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BPI Written Exam - Section 2 Buildings and Their Systems

  1. 3. Interaction Between Mechanical Systems, Envelope Systems and Occupant Behavior

This is one of the core themes of building science's, "house as a system" principles.  

  1. Mechanical systems - Air handlers are the biggest fans in a house, but exhaust fans, central vacuum systems, chimneys can also change the pressure of a house.  The later, especially when added up, can create a large negative pressure in the house and a concern for backdraft for water heaters and any gas appliances.  Air handlers can create negative and positive pressures depending if there is leakage on the supply or return side.  
  2. Envelope systems - Envelope systems include the insulation, drywall, windows and doors and whatever is material is used (by design or by fault) whether it be plywood or even if there is not a complete thermal boundary.
  3. Occupant behavior - is the wild card in the bunch and the most "touchy". Homeowners can have a major impact on how a home operates by cranking the thermostat way down in the summer to closing off registers to try to push more air to another part of the house, and it is up to you, the energy auditor to probe, discern, question and educate and motivate your clients towards the best course of action all while being diplomatic about it.  If a homeowner is closing doors because they want privacy at night, it's going to potentially raise the static pressure of the home making the HVAC system work harder, bring more dust in through leakage pathways and affect the rooms' comfort.  However we can't necessarily tell them, "no, I'm sorry but your privacy comes second to efficiency sir, you'll have to leave this door open."  Of course not so it's our job as auditors or advise the best solution based on how they live in the home.  Enter the homeowner interview, but even that is not enough. I've had clients who said that they never close any bedroom doors, yet when going to take my room pressures, two thirds of the interior doors were closed... uh, was my question not clear? Or I'm sure you will go into a home that is tight, has great insulation and a newer home with jump ducts in every room and multiple returns but the homeowner still has oddly high energy bills.  Then you remember you saw every single light on in the house whether the room was used or not, the ceilings fans are spinning, TVs on, the spare refrigerator is in the garage and a re-circulation pump is set to "on" 24-7.  

Next Section

2a. Building Components
  1. Identify basic duct configurations and components
  2. Identify basic hydronic distribution configurations and components
  3. Identify basic structural components of residential construction 
  4. Thermal boundaries and insulation applications 
  5. Basic electrical components and safety considerations 
  6. Basic fuel delivery systems and safety considerations
  7. Basic bulk water management components (drainage plumbing gutters sumps etc) 
  8. Vapor barriers/retarders 
  9. Radiant barrier principles and installations 
  10. Understand fenestration types and efficiencies 
  11. Understand issues involved with basements, crawlspaces, slabs, attics, attached garages, interstitial cavities, and bypasses 
  12. Understand issues involved with ventilation equipment 
  13. Understand basic heating / cooling equipment components controls and operation 
  14. Understand basic DHW equipment components controls and operation 
  15. Identify common mechanical safety controls 
  16. Identify insulation types and R-Values 
  17. Understand various mechanical ventilation equipment and strategies: spot, ERV, HRV 
2b. Conservation Strategies
  1. Appropriate insulation applications and installation based on existing conditions 
  2. Opportunity for ENERGY STAR lighting and appliances 
  3. Identify duct sealing opportunities and applications 
  4. Understand importance of air leakage control and remediation procedures 
  5. Blower door-guided air sealing techniques 
  6. Water conservation devices and strategies 
  7. Domestic Hot Water (DHW) conservation strategies 
  8. Heating & cooling efficiency applications 
  9. Proper use of modeling to determine heating and cooling equipment sizing and appropriate energy use
  10. Understand the use of utility history analysis in conservation strategies 
  11. Appropriate applications for sealed crawlspaces basements and attics 
  12. Identify/understand high density cellulose 
  13. Appropriate applications for fenestration upgrades including modification or replacement 
2c. Comprehensive Building Assessment Process
  1. Determine areas of customer complaints/concerns in interview
  2. Understand / recognize need for conducting appropriate diagnostic procedures including when to refer to a specialist for further investigation
  3. Interaction between mechanical systems, envelope systems and occupant behavior
2d. Design considerations
  1. Appropriate insulation applications based on existing conditions
  2. Understand fire codes as necessary to apply home performance in a code-approved manner.
  3. Understand/recognize building locations where opportunities for retrofit materials and processes are needed to correct problems and/or enhance performance
  4. Understand climate specific concerns
  5. Understand indoor environment considerations for the environmentally sensitive
  6. Understand impact of building orientation, landscape drainage, and grading
  7. Opportunity potential renewable energy applications: geothermal , photovoltaic, wind
  8. Understand impact of shading on heating / cooling loads
  9. Awareness for solar gain reduction in cooling climate/solar gain opportunities in heating climates
  10. Understand need for modeling various options for heating, cooling and DHW applications, as well as other efficiency upgrades