Existing Buildings and

Residential Buildings:
Taking Our Solutions Where
They Are Most Needed

R. Christopher Mathis, S.M.Arch.S., ASHRAE

President, MC2 – Mathis Consulting Company
Asheville, NC
Residential Buildings: Low-rise
Residential Buildings: Multi-Family

Photo courtesy of NBI
Residential Buildings: Mid- to High Rise

Photo courtesy of NBI
Residential Buildings: Mid- to High Rise
All Residential Buildings are NOT the Same!

Photos courtesy of Bert Phillips 
Reminder:
Residential Energy Demand is Huge!
Buildings
Residential
20.7%
39.4%
18.7%

Commercial

Source: USEIA ‐ 2016
• World Bank data
• USEIA data
• Other data

Source: IEA 2016
“Mixed-Use” – Multiple Occupancies
Renovation and Repurposing – A New Life
• Cotton Mills to Condos...
• Tobacco Warehouse to Arts District Studios...
• Furniture Mill to Small Business Incubator...
Often Diverse Project Objectives
• Child care to health care?
• Housing and work space?
• Retail and Residential?
• 8-to-5 versus 24/7?
• Peak power management
• When is the utility’s peak?
• Is there more than one?
• Different comfort conditions needed for different occupancies?
Durable Building Envelope Performance?
Existing Fenestration
Performance Deficiencies...
Envelope Tools
Envelope Tools Examples

Photos courtesy of 
The Energy 
Conservatory
Buildings? Or Heat Exchangers?
Lebanon High School Project, Indiana
BEFORE AFTER

• Energy Star Score = 15 • Added 100.000 sq.ft. (+40%)

• Humidity complaints • Fully air conditioned
• Heat-only gymnasium (2) everywhere
• High energy bills • Energy Star Score = 90
• EUI cut in HALF!
• Energy costs lowered from
$370 to $226 per student per
year!
90.1-2016
• Our “flagship” Standard

• Cited in Federal Law

• Energy Policy Act of 1992
• The Standard against which all
state energy codes are compared

• On continuous maintenance
• Published every 3 years
 Over 85% of US
commercial buildings 
are less than 
25,000 square feet!
We CAN Test Large Building Air Leakage...
Many Important Related Standards
ASHRAE’s Residential Initiatives
• Residential Buildings Committee
• Multi-family Design Guide Project – 2018
• Review of Multi-family content in existing ASHRAE
Standards
• 90.1, 189.1, 62, 55, etc.

• New Leadership Energy Standard for Low-rise

Residential Buildings
• New ASHRAE 90.2 slated for 2018-2019 publication
ASHRAE Mission

To advance the arts and sciences of

heating, ventilating, air conditioning
and refrigerating
to serve humanity and promote a
sustainable world.