# Presentation: 473878

## Case Study – REScheck Software

**Case Study – RES*****check***** Software**

- Jones Residence, Bowman, SC

**Notes:**
This case study is based on a location where the mandatory solar heat gain requirement applies.  This is to show the orientation and trade off features for overhangs that can be used in RESCheck.

## What is REScheck?

**The Software is self-contained**
**Energy Code book can be used as****needed for reference only**
**Relatively simple to use and very flexible**

***What is REScheck*****?**

## What Do I Need to Know?

**General Understanding of Windows-based Computer Programs**
**Basic Information about the Builder and Home to be Constructed**
**House Plans including Exterior Wall Areas, Glazing Areas, Roof/Ceiling Areas, Basement Wall Areas, etc.**
**Insulation R-Values, NFRC Glazing and Door U-Values, etc.**
**Heating and Cooling System Efficiencies**

***What Do I Need to Know*****?**

## Expand the Screen like other programs.

**Expand the Screen like other programs.**
**Lets take a closer look at this area.**

## Title Bar

**Title Bar**
**Menu Bar**
**Toolbar**
**Make sure the correct code is chosen.**

**Notes:**
Title Bar - The title bar displays the name of the currently open project data file and the currently selected code. If no file is open, the word Untitled is displayed.
Menu Bar - The menu bar is located directly under the title bar and displays the available menus–File, Edit, View, Options, Code, Tools and Help. These menus are discussed in more detail in the following sections.
Toolbar - The toolbar contains buttons with images representing some of the same options available in the menus.

## Three Main Screens

**Three Main Screens**
**Your Building Compared to the Energy Code**

- Compliance:  Passes
- 25.4% Better Than Code

**Notes:**
Folder Tabs - The Project, Envelope, and Mechanical folder tabs are used to choose the respective screens.

REScheck performs a simple U-factor x Area (UA) calculation for each building assembly to determine the overall UA of your building. The UA that would result from a building conforming to the code requirements is compared against the UA for your building. If the total heat loss (represented as a UA) through the envelope of your building does not exceed the total heat loss from the same building conforming to the code, then the software declares that you pass. A high-efficiency equipment trade-off can also be performed.

## Project Basic Information

**Project Basic Information**

## Slide 9

**Notes:**
Choose from the drop down list of states and cities

The list of cities was taken from the U.S. Geological Survey's Populated Places (PPL) database (which is part of USGS's Geographic Names Information System). The PPL database contains the name, location (latitude/longitude), elevation, and sometimes the population of over 165,000 locations in the U.S. and its possessions. We mapped each of the PPL locations to a best available NOAA weather station as a source of heating degree-days, cooling degree-days, and other climate parameters. The new REScheck weather file contains the subset of the PPL locations for which the USGS has a population estimate (a little more than 22,000 cities).

## Main Building Envelope

- _Main Building Envelope_
- This is where you add square footage values for ceilings, exterior walls, windows, etc.
- This is where you add U-factors and R-values for ceilings, exterior walls, windows etc.
- Continuous insulation is entered separately from cavity insulation.

## Envelope Section

**Building Components are added by clicking on these.**

**Notes:**
Each of the assembly components have a drop down list of assembly types.

## Adding Ceilings

- Step 1:
- Click on Ceiling

## Adding Ceilings

- Step 2:
- Select Ceiling Type  (This can be repeated so that different ceiling types and any number of skylights can be added individually.)

## Adding Ceilings

- Step 3:
- Add square footage  (In this case 2415 square feet)

## Adding Ceilings

- Step 4:
- Add insulation R-Value (R-38 in this example)

## Adding Ceilings

- Step 1:  Click on “Ceiling”
- Step 2:  Select Ceiling type
- Step 3:  Add square footage
- Step 4:  Add insulation R-Value

- 1

- 2

- 3

- 4

## Adding Exterior Walls

- Step 1:  Click on “Wall”
- Step 2:  Choose Assembly
- Step 3:  Add square footage
- Step 4:Add the R-Values

- 1

- 2

- 3

- 4

- Exterior walls, windows and doors can be added as a total sum or each exposure can be added separately

## Adding Windows

## These options can be used in project areas with              < 3500 HDD

## Orientation Specified

- SHGC entered
- Overhangs calculated

**Notes:**
Orientation (Envelope) – Select this to enable the Front Faces drop list for the building and create the Orientation column for walls, windows, doors, and basement walls. For walls, use the Orientation column to select the wall’s orientation relative to the front of the building. Any windows or doors entered belonging to a wall with a set orientation will have the same orientation as the parent wall.
•
Front Faces represents the angle of the front face of the building relative to North. If the building front faces North, the building orientation will be 0 degrees; if the building front faces East, this will be 90 degrees and so on. Select one of the eight cardinal points in the drop list or choose Custom. Custom allows the user to specify an angle (in degrees) by rotating the building using a diagram.
•
Overhang Projection Factor (Envelope) – If an overhang exists, select this to create the Overhang Projection Factor column. Enter the overhang’s projection factor (ratio of the overhang width to the overhang height above the window sill).

## Basement Walls

## 1

- 2

- 3

## AFUE:  Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency

- SEER:  Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio

**Notes:**
Completion of this section of the software is entirely optional. However, using high-efficiency HVAC equipment may improve the percentage by which your building compares with the code building. 

Trade-offs are allowed for efficient gas and oil furnaces, boilers, and electric heat pumps and air conditioners. No credit is given for electric resistance heating.
Minimum-required heating and cooling equipment efficiencies are displayed in the Minimum Efficiency column. If the efficiency of the equipment you plan to install exceeds these minimums, you qualify for the high-efficiency equipment credit. Enter the annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE), heating seasonal performance factor (HSPF), or seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) in the appropriate column.
You can receive credit for only one piece of heating equipment and one piece of cooling equipment (or a single heat pump). When multiple heating equipment or multiple cooling equipment is entered, the least efficient equipment will be used to determine compliance. However, if two furnaces having different efficiencies will be installed, you may create a single furnace entry and enter the average efficiency of both units in the Heating Efficiency field. In this case, modify the output report to indicate that the reported efficiency is an average. Enter the make and model number of BOTH pieces of equipment on the line provided in the Inspection Checklist portion of the output report.
The high-efficiency equipment credit is applied as a percent increase in the code house UA. To see how much credit you are getting, observe the UA value displayed in the Max. UA field. The UA will probably be smaller before taking the credit than after. 

## Last files worked on are here

-  Save as many files as you like
- Print and Preview reports

## Need Help?

## Building Envelope

- Building Envelope

**Conditioned Basement**

**Conditioned Main Floor**

**Building Section**

**Notes:**
The conditioned area or building envelope is the first thing that needs to be defined for REScheck inputs.

The highlighted areas on the plans and building section show the areas of the house that are conditioned.  

## Ceiling Area

- 2415 s.f.

**Notes:**
The ceiling area in this residence corresponds with the main floor area because the ceilings are flat.  If this plan contained vaulted areas, the ceiling area would need to be adjusted for the larger ceiling area created by the vault.

## Raised Heel or Energy Truss

**Notes:**
Vaulted ceilings are not the same as raised heel trusses.  This photo shows raised trusses (energy trusses or raised heel trusses) that allow for insulation to be evenly distributed along the truss rather than being compressed at the ends like standard trusses.  In REScheck the user is asked if the truss is “all-wood joist/rafter/truss” or “all-wood raised joist/rafter/truss”.  The trusses in this case study are not raised trusses.

## Exterior Wall Areas

**9’ Ceilings**

**9’ Ceilings**

**12’ Ceilings**

- _9’ Exterior Walls - __**2180 s.f.**_
- North – 690 s.f.
- South – 600 s.f.
- East – 440 s.f.
- West – 450 s.f.

- _12’ Exterior Walls - __**689 s.f.**_
- North – 221 s.f.
- South – 234 s.f.
- East – 52 s.f.
- West – 182 s.f.

- _3’ knee walls (between 9’&12’ sections) –  __**153 s.f.**_
- West – 69 s.f.
- East – 84 s.f.

**Notes:**
Exterior Walls:
The area of the exterior walls depend on the ceiling height of the space that the wall encloses.  The highlighted sections on the main floor plan show the ceiling heights in various areas of the residence.  The perimeter length of the exterior wall enclosing the space is multiplied by the wall height for the given area.  This wall height includes the depth of the rim joist.

The knee walls between the 9’ ceiling and 12’ ceiling sections also enclose the conditioned space.  

## Including Rim Joists in the Exterior Wall Area

**Notes:**
The exterior wall height of the main floor walls includes the depth of the rim joist.

## Basement Walls -
below grade

- Basement Walls -
- below grade

- >50% below grade  =
- below grade concrete basement wall

**Notes:**
The “side” basement walls are assumed to be more than 50% below grade so the entire wall is considered a “below grade basement wall (solid masonry)”.  

## Basement Wall Areas

**Above Grade Bsmt Walls (exterior wood) =  837  s.f. (93’ x 9’)**
***     ******(entered as wood frame wall not a basement wall)***
**Below Grade Bsmt Walls = 1044 s.f. **
***	******Side basement walls = 360 s.f.***
***West Wall – 144 s.f***
***East Wall – 216 s.f.***
**	****Back basement wall = *****684 s.f. (*****76’x9’)**
***(solid concrete or masonry)***

- Above Grade
- Bmst Walls (exterior wood) – **837 s.f**.
-                        (93 ln. ft. x 9’ height)

- 144 s.f.

- 684 s.f.

- 216 s.f.

**Notes:**
Basement Walls:  
The “walkout” side  of the basement is an exterior wood wall with windows and doors and is entered as “wood frame wall – 16” o.c.”.  The perimeter length of this wall is 93’.  This length multiplied by the basement wall height of  9’ equals 837 square feet.

The “side” basement walls are assumed to be more than 50% below grade so the entire wall is considered a “below grade basement wall (solid masonry)”. The perimeter length of these side walls equals 40 feet (360 s.f.).
The “back” basement wall is totally below grade and is considered a “below grade basement wall”.  The length of the back wall is 76 feet (684 s.f.).  

The area of all the below grade basement walls is 1044 square feet (116’ x 9’).

## Basement Walls -
REScheck inputs

- Basement Walls -
- RES*check* inputs

- “back” below grade basement wall
- (entire back wall is adjacent to crawlspace

- “side” below grade basement walls

**Notes:**
Screen shots of the below grade basement wall REScheck inputs are shown.

The back basement wall is assumed to have 7’ of the 9’ basement wall below grade (the 2’ above grade portion is the crawlspace section adjacent to the basement wall).  The entire wall is assumed to be adjacent to the crawlspace for simplicity (this assumption is conservative).  Users can separate the “back” basement wall into two sections (one adjacent to the crawlspace and one adjacent to the garage (9’ below grade) if they wish.

The side basement walls are assumed to be 4.5’ below grade.  This assumption takes the average of the front of the wall that is totally above grade and the back section which is 9’ below grade.

## Floor Area

- Crawlspace Area - 783 s.f.

**Notes:**
The area of the floor above the crawlspace is entered as a “floor” in REScheck.  The floor is insulated between the floor joists.

If the crawlspace wall had been insulated rather than the floor above the crawlspace, the perimeter length of the foundation stem wall would have been entered with the “crawlspace” tab in REScheck.   

Note:  Do not enter a floor component (area)  if you enter the floor as a crawlspace (with perimeter “crawl wall” insulation).

The area of the crawlspace is highlighted in the above floor plan (783 s.f.).

## Slab Perimeter 

- Slab Perimeter

- Slab Perimeter - 93 linear feet

- Line represents the slab edge to be calculated in linear feet.

**Notes:**
The “front edge” of the basement exterior wall  (above grade) is entered as a “slab” in REScheck.  The perimeter edge measures 93 feet.

##  Perimeter Slab Insulation

-  Perimeter Slab Insulation

**Notes:**
Example slab edge perimeter insulation.

## Insulation Levels 

- Insulation Levels

- Roof/Ceiling - R-38 batts
- Wall - R-19 batts
- Floor - R-19 batts
- Slab - R-5 rigid (24” vertical)

**Notes:**
Building Sections are used to clarify insulation locations and levels for REScheck inputs.

## Window/ Door Area 

- Window/ Door Area

- _Window Area - 533 s.f.; _
- _U-value = 0.40 & SHGC .40_
- North – 369 s.f.
- South – 149 s.f.
- West – 15 s.f.

- North

- South

- East

- West

- _Glass Doors <50% glass - 40 s.f.; U-value = 0.50_
- North – 40 s.f.
- _Opaque Doors - 40 s.f.; U-value = 0.50_
- South – 40 s.f.

**Notes:**
Window and door areas are listed to simplify REScheck inputs.

## Overhang/Projection Factor (PF) 

- Overhang/Projection Factor (PF)

**PF= A/B**
**PF=0.15**

**Notes:**
Overhangs should be calculated and input into REScheck for compliance in areas with <3500 HDD

##  Sunroom Addition

** ****Sunroom Addition**

**Ceiling – 350 s.f.**
**East Wall – 18 s.f.**
**West Wall – 252 s.f.**
**West Windows – 144 s.f**
** ****(U-value .35/SHGC .40)**
**North Wall – 112 s.f.**
**North Windows – 63 s.f.**
** ****(U-value .35/SHGC .40)**
**South Wall – 126 s.f.**
**South Windows – 51 s.f.**
**  ****(U-value .35/SHGC .40)**
**Floor – 350 s.f.**

**Notes:**
Case Study on a sunroom addition, the addition can be entered into REScheck with the new assembly components which have been given in this slide.  If the addition does not meet code, another alternative would be to enter the entire house with the addition.  The following slides are examples of the screen shots for the addition by itself and the addition with the existing house.  Note, the compliance for each case study.  

## Sunroom Addition/REScheck Screenshot

**Sunroom Addition/REScheck Screenshot**

## REScheck Compliance Report

**Notes:**
This is a screen shot of what the Compliance Report will look like for the case study.

## REScheck Compliance Report

**REScheck Compliance Report**

**Notes:**
Continuation of the compliance report page 2.

## REScheck Inspection Checklist

**RES*****check***** Inspection Checklist**
**2000 IECC**
- RES*check* Software Version 3.5 Release 1d
- DATE: 08/26/03
- PROJECT TITLE: Jones Residence - Plan 3677
- Bldg.	|
- Dept.	|
- Use  	|
-  	|
-  	| 	**Ceilings:**
- [    ] 	| 	 1. 	Ceiling 1: All-Wood Joist/Rafter/Truss, R-38.0 cavity insulation
- 	|		Comments: ______________________________________________________________
-  	|
-  	| 	**Above-Grade Walls:**
- [    ] 	| 	 1. 	Exterior Wall 1: Wood Frame, 16" o.c., R-19.0 cavity insulation
- 	|		Comments: ______________________________________________________________
- [    ] 	| 	 2. 	Exterior Wall 2 South: Wood Frame, 16" o.c., R-19.0 cavity insulation
- 	|		Comments: ______________________________________________________________
- [    ] 	| 	 3. 	Exterior Wall 3 East: Wood Frame, 16" o.c., R-19.0 cavity insulation
- 	|		Comments: ______________________________________________________________
- [    ] 	| 	 4. 	Exterior Wall 4 West: Wood Frame, 16" o.c., R-19.0 cavity insulation
- 	|		Comments: ______________________________________________________________
- [    ] 	| 	 5. 	Knee Wall West: Wood Frame, 16" o.c., R-19.0 cavity insulation
- 	|		Comments: ______________________________________________________________
- [    ] 	| 	 6. 	Knee Wall East: Wood Frame, 16" o.c., R-19.0 cavity insulation
- 	|		Comments: ______________________________________________________________
-  	|
-  	| 	**Basement Walls:**
- [    ] 	| 	 1. 	Basement Wall 2: Solid Concrete or Masonry, 9.0' ht/4.5' bg/9.0' insul,
- 	| 		R-19.0 cavity insulation
- 	|		Comments: ______________________________________________________________
- [    ] 	| 	 2. 	Basement Wall 1: Solid Concrete or Masonry, 9.0' ht/4.5' bg/9.0' insul,
- 	| 		R-19.0 cavity insulation
- 	|		Comments: ______________________________________________________________
- [    ] 	| 	 3. 	Basement Wall 3: Solid Concrete or Masonry, 9.0' ht/7.0' bg/9.0' insul,
- 	| 		R-19.0 cavity insulation
- 	|		Comments: ______________________________________________________________

**Notes:**
Review of the Inspection Checklist in full

## Slide 45

## Slide 46

## Slide 47

## Slide 48