ANSWERS TO SELECT CHAPTER 4 QUESTIONS

1. Rank these cooling loads in order of their magnitude for typical midrise office building
(highest to lowest): wall, conduction; window conduction; window solar; roof.

Window solar; window conduction; roof; wall, conduction.

3. If the air-conditioning system for a 200,000 ft2 building is estimated to be 400 ft2 per
ton and to cost $4000 per ton, then what will be the system cost?

Approximate load will be 200,000 ft2 / 400 ft2 per ton = 500 tons. Cost will be about
500 tons x $4000/ton = $2,000,000.

5. As an outside research exercise, briefly describe the methodology of energy

estimating by (a) The Degree-Day Method, (b) Equivalent Full Load Hours (EFLH), (c)
Bin Analysis, (d.) Hour-by-Hour Energy Simulation.

This will require internet research; there a many sites with capsule descriptions of the
methods mentioned.

7. If the average annual heating efficiency were 90%? and gas cost were $0.50, what
would be the cost per mmBtu of heating load?

Cost/mmBtu = (1,000,000 Btu/mmBtu / (100,000 Btu/therm x 0.90) x $0.50/therm =

$5.55/mmBtu

9. If a load management option were suspected to create discomfort in the building,

what would be your recommendation on possible implementation? Why?

Don’t do it. If comfort is adversely affected, there is likely to be a loss of occupant

performance in the building, which will probably have a much higher economic impact
than energy savings.

11. What sort of external shading devices could be considered to mitigate solar loads
on south walls? East and west walls?

Windows on south walls can be shaded effectively by overhangs. East and west walls,
by vertical fins.

13. Why is passive solar heating more effective for residential buildings than for
commercial buildings?

Commercial buildings have higher internal heat gains than residential buildings. For
this reason, they do not need heat until outdoor temperatures are fairly cold, less hour
per year than residential buildings.

15. If the architect insisted on the 100’x200’ plan for Question 4.14, how would you
 counsel him on orienting the building?

Orienting the building with the long walls facing north and south would result in lower
air conditioning loads and lower utility costs.

19. You are designing an environmentally responsive house for yourself (Midwest), and
are willing to use different materials on walls facing different orientations. What
would be your strategy for thermal mass; that is, which walls (north, south, east,
west) would you make heavy thermal mass? Which light thermal mass? Why?

North walls have very low air-conditioning loads compared with other orientations and
that the effects of increasing thermal mass are minimal; use light thermal mass.

For other orientations, a lot depends on the occupancy schedule. South walls with low
thermal mass exhibit maximum load in the afternoon and contribute fully to the peak
block load for the building. Adding mass could delay and reduce the south wall load till
after the building peak load, thus reducing overall building capacity requirement. On
the other hand, if I am at work in the afternoon with the A/C off, then I would build a
light mass south wall to avoid A/C load when I get home and turn the A/C on.

East wall heat gains are highest for walls with low thermal mass, but the peak wall load
happens in the morning and will not contribute to the house’s peak load. In fact, the
load for a light thermal mass east wall will be lower in the afternoon than east walls
with high thermal mass. Thus, there is little incentive to add mass to an east wall for
load management.

West walls exhibit their highest loads in the afternoon and evening. Light thermal
mass will contribute most to the house’s peak load. West walls with higher thermal
mass will exhibit lower and later peak loads. The peak load would occur in the
evening. Again, however, if I am at work in the afternoon with the A/C off, then I would
build a light mass west wall to avoid A/C load when I get home and turn the A/C on.

For my residence, if I am away during the day and come home after work), it would
make sense to have north and east walls with light thermal mass, and south and
west walls with heavy thermal mass. While these observations are technically sound,
the savings are too small to justify the extra cost of adding thermal mass to save
utility cost.

21. Name three methods for managing ventilation loads. Which would be most
appropriate for a building with constant occupancy? Which would be most
appropriate for a building with varying occupancy?

(1) Heat recovery from exhaust is most effective for buildings with constant occupancy
and high ventilation rates. (2) Controlling ventilation air quantity is best for buildings
with varying occupancy. (3) Special filters and air treatment can also be used to
reduce ventilation air quantity if allowed by the authorities having jurisdiction.