Thermal performance of an Ekose'a-design double-envelope house

To assess the energy effectiveness of a double-envelope house, an Ekose'a-design house has been monitored. Thermal characteristics of the house and the amount of auxiliary backup heat required in the heating season are assessed. House thermal behavior during representative days in the swing or cooling season is determined, and integrated or averaged monthly results homogeneous patterns of daily performance and to point out the effect of various thermal parameters, especially the daily insolation and total degree hours, on the building thermal characteristics. To further modify or improve the thermal design of the house, several experimental simulations were adopted. The air-envelope loop was blocked at the southern cross section of the crawl space. The upper row of glazing panels of the upper skylight was covered with movable R-19 insulation cover, and small 1/8-hp fans were mounted in the attic area to force down the warmed stagnant air through plastic ducts into the crawl space. The observed effects of these experiments are characterized and assessed. The solarium in the air envelope as a thermal collector and the loop as thermal distributor have been of special interest in the investigation. The flow movements in the loop are investigated with one-time flow measurements, andmore » future continuous experiments are planned. The mechanism of ground thermal storage has been investigated with ground temperature measurements at various levels and quantization of ground thermal couplings with respect to the air in the crawl space. Whether the house can be adequately cooled by passive cooling, that is, by using the underground cooling air tube and the attic louvers, is also assayed.« less