Regional Technical Forum December 7 th , 2010 Ben Larson, Ecotope Inc. ben@ecotope

1. Presentation, Discussion, and Decision on Deemed Measures for EnergyStar Homes:Zonal Electric Heat Path (BOP2) for ID and MTDuctless Heat Pump Technical Compliance Option (TCO)Single Family New Construction Regional Technical Forum December 7th, 2010 Ben Larson, Ecotope Inc. ben@ecotope.com Anne Brink, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance abrink@nwalliance.org

2. Goals • Approval of deemed savings for revised NW EnergyStar for Homes for ID+MT Zonal Heat Path • Base case determination and savings approval for ductless heat pump technical compliance option • Presentation in two parts: • EnergyStar BOP2, Zonal Resistance Heat Path for ID&MT (2) Ductless Heat Pump TCO

3. EnergyStar for Homes (History) • EPA has recently revised the national specification. Now “version 3.” • Effective January 1, 2011 for ID, WA, MT. • NW EnergyStar Homes (NWESH) target energy performance 15% better than code • National spec not good enough to meet performance targets in WA so NWESH revised WA Builder Option Packages (BOPs) to stay ahead of code and also adopted amended versions of the national spec for ID and MT to retain NW approach to heat pump commissioning, duct testing, water heating and heat pump HSPF. • OR BOPs were recently revised to stay ahead of 2008 OR code. • In August, RTF reviewed and approved savings for • Gas Furnace and Heat Pump houses in Washington (WA BOP1) • Zonal Electric Resistance houses in Washington (WA BOP2) • Gas Furnace and Heat Pump houses in Idaho and Montana (ID+MT BOP1) • Today: Zonal Electric Resistance houses in Idaho and Montana (ID+MT BOP2)

4. Builder Option Packages (BOPs) • BOP1 covers gas furnaces and heat pumps (ducted) • BOP2 covers zonal, electric resistance heat • EnergyStar requires resistance heat houses to meet or exceed performance of heat pump houses • BOPs include domestic hot water system • In this analysis, when space heat source is electric (HP or resistance) an electric water heater is used. • Base case building for BOP2 is a code zonal electric resistance house: • IECC 2009 in ID and MT

5. ID & MT BOP2 EnergyStar Specs

6. BOP2 Package Incremental Cost • BOP2 Incremental Cost over Code Compliant House: $4,501 • Using same costs as presented in August. 2006 $’s. Sources are the 6th Power Plan and existing RTF measures. • (Cost details follow on next two slides) • Ceiling upgrade to R-49RH: $0.39/ft2, $295 • R-5 Wall Sheathing: $0.87/ft2, $1,897 • Floor upgrade to R-38: $0.41/ft2, $305 • ERV & house tightening: $0.75/ft2, $1,721 • Water heater EF upgrade to 0.93: $69 • Lighting upgrade: $0.12/ft2, $275

7. Envelope and Ventilation Cost Inputs

8. DHW, HVAC, and Lighting Cost Inputs

9. Energy Use Estimation Approach • End uses under consideration form a house package: • Heating, Cooling, Ventilation, Lighting, Water Heating • Space heating and cooling use calculated with SEEM using 6th Plan weightings for prototype size and climate zones. • Savings calculated for all 9 climate zone combinations but not all always apply in each state • Ventilation specs required adjustments to SEEM infiltration and then side engineering calculations to determine energy use • SEEM has been previously calibrated to billing data (11/2009 RTF) • Lighting use calculated based on LPD and 1.5hr/day average on time (09/2010 RTF) (http://www.nwcouncil.org/energy/rtf/meetings/2010/09/Lighting%20Hours%20of%20Use.pptx) • DHW savings based on existing RTF deemed measures for EF upgrades and shower fixture flow reductions(2.5-->1.75gpm)

10. Significant savings because base case is resistance heat code house while BOP2 is resistance heat with thermal envelope set to perform at heat pump energy input levels • Savings come almost entirely from heating load reduction although there are some DHW savings as well.

11. Decision • Approve EnergyStar BOP2 for Idaho and Montana deemed savings?

12. Ductless Heat Pump Technical Compliance Option for EnergyStar in both WA and ID & MT

13. Overview • Technical Compliance Options (TCOs), or component trade-offs, are energy efficiency substitutions within the Northwest Builder Option Package (BOP) prescriptive measures. • They are designed to achieve the same level of savings as the standard BOP but often use different heating systems. They may not necessarily be cost effective but are often builder-preferred (ex: hydronic radiant floor). • TCOs approved via technical review committee • Savings estimates for new construction from DHPs are sufficiently complicated that they merit review by RTF • Base case: code electric resistance zonal house • DHP savings analysis: fraction of house heated by DHP

14. Base Case House? • Zonal resistance heat or central, ducted heat pump? • Proposal: base case house for this measure is a zonal electric resistance code house (using appropriate code for each state) • Houses built with DHPs are still zonally heated and still have large heating load fractions provided by zonal resistance heaters • The DHP is a clear offset to the COP=1 heating sources • Net result: using an elec. resistance heat base gives large savings because EnergyStar target house performs 15% better than a code central heat pump house.

15. DHP Energy Savings % saved over a COP=1 heating system *Zone 2&3 data are only a partial year. Full record will show more savings. • Zones 2&3 also have supplemental (wood) heat in the data • New construction expected to show more savings because house is better insulated (leads to better internal heat distribution to distant rooms) • We also expect savings to decrease in colder climates because the far zones on colder days cannot be heated by a single DHP indoor unit. • Proposed NC savings is likely conservative

16. DHP Energy Use Modeling • Use SEEM to simulate house with best heat pump in equipment library • Heat pump in SEEM library is not inverter driven but does have ECM fan, HSPF 9 SEER 14.5 • SEEM gives us annual heating energy and predicts heat pump performance (leads to an annualized COP) • We then adjust the fraction of the heat provided by the DHP and resistance heaters to match the field data • As a comparison, central heat pumps heat typical EnergyStar homes with 75%-95% compressor (remainder is auxiliary heat) depending on climate.

17. DHP Cooling Take-back • Base case house doesn’t have cooling, but DHP does. • Cooling analysis assumes same fraction of house is conditioned as in heating (50-60%) • DHP cooling equipment efficiency also much higher than central, ducted, split system. • Modeled as SEER 20

18. Energy Modeling Sample Calcs • EnergyStar spec home in Seattle and Boise • Seattle example uses HSPF 8.5, commissioned heat pump with interior ducts • Boise uses HSPF 9, commissioned heat pump with sealed, exterior ducts

19. WA and ID+MT DHP TCO Specifications • Changes from BOP1 spec in blue bold: • In WA, window from U-0.3 to U-0.28 • All lights to high efficacy • Heat pump HSPF to 10 for a single unit.  Spec allows for a zonally heated house without substantial envelope upgrades

20. DHP TCO Package Costs (2006 $s) • Single unit DHP: $3,899 • NEEA pilot program database, n=2412 • Also subtract cost of 4 baseboard heaters at $125 ea (Means contractor pricing 2005). • Total equipment upgrade cost: $3,399

22. Decision • Approve EnergyStar Ductless Heat Pump Technical Compliance Option Savings Estimate for New Construction in Washington, Idaho, and Montana?