English

Manufactured homes, often referred to as HUD-code homes, are continuing to grow in importance as a national housing resource and represented 23% of all new home construction in 1995. In spite of groundbreaking work to characterize the performance of air distribution systems in site-built housing, in new manufactured homes, the subject has been largely ignored. Field data was gathered from 24 typical new HUD-code homes in four regions in the continental United States. This study describes air distribution system losses estimated through an analysis of system and distribution efficiencies.

This paper examines key issues involved in evaluating benefits of tree planting programs from the perspective of electric utilities, as well as from a wider perspective of public and private entities that may benefit from such programs. The nation's largest shade tree program, sponsored by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) in collaboration with the Sacramento Tree Foundation (STF), is used as a case study.

Occupant controlled HVAC systems offer inhabitants of open office spaces some degree of control over their immediate microclimate typically by control of air supplied at floor or desk top level. Productivity gains have been attributed to these systems but it is unclear whether these systems will use less energy than conventional HV AC systems. It is also not clear what the controlling parameters will be. To study energy consumption, a simplified model of the thermal environment was created for an occupant controlled system.

This paper reviews the development of performance indices for fabric thermal storage from the original BRE office research data to the two mixed mode design options currently available, each having different design priorities, namely naturally ventilated or mechanically ventilated. Naturally ventilated mixed mode designs appear to be less suitable for UK locations and also appear to have significantly greater annual energy consumption. In addition to the comparison of energy consumption criteria, the paper also reviews recent Scandinavian indoor climate classifications.

A five-year initiative between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) demonstrated the feasibility of improving the energy efficiency of publicly assisted housing. Twenty-seven projects and activities undertaken during 1990-95 involved research and field demonstrations, institutional and administrative changes to HUD policies and procedures, innovative financing and leveraging of federal dollars with non-federal money, and education, training, and technical assistance.

The provision of ventilation air for high-rise multifamily housing has plagued retrofit practitioners and researchers alike. How does one determine whether sufficient levels of outdoor air are being provided to all apartments in a building? And how does one know whether the systems can be retrofit to improve their energy efficiency without compromising air quality?

Comparative energy information is one method energy policymakers have employed to motivate consumers to reduce their energy use. The US appliance labeling program, for example, has used graphical displays to illustrate the differences in energy consumption among home appliances. Little is known, however, about how consumers interpret various graphical displays and/or how they use the information. Additionally, subtleties in the accuracy with which these graphical displays convey the underlying data have yet to be addressed in the research literature.

Energy efficiency was a significant by-condition in the design work of the New Block (23, 700 m²; 255, 100 ft²) of the University Hospital in the city of Linkoping in Sweden. The block is made up of several interconnecting buildings of between two to four floors, and contains the Heart Centre, the Ear Centre and the Clinic for Infectious Diseases. The principal aim of the design work was to decrease the electrical energy end-uses for air distribution, cooling and lighting (electronic ballasts, occupancy sensors).

Interest in the UK regarding the design of passively ventilated and cooled buildings has resulted in much work on the thermal performance and likely environmental impact of such buildings. Little work assessing the impact of the passive design approach on the construction process has been undertaken. This issue is examined herein, through the initial development of a methodology quantifying the relationship between passive environmental control (PEC) and the construction process, leading to a means of classifying buildings according to their prefabrication strategy.

This paper compares energy and environmental awareness in two small towns in Sweden and Minnesota over time. In the early 1980s, Minnesotans were more anxious and exerted greater conservation efforts than the Swedes, but both are now bored with energy issues. They focus instead on environment-namely, recycling. Saving money continues to dominate decisions, but time is gaining priority in tradeoffs of energy, money, and time. Environmental concern is usually sacrificed to economics. Certain culturally-valued behaviors override both more conserving alternatives and economic considerations.