Core Research Support for BTO Envelope Program

ORNL, alongside LBNL and NREL, will evaluate the performance of novel air barrier systems and aid the market adoption of air barrier systems with a high potential of reducing the energy losses in buildings due to air leakage. This will be conducted through field tests of approximately 25 buildings and homes where buildings constructed with newer air barrier systems will be evaluated with blower door testing. This work will examine the relationship between energy efficiency and costs associated with commonly used and novel air barrier systems, including variability in the performance of these air barriers to due workmanship and natural product inconsistencies. ORNL is also supporting the development and validation of the Fraunhofer Attic Thermal Model (FATM), which is an attic and roof deck heat transfer model. The computer code for FATM will be merged into the physics engine in EnergyPlus to enhance EnergyPlus estimates of heat gains and losses in building attics and thus improve the accuracy of energy and cost savings estimates from various interventions for new construction and building retrofit that aim to improve attics. Evaluation of winter and summer conditions in cathedralized attics will be incorporated into FATM in FY16 and FY17, respectively. Building off of work conducted in collaboration with several industry partners, ORNL is developing an insulated vinyl siding with integrated low-cost vacuum insulated panels (so called 'modified atmosphere insulation' panels) to be used for residential buildings at siding replacement to significantly increase the overall insulation value of the walls. The proposed design will offer R-20 insulation performance in 2 inches of overall thickness.