Information AboutSuperinsulation |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT SUPERINSULATION | |
| building | |
| building biology | |
| building engineering | |
| energy conservation | |
| environmental design | |
| hvac | |
| low-energy building | |
| sustainable technologies | |
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Some may consider that superinsulation is an alternative to passive solar (although many building designs include features of both with special attention to preventing summer overheating). Superinsulation appears to be an ancestor of the Passive House approach. A related approach to efficient building design may be Zero Energy Building There is no set definition of superinsulation, but superinsulated buildings typically include:
Nisson & Dutt (1985) suggest that a house might be described as "superinsulated" if the cost of space heating is lower than the cost of water heating. HISTORY The term "superinsulation" was coined by Wayne Schick at the University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign . In 1976 he was part of a team that developed a design called the "Lo-Cal" house, using computer simulations based on the climate of Madison, Wisconsin . The house was never built, but some of its design features influenced later builders. In 1978 the "Saskatchewan House" was built in Regina, Saskatchewan by a group of several Canadian government agencies. It was the first house to publicly demonstrate the value of superinsulation and generated a lot of attention. It originally included some experimental evacuated-tube solar panels, but they were not needed and were later removed. In 1979 the "Leger House" was built by Eugene Leger in East Pepperell, Massachusetts . It had a more conventional appearance than the "Saskatchewan House", and also received extensive publicity. Publicity from the "Saskatchewan House" and the "Leger House" influenced other builders, and many superinsulated houses were built over the next few years, but interest declined as energy prices fell. Many US builders now use more insulation than will fit in a traditional 2x4 stud wall (often by adding rigid foam to the outside of the wall), but few would qualify as "superinsulated". RETROFITS It is possible to retrofit superinsulation to an existing older house. The easiest way is to build new exterior walls that allow more space for insulation. A vapor barrier can be installed on the outside of the original framing, if at least 2/3 of the total insulation is outside of the vapor barrier. Window and door openings must be rebuilt to accommodate the thicker walls. Interior retrofits are possible where the owner wants to preserve the old exterior siding, or where setback requirements don't leave space for an exterior retrofit. Sealing the vapor barrier is more difficult and the house is left with less interior space. COSTS AND BENEFITS In new construction, the cost of the extra insulation and wall framing is offset by not requiring a dedicated central heating system. The cost of a superinsulation retrofit may need to be balanced against the future cost of heating fuel (which can be expected to fluctuate from year to year due to supply problems, natural disasters or geopolitical events). The use of electric heaters for backup heat may be environmentally questionable, but they are typically only used on the coldest winter nights when overall demand for electricity is low. Straw-bale Construction may be especially compatible with superinsulation, due to the thickness of the bales, but only if combined with the other construction details listed above. Structural Insulated Panels Are also ideal for superinsulated construction. They are a very simple and affordable way to create the needed R-values. REFERENCES Nisson, J. D. Ned; and Gautam Dutt, ''The Superinsulated Home Book'', John Wiley & Sons, 1985 ISBN 047188734X, ISBN 0471813435 Marshall, Brian; and Robert Argue, ''The Super-Insulated Retrofit Book'', Renewable Energy in Canada, 1981 ISBN 0920456456, ISBN 092045643X Shurcliff, William A., ''Superinsulated houses: A survey of principles and practice'', Brick House Pub. Co, 1981, 1982 ISBN 0931790255 Shurcliff, William A., ''Superinsulated Houses and Air-To-Air Heat Exchangers'', Brick House Pub Co, 1988, ISBN 0931790735 |
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