Buildings
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Kinston “E ”–House Demonstrates Better Building
Energy efficiency features of the E-House include carefully installed insulation and wind baffles, thorough caulking and air sealing, fully sealed ductwork brought inside and out of the crawl space, a “right” sized heat pump, a sealed and insulated crawl space, and the use of advanced framing techniques that eliminated gaps in insulation coverage. The air tightness of the house was tested and optimized through the use of a blower door. Other features were built in to the E-House to heighten its structural integrity and durability and protect the health, safety and comfort of its occupants. The air handler for the heat pump was installed in an insulated closet to reduce ambient noise in the house. (This also reduced the heat loss and gain through the unit.) The crawl space floor—the ground—was completely covered with commercial grade plastic to provide a moisture barrier and simplify maintenance access. Apowerful, super-quiet, energy efficient, variable speed fan was installed in the house’s central bathroom to act as a whole-house ventilation system. Keeping air moving through the house on its low speed setting, this fan helps to reduce moisture levels inside. The filter grille on the HVAC system was installed in an easily accessible location and provided with a pleated filter that will improve the house's inside air quality. Recommendations for future houses include bringing all ducts inside into the conditioned space by utilizing dropped ceilings in closets and installing high wall supply registers in kitchen, dining and living areas; installing main electric service panels on interior walls to avoid leaving a hole in the building’s thermal envelope; increasing the span of roof trusses to allow for full R-30 insulation in the attic, covering exterior walls and creating larger overhangs, thereby increasing shading and reducing the cooling load; using insulated headers over windows and doors; and installing additional exhaust fans in the kitchen and second bathroom with high cfm ratings. Also, the planting of deciduous shade trees on the east/southeast and west/southwest sides of new buildings would help reduce the cooling load. We hope to see many more of these kinds of houses built in the future, both in terms of flood recovery and beyond. For More Information Contact Advanced Energy at (919) 857-9000 or moreinfo@advancedenergy.org. |
A happy family has moved into the house known around the flooded area as the “Kinston E-House.” Maggie Crawford and her family are smiling today, although last fall they had watched their lives go underwater. The E-house, a joint effort with the Energy Division and the city of Kinston, was designed and constructed as a demonstration project to show that incorporating building science principles does not increase the cost or effort of building, yet offers very significant advantages. The house promotes the use of safe, healthy, durable, comfortable, and energy efficient building practices in newconstruction of affordable housing. This house will be a model for sustainable low-income building efforts in both Kinston and other flood-affected communities. The city of Tarboro has already expressed interest in pursuing a similar program.