transmission coefficient: measures the noise reduction of a building component (SRI) Noise criterion is a rating for the max allowable interior noise Reverberation time is amount of time in seconds it takes a sound to decay 60dB below its original level
Coefficient of Production (CoP)
ratio of cooling power delivered by a chiller to the input power supplied efficiency is increasing through variable output (meaning it doesn't operate at 100% all the time)
MERV
MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) ratings for filters range from 1 to 20 - the higher the number the better the level of air filtration.
Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS)
Marked by a severe reaction to a number of chemicals, all at very low concentrations. MCS is characterized by a severe reaction to a variety of VOCs that are released by building materials and many consumer products
MSDS
Material Safety Data Sheet -- a form containing data regarding the properties of a particular substance. An important component of product stewardship and workplace safety, it is intended to provide workers and emergency personnel with procedures for handling or working with a substance in a safe manner. It is also a valuable reference for designers. Used to catalog information on hazardous ingredients/health & environmental risks
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC)
Measures the amount of heat that passes through the glazing on a scale of 0-1
Common sources of VOC's
Paints, stains, varnishes, carpet, insulation, flooring, cabinets and countertops, plywood, particleboard, and paint strippers can offgas
Passive design
The design of a building's heating, cooling, lighting and vent systems relying on sunlight, wind, vegetation, and other naturally occurring resources on the building site. Includes any strategy to reduce energy consumption prior to using external energy sources other than sun and wind. Two major aspects: -use location and site to reduce buildings energy profile -the design of the building itself (orientation, aspect ratio, massing, fenestration, ventilation paths, and other measures) strategies: local climate, site conditions, building aspect ratio, building orientation, building massing, building use, daylighting strategy, building envelope, internal loads, ventilation strategy
Albedo
The reflectiveness of a material
Variable Air Volume (VAV) systems
They tailor the amount of air depending on need (or load or demand) Reduces air distribution energy
Roof selection -
Thermal Resistance: use high albedo materials (high solar reflectance index) White membrane(80%), bright aluminum coating(55%), gray shingle(20%), dark shingle(8-19%), black shingle (5%)
Thermal comfort: Environmental control factors (controlled by building design) - ?
Thermal radiation
R-value (resistance to heat flow)
Thermal resistance. Stops heat transfer. Higher R value means better insulation U = 1/R
Energy Recovery Systems
Trying to utilize air that has already been heated/cooled instead of just discarding it and the energy put into it
Filtration
Typical "household" air filters consist of either permanent or disposable media performing to various levels of efficiency. They are frequently limited to only filtering particulates and are not effective in controlling biological or chemical contaminates.
Venturi effect
Use of pressure to vent. negative pressure from wind at the top of the building will suck air out if there is a hole for ventilation at the bottom of the building
Economizers
Use outside air to cool the building when weather conditions are appropriate. Senses the air temp
Biological contaminants: Viable Agents -- Fungi and algae
Viable agents (living) that are allergens and can cause allergic responses. Can cause allergic reactions - allergies are reactions to a form of indoor air pollution that occur when the body responds to nontoxic substances as threats.
Skylights
Windows in the ceiling
Chemical Factors - Radon
a colorless and odorless gas which is the product of the decay of the radium isotope that results from the disintegration of uranium 238. It's inert and fairly harmless but it decays and the the resulting materials known as radon daughters are not inert and bind to dust particles and do damage when inhaled such as leading to lung cancer. In buildings it occurs through diffusion from the underlying sub soil into the building structure.
Chemical Factors - Asbestos
a group of silica based minerals in fibrous bundles that were used in certain insulations and finish materials. Only hazardous when fibers are released into the air
Biological contaminants: Non-Viable Agents -- Insect parts
non living allergens such as dust, insect and arachnid body parts, animal dander, mite fecal pellets, remains of molds and spores, pollens and dried animal excretions. Once these dry they can become airborn and unhealthy Can cause allergic reactions - allergies are reactions to a form of indoor air pollution that occur when the body responds to nontoxic substances as threats.
Physical factors (a.k.a. sensory or experiential factors): lighting quality
the ideal healthy indoor light environment is one that allows natural light indoors or whose lighting system replicates natural light as closely as possible illumination levels should be provided appropriate to the tasks being preformed in the space color temp near natural light is preferred issues such as glare and reflection should be addressed Flickering lights are bad and views to the outdoors are good
Physical factors (a.k.a. sensory or experiential factors): thermal conditions
thermal comfort is important to health an behavior. Accepted ranges: winter - 68-75 degrees and 30-60% humidity. summer - 72-80 degrees and 30-60% humidity
U-value (conductivity)
thermal conductivity. How much it lets heat through. Lower U value means better insulation U factor: determined by panes of glass gas between layers of glass frame materials thermal breaks and spacers
Lighting quality factors
• Illumination levels should be provided appropriate to the tasks being performed in the space. • Light quality must also be considered - color temperature approximating natural light is preferable. • Issues such as glare and reflections must be addressed during the design process.
Thermal comfort: Environmental control factors (controlled by building design) - Humidity
• Relative humidity: Levels outside the 30 to 60% range are generally uncomfortable - too wet/too dry - in all seasons. ALA 35-50% preferred.