Presentations

Below are recent presentations IBACOS has given on topics like energy efficiency, thermography, residential water heaters, and high performance homes.

1. Evaluating R-40 Above-Grade Walls for a Production Built Net Zero Energy House
   IBACOS conducted research on what constitutes a high performance exterior wall assembly. The research focused on exterior walls in a cold climate zone and considered their constructability, installation, cost, durability, and thermal performance. It examined several different wall design considerations, including drying potential, thermal bridging, flashing details, and structural details. This presentation looks at the best wall assemblies that emerged from the research and why they were chosen. (John Broniek, IBACOS at BEST2 Conference 2010)
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2. Residential Stucco: Every Step Counts when Applying Residential Stucco for Durability and Performance
   In the Western U.S., three-coat and one-coat stucco are the dominant exterior finishes for residential construction. Still, stucco is present in almost every market. While the use of stucco is widespread, it has performed poorly in recent years due to the improper execution of key details. This presentation closely examines what has been learned from extensive on-site inspections and lab tests of both durable and failed stucco systems. (Brad Oberg, IBACOS at BEST2 Conference 2010)
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3. The Inherent Risk of Going Green
   Whether the pursuit of green homebuilding is market or regulatory-driven, changes need to be made to building processes and practices. However, with these changes comes a heightened and unknown amount of risk for builders. The days of fast and easy homebuilding are drawing to a close. A new level of QA/QC, documentation, testing, and commissioning will be required to build tomorrow’s homes. The entire industry will need to come to terms with this necessary transition. (Graham Davis, IBACOS at BEST2 Conference 2010)
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4. Energy Efficient Lighting Strategies
   Lighting has historically been an underutilized design feature. Many times, it is relegated to an allowance and a showroom sales person. However, it would not take much to include good lighting design in more U.S. homes. Explore the best practices for addressing energy efficiency while delivering comfort and convenience to the homeowner. (Brad Oberg, IBACOS at BEST2 Conference 2010)
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5. Selecting the Ideal Windows for a High Performance Home in a Cold Climate
   IBACOS has identified windows with the appropriate performance characteristics for zero energy construction. While there are a growing number of window options available that meet either the energy savings or the pricing needs, finding a window with a combination of the right thermal properties and the right price is more difficult. IBACOS' research focused on the process of identifying the best performing windows in a cold climate with specific consideration to their constructability, cost, and thermal performance. This presentation looks at the favorite windows that emerged from the research and why they were chosen. (John Broniek, IBACOS at BEST2 Conference 2010)
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6. Energy Efficient Lighting Strategies: Sharing a Vision on High Performance Lighting
   Lighting, appliances, and miscellaneous loads, all those electric and electronic items plugged in all over the house, are playing an increasingly important role in high performance houses as other systems become more efficient and the building community is striving toward net zero energy. Explore best practices for addressing energy efficiency while delivering comfort and convenience for the homeowner. Examples are provided from IBACOS' lab home design process and Building America prototype houses. (Brad Oberg, IBACOS at ACI Conference 2010)
   Download File [4,587 kb]

7. Heating and Cooling: Selecting, Sizing, and Installing for Comfort (Part 1)
   Proper sizing of heating and cooling equipment is important for energy efficiency and humidity control, but it can also be a gold mine for making more money available to improve other important building elements. Most builders find it hard to evaluate HVAC contractor bids because the equipment sizing is often inconsistent and they don't know who is right. The best way to understand proper heating and cooling equipment sizing is to understand where the loads come from, and then focus on making sure the most important loads are handled correctly. This is part 1 of the presentation. (Brad Oberg, IBACOS at ACI Conference 2010)
   Download File [3,062 kb]

8. Heating and Cooling: Selecting, Sizing, and Installing for Comfort (Part 2)
   Proper sizing of heating and cooling equipment is important for energy efficiency and humidity control, but it can also be a gold mine for making more money available to improve other important building elements. Most builders find it hard to evaluate HVAC contractor bids because the equipment sizing is often inconsistent and they don't know who is right. The best way to understand proper heating and cooling equipment sizing is to understand where the loads come from, and then focus on making sure the most important loads are handled correctly. This is part 2 of the presentation. (Brad Oberg, IBACOS at ACI Conference 2010)
   Download File [3,819 kb]

9. IBACOS Advanced Space Conditioning Strategies
   This presentation reviews available technologies developed and evaluated in actual homes under the Building America program. In particular, it examines the research conducted through IBACOS' Zero Energy Lab Home built in Pittsburgh, PA. (Brad Oberg, IBACOS at ACI Conference 2010)
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10. Selecting Ducts and Registers for Comfort
    Balanced airflow and uniform comfort levels are achievable in all new and most existing homes by following the proven principles of load calculations, duct design and construction, and register selection and placement. These rules are rarely understood or followed by builders, HVAC crews, or retrofit contractors. This presentation introduces resources, gives example applications, and explains the principles behind the calculations in the process required to deliver “comfort” to the occupant. (Brad Oberg, IBACOS at ACI Conference 2010)
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11. Green Strategies that Work: A National Homebuilding Study and X-Ray of The New American Home®
    Green building is an increasing percentage of residential construction in the U.S. This presentations uses The New American Home (TNAH) as an example of different aspects of green building. TNAH is a real world laboratory that demonstrates the use of innovative building materials, cutting-edge design, and the latest construction techniques, providing production homebuilders with an example for producing more energy efficient, durable homes without sacrificing style. (Michael Dickens, BuildIQ and Brad Oberg, IBACOS at the International Builders' Show 2009)
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12. Watch Out for the Cowboys with IR Guns and Tips on How Best to Work with a Third-Party Forensic Expert
    Infrared imaging technology, the IR camera, is becoming less expensive and more readily available. This powerful technology can be used to identify air or water intrusion or even insulation defects in homes, but it can also be misused to “fish” for a defect. Certification and qualification are what differentiate quality technicians. (Arlan Burdick, IBACOS at EEBA 2009)
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13. Establishing Design Criteria for the Selection of Residential Water Heaters
    This presentations looks at some of the inadequacies of the current accepted method for determining maximum hourly hot water demand and gives methods for improvement. It also explores other concepts that can be used to select water heaters in the future, discussing the need for a more comprehensive method or tool for residential hot water system design. (Bill Rittelmann, IBACOS at EEBA 2009)
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14. Quality Management for High Performance Homes
    This presentation looks at new research initiatives that are being undertaken within the Building America program on the business and operational aspects of quality management systems in the context of high performance homes. It also discusses Ideal Homes' journey to develop and implement a quality management system that ultimately led the builder to win the 2006 National Housing Quality Gold Award on the heels of its 2005 Energy Value Housing Gold Award. (Duncan Prahl, IBACOS and Vern McKown, Ideal Homes at EEBA 2009)
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15. Miscellaneous Electric Loads: Saving energy where it's challenging
    Miscellaneous electric loads (MELs), those electric items plugged in all over a home, are coming under increasing scrutiny as other systems in homes become more efficient and as the building community strives toward net zero energy homes. Modeling and simulation of these loads are very challenging, because they vary from home-to-home. This presentation discusses these issues and efforts being made by the Building America program and others to install and characterize reductions in home energy use due to controls, feedback, and equipment advances. (Brad Oberg, IBACOS at EEBA 2009)
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16. Construction Documents That Reduce Your Risk and Turn the Tide on Construction Defects
    During IBACOS' time investigating construction defects, the construction documents have often been the most important clues regarding the level of detail expected on a project. Good scopes of work and accurate, detailed plans are critical tools for training and communicating with trade partners. These are the tools that help improve construction quality and help keep builders out of court. (Graham Davis, IBACOS at EEBA 2009)
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17. Energy Efficient Lighting Strategies: Sharing a vision of high performance lighting in the pursuit of zero energy
    High performance homes, especially those striving to reach net zero energy, require a hard look at lighting design. The choice of lighting source not only affects the amount of energy the light itself will use but also the amount of energy the HVAC will use. This presentation reviews some of the best lighting options and addresses the myriad considerations required in high performance lighting design. (Brad Oberg, IBACOS at EEBA 2009)
    Download File [5,491 kb]

18. Thermal Enclosure Challenges in Building a Net Zero Energy House in a Cold Climate (Part 1)
    This presentation covers the research findings, lessons learned, and challenges encountered during IBACOS' examination of different thermal enclosure areas—the basement slab, basement foundation walls, and above-grade windows and walls—for net zero energy homes. This is Part 1 of the presentation. (John Broniek, IBACOS at EEBA 2009)
    Download File [2,449 kb]

19. Thermal Enclosure Challenges in Building a Net Zero Energy House in a Cold Climate (Part 2)
    This presentation covers the research findings, lessons learned, and challenges encountered during IBACOS' examination of different thermal enclosure areas—the basement slab, basement foundation walls, and above-grade windows and walls—for net zero energy homes. This is Part 2 of the presentation. (John Broniek, IBACOS at EEBA 2009)
    Download File [6,074 kb]

20. Monitored Results from Fairview II
    Houses like Fairview II are monitored to verify energy, comfort, and durability. For this house, built in Urbana, Illinois by the Ecological Construction Laboratory (e-co lab), David Stecher of IBACOS looked at the space conditioning, ERV, water heater, lighting, and miscellaneous electric loads. He also collected data on the room-by-room temperature and relative humidity (RH), the incident solar radiation on south walls and windows, and the temperature and RH of incoming fresh air. (David Stecher, IBACOS 4th Annual North American Passive House Conference 2009)
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21. Sustainability and Builder Operations
    This presentation delves into IBACOS' research findings regarding successful business operations and processes behind high performance homebuilders. (Duncan Prahl, IBACOS at Greenprints Conference 2009)
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22. Could a European Super Energy Efficient Standard Be Suitable for the U.S.?
    The European Passive House residential energy efficiency standard has produced thousands of homes in Germany that have a peak heating load of less than 10W/m2 and a maximum annual heating consumption of 15kWh/m2. As part of Building America research for developing and implementing zero energy homes on a widespread basis, research has been conducted on how this construction standard could translate to U.S. climate zones, especially with respect to constructability, interior temperatures, and comfort. (John Broniek, IBACOS at BEST1 Conference 2008)
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