NIST Technical Note 1767

Annual Whole Building Energy 

Simulation of the NIST Net Zero 

Energy Residential Test Facility 

Design

Joshua Kneifel

http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.1767

NIST Technical Note 1767

Annual Whole Building Energy 

Simulation of the NIST Net Zero 

Energy Residential Test Facility 

Design

Joshua Kneifel

Applied Economics Office

Engineering Laboratory

http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.1767

October 2012

U.S. Department of Commerce 

Rebecca Blank, Acting Secretary

National Institute of Standards and Technology 

Patrick D. Gallagher, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director 
Certain commercial entities, equipment, or materials may be identified in this

document in order to describe an experimental procedure or concept adequately.

Such identification is not intended to imply recommendation or endorsement by the

National Institute of Standards and Technology, nor is it intended to imply that the

entities, materials, or equipment are necessarily the best available for the purpose. 

National Institute of Standards and Technology Technical Note 1767

Natl. Inst. Stand. Technol. Tech. Note 1767, 69 pages (October 2012) 

http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.1767

CODEN: NTNOEF
Abstract

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) received funding through the 

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to construct a Net Zero Energy 

Residential Test Facility (NZERTF). The initial goal of the NZERTF is to demonstrate 

that a net-zero energy residential design can “look and feel” like a typical home in the 

Gaithersburg area. Demonstration phase of the project intends to demonstrate that the 

operation of the house does perform at “net zero,” or produces as much electricity as it 

consumes over an entire year. The NZERTF is scheduled to begin the demonstration

phase in 2013.

The purpose of this report is to create a whole building energy simulation that will 

replicate the NZERTF design to estimate its energy performance, both in aggregate as 

well as at the individual occupant and equipment level.

It is important to use a whole building energy simulation model to estimate the energy 

performance of the NZERTF for four main reasons. First, the building design needs to 

perform at net-zero to meet its demonstration phase goal. Second, the creation of a whole 

building energy simulation for the NZERTF can be used for sensitivity analysis. The 

building design and operation requires a plethora of assumptions on a number of levels, 

including the installed equipment, occupant behavior, and solar photovoltaic (PV) and 

solar thermal energy production. The ability to run “what-if” scenarios testing how each 

assumption impacts the energy performance of the NZERTF is beneficial for the 

residential construction industry. Third, the comparison of the energy simulation to the 

actual energy performance of the house will assist in fault detection during the 

demonstration phase of the NZERTF. Fourth, the comparison of the energy simulation to 

the actual energy performance of the house will assist the improvement of whole building 

energy simulation software.

Keywords

Net zero energy construction; energy efficiency; residential building; whole building 

energy simulation
ii
iii

Preface

This study was conducted by the Applied Economics Office (AEO) in the Engineering 

Laboratory (EL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The study 

is designed to document the assumptions used to create the whole building energy 

simulation and the resulting estimated energy performance for the demonstration phase of 

the Net Zero Energy Residential Test Facility project. The intended audience includes

researchers in the residential building sector concerned with net zero energy residential 

performance.

Disclaimer

Certain trade names and company products are mentioned in the text in order to 

adequately specify the technical procedures and equipment used. In no case does such 

identification imply recommendation or endorsement by the National Institute of 

Standards and Technology, nor does it imply that the products are necessarily the best 

available for the purpose.

The policy of the National Institute of Standards and Technology is to use metric units in 

all of its published materials. Because this report is intended for the U.S. construction 

industry that uses U.S. customary units, it is more practical and less confusing to include 

U.S. customary units as well as metric units. Measurement values in this report are 

therefore stated in metric units first, followed by the corresponding values in U.S. 

customary units within parentheses.
iv
v

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank everyone involved in the NZERTF project. A special thanks 

to Farhad Omar, Dr. Hunter Fanney, Brian Dougherty, Dr. William Payne, Steve 

Emmerich, Dr. William Healy, Mark Davis, Piotr Domanski, Lisa Ng, Matthew Boyd, 

and Tania Ullah from NIST, Cathy Gates, Betsy Pettit, and Daniel Bergey from Building 

Science Corporation (BSC), and Richard Raustad and the other E+ Help Desk team 

members for their assistance in designing the simulation model. Thank you to everyone 

for their advice and recommendations for the writing of this report, including Douglas 

Thomas and Dr. Robert Chapman of EL’s Applied Economics Office, Mark Davis and 

Farhad Omar of EL’s Energy and Environment Division, and Dr. Nicos S. Martys of 

EL’s Materials and Structural Systems Division.

Author Information

Joshua D. Kneifel

Economist

National Institute of Standards and Technology

100 Bureau Drive, Mailstop 8603

Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8603

Tel.: 301-975-6857

Email: joshua.kneifel@nist.gov
vi
vii

Contents

Abstract.............................................................................................................................. v

Preface...............................................................................................................................iii

Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... v

Author Information .......................................................................................................... v

List of Acronyms............................................................................................................ xiii

1 Introduction............................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Background and Purpose...................................................................................... 1

1.2 Literature Review................................................................................................. 1

1.3 Approach .............................................................................................................. 2

2 General Assumptions................................................................................................ 3

3 Building Design ......................................................................................................... 7

3.1 Surfaces and Zones............................................................................................... 7

3.2 Building Materials and Constructions.................................................................. 8

3.3 Shading Surfaces................................................................................................ 11

3.4 Internal Mass...................................................................................................... 11

4 Building Use............................................................................................................. 13

4.1 Occupancy.......................................................................................................... 13

4.2 Lighting .............................................................................................................. 15

4.3 Non-HVAC Interior Equipment......................................................................... 17

4.4 Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning....................................................... 22

4.4.1 Thermostat............................................................................................................. 22

4.4.2 Infiltration and Ventilation.................................................................................... 24

4.4.3 HVAC Equipment ................................................................................................. 25

4.4.4 Humidity................................................................................................................ 31

4.5 Domestic Hot Water........................................................................................... 32

4.5.1 Domestic Hot Water Heater Equipment................................................................ 33

4.5.2 Domestic Hot Water End Use ............................................................................... 38

4.6 Solar Photovoltaic .............................................................................................. 40

5 Simulation Results .................................................................................................. 43

5.1 Total Electricity Use........................................................................................... 43

5.2 Lighting .............................................................................................................. 44

5.3 Interior Equipment ............................................................................................. 45

5.4 HVAC................................................................................................................. 45

5.5 Internal Heat Gains............................................................................................. 50

5.6 Solar Photovoltaic Generation ........................................................................... 51

5.7 Coil Capacities................................................................................................... 52

5.8 Domestic Hot Water Electricity Use.................................................................. 52

5.9 Domestic Hot Water Use.................................................................................... 53

5.10Room Temperature............................................................................................. 55

5.11Humidity Levels................................................................................................. 56

5.12Thermal Comfort................................................................................................ 58

5.13Infiltration and Ventilation................................................................................. 59
viii

6 Limitations............................................................................................................... 63

7 Discussion and Future Research............................................................................ 65

References........................................................................................................................ 67
ix

List of Figures

Figure 3-1 BSC Architectural Massing Model .................................................................. 7

Figure 3-2 Google SketchUp 3-D Representation of the E+ Model ................................. 8

Figure 4-1 Occupancy Density ........................................................................................ 13

Figure 4-2 Occupancy Schedules by Occupant ............................................................... 14

Figure 4-3 Lighting Schedules – Fraction of Peak Wattage ............................................ 17

Figure 4-4 MEL Schedules – Fraction of Peak Wattage ................................................. 22

Figure 4-5 HVAC Heating and Cooling Setpoints.......................................................... 23

Figure 4-6 HVAC System Layout ................................................................................... 26

Figure 4-7 Heat Recovery Ventilator Layout .................................................................. 31

Figure 4-8 Domestic Hot Water Heating System ............................................................ 33

Figure 4-9 Domestic Hot Water End Use Schedules – Fraction of Peak Flow............... 39

Figure 5-1 Electricity Use by Category - kWh and Percentage....................................... 43

Figure 5-2 Total Electricity Use by Month - kWh........................................................... 44

Figure 5-3 Lighting Electricity Use by Room – kWh and Percentage ............................ 44

Figure 5-4 Equipment Electricity Use - kWh .................................................................. 45

Figure 5-5 HVAC Electricity Use – kWh and Percentage .............................................. 46

Figure 5-6 HRV Hourly Energy Transfer by ODB - kWh .............................................. 46

Figure 5-7 HVAC Heat Exchanger Energy Transfer (kWh) - Monthly .......................... 47

Figure 5-8 HVAC Cooling Energy (kWh) - Monthly ..................................................... 47

Figure 5-9 HVAC Heating Energy (kWh) - Monthly...................................................... 48

Figure 5-10 HVAC Energy Load by Coil (kWh) - Monthly ........................................... 48

Figure 5-11 HVAC Electricity Use (kWh) – Monthly .................................................... 49

Figure 5-12 Dehumidifier Electricity Consumption by Floor – kWh.............................. 49

Figure 5-13 Internal Heat Gains by Category (kWh) – 1st Floor..................................... 50

Figure 5-14 Internal Heat Gains by Category (kWh) – 2nd Floor.................................... 50

Figure 5-15 Total Electricity Consumption and Solar PV Production (kWh) - Monthly 51

Figure 5-16 Heat Pump Water Heater and Pump Electricity Use (kWh) – Monthly ...... 53

Figure 5-17 DHW Use by L/day and Percentage ............................................................ 54

Figure 5-18 Heat Transfer to DHW Tank Water (kWh) - Monthly ................................ 54

Figure 5-19 Water Main, Storage Tank, and Hot Water Tank Temperatures - °C.......... 55

Figure 5-20 1st and 2nd Floor Mean Room Temperatures - °C ........................................ 56

Figure 5-21 1st Floor, 2nd Floor, and Basement Relative Humidity Levels..................... 57

Figure 5-22 Hourly Humidity (%) and Dehumidifier Electricity Use (kWh) – 1st Floor 57

Figure 5-23 Simple ASHRAE 55-2004 Not Comfortable - Hours................................... 58

Figure 5-24 1st Floor Time Setpoint Not Met While Occupied - Hours.......................... 59

Figure 5-25 2nd Floor Time Setpoint Not Met While Occupied - Hours......................... 59

Figure 5-26 Mechanical Ventilation Rate by Floor - ACH ............................................. 60

Figure 5-27 Infiltration Rate by Floor - ACH.................................................................. 60

Figure 5-28 Infiltration Sensible Heat Transfer – 1st Floor (kWh).................................. 61

Figure 5-29 Load Changes from Mechanical Ventilation – 1st Floor (kWh) .................. 61
x
xi

List of Tables

Table 2-1 Washington-Dulles Design Day Conditions ..................................................... 4

Table 2-2 Washington-Dulles Average Monthly Ground Temperature ............................ 4

Table 2-3 Washington-Dulles Average Monthly Shallow Underground Temperature..... 5

Table 3-1 Material Parameter Examples............................................................................ 9

Table 3-2 Construction Layers Examples.......................................................................... 9

Table 3-3 Window Parameters Example ......................................................................... 10

Table 3-4 Window Shade Parameters.............................................................................. 11

Table 4-1 Occupant Activity Level.................................................................................. 13

Table 4-2 Lighting Total Wattage by Room.................................................................... 15

Table 4-3 Appliance Wattage and Sensible and Latent Load Fractions.......................... 18

Table 4-4 Miscellaneous Electrical Load Wattage and Sensible and Latent Loads........ 18

Table 4-5 Thermostat Setpoints....................................................................................... 22

Table 4-6 Heating and Cooling Seasons.......................................................................... 24

Table 4-7 Infiltration Rates.............................................................................................. 25

Table 4-8 Zone Sizing Parameters................................................................................... 26

Table 4-9 HVAC System Sizing Parameters................................................................... 27

Table 4-10 HVAC Fan Parameters.................................................................................. 27

Table 4-11 Cooling Coil .................................................................................................. 28

Table 4-12 Cooling Coil Performance Curves................................................................. 28

Table 4-13 Heating Coil................................................................................................... 29

Table 4-14 Heating Coil Performance Curves................................................................. 29

Table 4-15 Heat Recovery Ventilator.............................................................................. 30

Table 4-16 Dehumidifier Parameters............................................................................... 32

Table 4-17 Dehumidifier Performance Curves................................................................ 32

Table 4-18 Solar Thermal Collector Parameters ............................................................. 34

Table 4-19 Storage Tank and Hot Water Heater Tank Parameters ................................. 35

Table 4-20 Hot Water Heat Pump Operation Parameters................................................ 36

Table 4-21 Hot Water Heat Pump Coil Parameters......................................................... 37

Table 4-22 Hot Water Heat Pump Fan and DHW Fan Parameters ................................. 37

Table 4-23 Domestic Hot Water Loop Pump Parameters ............................................... 38

Table 4-24 Domestic Hot Water Use and Thermal Load Fractions ................................ 40

Table 4-25 Solar Photovoltaic Panel Parameters............................................................. 41

Table 4-26 Solar Photovoltaic Inverter Parameters......................................................... 41

Table 5-1 HVAC System Coil Characteristics ................................................................ 52

Table 5-2 DHW Heat Pump Coil Characteristics............................................................ 52

Table 5-3 Average Outdoor Air Flow during Occupied Hours - ACH ........................... 60
xii
xiii

List of Acronyms

Acronym Definition

ACH Air Changes Per Hour

AEO Applied Economics Office

ARRA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

ASHRAE American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers

BA Building America

BSC Building Science Corporation

BTP Building Technology Program

CFA Conditioned Floor Area

CFM Cubic Feet Per Minute

COP Coefficient of Performance

DHW Domestic Hot Water

DOE Department of Energy

E+ EnergyPlus

EERE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

EL Engineering Laboratory

ETL Electrical Testing Labs

FPW Fraction of Peak Wattage

FPF Fraction of Peak Flow

HVAC Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning

LBL Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory

MAT Mean Average Temperature

MEL Miscellanous Electric Load

NBR number of bedrooms

NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology

NREL National Renewable Energy Laboratory

ODB Outdoor Dry-Bulb

PV Photovoltaic

RECS Residential Energy Consumption Survey

SHGC Solar Heat Gain Coefficient

TMY Typical Meteorological Year

VT Visible Transmittance
xiv
1

1 Introduction

1.1 Background and Purpose

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) received funding through the 

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to construct a Net Zero Energy Residential 

Test Facility (NZERTF). The goals of the NZERTF are twofold. First, to demonstrate that a netzero energy residential design can “look and feel” like a typical home in the Gaithersburg area. 

The demonstration phase of the project will demonstrate that the operation of the house does 

perform at “net zero.” There are multiple definitions of a “net zero building,” but for this report 

“net zero building” is defined as a building that produces as much electricity as it consumes over 

an entire year. Second, create a test facility in which a wide variety of building technology 

research can be performed. The NZERTF is scheduled to begin the demonstration phase in 2013.

It is important to estimate the energy performance of the NZERTF for a several reasons. First, 

the building design needs to perform at net-zero to meet its demonstration phase goal. Second, 

the creation of a whole building energy simulation for the NZERTF can be used for sensitivity 

analysis. The building design and operation requires a plethora of assumptions on a number of 

levels, including the installed equipment, occupant behavior, and solar photovoltaic (PV) and 

solar thermal energy production. The ability to run “what-if” scenarios that determine how each 

assumption impacts energy performance of the NZERTF is beneficial for the residential 

construction industry. Third, the comparison of the energy simulation to the actual energy 

performance of the house will assist in fault detection during the demonstration phase of the 

NZERTF. Fourth, the comparison of the energy simulation to the actual energy performance of 

the house will assist the improvement of whole building energy simulation software.

The purpose of this report is to create a whole building energy simulation that will replicate the 

NZERTF design and be able to estimate its energy performance, both at an aggregate level as 

well as at individual occupant and equipment levels.

1.2 Literature Review

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Building 

Technologies Program (BTP) is responsible for funding research at the national laboratories for 

the Building America (BA) program. The Building America (BA) program has been at the 

forefront of research of low-energy single-family housing design through a variety of outlets, 

including the BA Best Practices Series, case studies for new construction and retrofits, and 

technical reports and fact sheets. Hendron and Engebrecht (2010) defines the BA house protocols 

to be implemented when simulating house energy performance.
2

1.3 Approach

This report documents the assumptions made to create a whole building energy simulation model 

in the EnergyPlus (E+) simulation software estimating the energy performance of the NZERTF.1

The geometry, building envelope, and hard-wired lighting design as well as some energy 

performance requirements are based on the specifications defined by the NZERTF project’s 

architectural firm, Building Science Corporation (BSC). Based on the BSC specifications, the 

contractor selected interior equipment and lighting to meet those specifications. Occupant 

behavior assumptions for the NZERTF are defined in a forthcoming document, Omar 

(Forthcoming). For some operating conditions, the model uses assumptions defined in Hendron 

and Engebrecht (2010). Additional documents that assist the model design are ASHRAE 90.2-

2007, ASHRAE 62.2-2010, and the ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook. Their use will be defined 

in detail where appropriate in the remainder of the document.

 1 Department of Energy (2010)
3

2 General Assumptions

The EnergyPlus (E+) whole building energy software was chosen to design the simulation for 

the NZERTF. Regardless of the building design, a number of general assumptions must be made 

for the E+ simulation, including the location, run period, time steps, design day conditions, 

ground and underground temperatures, and water mains temperatures.

In order to run an annual simulation in E+, it is necessary to have a weather file defining a 

number of parameters throughout the year. A database of weather files based on a 15 year 

average of actual weather data, referred to as a Typical Meteorological Year (TMY), are 

available from the E+ website. The NZERTF is located on the main NIST campus in 

Gaithersburg, MD (Latitude 39.07, Longitude -77.13, Elevation 106 m). The nearest location 

with an available TMY3 weather file, the third iteration of the TMY files, is the WashingtonDulles Airport (Latitude 38.95, Longitude -77.43, Elevation 82 m) and is based on data from 

years 1991 through 2005.

Running an E+ simulation requires a run period and a time step. The run period represents which 

days of the year for which the simulation will run. An annual run period is selected because the 

goal of the simulation is to show how the NZETF performs over the year as a whole. The time 

step represents the frequency at which EnergyPlus runs the simulation. The time step used for the 

analysis is 1 minute. Since the length of some occupant activities, such as sink hot water use, are 

modeled in 1 minute increments, the 1 minute time step allows for precise calculations of total 

energy and hot water use throughout the year.

A simulation model can automatically size building energy systems to ensure the equipment will 

perform as needed across the variety of weather conditions that occur during an entire year. A 

location has winter and summer design days that represent the typical extreme conditions under 

which a building must effectively perform. The first factor defining a location’s design days are 

the heating degree days and cooling degree days for that location. A location’s heating (cooling) 

degree days for a single day are defined as the difference between the daily average actual 

outdoor dry-bulb temperature and the outdoor dry-bulb temperature required to maintain the 

desired heating (cooling) set point temperature inside the building (18.3 °C [65 °F] for both 

heating and cooling in this simulation). The total degree days for a location are summed over the 

entire year for each heating and cooling. For the Washington-Dulles Airport location, the heating 

degree days at base 18.3 °C (65 °F) is 4735 and the cooling degree days at base 18.3 °C (65 °F)

is 1119. Most components in the NZERTF simulation are sized based on actual specifications of 

installed equipment, but there a few components that are currently autosized.

The second factor is how often the conditions in the building are allowed to not meet the desired 

conditions for both heating and cooling. In this simulation, it is assumed that for 350 hours 

(0.4 %) annually, the building does not meet each of its heating and cooling conditions. The 
4

design days used in the simulation are defined in ASHRAE Fundamentals (ASHRAE 2009) and 

described in Table 2-1.

Table 2-1 Washington-Dulles Design Day Conditions

Parameter Winter Summer

Max Dry-Bulb -12.5 °C (9.5 °F) 34.0 °C (93.2 °F)

Daily Temperature Range 0.0 °C (0.0 °F) 11.6 °C (20.9 °F)

Humidity Indicating Conditions at Max Dry-Bulb -12.5 °C (9.5 °F) 24.0 °C (75.2 °F)

Barometric Pressure 100,344 Pa 100,344 Pa

Wind Speed 2.7 m/s (8.9 ft/s) 4.1 m/s (13.5 ft/s)

Wind Direction 310 deg. 220 deg.

Sky Clearness 0 % 100 %

Rain Indicator 0 0

Snow Indicator 0 0

Month/Day 01/21 07/21

Humidity Indicating Type Wet-Bulb Wet-Bulb

The ground temperatures, both surface and underground, impact the heat transfer between the 

building and the ground and vary by the time of year. For the Washington-Dulles Airport 

location, monthly average surface ground temperatures vary from 19.71 °C (67.5 °F) to 22.49 °C

(72.5 °F), as seen in Table 2-2.

Table 2-2 Washington-Dulles Average Monthly Ground Temperature

Month Temperature Month Temperature

(°C) (°F) (°C) (°F)

January 19.71 67.5 July 22.49 72.5

February 19.70 67.5 August 22.42 72.4

March 19.75 67.6 September 21.82 71.3

April 19.80 67.6 October 20.62 69.1

May 20.96 69.7 November 20.02 68.0

June 22.14 71.9 December 19.82 67.8

Underground temperatures for the exterior of the basement floor and basement walls must be 

calculated because each has a different average distance below the surface. The E+ Basement 

Utility Preprocessor calculates these time-varying temperatures based on the basement wall/floor 

construction and Washington-Dulles location, which is displayed in Table 2-3. The preprocessed 

values are called into the E+ simulation file in a comma delimited format.
5

Table 2-3 Washington-Dulles Average Monthly Shallow Underground Temperature

Month

Basement Temperature

Wall Foundation

(°C) (°F) (°C) (°F)

Jan. 19.40 66.9 21.88 71.4

Feb. 19.68 67.4 21.87 71.4

March 20.04 68.1 21.87 71.4

April 20.41 68.7 21.87 71.4

May 21.14 70.1 21.87 71.4

June 21.62 70.9 21.87 71.4

July 21.88 71.4 21.88 71.4

Aug. 21.89 71.4 21.88 71.4

Sept. 21.61 70.9 21.88 71.4

Oct. 21.14 70.1 21.89 71.4

Nov. 20.42 68.8 21.88 71.4

Dec. 19.87 67.8 21.88 71.4

The water mains temperature is the temperature of the water at the entrance point of the main 

water line into the NZERTF, which varies by the day of the year. E+ uses a correlation 

calculation method to estimate the temperature based on two parameters. The annual average 

outdoor air temperature is assumed to be 11.96 °C (53.5 °F). The maximum difference in 

outdoor air temperature is assumed to be 26.9 °C (80.4 °F). According to the E+ Engineering 

Reference documentation, “The correlation was developed by Craig Christensen and Jay 

Burch...(Hendron et al., 2004),” and is expressed in the following equation that is abstracted 

from the E+ documentation.

Tmains = �Tout.avg + 6� + ratio ∗ �∆Tout.maxdiff/ 2� ∗ sin(0.986 ∗ (day − 15 − lag) − 90)

Where 

Tmains = water mains temperature (°F)

Tout.avg = average annual outdoor air temperature (°F)

∆Tout.maxdiff = maximum difference in monthly average outdoor air temperature (°F)

Day = Julian day of the year (1-365) 

Ratio = 0.4 + 0.01 * (Tamb.avg – 44)

Lag = 35 – 1.0 * (Tamb.avg – 44) (°F)
6
7

3 Building Design

The E+ model design of the NZERTF requires detailed definitions of its geometry, surface 

materials and constructions, shading surfaces, zoning, and internal mass. Each of these is defined 

in detail in this chapter.

3.1 Surfaces and Zones

The dimensions specified in the BSC architectural massing model, seen in Figure 3-1, are used 

along with Google SketchUp and NREL’s Open Studio plug-in to construct the building 

geometry of the NZERTF. Total conditioned floor area of the E+ model is 284.6 m2 (3063 ft2) 

with 148.8 m

2 (1601.5 ft2

) on the first floor and 135.8 m2 (1461.5 ft2) on the second floor. Actual 

conditioned floor area of the NZERTF is 251.7 m2 (2709 ft2

) with 141.0 m

2 (1518 ft2

) on the first 

floor and 110.6 m

2 (1191 ft2

) on the 2nd floor. There are two reasons the conditioned floor area of 

the simulation model is 32.9 m2 (354 ft2) greater than the actual house design. First, the E+

model does not account for the open foyer/stairway, which is approximately 19.0 m

2 (204 ft2

). 

Second, the gable walls (west wall and east wall) of the 2nd floor have built in storage under the 

gable, which decreases the conditioned floor area by approximately 14.3 m2 (154 ft2

). These two 

aspects of model account for approximately 33.3 m

2 (358 ft2

), which decreases the conditioned 

floor area to 251.3 m

2 (2705 ft2

) or a difference of only 0.4 m2 (4 ft2). Even though these two 

aspects of the house are not considered conditioned floor area, they do add to the volume of 

space that will be conditioned.

Figure 3-1 BSC Architectural Massing Model
8

Figure 3-2 shows the Google SketchUp three-dimensional geometry of the E+ model for the 

NZERTF. The model includes seven separate zones with two conditioned (1st floor and 2nd floor) 

and five unconditioned zones (open web joist space between the 1st and 2nd floors, basement, 

main attic, living room attic, and patio). The front porch and detached garage with the covered 

walkway are all treated as shading surfaces, which block sunlight but do not impact the thermal 

performance of the building envelope. There are 172 building surfaces, 43 fenestration surfaces, 

and 409 shading surfaces in total.

Figure 3-2 Google SketchUp 3-D Representation of the E+ Model

3.2 Building Materials and Constructions

A number of parameters must be defined for each E+ “surface” shown in Figure 3-2, including 

the zone in which the surface is located, what the outside of the surface is touching (another 

zone, the outdoors, or ground), and the surfaces “construction.” A construction is a combination 

of one or more “materials.”
9

Table 3-1 Material Parameter Examples

Field Units Obj1 Obj2 Obj3

Name Asphalt shingles 1⁄2” Plywood Sheathing 5/8” Plywood Sheathing

Roughness Very Rough Smooth Smooth

Thickness M 0.0032 0.0127 0.0159

Conductivity W/m-K 0.04 0.07 0.12

Density Kg/m3 1120 400 544

Specific Heat J/kg-K 1260 1300 1210

Each material requires multiple parameters, including roughness, thickness, conductivity, 

density, and specific heat as shown in the example in Table 3-1. The characteristics of each 

material are collected from a variety of sources. The primary source of information is the 

ASHRAE 2009 Handbook of Fundamentals materials data. If the information was not available 

from this source, an internet search was used to find comparable materials and their 

characteristics.

2 Examples of “constructions” can be seen in Table 3-2. Constructions can have 

as few as one layer (a.k.a. “material”) and up to more than ten layers.

Table 3-2 Construction Layers Examples

Field Obj1 Obj2 Obj3

Name First Floor Ceiling – Living Room Roof Assembly – Stud Roof Assembly – Insulation

Outside Layer 11 7/8” LSL Engineered Joist Asphalt shingles Asphalt shingles

Layer 2 1⁄2” GWB Peel and Stick Roof Membrane Peel and Stick Roof Membrane

Layer 3 5/8” Plywood Sheathing 5/8” Plywood Sheathing

Layer 4 Foil-faced Polyiso- 1.5” Foil-faced Polyiso- 1.5”

Layer 5 Foil-faced Polyiso- 2.0” Foil-faced Polyiso- 2.0”

Layer 6 Foil-faced Polyiso- 1.5” Foil-faced Polyiso- 1.5”

Layer 7 Air Barrier Membrane Air Barrier Membrane

Layer 8 1⁄2” Plywood Sheathing 1⁄2” Plywood Sheathing

Layer 9 1 3⁄4” x 11 7/8” LSL Engineered Roof 

Rafters – Wood Only

1 3⁄4” x 11 7/8” LSL Engineered Roof 

Rafters – Cellulose Insulation Only

Layer 10 1⁄2” GWB 1⁄2” GWB

Due to the thermal bridging caused by the wood framing of the facility, two construction types 

are necessary for each building surface (excluding fenestrations). An example can be seen for the 

two “constructions” used for the roof assembly in Table 3-2. Instead of precisely specifying the 

location of each piece of wood framing, the area of framing for each surface is totaled (15 %), 

and that portion of the surface is given the framing “construction” with the remainder of the 

 2 Source: http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/
10

surface given the non-framing “construction” (85 %).3 The ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook

suggests using this approach to approximate the thermal bridging of wood framing while 

minimizing the time required for the calculations.

4

The fenestration surface construction materials for windows are defined based on 3 simple 

parameters: U-factor, Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC), and Visible Transmittance (VT). 

This approach allows the rated window performance to be modeled while simplifying window 

“materials” and “constructions.” The window parameters can be seen in Table 3-3, and are based 

on the minimum requirements specified in the BSC specifications.

5

Table 3-3 Window Parameters Example

Field Units Values

Name Baseline Windows

U-Factor W/m2-K 1.1356

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient 0.25

Visible Transmittance 0.40

Interior shades for the windows are based on Hunter Douglas Honeycomb Archiletta Daisy 

White shades. Shades have been included in the simulation, but they are assumed to never be 

used because they will not be used during the demonstration phase of the NZERTF project. Most 

of the parameter values, seen in Table 3-4, could not be obtained from the product specifications, 

which required the use of E+ example shade constructions for the last ten window shade 

parameters.

 3 This portion is assumed to be 15 % for the “advanced framing” approach. In reality this value could vary above or 

below 15 % (BSC, 2009). 4 There are alternative approaches to estimate a surface’s thermal performance. Instead of defining each material, the 

performance of the entire construction could be estimated or the average performance of all constructions for a 

particular group of surfaces. 5 These parameters assume no difference in performance of the windows regardless of the window type (awning or 

double hung).
11

Table 3-4 Window Shade Parameters

Field Values

Name Honeycomb - White

Solar Transmittance 0.2

Solar Reflectance 0.7

Visible Transmittance 0.2

Visible Reflectance 0.7

Thermal Hemispherical Emissivity 0.9

Thermal Transmittance 0.0

Thickness 0.005

Conductivity 0.1

Shade to Glass Distance 0.05

Top Opening Multiplier 0.5

Bottom Opening Multiplier 0.5

Left-Side Opening Multiplier 0.5

Right-Side Opening Multiplier 0.5

Airflow Permeability 0.05

3.3 Shading Surfaces

The shading surfaces serve two purposes: (1) create shading for windows and walls and (2) 

create surfaces on which solar photovoltaic and solar thermal systems can be installed. All 

shading surfaces are assumed to block 100 % of light, and have no thermal impacts on the house 

excluding the blocking of natural light.

3.4 Internal Mass

ASHRAE 90.2-2007 sets the occupancy thermal mass (furniture and contents) at 39.1 kg/m2

(8 lb/ft2

) of conditioned floor area based on 5.1 cm (2 in) wood with a specific heat of 1633 

J/kg*°C (0.39 Btu/lb*1°F) and a conductivity of 0.144 W/m*K (1.0 Btu*in/h*ft2

*°F). Structural 

mass is set at 24.41 kg/m2 (5 lb/ft2

) based on 1.27 cm (0.5 inch) gypsum board. Given these 

parameters, the internal thermal mass assumption is as follows for the two conditioned zones.

(1) 1st Floor

a. 5811 kg (12 812 lb) of 5.1 cm (2 in) wood

b. 3632 kg (8008 lb) of 1.27 cm (0.5 in) gypsum board

(2) 2nd Floor

a. 5303 kg (11 692 lb) of 5.1 cm (2 in) wood

b. 3315 kg (7308 lb) of 1.27 cm (0.5 in) gypsum board

E+ requires the definition of a “construction” and total area for each internal mass object. The 

constructions are assumed to be 5.1 cm (2 in) wood and 1.27 cm (0.5 in) gypsum board. It is 

assumed that the wood density is equivalent to white oak, or 16.02 kg/m3 (47 lb/ft3). So given the 
12

5.1 cm (2 in) thickness of the wood, the kg/m2 (lb/ft2) is 38.2 (47/6=7.83). A 1.27 cm (0.5 in) 

gypsum board has a density of 10.16 kg/m2 (2.08 lb/ft2). Total internal masses for both internal 

mass materials on each floor are calculated below.

(1) 1st Floor

a. 5811/38.2 (12 812 / 7.83) = 152 m2 (1636 ft2

) of wood

b. 3632/10.16 (8007.5 / 2.08) = 358 m

2 (3850 ft2

) of gypsum board 

(2) 2nd Floor

a. 5303/38.2 (11692 / 7.83) = 139 m

2 (1493 ft2

) of wood

b. 3315/10.16 (7307.5 / 2.08) = 326 m

2 (3513 ft2

) of gypsum board
13

4 Building Use

The occupant’s use of the NZERTF is just as important as the building envelope design when it 

comes to meet its annual net zero energy goal. The building components (e.g. interior equipment

and lighting systems), occupant preferences (e.g. thermostat setpoints), and occupant behavior

(e.g. occupancy, hot water use, and activity levels) all impact a house’s energy performance.

4.1 Occupancy

The occupancy is assumed to be a family of four, two parents and two children (14 years old and 

8 years old). The assumed occupant activity levels and the resulting sensible and latent heat gains 

shown in Table 4-1 are based on Hendron and Engebrecht (2010). The loads are assumed to be 

constant, which should be representative of the occupancy impacts, on average. There will be 

some variation depending on the actual activity of the occupants.

Table 4-1 Occupant Activity Level

Occupant

Internal Load

kJ (Btu) Per Hour

1st Floor 2nd Floor

Sensible 243 (230) 221 (210)

Latent 200 (190) 148 (140)

Occupancy schedules for each of the four family members are based on a meticulously detailed 7 

day narrative defined in Omar (Forthcoming). Figure 4-1 condenses the occupancy schedules to 

create an occupancy density by hour of each day of the week.

Figure 4-1 Occupancy Density

0

1

2

3

4

0:001:002:003:004:005:006:007:008:009:00

10:0011:0012:0013:0014:0015:0016:0017:0018:0019:0020:0021:0022:0023:00

Occupancy Densities 

Mon.-Wed.

Tues./Thurs.

Fri.

Sat.

Sun.
14

Figure 4-2 displays the occupancy schedules by hour for each day of the week for each occupant.

All four occupants have their own unique weekly routine that controls for work, school, and 

extracurricular activities outside the home as well as various activities while occupying the 

NZERTF.

Figure 4-2 Occupancy Schedules by Occupant

0

0.5

1

0:001:002:003:004:005:006:007:008:009:00

10:0011:0012:0013:0014:0015:0016:0017:0018:0019:0020:0021:0022:0023:00

Parent A

Mon-Thurs.

Fri.

Sat.

Sun.

0

0.5

1

0:001:002:003:004:005:006:007:008:009:00

10:0011:0012:0013:0014:0015:0016:0017:0018:0019:0020:0021:0022:0023:00

Parent B

Mon-Thurs.

Fri.

Sat.

Sun.

0

0.5

1

0:001:002:003:004:005:006:007:008:009:00

10:0011:0012:0013:0014:0015:0016:0017:0018:0019:0020:0021:0022:0023:00

Child A

Mon.-Wed.

Tues./Thurs.

Fri.

Sat.

Sun.

0

0.5

1

0:001:002:003:004:005:006:007:008:009:00

10:0011:0012:0013:0014:0015:0016:0017:0018:0019:0020:0021:0022:0023:00

Child B

Mon.-Wed.

Tues./Thurs.

Fri.

Sat.

Sun.
15

4.2 Lighting

Electricity use and internal loads from interior lighting in the NZERTF are estimated based on 

Omar (Forthcoming) to determine occupancy by room, and then turning on all lights in the room 

while it is occupied. The sum of lighting wattage by room is shown in Table 4-2.

Table 4-2 Lighting Total Wattage by Room

Floor Room Watts

1st Kitchen 107

Dining Room 13

Living Room 92

Office 28

1st Floor Bath 46

2nd Master Bedroom 13

2nd Bedroom 28

3rd Bedroom 28

Master Bathroom 72

2nd Bathroom 24

Basement 217

The lighting schedules in terms of fraction of peak wattage (FPW) shown in Figure 4-3 are based 

on Omar (Forthcoming). Only some of the rooms in the conditioned space are assumed to be 

occupied during the narrative. For example, lights in the office and hallways are never turned on. 

Based on the narrative, the use of these areas should be minimal (a.k.a. a few seconds at a time).

0

0.5

1

0:001:152:303:455:006:157:308:45

10:0011:1512:3013:4515:0016:1517:3018:4520:0021:1522:3023:45

FPW

Dining Room

Mon.-Thurs.

Fri.

Sat.

Sun.

0

0.5

1

0:001:152:303:455:006:157:308:45

10:0011:1512:3013:4515:0016:1517:3018:4520:0021:1522:3023:45

FPW

Kitchen

Mon.-Thurs.

Fri.

Sat.

Sun.
16

0

0.5

1

0:001:152:303:455:006:157:308:45

10:0011:1512:3013:4515:0016:1517:3018:4520:0021:1522:3023:45

FPW

1st Floor Bath

Mon.

Tues./Thurs.

Wed.

Fri.

Sat.

Sun.

0

0.5

1

0:001:152:303:455:006:157:308:45

10:0011:1512:3013:4515:0016:1517:3018:4520:0021:1522:3023:45

FPW

2nd Floor Bath

Mon.

Tues./Thurs.

Wed.

Fri.

Sat.

Sun.

0

0.5

1

0:001:152:303:455:006:157:308:45

10:0011:1512:3013:4515:0016:1517:3018:4520:0021:1522:3023:45

FPW

2nd Bedroom

Mon.

Tues./Thurs.

Wed.

Fri.

Sat.

Sun.

0

0.5

1

0:001:152:303:455:006:157:308:45

10:0011:1512:3013:4515:0016:1517:3018:4520:0021:1522:3023:45

FPW

3rd Bedroom

Mon.

Tues./Thurs.

Wed.

Fri.

Sat.

Sun.
17

Figure 4-3 Lighting Schedules – Fraction of Peak Wattage

All other lighting is assumed to be zero. The lighting in the basement is currently assumed to 

never be used because it is neither finished nor occupied. Exterior lighting for the patio, garage,

and the outdoor lights has been excluded. Garage and exterior lighting are not of a major concern 

because the lighting does not impact the thermal load of the NZERTF, and will only slightly 

increase electricity use once included.

4.3 Non-HVAC Interior Equipment

Non-HVAC interior equipment includes large appliances and any miscellaneous electrical loads 

(MELs), such as televisions, computers, hair dryers, etc. Table 4-3 shows the large appliances to 

be installed in the NZERTF by the contractor, their wattage, and the fraction of electricity used 

by the appliances that is converted into sensible and latent loads.

6 The Energy Star ratings are 

used to calculate the average wattage for the operation of the refrigerator, clothes washer, and 

 6 The NZERTF will simulate the cooktop in a different manner. Once the approach is finalized, the model will be 

updated.

0

0.5

1

0:001:152:303:455:006:157:308:45

10:0011:1512:3013:4515:0016:1517:3018:4520:0021:1522:3023:45

FPW

Master Bathroom

Mon.

Tues./Thurs.

Wed.

Fri.

Sat.

Sun.

0

0.5

1

0:001:152:303:455:006:157:308:45

10:0011:1512:3013:4515:0016:1517:3018:4520:0021:1522:3023:45

FPW

Master Bedroom

Mon.

Tues./Thurs.

Wed.

Fri.

Sat.

Sun.

0

0.5

1

0:001:152:303:455:006:157:308:45

10:0011:1512:3013:4515:0016:1517:3018:4520:0021:1522:3023:45

FPW

Living Room Mon.

Tues./Thurs.

Wed.

Fri.

Sat.

Sun.
18

dishwasher. The dishwasher is rated at 234 kWh/year for 215 loads. Assuming a 1-hour cleaning 

cycle, the average wattage is 1090 W. The clothes washer is rated at 155 kWh/yr for 416 loads. 

Assuming a 45-minute cleaning cycle, the average wattage is 500 W. The refrigerator combines 

the Energy Star rated energy use (335 kWh) and the load profile from Hendron and Engebrecht 

(2010) to reverse engineer the peak wattage (45.7 W) to generate the target electricity use. The 

wattages of the clothes dryer and cooking equipment are based on the manufacturing 

specifications.7

Table 4-3 Appliance Wattage and Sensible and Latent Load Fractions

Appliance Brand Model Average Sensible Load Latent Load 

Refrigerator Frigidaire FPUI1888L 45.7 1.00 0.00

Clothes Washer Whirlpool WFW97HEX 500 0.80 0.00

Clothes Dryer Whirlpool WED97HEX 5200 0.15 0.05

Dishwasher Bosch SHX68E15UC 1090 0.60 0.15

Range – Oven Wolf SO30-2F/S-TH 5100 0.40 0.30

Range – Cooktop Wolf CT301/S 3600* 0.40 0.30

Range – Hood Wolf CTWH30 330 0.00 0.00

Microwave Wolf MWD30-2F/S 950 1.00 0.00

*Assumes the use of only 2 burners.

The MELs listed in Table 4-4 are defined in Omar (Forthcoming) and include any item that is 

used in an “average” household is included in the E+ model.8 The total annual electricity use for 

each MEL is used to reverse engineer the wattage for the equipment. The MELs can be grouped 

into constant loads and variable loads. The sensible and latent load fractions are based on 

Hendron and Engebrecht (2010). The sensible load is assumed to be split 50/50 with 

convection/radiant fraction.

Table 4-4 Miscellaneous Electrical Load Wattage and Sensible and Latent Loads

 7 The clothes dryer is assumed to run at peak wattage the entire drying cycle, which likely overestimates electricity 

use. The range hood wattage is based initial equipment specifications, not the Wolf range hood. 8 A particular MEL is included if the average number per household is greater than 0.5.

Location Miscellaneous Constant or Watts Sensible Load Latent Load 

Bathroom Curling Iron Variable 85 0.734 0.16

Hair Dryer Variable 1875 0.734 0.16

Kitchen Blender Variable 450 0.734 0.16

Can Opener Variable 70 0.734 0.16

Coffee Maker Variable 550 0.734 0.16

Hand Mixer Variable 250 0.734 0.16

Toaster Variable 1400 0.734 0.16

Toaster Oven Variable 1200 0.734 0.16

Slow Cooker Variable 25.64 0.734 0.16
19

Figure 4-4 shows the MEL use schedules by room defined in Omar (Forthcoming). Some rooms 

see fairly consistent occupancy behavior (kitchen) while others vary significantly throughout the 

week (living room).

0.0

0.5

1.0

0:001:152:303:455:006:157:308:45

10:0011:1512:3013:4515:0016:1517:3018:4520:0021:1522:3023:45

FPW

Bathroom MELs

Curling Iron (Mon.-Fri.)

Curling Iron (Sat./Sun.)

Hair Dryer (Mon.-Fri.)

Hair Dryer (Sat./Sun.)

Location Miscellaneous Constant or Watts Sensible Load Latent Load 

Living Room Television Variable 62.2 0.734 0.16

Blu-Ray Variable 17 0.734 0.16

Cablebox Constant 17.48 0.734 0.16

Clock Constant 2.98 0.734 0.16

Stereo Constant 17.51 0.734 0.16

Video Game System Variable 26.98 0.734 0.16

Office Desktop Computer Variable 74 0.734 0.16

Desktop Monitor Variable 27.6 0.734 0.16

Answering Machine Constant 6.49 0.734 0.16

Modem Constant 2.01 0.734 0.16

Inkjet Printer Constant 4.46 0.734 0.16

Wireless Router Constant 24 0.734 0.16

Vacuum Variable 542 0.734 0.16

Master Bedroom Heating Pad Variable 32.97 0.734 0.16

Television Variable 45.36 0.734 0.16

Blu-Ray Variable 17 0.734 0.16

Clock Radio Constant 1.71 0.734 0.16

Portable Fan Variable 19.76 0.734 0.16

2 Cell Phones Constant 17.72 0.734 0.16

Other Constant 1.07 0.734 0.16

Cablebox Constant 17.48 0.734 0.16

2nd Bedroom Boombox Constant 1.92 0.734 0.16

1 Cell Phone Constant 8.86 0.734 0.16

Clock Radio Constant 1.71 0.734 0.16

Laptop A Variable 36.88 0.734 0.16

3rd Bedroom Laptop B Variable 36.8 0.734 0.16

Note: Sensible and latent load fractions are based on Hendron and Engebrecht (2010).

 

 
20

0.000

0.200

0.400

0.600

0.800

1.000

0:001:152:303:455:006:157:308:45

10:0011:1512:3013:4515:0016:1517:3018:4520:0021:1522:3023:45

FPW

Master Bedroom MELs Master Bedroom TV (Mon.-

Fri.)

Master Bedroom TV

(Sat./Sun.)

Blu-Ray Master Bed (Mon.-

Tues./Thurs.-Sat.)

Blu-Ray Master Bed

(Wed./Sun.)

Heating Pad (Mon.-

Thurs./Sun.)

Heating Pad (Fri./Sat.)

Portable Fan (Mon.-

Thurs./Sun.)

Portable Fan (Fri./Sat.)

0.000

0.200

0.400

0.600

0.800

1.000

0:001:303:004:306:007:309:00

10:3012:0013:3015:0016:3018:0019:3021:0022:30

FPW

Other Bedroom MELs

Laptop A (Mon.-Thurs.)

Laptop A (Fri.)

Laptop A (Sat.)

Laptop A (Sun.)

Laptop B (Mon.-Thurs./Sun.)

Laptop B (Fri.)

Laptop B (Sat.)

0.000

0.100

0.200

0.300

0.400

0.500

0.600

0.700

0.800

0.900

1.000

0:001:152:303:455:006:157:308:45

10:0011:1512:3013:4515:0016:1517:3018:4520:0021:1522:3023:45

FPW

Living Room MELs Blu-Ray Living Room

(Mon.-Fri.)

Blu-Ray Living Room

(Sat./Sun.)

Video Game System

(Mon.-Thurs.)

Video Game System

(Fri.)

Video Game System

(Sat.)

Video Game System

(Sun.)

Living Room TV (Mon.-

Fri.)

Living Room TV (Sat.)

Living Room TV (Sun.)
21

0.000

0.200

0.400

0.600

0.800

1.000

0:001:152:303:455:006:157:308:45

10:0011:1512:3013:4515:0016:1517:3018:4520:0021:1522:3023:45

FPW

Office MELs

Desktop (Mon.-Fri.)

Desktop (Sat./Sun.)

Monitor (Sat./Sun.)

Vacuum (Mon.-Fri./Sun.)

Vacuum (Sat.)

Monitor (Mon.-Fri.)

0.0

0.5

1.0

0:001:303:004:306:007:309:00

10:3012:0013:3015:0016:3018:0019:3021:0022:30

FPW

Kitchen MELs Blender (Mon.-Fri.)

Blender (Sat./Sun.)

Slow Cooker (Mon.-Fri. and Sun.)

Slow Cooker (Sat.)

Toaster, Toaster Oven, and Coffee

Maker (Mon.-Fri.)

Toaster, Toaster Oven, and Coffee

Maker (Sat./Sun.)

Can Opener and Hand Mixer

(Mon.-Fri. and Sun.)

0

0.5

1

0:001:152:303:455:006:157:308:45

10:0011:1512:3013:4515:0016:1517:3018:4520:0021:1522:3023:45

FPW

Kitchen Appliances Microwave (Mon.-Fri.)

Microwave (Sat.)

Microwave (Sun.)

Dishwasher (Tues./Thurs.)

Dishwasher

(Mon./Wed./Fri./Sun.)

Dishwasher (Tues./Thurs.)

Dishwasher (Sat.)

Cooktop (Mon.-Fri.)

Cooktop (Sat.)
22

Figure 4-4 MEL Schedules – Fraction of Peak Wattage

4.4 Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning

The E+ model must specify all aspects of an HVAC system and the conditions to which the 

system must perform, including the thermostat setpoints, infiltration and ventilation rates, 

humidity controls, and HVAC equipment specifications. Each of these is defined in this section.

4.4.1 Thermostat

The thermostat setpoints have not yet been chosen for the demonstration phase of the NZERTF 

project. The thermostat settings selected for the E+ model are shown in Table 4-5. These 

setpoints are based on protocols defined in Hendron and Engebrecht (2010) for the NZERTF’s 

location. The setpoints for heating and cooling vary by the occupancy, time of the day, and day 

of the year. Heating setpoints are assumed to be 22.3 °C (72.1 °F) while occupied during the day, 

20.1 °C (68.1 °F) while occupied during the nighttime, and 18.4 °C (65.1 °F) while unoccupied 

during the day. Cooling setpoints are assumed to be 23.6 °C (74.4 °F) while occupied and 

26.3 °C (79.4 °F) while unoccupied. Nighttime occupancy is assumed to be between 12:00 

midnight and when the first occupant wakes up (6:00 AM or 8:15 AM depending on the day of 

the week).

Table 4-5 Thermostat Setpoints

HVAC

Condition

Setpoint

C (F)

Occupied-Day Unoccupied- Day Occupied-Night

Heating 22.3 (72.1) 18.4 (65.1) 20.1 (68.1)

Cooling 23.6 (74.4) 26.3 (79.4) 23.6 (74.4)

The NZERTF is considered occupied anytime the occupancy density is greater than 0. Figure 4-5

charts the heating and cooling setpoints during each day of the week.

0

0.5

1

0:001:303:004:306:007:309:00

10:3012:0013:3015:0016:3018:0019:3021:0022:30

FPW

Laundry Appliances Clothes Washer (Mon-Tues.,

Thurs.-Fri.)

Clothes Washer (Wed.)

Clothes Washer (Sat./Sun.)

Clothes Dryer (Mon-Tues.,

Thurs.-Fri.)

Clothes Dryer (Wed.)

Clothes Dryer (Sat./Sun.)
23

Figure 4-5 HVAC Heating and Cooling Setpoints

The heating and cooling seasons are based on the approach defined in Hendron and Engebrecht 

(2010). Heating is enabled for all months with monthly average temperatures (MATs) less than 

19 °C (66 °F). Cooling is enabled for all months with an MAT equal to or greater than 19 °C

(66 °F). An additional month is added to the beginning of the cooling season. Table 4-6 shows 

that the heating season is 8 months (October through May) while the cooling season is 5 months 

(May-September). The unique “tight” design of the NZERTF leads to higher than normal 

temperatures inside the house. As a result, it is necessary to expand the cooling season to include 

April and October to ensure the house remains in a comfortable temperature range. Also, the 

heating season is shortened to exclude May so that the heating and cooling seasons overlap by a 

single month.

9

 9 The decision to expand cooling to April and October and remove May from the heating season was based on two 

factors. First, the simulation results using the initial approach led to a significant amount of time in April and 

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

0:001:002:003:004:005:006:007:008:009:00

10:0011:0012:0013:0014:0015:0016:0017:0018:0019:0020:0021:0022:0023:00

Heating Setpoint (°C)

Mon.-Wed.

Tues./Thurs.

Fri.

Sat.

Sun.

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

0:001:002:003:004:005:006:007:008:009:00

10:0011:0012:0013:0014:0015:0016:0017:0018:0019:0020:0021:0022:0023:00

Cooling Setpoint (°C)

Mon.-Wed.

Tues./Thurs.

Fri.

Sat.

Sun.
24

Table 4-6 Heating and Cooling Seasons

Season

Monthly Average Temperature

C (F)

Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

Heating -1

(31)

1

(34)

7

(44)

11 

(52)

17 

(62)

21 

(70)

23 

(75)

23 

(74)

19 

(66)

13 

(55)

7 

(45)

2 

(35)

Cooling -1

(31)

1

(34)

7

(44)

11 

(52)

17 

(62)

21 

(70)

23 

(75)

23 

(74)

19 

(66)

13 

(55)

7 

(45)

2 

(35)

Source: http://countrystudies.us/ (2008)

4.4.2 Infiltration and Ventilation

The NZERTF specifications from BSC include a target envelope tightness of 1 air change per 

hour based on a blower door test at 50 Pa of air pressure (ACH50). The most recent air leakage 

test, performed by Everyday Green, resulted in a whole house air tightness of 0.215 m3

/s at 50 

Pa, 456 cubic feet per minute at 50 Pa (CFM50), or 0.61 ACH50.

10 In order to account for this 

envelope airtightness in E+, it must be converted to either an infiltration rate in air changes per 

hour or an effective leakage area (ELA), in both cases at a specific pressure difference. ELA is 

the area of an orifice with a discharge coefficient of 1.0 that would allow the same amount of 

airflow through it as that measured through the entire building envelope during the pressurization 

test and is usually determined at 4 Pa.11

The approach chosen to model the building envelope in the occupied zones of the NZERTF is 

effective leakage area (ELA). The whole building leakage test estimates the ELA to be 189.0 

cm

2 (29.3 in2

), and is split between the 1st floor and 2nd floor based on occupied floor volume.

The 1st floor accounts for 52.3 % of the occupied volume while the 2nd floor accounts for the 

remaining 47.7 %, which leads to an ELA of 98.8 cm

2 (15.3 in2

) and 90.2 cm

2 (14.0 in2

), 

respectively.

All infiltration is assumed to occur in the occupied zones while the unoccupied zones in the 

conditioned space (basement, open web joists, and attic space) have no infiltration. The basement 

is fully underground and will only have infiltration through the egress window. The open web 

joists have minimal surface area shared with the exterior building envelope. The attic space may 

have some air leakage, but its leakage is grouped in with the 2nd floor. The patio is not in the 

conditioned space, and will not impact the heating and cooling energy use.

A blower door test is performed to determine the envelope airtightness. It does not account for 

the effect of opening of windows and doors (as a result of occupant activity) on infiltration. 

ASHRAE 90.2-2007 assumes 0.15 ACH due to exhaust fans and occupants opening and closing 

 

October for which the cooling setpoint temperatures were not met. Second, the tight building design will maintain 

higher temperatures during cool months, which makes it unnecessary to heat the NZERTF during the month of May.

10 Everyday Green (2012). 11 Source: ASRHAE Fundamentals (2009) – Chapter 16
25

of exterior doors and windows. Based on the way in which the NZERTF will be operated, there 

will be minimal occupant activity. For this reason, the model assumes no infiltration due to 

occupant activity. Nevertheless, the model was run with and without 0.15 ACH for occupant 

activity and it resulted in an increase of 1825 kWh (18 %) in energy use relative to the model 

with no occupant activity credit, which emphasizes the importance of correctly controlling for 

building occupancy. Table 4-7 shows the parameters used to simulate air infiltration in the E+ model.

The stack coefficient controls for the hydrostatic pressure resulting from changes in air density 

while the wind coefficient controls for the static pressure exerted by wind on the building.

12

Table 4-7 Infiltration Rates

Name 1st Floor 2nd Floor

ELA (cm2) 98.8 90.2

Stack Coeff. 0.00029 0.00029

Wind Coeff. 0.000325 0.000325

BSC used ASHRAE Standard 62.2 to determine the minimum required mechanical outdoor air 

flow rate for the entire building to be 0.039 m3/s (83 CFM). E+ requires a mechanical ventilation 

rate for each zone. The 1st floor has 52.3 % of the volume while the 2nd floor has 47.7 % of the 

volume of the occupied space. Based on these values, the required minimum outdoor air flow 

rates for each zone can be calculated based on a weighted fraction of the whole house 

mechanical ventilation as 0.021 m3/s (20.5 L/s or 43.4 CFM) for the 1st floor, and 0.019 m3/s 

(18.7 L/s or 39.6 CFM) for the 2nd floor. These values will be updated with actual mechanical 

ventilation rates once operation of HRV is verified. Currently, exhaust fans (bathroom fans or 

range hoods) is not included in the model for simplicity.

4.4.3 HVAC Equipment

Heating and air conditioning are accomplished with a multispeed air-to-air heat pump with 

dehumidification-only mode. Mechanical ventilation is delivered through a dedicated heat 

recovery ventilator (HRV). There is also a whole-house dehumidifier. The heat pump and the 

HRV each have their own dedicated ductwork. The whole house dehumidifier will not be used 

during the demonstration phase because it is duplicative. E+ does not currently allow a 

multispeed air-to-air heat pump to run in dehumidification-only mode, requiring modeling of 

separate equipment to dehumidify the occupied space. However, it is not currently possible to 

simulate a whole house dehumidifier in E+. As a result, the E+ model simulates a dehumidifier 

in each of the occupied zones (1st floor and 2nd floor). E+ does not allow more than one whole 

house air loop, which forces the splitting of the HRV system into two zone-level HRV systems. 

Figure 4-6 shows the HVAC system modeled in the E+ simulation.

 12 For more details regarding the stack and wind coefficients, see the ASRHAE Fundamentals Handbook.
26

Figure 4-6 HVAC System Layout

The HVAC air-to-air heat pump is properly sized based on the assumed design day conditions 

(i.e. oversized by 0 %). There are only 2 zones that require their temperature to be controlled by 

the HVAC equipment, the 1st floor and 2nd floor. The 1st floor is used as the controlling zone, or 

the location of the thermostat. This will result in a floating of the 2nd floor air temperatures. The 

basement is conditioned, but since the space is not finished and will not be occupied during the 

demonstration phase, it is not necessary for the setpoint temperatures to be met in the basement. 

The open web joist space and attic space are in the conditioned space, but there is supply air 

from ductwork entering those spaces and the temperatures are allowed to fully float. The E+

input list in Table 4-8 are made for the sizing of thermal loads for each conditioned zone. Note 

that there is no outdoor air flow for the heating and cooling system. All mechanical ventilation of 

outdoor air is controlled by the HRVs.

Table 4-8 Zone Sizing Parameters

Parameter Units 1st Floor 2nd Floor Basement

Zone Cooling Design Supply Air Temperature °C (°F) 12 (54) 12 (54) 12 (54)

Zone Heating Design Supply Air Temperature °C (°F) 30 (86) 30 (86) 30 (86)

Zone Cooling Design Supply Air Humidity kg-H2O/kg-air 0.008 0.008 0.008 

Zone Heating Design Supply Air Humidity kg-H2O/kg-air 0.008 0.008 0.008

Outdoor Air Method Flow/Zone Flow/Zone Flow/Zone

Outdoor Air Flow Per Zone m3/s 0.0 0.0 0.0

Cooling Design Air Flow Method Design Day Design Day Design Day

Heating Design Air Flow Method Design Day Design Day Design Day

HRV 1

1st Floor (Control Zone)

2nd Floor

Dehumidifier

Dehumidifier

Building Envelope

Cool Heat Supp.

Heat Fan HRV 2
27

The E+ input list in Table 4-9 are for the sizing of the air-to-air heat pump, which includes the 

fan and coils. The outdoor air flow rate is autosized as the sum of the zone-specific outdoor air 

flow rates, which totals to zero because the HRV system will meet all outdoor air requirements.

Table 4-9 HVAC System Sizing Parameters

Field Units Value

Type of Load to Size On Sensible

Design Outdoor Air Flow Rate m3/s Autosize

Minimum System Air Flow Ratio 0.40

Preheat Design Temperature °C (°F) 7 (45)

Preheat Design Humidity Ratio kg-H2O/kg-air 0.008

Precool Design Temperature °C (°F) 25 (77)

Precool Design Humidity Ratio kg-H2O/kg-air 0.008

Central Cooling Design Supply Air Temperature °C (°F) 12 (54)

Central Heating Design Supply Air Temperature °C (°F) 30 (86)

Sizing Option Non-Coincident

100 % Outdoor Air in Cooling No

100 % Outdoor Air in Heating No

Central Cooling Design Supply Air Humidity Ratio kg-H2O/kg-air 0.008

Central Heating Design Supply Air Humidity Ratio kg-H2O/kg-air 0.008

Cooling Design Air Flow Method Design Day

Heating Design Air Flow Method Design Day

The HVAC fan is a constant volume draw-through fan and has the E+ inputs listed in Table 4-10.

Table 4-10 HVAC Fan Parameters

Availability Always Available

Fan Efficiency 70 %

Pressure Rise 125 Pa

Maximum Flow Rate 0.42 m3/s

Motor Efficiency 90 %

Motor in Airstream Fraction 1.0

The NZERTF will have a 2-ton AAON heat pump that has 2 speeds with gas reheat for 

dehumidification control. The following tables will define the parameters for a the 2-ton, 2-speed 

heat pump based on Electrical Testing Labs (ETL) test data obtained from a NIST HVAC expert. 

These values will be updated once the system is installed and tested.

Table 4-11 shows the E+ inputs for the cooling coil, which is a multispeed air-cooled electric 

DX coil. The cooling coil is assumed to have two speeds, referred to as “low speed” and “high 

speed.” At low speed, the coil capacity is 5483 W with a rated coefficient of performance (COP) 
28

of 3.73 and a rated air flow rate of 0.23 m3/s (487 CFM). At high speed, the coil capacity is 7751

W with a rated COP of 3.69 and a rated air flow rate of 0.42 m3/s (890 CFM).

Table 4-11 Cooling Coil

Field Units Values

Availability Always Available

Condenser Type Air Cooled

Apply Part Load Fraction to Speeds Greater than 1 No

Apply Latent Degradation to Speeds Greater than 1 No

Fuel Type Electricity

Number of Speeds 2

Speed 1 Rated Total Cooling Capacity 5483

Speed 1 Rated Sensible Heat Ratio 0.7

Speed 1 Rated COP 3.73

Speed 1 Rated Air Flow Rate 0.23

Speed 1 Rated Waste Heat Fraction of Power Input 0.1

Speed 1 Evaporative Condenser Effectiveness 0.9

Speed 2 Rated Total Cooling Capacity W 7751

Speed 2 Rated Sensible Heat Ratio 0.7

Speed 2 Rated COP 3.69

Speed 2 Rated Air Flow Rate m3/s 0.42

Speed 2 Rated Waste Heat Fraction of Power Input 0.1

Speed 2 Evaporative Condenser Effectiveness 0.9

The cooling coil performance curve types can be found in Table 4-12. I am not reporting the 

specifics of each curve here because of their complexity. Details on the functions are available 

upon request.

Table 4-12 Cooling Coil Performance Curves

Cooling Coil Performance Curve Type Name Form

Total Cooling Capacity Function of Temp. Curve Heat Pump Cool Coil Cap-FT Biquadratic

Total Cooling Capacity Function of Flow Fraction Curve Heat Pump Cool Coil Cap-FF Quadratic

Energy Input Ratio Function of Temp. Curve Heat Pump Cool Coil EIR-FT Biquadratic

Energy Input Ratio Function of Flow Fraction Curve Heat Pump Cool Coil EIR-FF Quadratic

Part Load Fraction Correlation Curve Heat Pump Cool Coil PLF Quadratic

Waste Heat Function of Temperature Curve Waste Heat-FT Biquadratic

The heating coil E+ inputs can be found in Table 4-13. The heating coil is a multispeed electric 

DX coil, and as with the cooling coil, the heating coil is assumed to have two speeds, referred to 

as “low speed” and “high speed.” At low speed, the coil capacity is 4908 W with a rated COP of 
29

4.02 and a rated air flow rate of 0.21 m3/s (487 CFM). At high speed, the coil capacity is 7675 W 

with a rated COP of 4.19 and a rated air flow rate of 0.42 m3/s (890 CFM).

Table 4-13 Heating Coil

Field Units Value

Availability Always Available

Minimum ODB Temp. for Compressor Operation °C -17

Crankcase Heater Capacity W 0

Maximum ODB Temp. for Crankcase Heater Operation °C 10

Maximum ODB Temp. for Defrost Operation °C 7.22

Defrost Strategy Reverse Cycle

Defrost Control On Demand

Defrost Time Period Fraction 0.058333

Resistive Defrost Heater Capacity W Autosize

Apply Part Load Fraction to Speeds Greater than 1 No

Fuel Type Electricity

Number of Speeds 2

Speed 1 Rated Total Heating Capacity W 4908

Speed 1 Rated COP 4.02

Speed 1 Rated Air Flow Rate m3/s 0.21

Speed 1 Rated Waste Heat Fraction of Power Input 0.1

Speed 2 Rated Total Heating Capacity W 7675

Speed 2 Rated COP 4.19

Speed 2 Rated Air Flow Rate m3/s 0.42

Speed 2 Rated Waste Heat Fraction of Power Input 0.1

The heating coil performance curve types can be found in Table 4-14. The specifics of each 

curve are not reported here because of their complexity. Function details are available upon 

request.

Table 4-14 Heating Coil Performance Curves

Heating Coil Performance Curve Category Name Form

Total Heating Capacity Function of Temp. Curve Heat Pump Heat Coil Cap-FT Cubic

Total Heating Capacity Function of Flow Fraction Curve Heat Pump Heat Coil Cap-FF Cubic

Energy Input Ratio Function of Temp. Curve Heat Pump Heat Coil EIR-FT Cubic

Energy Input Ratio Function of Flow Fraction Curve Heat Pump Heat Coil EIR-FF Quadratic

Part Load Fraction Correlation Curve Heat Pump Heat Coil PLF Quadratic

Waste Heat Function of Temperature Curve Waste Heat-FT Biquadratic

Defrost Energy Input Ratio Function of Temp. Curve Heat Pump Heat Coil DefCap-FT Biquadratic
30

The supplemental heating coil is an electric resistance heating element with an efficiency of 1.0 

and an autosized capacity. The operation of the NZERTF will attempt to minimize the need for 

the supplemental heating element.

The HRV system in the NZERTF is a VENMAR AVS HRV EKO 1.5 air-to-air flat plate heat 

exchanger. The HRV transfers heat between the exhaust air and supply air to decrease the 

heating and cooling load impact of the ventilation air. The HRV is the sole source of mechanical 

ventilation and operates year-round, 24 hours a day. The effectiveness of the HRV varies by the 

air flow rate, and is assumed to be the same for heating and cooling. Exhaust air recirculation is 

used to control for frost. The air flow rates through each HRV are based on the outdoor air 

requirement for each zone defined in Section 4.4.2. The E+ input values for the HRVs are listed 

in Table 4-15.

Table 4-15 Heat Recovery Ventilator

Parameter 1st Floor 2nd Floor

Availability Schedule Name Always 

Available

Always 

Available

Nominal Supply Air Flow Rate (m3/s) 0.0205 0.0187

Sensible Effectiveness at 100% Heating Air Flow 0.72 0.72

Latent Effectiveness at 100% Heating Air Flow 0 0

Sensible Effectiveness at 75% Heating Air Flow 0.78 0.78

Latent Effectiveness at 75% Heating Air Flow 0 0

Sensible Effectiveness at 100% Cooling Air Flow 0.72 0.72

Latent Effectiveness at 100% Cooling Air Flow 0 0

Sensible Effectiveness at 75% Cooling Air Flow 0.78 0.78

Latent Effectiveness at 75% Cooling Air Flow 0 0

Nominal Electric Power 16.0 16.0

Supply Air Outlet Temperature Control No No

Heat Exchanger Type Plate Plate

Frost Control Type Exhaust Air 

Recirculation

Exhaust Air 

Recirculation

Threshold Temperature -5 -5

Initial Defrost Time Fraction 0.21875 0.21875

Rate of Defrost Time Fraction Increase 0.004261 0.004261

Economizer Lockout No No

The HRV equipment installed in the NZERTF is designed with a “boost” mode that will increase 

the outdoor air flow rate to 0.071 m3/s (70.8 L/s or 150 CFM) when the bathroom fans are 

operated. This “boost” mode is not currently included in the E+ model, which underestimates the 

energy use to meet the ventilation requirements. A sensitivity test was run to determine the 

potential impact of the boost mode by simulating the boost mode running 100 % of the time. The 

change in annual energy consumption relative to the baseline model is estimated to be 652 kWh. 

Given that the boost mode is only used when the bathrooms are in-use in the master bathroom
31

during the demonstration year (6.5 hours per week or 3.9 % of the year), the maximum impact on 

energy use would be 25 kWh or an increase of 0.2 %.

Figure 4-7 shows that E+ can allow an HRV to have bypass dampers to stop heat transfer when 

it is not beneficial to do so. For example, if the outdoor air temperature is lower than the HVAC 

exhaust air temperature in the summer and the HRV continues exchanging heat, the heat pump 

would need to cool the outdoor air that is being warmed by the stale exhaust air, thus wasting 

energy. However, these bypass dampers are not currently installed in the NZERTF.

Figure 4-7 Heat Recovery Ventilator Layout

4.4.4 Humidity

The “tight” building envelope design could lead to high humidity issues throughout the year. The 

advanced technology heat pump being installed in the NZERTF has the capability to run in 

dehumidification-only mode. However, E+ cannot currently model such advanced equipment. 

The building specifications include an Ultra-Aire 70H whole house ventilating dehumidifier. 

However, E+ can only model dehumidifiers for a single zone. The humidity level in the 

simulation model is controlled by two DX dehumidifiers, one for each floor. 

The dehumidifiers are operated based on the dehumidifying setpoint of 60 %, which is based on 

Hendron and Engebrecht (2010). The equipment is available year-round to run whenever the 

relative humidity reaches 60 % in its zone (1st floor or 2nd floor) regardless of whether the heat 

pump is running to meet the setpoint temperature and when the heat pump is not running when 

the setpoint temperature is met.

The specifications for this dehumidifier along with estimated water removal and energy factor 

curves from the Ultra-Aire 70H are used to define the parameters and performance curves shown 

in Table 4-16 and Table 4-17, which are used for the DX humidifiers in the simulation. The rated 

energy factor is assumed to be half (1.0 L (0.26 gal.) per kWh) of the Ultra-Aire equipment

rating (2.0 L (0.53 gal.) per kWh) to ensure a conservative (high) electricity consumption 

Bypass

In

Bypass

Out

Heat 

Exchanger

Outside
32

estimate. The water removal rate of 30.75 L (8.1 gal.) per day for the Ultra-Aire 70H is split 

between the 1st floor (16.08 L [4.24 gal.] per day) and 2nd floor (14.67 L [3.86 gal.] per day) 

based on occupied volume. The model assumes 100 % of compressor heat is rejected into the 

conditioned zone. The Ultra-Aire 70H dehumidifier will be located in the basement, causing the 

simulation model to slightly overestimate the temperature level in each occupied zone.

Table 4-16 Dehumidifier Parameters

Field Units 1st Floor 2nd Floor

Availability Always Available Always Available

Rated Water Removal L/day (pints/day) 16.08 (33.98) 14.67 (31.00)

Rated Energy Factor L/kWh 1.0 1.0

Rate Air Flow Rate m3/s (CFM) 0.897 (190) 0.897 (190)

Min. Dry-Bulb °C (°F) -1.1 (30.0) -1.1 (30.0)

Max. Dry-Bulb °C (°F) 32.2 (90.0) 32.2 (90.0)

Off-Cycle Parasitic Elect. Load W 0.0 0.0

The dehumidifier water removal curve and energy factor curve coefficient values are shown in 

Table 4-17.

Table 4-17 Dehumidifier Performance Curves

Curves Water Removal Energy Factor

Constant -1.281357458 -2.743752887

X 0.032064893 0.114491512

X2 -0.000280794 -0.001456831

Y 0.028356002 0.053860412

Y2 -0.000134939 -0.000244965

X*Y 0.000271496 -0.000362021

Min. X 4.4 4.4

Max. X 50 50

Min. Y 0 0

Max. Y 100 100

X= Dry-Bulb Temperature

4.5 Domestic Hot Water

The domestic hot water (DHW) system installed in the NZERTF includes a number of potential 

combinations of equipment, including 4 solar thermal collectors, two storage tanks, a heat 

exchanger, and a heat pump water heater. The remainder of this section will define the DHW 

system and the DHW consumption simulated during the demonstration phase of the NZERTF.
33

4.5.1 Domestic Hot Water Heater Equipment

The DHW system simulated in the model, as shown in Figure 4-8, has a two tank system with 

two solar thermal panels located on the west half of the front porch and an air-to-water heat 

pump with a two tank system located in the basement. The solar thermal system uses a 50/50 

water/glycol mix and indirectly heats the water in the storage tank through a heat exchanger. The 

heat pump draws water from the storage tank and will further heat the water if necessary to meet 

the target exit temperature of 48.9 °C (120 °F) for hot water use.

Figure 4-8 Domestic Hot Water Heating System

There are two tanks in the system, a 0.302833 m3 (80 gal.) storage tank pre-heated by the solar 

thermal system and a 0.189271 m3 (50 gal.) tank connected to the heat pump. The maximum 

temperature allowed is 76.6 °C (170.0 °F) for the storage tank and 71.1 °C (160.0 °C) for the hot 

water heater tank. The heat pump turns on when the water heater tank water temperature drops 

below 49.0 °C (120.2 °F) and turns off once the temperature increases to 54.0 °C (129.2 °F). The 

back-up supplemental electric heating coil will turn on if the heat pump cannot maintain the 

water temperature above 48.9 °C (120.2 °F). Based on the heat pump characteristics and the 

location, the back-up electric heater should rarely be required to meet the hot water demand. The 

Heliodyne HPAK heat exchanger is able to transfer 80 % of the energy from the solar thermal 

close-loop system.

The solar thermal collectors are Heliodyne GOBI 406 001 flat plate collectors with the 

performance characteristics in Table 4-18. The maximum flow rate is assumed to be the test flow 

rate.

Hot Water

 Heater

 Tank

Storage Tank

Water Main

Heat 

Exchang

DHW

End Uses

Tempering

Valve

Solar Collectors

Heat Pump
34

Table 4-18 Solar Thermal Collector Parameters

Field Units Value

Gross Area m2 2.50281

Test Fluid Water

Test Flow Rate m3/s 0.0000498425

Test Correlation Type Inlet

Efficiency Equation Coefficient 1 0.732

Efficiency Equation Coefficient 2 W/m2-K -4.1949

Efficiency Equation Coefficient 3 W/m2-K2 0

Incident Angle Modifier Coefficient 2 0.0581

Incident Angle Modifier Coefficient 2 -0.2744

Max Flow Rate m3/s 0.0000498425

The solar thermal loop pump operation control is based on 4 conditions. The solar collector loop

pump is turned on when the temperature in the solar collectors reaches 100 °C (212 °F). The 

solar collector loop pump is turned off when the temperature in the water heater reaches 80 °C

(176 °F). The solar collector loop pump is turned on whenever the temperature of the fluid in the 

solar collector loop is 10 °C (18 °F) greater than the water in the storage tank. The solar collector 

loop pump is turned off when the temperature of the fluid in the solar collector loop is less than 2 

°C (3.6 °F) greater than the water in the storage tank.

Two plant loops are required in the simulation: the solar collector loop and domestic hot water 

loop. The solar collector loop has a maximum temperature in the loop of 163 °C (325.4 °F) and a 

minimum temperature of -45.6 °C (-50.1 °F). The domestic hot water loop has a maximum 

temperature in the loop of 100 °C (212 °F) and a minimum temperature of 3.0 °C (37.4 °F). The 

maximum flow rate for each plant loop is autosized while the minimum loop flow rate is 0.0 m3

/s

(0.0 CFM). The loop is designed for an exit temperature, the temperature supplied to the “use 

side,” is 48.9 °C (120.0 °F) for the domestic hot water loop and 100 °C (212 °F) for the solar 

collector loop. For the solar collector loop, it is the temperature of the water that exits the storage 

tank. For the domestic hot water loop, it’s the temperature of the water that is exiting the heat 

pump.

The storage tank and the hot water heater tank are both stratified tanks with 6 nodes and have the 

parameter values listed in Table 4-19. The storage tank inlet and outlet for the solar collector 

loop are assumed to be at the highest and lowest node height, respectively. The hot water heater 

tank parameters are based on the specifications for the installed equipment in the NZERTF. 
35

Table 4-19 Storage Tank and Hot Water Heater Tank Parameters

Field Units Storage Tank Hot Water 

Tank Volume m3 0.302833 0.189271

Tank Height 1.59385 1.143

Tank Shape Vertical Cylinder Vertical Cylinder

Max. Temp. Limit 170 160

Heater 1 Setpoint Temperature °C 48.9

Heater 1 Deadband Temperature Difference Δ°C 5.0

Heater 1 Maximum Capacity W 3800

Heater 1 Height M 0.86

Heater 2 Setpoint Temperature °C 48.9

Heater 2 Deadband Temperature Difference Δ°C 10.0

Heater 2 Maximum Capacity W 3800

Heater 2 Height M 0.5

Ambient Temperature Indicator Zone Zone

Ambient Temperature Zone Name Basement Basement

Uniform Skin Loss Coefficient to Ambient Temperature W/m2-K 0.846 0.41

Skin Loss Fraction to Zone 1.0 1.0

Off Cycle Flue Loss Coefficient to Ambient Temperature W/K 0.0 0.0

Off Cycle Flue Loss Fraction to Zone 1.0 1.0

Use Side Effectiveness 1.0 1.0

Use Side Inlet Height m 0.398463 0.2286

Use Side Outlet Height m 1.46103 1.0922

Source Side Effectiveness 0.80 1.0

Source Side Inlet Height m 1.13665 0.2286

Source Side Outlet Height m 0.398463 0.2286

Inlet Mode Fixed Fixed

Use Side Design Flow Rate m3/s Autosize Autosize

Source Side Design Flow Rate m3/s Autosize Autosize

Indirect Water Heating Recovery Time hr 1.5 1.5

Number of Nodes 6 6

The uniform skin loss coefficient to the ambient temperature in W/m2-K must be calculated 

based on the standby heat loss from the storage tank of 0.2 °C/hr (0.36 °F/hr) using the following 

two step approach. First, the rate of energy loss in standby mode (Q) must be calculated using 

the following equation.

Q = V ∗ ρ ∗ cp ∗ ΔT

Where V = volume of water = 45 gal

ρ = density of water = 8.217 lb

gal �

cp = specific heat of water = 1 Btu °F ∙ lb �
36

∆T = rate of temperature decrease = 0.36 °F

hr �

Given these values, the energy loss rate in standby mode (Q) is 133 Btu/h, which converts to

39 W. The second step is to calculate the uniform skin loss coefficient to the ambient 

temperature (USL), which is calculated using the SI value of Q and the following equation.

USL = Q

A ∗ (TTank − TAmbient )

Where USL = uniform skin loss coeffient

A = tank surface area = π ∗ diameterTank ∗ height = 2.53 m2

TTank = temperature of water in tank = 330.4 K (135 °F)

TAmbient = temperature of ambient air = 292.9 K (67.5 °F)

Given these values, the uniform skin loss coefficient (USL) is 0.41 W/m2-K.

The air-to-water hot water heat pump is a Hubbell PBX 50-SL, and has the operation and 

performance parameter values listed in Table 4-20 and Table 4-21, respectively. The heat pump 

operation is based on the water temperature at the height of the second electric heating element 

(0.5 m). 

Table 4-20 Hot Water Heat Pump Operation Parameters

Field Units Value

Dead band Temperature Difference Δ°C 5.0

Compressor Set point Temperature °C 53.9

Condenser Water Flow Rate m3/s Autocalculate

Evaporator Air Flow Rate m3/s Autocalculate

Inlet Air Configuration Zone Air Only

Inlet Air Zone Name Basement

Min. Inlet Air Temp. for Compressor Operation °C 5

Compressor Location Basement

Parasitic Heat Rejection Basement

Fan Placement Draw Through

Temperature Control Sensor Location Heater 2

The heating coil for the air-to-water heat pump has a rated capacity of 1375 W and a COP of 2.6.

A factor not accounted for in the simulation model is that the heat pump will slightly dehumidify 

the basement while operating.
37

Table 4-21 Hot Water Heat Pump Coil Parameters

Field Units Value

Rated Capacity W 1375

Rated COP W/W 2.6

Rated Sensible Heat Ratio 0.85

Rated Evaporator Inlet Air DB Temp. °C 19.7

Rated Evaporator Inlet Air WB Temp. °C 13.5

Rated Condenser Inlet Water Temp. °C 57.5

Rated Evaporator Air Flow Rate Autocalculate

Rated Condenser Air Flow Rate Autocalculate

Evaporator Fan Power Included in Rated COP Yes

Condenser Pump Power Included in Rated COP No

Condenser Pump Heat Included in Heat Cap. And COP No

Condenser Water Pump Power W 0

Fraction of Condenser Pump Heat to Water 0.2

The hot water heat pump fan and DHW fan parameter values are listed in Table 4-22.

Table 4-22 Hot Water Heat Pump Fan and DHW Fan Parameters

Field Fans

Availability Always Available

Fan Efficiency 80 %

Pressure Rise 100 Pa

Maximum Flow Rate Autosize

Motor Efficiency 90 %

Motor in Airstream Fraction 1.0

There are two intermittent pumps used in the DHW system, one for the solar thermal collectors 

and one for the DHW loop. The parameter values for both pumps are shown in Table 4-23.
38

Table 4-23 Domestic Hot Water Loop Pump Parameters

Field Units DHW Solar Collector

Rate Flow Rate m3/s autosize 0.000099685

Rated Pump Head Pa 15000 15000

Rated Power Consumption W Autosize Autosize

Motor Efficiency 0.87 0.87

Fraction of Motor Inefficiency to Fluid Stream 0 0

Part Load Pref. Curve – Coefficient 1 0 0

Part Load Pref. Curve – Coefficient 2 1 1

Part Load Pref. Curve – Coefficient 3 0 0

Part Load Pref. Curve – Coefficient 4 0 0

Minimum Flow Rate m3/s 0 0

Pump control Type Intermittent Intermittent

4.5.2 Domestic Hot Water End Use

The DHW end use in the NZERTF has 5 categories: bath, shower, sinks, dishwasher, and clothes 

washer. The use schedules in terms of fraction of peak flow (FPF) are shown in Figure 4-9, and

are based on Omar (Forthcoming). The clothes washer is used 5 times a week, one load on 

Wednesday and two loads on both Saturday and Sunday. The dishwasher is used for one load 

five days a week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The sink, shower, and 

bath water draws vary by the occupancy schedule to match the target water use from Hendron 

and Engebrecht (2010).

0.0

0.5

1.0

0:001:002:003:004:005:006:007:008:009:00

10:...11:...12:...13:...14:...15:...16:...17:...18:...19:...20:...21:...22:...23:...

FPF

Shower and Bath

Shower

(Mon./Wed./Fri.)

Shower (Tues./Thurs.)

Shower (Sat.)

Shower (Sun.)

Bath (Mon.-

Tues./Thurs./Fri./Sun.)

Bath (Wed.)

Bath (Sat.)
39

Figure 4-9 Domestic Hot Water End Use Schedules – Fraction of Peak Flow

Table 4-24 defines DHW use in terms of daily water use, water temperature, and heat gain 

fractions. Hendron and Engebrecht (2010) is used to calculate daily water consumption and heat 

gains for each of the categories except for the dishwasher and clothes washer, which are based 

on Omar (Forthcoming) and the equipment’s Energy Star ratings.

0.0

0.5

1.0

0:001:152:303:455:006:157:308:45

10:0011:1512:3013:4515:0016:1517:3018:4520:0021:1522:3023:45

FPF

Sinks

Kitchen Sink (Mon.)

Kitchen Sink (Tues./Thurs.)

Kitchen Sink (Wed.)

Kitchen Sink (Fri.)

Kitchen Sink (Sat.)

Kitchen Sink (Sun.)

Master Sink (Mon.)

Master Sink (Tues./Thurs.)

Master Sink (Wed.)

0

0.5

1

0:001:152:303:455:006:157:308:45

10:0011:1512:3013:4515:0016:1517:3018:4520:0021:1522:3023:45

FPF

Cothes Washer and Dishwasher

Dishwasher (Tues./Thurs.)

Dishwasher

(Mon./Wed./Fri./Sun.)

Dishwasher (Tues./Thurs.)

Dishwasher (Sat.)

Clothes Washer (Mon-Tues.,

Thurs.-Fri.)

Clothes Washer (Wed.)

Clothes Washer (Sat./Sun.)
40

Table 4-24 Domestic Hot Water Use and Thermal Load Fractions

DHW Use Water Temp. Daily Sensible Load Latent Load 

Clothes Washer 48.9 (120.0) 35.7 (9.43) 0.0 0.0

Dishwasher 48.9 (120.0) 4.2 (1.12) 0.0 0.0

Shower 40.6 (105.0) 142.4 (37.6) 0.2127 0.005655

Bath 40.6 (105.0) 11.3 (3.0) 0.2083 0.0

Sinks 40.6 (105.0) 93.6 (24.7) 0.09869 0.00127

The sink, shower, and bath water draws are assumed to be mixed water use at 40.6 °C (105.1 °F). 

The sink flow rates are 5.7 L (1.5 gal.) per minute while the shower and bath flow rates are 6.6 L 

(1.75 gal.) per minute. The sensible and latent load fractions for the sink, shower, and bath draws 

are calculated by reverse engineering using the heat gain estimate equations in Hendron and 

Engebrecht (2010). Omar (Forthcoming) defines sink draws in 21 second intervals while the E+

model can only model at one minute increments. The consolidation of draws results in the total 

length of draws for a week being 6 seconds longer than Omar (Forthcoming), or additional hot

water use of 29.5 L (7.8 gal.). The additional DHW use will slightly overestimate electricity use 

relative to Omar (Forthcoming).

The domestic hot water use equipment is assumed to use 100 % hot water and has no sensible or 

latent heat gains resulting from the hot water use. The clothes washer is assumed to consume 

46.4 L (12.25 gal.) per cycle. Total water use is the product of the water use per cycle and the 

number of loads per year (260) for a total of 12 057 L (3185 gal.) per year or 33.0 L (8.73 gal.)

per day. The dishwasher is assumed to consume 5.9 L (1.57 gal.) per cycle. Total water use is the 

product of the water use per cycle and the number of loads per year (260) for a total of 1545 L 

(408 gal.) per year or (1.12 gal.) per day.

4.6 Solar Photovoltaic

Energy efficient design reduces but does not eliminate electricity use by the NZERTF. Solar 

photovoltaic (PV) panels are installed on the roof of the NZERTF to produce at least as much 

electricity as is consumed by the NZERTF on an annual basis.

Figure 3-2 shows that there are 32 SunPower SPR-320E-WHT-U solar PV panels installed on 

the roof of the NZERTF in 4 horizontal strings of 8 panels each. Two strings are connected to a 

SunPower 5000m LUT inverter for a total of 2 inverters. The solar panel parameters are listed in

Table 4-25.
41

Table 4-25 Solar Photovoltaic Panel Parameters

Field Units Value

Cell Type Crystalline Silicon

Number of Cells in Series 96

Active Area m2 1.472

Transmittance Absorptance Product 0.95

Semiconductor Bandgap eV 1.12

Shunt Resistance Ohms 1125

Short Circuit Current A 6.24

Open Circuit Voltage V 64.8

Reference Temperature C 25

Reference Insolation W/m2 1000

Module Current at Maximum Power A 5.86

Module Voltage at Maximum Power V 54.7

Temp. Coeff. Of Short Circuit Current A/K 0.0035

Temp. Coeff. Of Open Circuit Voltage V/K -0.1766

Nominal Operating Cell Temp. Test Ambient Temp. C 20

Nominal Operating Cell Temp. Test Cell Temp. C 45

Nominal Operating Cell Temp. Test Insolation W/m2 800

Module Heat Loss Coefficient W/m2-K 30.4

Total Heat Capacity J/m2-K 7984

The solar PV inverter parameters for the SunPower 5000m LUT are listed in Table 4-26. The 

inverter efficiency is greatest at 50 % its power and nominal voltage. The inverters are located in 

the main attic area, and the energy lost by the inverter enters the attic space.

Table 4-26 Solar Photovoltaic Inverter Parameters

Field Units Value

Availability Schedule Name Always Available

Zone Name Main Attic (Zone 4)

Radiative Fraction 0.05

Rated Maximum Continuous Output Power W 5000

Night Tare Loss Power W 0.1

Nominal Voltage Input V 438

Eff. At 10 % Power and Nominal Voltage 0.935

Eff. At 20 % Power and Nominal Voltage 0.962

Eff. At 30 % Power and Nominal Voltage 0.968

Eff. At 50 % Power and Nominal Voltage 0.969

Eff. At 75 % Power and Nominal Voltage 0.964

Eff. At 100 % Power and Nominal Voltage 0.957
42
43

5 Simulation Results

There are so many different energy efficiency measures designed into the NZERTF that it’s 

uncertain how these measures will interact and whether the house will perform at its net zero 

annual energy use goal. The E+ model is used to confirm the house’s design will perform at net 

zero.

5.1 Total Electricity Use

The annual electricity use is 10 317 kWh (36.2 kWh/m2 or 3.4 kWh/ft2

). This is 73 % lower than 

the average weather-adjusted home in the Northeast of 132.4 kWh/m2 or 12.30 kWh/ft2 (RECS,

2005). The results are even more significant because electricity is used instead of more efficient 

fuels, such as natural gas or fuel oil. In reality, the most likely heating fuel source would be 

natural gas, which is used by 60.3 % of all housing units in the Middle Atlantic census subregion 

followed by fuel oil at 25.2 % while electricity is the primary heating fuel source for only 8.6 % 

of households in the subregion (RECS, 2005). The breakdown of the general electricity use 

categories can be seen in Figure 5-1. The efficiency of the NZERTF results in HVAC operation 

(the combination of heating, cooling, fans, and heat recovery) accounting for 43 % of total 

electricity use, which is 15 percentage points lower than the average household in the Middle 

Atlantic census subregion (RECS, 2005).

Figure 5-1 Electricity Use by Category - kWh and Percentage

HVAC (heating and cooling) and DHW heating loads are the only electricity loads that vary 

significantly across months. So it is not surprising that Figure 5-2 shows that the most electricity 

1708

16%

1886

18%

472

417 5%

4%

486

5%

4767

46%

503

5%

78

1%

3

0%

Heating

Cooling

Heat Recovery

Fans

Interior Lighting

Interior Equipment

Water Systems

Pumps

Generators
44

use occurs during the coldest and warmest months (January, February, December, July, and 

August).

Figure 5-2 Total Electricity Use by Month - kWh

5.2 Lighting

Figure 5-3 shows that lighting loads are greatest on the 1st floor of the house, which accounts for 

78 % of total electricity consumption from lighting. Nearly half of total lighting loads occur in 

the kitchen (48 %) and over a quarter occur in the living room (28 %). 

Figure 5-3 Lighting Electricity Use by Room – kWh and Percentage

1061

912

757

657

751

894

1073

939

836

628

738

1068

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

11

2%

231

48%

133

28%

3

0%

31

6%

8

2%

8

2% 39

8%

19

4% Dining Room

Kitchen

Living Room

1st Floor Bath

Master Bath

Master Bedroom

2nd Floor Bath

2nd Bedroom

3rd Bedroom
45

5.3 Interior Equipment

The category with the greatest amount of electricity use (41 %) is interior equipment, which can 

be split into the 16 subcategories in Figure 5-4. Large appliances are separated out while 

miscellaneous electric loads (MELs) are grouped by room. Large appliances account for 51 % of 

electricity use by interior equipment. The clothes washer and clothes dryer account for 50 % of 

all non-MEL electrical loads while the cooking equipment (oven, cooktop, microwave, and range 

hood) account for 647 kWh of electricity consumption. MELs include televisions, cable boxes, 

hair dryers, portable electric devices, etc. The room with the greatest electricity consumption is 

the office (703 kWh), which is driven by the desktop computer, phone, and printer. There are 

large MEL loads in both the living room (567 kWh) and the master bedroom (511 kWh) because 

those are the rooms in which televisions, Blu-Ray players, and cable boxes are located.

Figure 5-4 Equipment Electricity Use - kWh

5.4 HVAC

The electricity use to meet the HVAC load, shown in Figure 5-5, is split into 4 subcategories. 

Heating accounts for 38 % of electricity used by the HVAC system while 42 % is used for 

cooling with the remainder used for the heat pump fan (7 %), HRV operation (11 %), and HRV 

fans (2 %).

1158

97

283

83

236

22

306 336

167

44

511

703

61

567

192

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Laundry - Dryer

Laundry - Washer

Kitchen - Dish Washer

Kitchen - Microwave

Kitchen - Cooktop

Kitchen - Range Hood

Kitchen - Oven

Kitchen - Refrigerator

Kitchen - MELs

Bathroom - MELs

Master Bedroom - MELs

Office - MELs

3rd Bedroom - MELs

Living Room - MELs

2nd Bedroom - MELs
46

Figure 5-5 HVAC Electricity Use – kWh and Percentage

Cooling electricity use is 4 % greater than heating electricity use even though the number of 

heating degree days for the location is over 4 times greater than the cooling degree days. There 

are two key reasons for this discrepancy: (1) building envelope is very “tight” and (2) heat 

recovery benefits are greater for heating than for cooling. The tight design of the NZERTF

exterior envelope keeps the internal gains from occupants, equipment, and DHW use within the 

NZERTF, making it easier to heat and harder to cool the NZERTF. The heat recovery system is 

more beneficial when there is a greater difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures. 

Figure 5-6 shows more hours for which the outdoor dry-bulb (ODB) temperature is lower than 

the indoor temperature as well as greater energy transfer as the ODB decreases.

Figure 5-6 HRV Hourly Energy Transfer by ODB - kWh13

 13 Data is based on a 1 hour time step because it shows the desired pattern, but requires less data than a 1 minute 

time step.

1886

42%

1708

38%

472

11%

86

2% 322

7%

Cooling

Heating

Heat Recovery

HRV Fans

HVAC Fans

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

0.80

-20 -10 0 10 20 30 40

kWh

ODB

HRV Heating

Energy - 1st Floor

[kWh]

HRV Cooling

Energy - 1st Floor

[kWh]
47

Figure 5-7 shows that the energy transferred by the heat exchanger is greatest for December 

through February, ranging from 467 kWh (1681 MJ) to 546 kWh (1967 MJ) per month. March, 

April, October, and November range from 252 kWh (908 MJ) to 364 kWh (1311 MJ). The HRV 

transfers the least amount of energy during cooling season, where May through September 

ranges from 80 kWh (288 MJ) to 174 kWh (625 MJ) per month. In some cases, the HRV actually 

works against the HVAC system during cooling season because the air entering the house is 

actually cooler than the air exiting the house.

Figure 5-7 HVAC Heat Exchanger Energy Transfer (kWh) - Monthly

The monthly cooling and heating loads can be seen in Figure 5-8 and Figure 5-9. The entire 

cooling load is met by the heat pump while heating uses the heat pump and a supplemental 

electric resistance heater. Cooling only occurs April through October with July requiring the 

greatest cooling load.

Figure 5-8 HVAC Cooling Energy (kWh) - Monthly

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

HR For Heating [kWh]

HR for Cooling [kWh]

0

500

1000

1500

2000

Cooling Energy

[kWh]
48

As can be seen in Figure 5-9, supplemental heating is only used briefly in January, February, and 

December while it is never used throughout the remainder of the heating season. The 

supplemental heating tends to be used during the coldest hours of the year. All supplemental 

heating occurs at an ODB temperature less than -10° C (14° F). No heating is required for 

months May through September.

Figure 5-9 HVAC Heating Energy (kWh) - Monthly

The total loads are greater for cooling (61 %) than for heating (39 %) due to the reasons 

discussed at the beginning of Section 5.4. As shown in Figure 5-10, cooling loads reach

1788 kWh (6437 MJ) in July while heating loads reach 1138 kWh (4097 MJ) in January. 

Figure 5-10 HVAC Energy Load by Coil (kWh) - Monthly

Figure 5-11 shows the electricity consumption to meet the monthly heating and cooling loads. It 

is odd that there is some cooling electricity consumption in nearly every month even though the 

DX cooling coil does not transfer any energy during the winter months.

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

Electric Resistance

Heating Energy

Heat Pump Heating

Energy

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

Electric Resistance

Heating Energy

Heat Pump Heating

Energy

Cooling Energy
49

Figure 5-11 HVAC Electricity Use (kWh) – Monthly

Figure 5-12 shows the monthly electricity use for the 1st floor and 2nd floor dehumidifiers, which 

are highly correlated. As would be expected, the greatest amount of dehumidification is required 

during the summer months. Some dehumidification is necessary to keep the humidity level 

below 60 % in January, February, March, October, and November, which is driven by the “tight” 

building envelope keeping the internal latent heat gains within the NZERTF during mild 

temperature months.

Figure 5-12 Dehumidifier Electricity Consumption by Floor – kWh

456 370 184 51 0 0 0 0 0 33 168 446

1

4

9 35 197

372

510

405

295

45 13

0

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Cooling [kWh] Heating [kWh]

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1st Floor Dehumidifier

[kWh]

2st Floor Dehumidifier

[kWh]
50

5.5 Internal Heat Gains

Figure 5-13 and Figure 5-14 show that the internal gains for both the 1st floor and 2nd floor of the 

NZERTF do not fluctuate significantly month-by-month, largely driven by the number of days in 

a month. The 1st floor heat gains in Figure 5-13 are driven by the electrical equipment loads 

because all the large appliances are located on that floor. 

Figure 5-13 Internal Heat Gains by Category (kWh) – 1st Floor

The 2nd floor loads in Figure 5-14 are driven by the occupant loads. Lighting results in a small 

amount of internal gains because of the efficient light bulbs used in the house (CFL and LED).

Figure 5-14 Internal Heat Gains by Category (kWh) – 2nd Floor

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Equipment [kWh]

Lights [kWh]

People [kWh]

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Equipment [kWh]

Lights [kWh]

People [kWh]
51

5.6 Solar Photovoltaic Generation

The E+ model estimates annual solar PV production of 15 471 kWh, which is 150 % of the 

house’s total electricity use (10 317 kWh). Given the assumptions used in the current simulation, 

the NZERTF not only reaches, but surpasses well beyond its net zero energy goal.14 shows that 

the solar PV electricity production varies by month. As would be expected, the summer months 

are when the most power is produced while the winter months are when production lags. 

However, even with the varying monthly production, there are only 3 months (January, 

February, and December) for which the solar PV does not produce more electricity than is 

consumed by the NZERTF.

Figure 5-15 Total Electricity Consumption and Solar PV Production (kWh) - Monthly

Alternative solar PV estimates, both through different parameter values and an alternative PV 

software model, are used to test the sensitivity of the electricity production of the NZERTF. 

Two alternative E+ solar PV modeling approaches are used to estimate electricity production. 

Assuming the “simple” solar PV modeling approach with a 19.6 % PV efficiency results in an 

estimate of 14 650 kWh (142 %). A more conservative 18.0 % PV efficiency further reduces 

electricity production to 13 500 kWh (131 %). Additionally, a simplified PV model 

(PVWATTS) was used by a NIST solar PV expert, and based on the 18.4 degree tilt of the 

NZERTF solar PV panels, the predicted production is 12 177 kWh (118 %). The actual 

efficiency performance of the solar PV panels will make a significant difference in the energy 

performance of the NZERTF. However, under all four approaches the NZERTF reaches its netzero energy goal.

 14 This is driven by the assumed solar PV performance, which can vary significantly depending on its operating 

conditions.

809

1033

1401

1525 1627 1644 1655 1540

1330 1215

870

822

1061

912

757 657 751

894

1073

939 836

628 738

1068

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

kWh

Electricity Produced [kWh] Electricity Consumed [kWh]
52

Even assuming the most conservative estimate, the home owners are able to sell a net 1860 kWh 

back to the electric utility ($292 annually at 15.69¢/kWh)15. Putting that in context, 4 of the 32 

solar photovoltaic panels could be removed from the roof and the NZERTF would still consume 

less electricity than it produced on an annual basis. An alternative use of the excess electricity 

would be to power an electric car for 5472 miles.16

5.7 Coil Capacities

The HVAC system includes 3 coils, a cooling coil, heating coil, and electric resistance 

supplemental heating coil. The E+ model assumes the primary cooling coil and heating coils are 

both multispeed DX coils with the characteristics in Table 5-1. There is a supplemental electric 

resistance heating coil to assist the heat pump either when the heat pump cannot meet the load or 

the outdoor conditions do not allow heat pump operation. The characteristics of each coil are 

based on the equipment installed in the NZERTF.

Table 5-1 HVAC System Coil Characteristics

HVAC System Coils Speed Size

W (Tons)

Nominal Efficiency

(W/W)

DX Cooling Coil High 7751 (2.2) 3.69

Low 5483 (1.6) 3.73

DX Heating Coil High 7675 (2.2) 4.19

Low 4908 (1.4) 4.02

Supplemental Electric Resistance NA 3825 (1.1) 1.00

The domestic hot water system uses a hot water heat pump and supplemental electric resistance 

heat with the characteristics shown in Table 5-2. The characteristics for the heat pump and 

supplemental heating coils are based on the equipment installed in the NZERTF.

Table 5-2 DHW Heat Pump Coil Characteristics

DHW Coils Capacity

W (Tons)

Efficiency

(W/W)

Hot Water Heat Pump 1375 (0.4) 2.60

Electric Resistance Heating Elements (2) 3800 (1.1) 0.98

5.8 Domestic Hot Water Electricity Use

The DHW system uses electricity to run the heat pump water heater and solar thermal water 

pump. Although the hot water heater has a supplemental electric resistance heater available, the 

electric heater is rarely required (44 kWh) due to the combination of an efficient heat pump and 

 15 The average price per kWh of electricity is based on data from the EIA (2011) for PEPCO during 2010. 16 Assumes an electric car gets 2.94 miles per kWh (EPA, 2012).
53

the pre-heating of water by the solar thermal system. Figure 5-16 shows that electricity used to 

meet DHW demand varies by month, and is driven solely by the heat pump water heater 

(458 kWh) because the water pumps require minimal electricity (81 kWh annually). Electricity 

use to meet DHW demand trends down as the MAT increases and then begins to rise as the MAT 

decreases. The solar thermal system transfers more energy to the storage tank, which lowers the 

amount of energy needed from the heat pump to reach the target temperature for DHW use.

Figure 5-16 Heat Pump Water Heater and Pump Electricity Use (kWh) – Monthly

5.9 Domestic Hot Water Use

Figure 5-17 shows total DHW use is 103 970 L (27 466 gal.), or 284.8 L (75.2 gal.) per day: 

54 % of which is used in baths and showers, 33 % in sinks, 12 % by the clothes washer, and 1 % 

for the dishwasher. Showers, baths, and sinks use a mix of hot and cold water while the washers 

use only hot water. The hot water use by the clothes washer would decrease if the occupants 

were to use cold water for a portion of their loads of laundry.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

kWh

Pumps

Water Heating

4.2-1%

33.3-12%

142.4-50% 93.6-33%

11.3-4%

Dishwasher - 1.57 gal/cycle (1 hr)

Clothes Washer - 12.25 gal/cycle

(45 min)

Sinks - 1.5 gpm

Showers - 1.75 gpm
54

Figure 5-17 DHW Use by L/day and Percentage

The solar thermal system generates 2575 kWh (9271 MJ) of energy with the first solar collector 

in the series generating slightly more energy transfer. Figure 5-18 shows that total energy 

production by the solar thermal system is greatest in the summer while the heat pump and 

electric resistance supplemental heating coils transfer more energy during the winter months. 

The heat pump uses 458 kWh (1649 MJ) of electricity and has an efficiency of 2.6, which means 

it adds approximately 1191 kWh (4288 MJ) of energy to the hot water over the year. The electric 

resistance supplemental heating coils consume 44 kWh (158 MJ) with a 98 % efficiency rating, 

which implies a heat transfer of 45 kWh (162 MJ). 

The annual average water temperature in the storage tank, auxiliary tank, and the water mains are 

40.1 °C (104 °F), 49.9 °C (122 °F), and 15.3 °C (60 °F), respectively. The solar thermal system 

raised the water temperature 24.7 °C of the 34.6 °C increase, or 71 %. Although this is not a 

precise calculation of the solar fraction, it is a reasonable ballpark estimate.17

Figure 5-18 Heat Transfer to DHW Tank Water (kWh) - Monthly

The solar thermal system heats the water in a storage tank before the water enters the hot water 

tank. The temperature in the storage tank varies because of day-to-day weather variations. Figure 

5-19 shows the water main temperature, temperature of the water exiting the storage tank, and 

water heater tank temperature. While the heat pump maintains the water temperature in the hot 

water tank, the storage tank temperature fluctuates due to the outdoor environment (temperature 

and solar radiance) and the water mains temperature. There are points in time at which the 

storage tank is significantly hotter than the hot water tank. In this situation, the water is tempered 

 17 The average temperature in the auxiliary tank is 1 °C (1.8 °F) greater than the target temperature.

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Heat Produced by

Solar Thermal [kWh]

Energy Transfer by

Water Systems [kWh]
55

down to the target temperature of the hot water tank, trading some system efficiency for safety 

concerns.

Figure 5-19 Water Main, Storage Tank, and Hot Water Tank Temperatures - °C

5.10 Room Temperature

Since the 1st floor is used as the control zone for the HVAC system, there may be a concern that 

the 2nd floor will have poor temperature control. As it turns out, the 2nd floor does vary slightly 

from the setpoint temperature. Figure 5-20 shows the average room temperature for the 1st floor 

and 2nd floor. The maximum difference in hourly average room temperature on the 2nd floor 

ranges between 1.8 °C (3.3 °F) lower and 1.7 °C (3.1 °F) greater than the 1st floor.

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

 01/01 01:00:00 01/16 06:00:00 01/31 11:00:00 02/15 16:00:00 03/02 21:00:00 03/18 02:00:00 04/02 07:00:00 04/17 12:00:00 05/02 17:00:00 05/17 22:00:00 06/02 03:00:00 06/17 08:00:00 07/02 13:00:00 07/17 18:00:00 08/01 23:00:00 08/17 04:00:00 09/01 09:00:00 09/16 14:00:00 10/01 19:00:00 10/16 24:00:00 11/01 05:00:00 11/16 10:00:00 12/01 15:00:00 12/16 20:00:00

Water Heater Tank [C]

Storage Tank [C]

Water Mains [C]
56

Figure 5-20 1st and 2nd Floor Mean Room Temperatures - °C

5.11 Humidity Levels

As can be seen in Figure 5-21, the humidity levels for each floor are restricted to always be 

below 60 % to ensure that the thermal comfort meets the ASHRAE 90.2-2007 Standard

requirements. Both the 1st floor and the 2nd floor dehumidifiers are necessary to maintain the 

60 % threshold, particularly during the cooling season. The humidity level is 0.4 percentage 

points lower for the second floor, on average. The 1st floor humidity level ranges from 

6.3 percentage points lower to 2.6 percentage points higher. The basement realizes lower 

humidity levels during the summer than the occupied areas because there is no air infiltration 

into the basement.

18.0

19.0

20.0

21.0

22.0

23.0

24.0

25.0

26.0

27.0

 01/01 01:00:00 01/14 14:00:00 01/28 03:00:00 02/10 16:00:00 02/24 05:00:00 03/09 18:00:00 03/23 07:00:00 04/05 20:00:00 04/19 09:00:00 05/02 22:00:00 05/16 11:00:00 05/29 24:00:00 06/12 13:00:00 06/26 02:00:00 07/09 15:00:00 07/23 04:00:00 08/05 17:00:00 08/19 06:00:00 09/01 19:00:00 09/15 08:00:00 09/28 21:00:00 10/12 10:00:00 10/25 23:00:00 11/08 12:00:00 11/22 01:00:00 12/05 14:00:00 12/19 03:00:00

1st Floor [C]

2nd Floor [C]
57

Figure 5-21 1st Floor, 2nd Floor, and Basement Relative Humidity Levels

Figure 5-22 shows that dehumidifiers are operated most frequently during the summer months to 

maintain the 60 % threshold. However, there are rare occasions during the winter months that 

dehumidification is necessary.

Figure 5-22 Hourly Humidity (%) and Dehumidifier Electricity Use (kWh) – 1st Floor

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

 01/01 01:00:00 01/13 16:00:00 01/26 07:00:00 02/07 22:00:00 02/20 13:00:00 03/05 04:00:00 03/17 19:00:00 03/30 10:00:00 04/12 01:00:00 04/24 16:00:00 05/07 07:00:00 05/19 22:00:00 06/01 13:00:00 06/14 04:00:00 06/26 19:00:00 07/09 10:00:00 07/22 01:00:00 08/03 16:00:00 08/16 07:00:00 08/28 22:00:00 09/10 13:00:00 09/23 04:00:00 10/05 19:00:00 10/18 10:00:00 10/31 01:00:00 11/12 16:00:00 11/25 07:00:00 12/07 22:00:00 12/20 13:00:00

1st Floor [%]

2nd Floor [%]

Basement [%]

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

0.80

5.0

15.0

25.0

35.0

45.0

55.0

 01/01 01:00:00 01/12 03:00:00 01/23 05:00:00 02/03 07:00:00 02/14 09:00:00 02/25 11:00:00 03/08 13:00:00 03/19 15:00:00 03/30 17:00:00 04/10 19:00:00 04/21 21:00:00 05/02 23:00:00 05/14 01:00:00 05/25 03:00:00 06/05 05:00:00 06/16 07:00:00 06/27 09:00:00 07/08 11:00:00 07/19 13:00:00 07/30 15:00:00 08/10 17:00:00 08/21 19:00:00 09/01 21:00:00 09/12 23:00:00 09/24 01:00:00 10/05 03:00:00 10/16 05:00:00 10/27 07:00:00 11/07 09:00:00 11/18 11:00:00 11/29 13:00:00 12/10 15:00:00 12/21 17:00:00

1st Floor Humidity [%] 1st Floor Dehumidifier [kWh]
58

5.12 Thermal Comfort

The goal of the temperature and humidity control is to keep the thermal comfort levels in the 

building at acceptable levels. The 1st floor is rarely “not comfortable” based on ASHRAE 55-

2004 (160 hours) because it is the control zone. The 2nd floor is “not comfortable” over 4 times 

greater than the 1st floor (650 hours or 7.4 % of the year). Figure 5-23 shows that both floors 

have the greatest number of hours that are “not comfortable” during the colder months. The 

significant number of hours that the 2nd floor is “not comfortable” may be driven by the assumed 

setpoint temperatures, which may not closely match the conditions necessary to reach 

“comfortable” conditions.

Figure 5-23 Simple ASHRAE 55-2004 Not Comfortable - Hours

The “Time Set Point Not Met during Occupied Heating” on either floor is 406 hours while the 

“Time Set Point Not Met during Occupied Cooling” on either floor is 996 hours assuming a 

variation tolerance of 0.2 °C (0.4 °F). These values are greater than the 350 hour targets based on 

the design day conditions. The 1st floor performs at the target, with 168 hours not meeting the 

cooling setpoint and 270 hours not meeting the heating setpoint. The 2nd floor has 516 hours not 

meeting the heating setpoint, but has 945 hours not meeting the cooling setpoint.

Figure 5-24 shows that the amount of time the setpoint temperatures are not met in the control 

zone (1st floor) vary by month. The greatest amount of time that the heating setpoints are not met 

occur in January followed by December and February, which is logical given that those are the 

coldest months of the year. Similarly, the greatest amount of time that the cooling setpoint 

temperatures are not met occurs in July when the monthly cooling load is greatest.

0

50

100

150

200

Hours

1st Floor

2nd Floor
59

Figure 5-24 1st Floor Time Setpoint Not Met While Occupied - Hours

Figure 5-25 shows the amount of time the setpoint temperatures are not met on the 2nd floor 

varies by month, which is greater than those for the 1st floor because it is not the control zone. 

The greatest amount of time that the heating setpoint and cooling setpoint are not met occurs in

September followed by August, July, and June. The HVAC system struggles most during the 

summer to maintain the 2nd floor temperature.

Figure 5-25 2nd Floor Time Setpoint Not Met While Occupied - Hours

5.13 Infiltration and Ventilation

Table 5-3 shows the average air flow rates (ACH) from infiltration and mechanical ventilation

throughout the year. Mechanical ventilation has the greatest impact on outdoor air flow because 

the “tight” building envelope requires mechanical ventilation to maintain the appropriate outdoor 

air flow.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Hours

Heating

Cooling

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

Hours

Heating

Cooling
60

Table 5-3 Average Outdoor Air Flow during Occupied Hours - ACH

ACH Ventilation Infiltration Total Minimum 

Air Flow

1st Floor 0.125 0.054 0.179 0.090

2nd Floor 0.141 0.057 0.198 0.102

Figure 5-26 shows that the average mechanical ventilation is relatively constant throughout the 

year for both floors of the NZERTF. The 1st floor consistently has lower mechanical ventilation 

than the 2nd floor. For the 1st floor, 8 of the 12 months have an average ventilation rate of 0.13

ACH while the other months having slightly lower ventilation rates. For the 2nd floor, 11 of the 

12 months have an average ventilation rate of 0.14 ACH while January has an average 

ventilation rate of 0.13 ACH.

Figure 5-26 Mechanical Ventilation Rate by Floor - ACH

Figure 5-27 shows the very low average monthly infiltration rates by floor of the NZERTF.

Either flow has a monthly average infiltration rate greater than 0.08 ACH. The 1st floor and 2nd

floor have nearly identical average infiltration rates, with the 2nd floor having slightly more 

infiltration rates.

Figure 5-27 Infiltration Rate by Floor - ACH

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

1st Floor

2nd Floor

0

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.1

1st Floor

2nd Floor
61

Figure 5-28 shows the heat transfer, both gains and losses, resulting from infiltration on the 1st

floor. The heat losses from infiltration are over 5 times greater than the heat gains from 

infiltration, which is likely driven by the greater heating degree days relative to cooling degree 

days. The heat transfer from infiltration for the 2nd floor has identical interpretations with slightly 

lower aggregate values as a result of less volume in the zone.

Figure 5-28 Infiltration Sensible Heat Transfer – 1st Floor (kWh)

Since the HRV system is the sole source of mechanical ventilation, its operation may work 

against the heating and cooling equipment by pulling in outdoor air that is warmer or colder than 

the target temperature of the control zone. Figure 5-29 shows that the mechanical ventilation 

increases the cooling load by a greater amount than the heating load, both in terms of monthly 

peak and on an annual basis. The more extreme the temperature outside, either low or high, the 

greater the impact of the HRV ventilation has on the thermal load of the NZERTF. This supports 

the hypothesis that the HRV works against the HVAC systems more often during the summer.

Figure 5-29 Load Changes from Mechanical Ventilation – 1st Floor (kWh)

-250

-200

-150

-100

-50

0

50

100

Heat Gain [kWh]

Heat Loss [kWh]

-50.0

0.0

50.0

100.0

150.0

200.0

Cooling Load Change

Heating Load Change
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6 Limitations

Whole building energy simulation software is limited in its abilities to estimate real world energy 

performance because it is difficult to control for all potential variables that can impact the 

thermal conditions in a building. There are a number of reasons that the estimated performance 

from the E+ model may vary from the actual performance of the NZERTF. I discuss a few 

below.

Discrepancies between the E+ model and the actual NZERTF design are the most prominent 

reasons for variations in energy performance. First, the E+ model does not include the 

stairway/foyer opening, which restricts thermal transfer between the floors and increases the 

conditioned floor area relative to the actual NZERTF design. The greater conditioned floor area 

will impact the thermal load needed to meet the thermostat set points as well as the minimum 

ventilation rates required for the HVAC equipment.

Second, air infiltration may not be accurately estimated in the E+ model. The infiltration rate due 

to building envelope leakage in the E+ model is simplified to an ELA based on the most recent 

air leakage test. However, this infiltration will not match actual infiltration the infiltration rate 

will differ depending on the outdoor weather conditions, relative pressure in the building, and 

location of the leakage areas. The E+ model currently does not control for these factors. The 

model does not account for any occupant-related infiltration, which will underestimate the total 

infiltration that will occur during the demonstration phase of the NZERTF project.

Third, building components may not perform at the manufacturer specifications. Solar PV 

production may vary drastically by weather and operating conditions. The simulation assumes 

optimal electricity production based on the TMY3 weather file. A single year may vary enough 

from the historical average to either increase or decrease solar PV performance. The solar PV 

system may be less productive than the specifications claim for some or all weather conditions, 

which would result in less electricity production than is estimated by the E+ model. There is 

minimal information available for the energy performance of the HVAC system, which could 

perform significantly better or worse than the simulation and drastically impact the NZERTF’s 

energy performance. Some components of the HVAC and DHW systems are autosized in the E+

model even though in the actual NZERTF design the system will not be sized based on the 

simulation. Interior equipment and lighting may also differ from the expected performance.

Fourth, the monitoring and control of the NZERTF systems may change due to unforeseen 

circumstances. Monitoring and controlling every aspect of the NZERTF will be a complex and

difficult task. Related problems could result in significant variations in electricity use depending 

on if systems are used more or less often than intended.

These limitations will be addressed whenever possible to improve the accuracy of the E+

simulation results. Updates based on the changes to the simulation and the related impacts on the 

results will be made as they occur.
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65

7 Discussion and Future Research

The estimated performance of the NZERTF leads to several interesting results. First, if the house 

performs up to the energy simulations estimates, the NZERTF will perform well beyond its goal 

of net zero energy use even with an all-electric household. Second, renewable energy is the key 

to reaching net zero, both from electricity production by the solar PV system and pre-heating of 

DHW by the solar thermal system. Third, the plug loads become more important as a house 

becomes more efficient, which requires more efficient appliances as well as changes to occupant 

behavior to further reduce electricity use. Fourth, internal heat gains become more important in a 

“tight” building.

The current E+ model will be useful to assist in research in a number of areas, both directly 

related to the demonstration phase of the NZERTF project as well as broader research topics.

The comparison of the E+ model performance relative to the actual performance of the NZERTF

during the demonstration phase will be beneficial for two primary reasons. First, the model can 

be used to assist in fault detection for the building components in the NZERTF. Second, the 

actual performance can be compared to the E+ model to find areas of improvement for the E+

software.

The E+ model is best used to make relative comparisons of the NZERTF to alternative building

designs. The most obvious comparison would be to an identical house that meets the Maryland 

state energy code for residential buildings. The energy performance savings can be compared to 

the additional costs of the efficiency improvements. Sensitivity analysis can be used to look at a 

number of interesting research areas. Sensitivity analysis can look at the incremental changes 

between the Maryland code compliant house and the NZERTF to determine which energy 

efficiency measures result in the greatest energy reductions, the most cost-effective measures, 

and how energy efficiency measures interact. The E+ model can also be altered to determine 

how additional energy efficiency measures would impact the energy performance of the 

NZERTF, including equipment that is already installed in the NZERTF. For example, each of the 

3 geothermal heat pump systems could be included in the analysis to determine the impacts of 

systems on the NZERTF’s energy performance. Occupant behavior can be altered to determine 

how sensitive the results are to the assumed occupant activity. Natural ventilation could be 

introduced by opening and closing windows based on the outdoor temperature to account for 

common human behavior.
66
67

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