NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy 

Efficiency & Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308

Variability in Measured Space 

Temperatures in 60 Homes

David Roberts

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Kerylyn Lay

EnerNOC 

(formerly of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory) 

Technical Report

NREL/TP-5500-58059

March 2013
NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy 

Efficiency & Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

15013 Denver West Parkway

Golden, Colorado 80401

303-275-3000 • www.nrel.gov

Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308

Variability in Measured Space 

Temperatures in 60 Homes

David Roberts

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Kerylyn Lay

EnerNOC 

(formerly of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory) 

Prepared under Task No. BE13.0102

Technical Report

NREL/TP-5500-58059

March 2013
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i

Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Office. The 

authors wish to thank David Lee (U.S. Department of Energy Team Leader, Residential 

Buildings) for his continued support. The authors also acknowledge and thank Lois Arena of 

Steven Winter Associates, who collected and provided the data used in this study.
ii

Nomenclature

A/C Air conditioning

ach50 Air changes per hour at 50 Pascals of pressure differential

AFUE Annual fuel utilization efficiency

AHU Air handling unit

CFM50 Cubic feet per minute at 50 Pascals of pressure differential

HERS Home Energy Rating System

HEST Home Energy Scoring Tool

HSP House Simulation Protocols

HSPF Heating season performance factor

HVAC Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning

IECC International Energy Conservation Code

RESNET Residential Energy Services Network

SEER Seasonal energy efficiency ratio

SHGC Solar heat gain coefficient
iii

Executive Summary

This report discusses the measured variability in indoor space temperatures in a set of 60 homes 

located in Florida, New York, Oregon, and Washington. Temperature data were collected at 15-

minute intervals for an entire year, including living room, master bedroom, and outdoor air 

temperature (Arena et al. 2010). The data were examined to establish the average living room 

temperatures for the heating and cooling seasons, the variability of living room temperatures

depending on climate, and the variability of indoor space temperatures. 

The accuracy of software-based energy analysis depends on the accuracy of input values.

Thermostat set point is one of the most influential inputs for building energy simulation. Several 

industry standards recommend differing default thermostat settings for heating and cooling 

seasons. These standards were compared to the values calculated for this analysis (see Table ES1 and Table ES-2). The data examined for this report show a definite difference between the 

climates and that the data do not agree well with any particular standard. Table ES-3 shows the 

average indoor temperature differences between the living room and master bedroom for these

homes. 

Table ES-1. Summary of Set Point Assumptions Specified in Standards

Standard

Cooling Set 

Point 

(°F)

Cooling 

Setup 

(°F)

8:00 a.m. –

5:00 p.m.

Standard

Heating 

Set Point 

(°F)

Heating 

Setback 

(°F)

8:00 a.m. –

5:00 p.m.

HSP1 76 – HSP 71 –

IECC2 75 – IECC 72 –

RESNET/HERS3 78 – RESNET/HERS 68 –

HEST4 78 84 HEST 68 60

Table ES-2. Summary of Living Room Temperatures

Dataset Cooling 

(°F) Dataset Heating(°F)

Florida 78.5 New York 65.0

New York 74.0 Oregon/Washington 63.9

Combined Florida and 

New York 76.8 Combined New York and Oregon/Washington 64.5

 

1 Hendron and Engebrecht (2010)

2 ICC (2009)

3 RESNET (2006)

4 Bourassa (2012), https://sites.google.com/a/lbl.gov/hes-public/home-energy-scoring-tool
iv

Table ES-3. Summary of Indoor Temperature Differences (Living Room – Master Bedroom)

Cooling Season Heating Season

Dataset

Mean Indoor 

ΔT 

(°F)

Standard 

Deviation 

(°F)

Dataset

Mean Indoor 

ΔT 

(°F)

Standard 

Deviation 

(°F)

Florida 0.8 1.8 New York –0.3 4.9

New York –1.0 2.2 Oregon/Washington 0.8 3.9

Combined 

Florida and 

New York

0.1 2.2

Combined New York

and 

Oregon/Washington

0.2 4.9

This dataset is not sufficient to provide a statistical validation for establishing standard set points, 

but it does contribute to the body of research characterizing set point values and provides 

valuable lessons that can be used for future experiments that support standards development.
v

Contents

Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................................................... i

Nomenclature .............................................................................................................................................. ii

Executive Summary................................................................................................................................... iii

Figures ....................................................................................................................................................... vii

Tables........................................................................................................................................................ viii

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

2 Background and Context..................................................................................................................... 2

2.1 Motivation........................................................................................................................................ 2

2.2 Objective.......................................................................................................................................... 2

2.3 Data Background ............................................................................................................................. 2

3 Cooling Season Living Room Temperature Analysis....................................................................... 4

3.1 Florida.............................................................................................................................................. 4

3.1.1 Living Room Temperature Distribution ............................................................................. 4

3.1.2 Average Hourly Living Room Temperature Profiles ......................................................... 4

3.1.3 Average Daily Temperatures.............................................................................................. 6

3.2 New York......................................................................................................................................... 7

3.2.1 Living Room Temperature Distribution ............................................................................. 7

3.2.2 Average Hourly Living Room Temperature Profiles ......................................................... 8

3.2.3 Average Daily Temperatures............................................................................................ 10

3.2.4 Combined Florida and New York Homes ........................................................................ 11

3.2.5 Living Room Temperature Distributions.......................................................................... 11

3.2.6 Average Hourly Living Room Temperature Profiles ....................................................... 13

4 Heating Season Living Room Temperature Analysis..................................................................... 15

4.1 New York....................................................................................................................................... 15

4.1.1 Living Room Temperature Distribution ........................................................................... 15

4.1.2 Average Hourly Living Room Temperature Profiles ....................................................... 15

4.1.3 Average Daily Temperatures............................................................................................ 17

4.1.4 Oregon and Washington ................................................................................................... 18

4.1.5 Living Room Temperature Distribution ........................................................................... 18

4.1.6 Average Hourly Living Room Temperature Profiles ....................................................... 19

4.1.7 Average Daily Temperatures............................................................................................ 21

4.1.8 Combined New York, Oregon, and Washington Homes.................................................. 22

4.1.9 Living Room Temperature Distributions.......................................................................... 23

4.1.10 Average Hourly Living Room Temperature Profiles....................................................... 24

5 Cooling Season Indoor Temperature Spatial Variability Analysis ................................................ 26

5.1 Florida............................................................................................................................................ 26

5.1.1 Indoor Temperature Difference Distribution .................................................................... 26

5.1.2 Average Hourly Indoor Temperature Difference Profiles................................................ 27

5.2 New York....................................................................................................................................... 28

5.2.1 Indoor Temperature Difference Distribution .................................................................... 28

5.2.2 Average Hourly Indoor Temperature Difference Profiles................................................ 29

5.2.3 Combined Florida and New York Homes ........................................................................ 31

5.2.4 Indoor Temperature Difference Distributions................................................................... 31

5.2.5 Average Hourly Indoor Temperature Difference Profiles................................................ 33

6 Heating Season Indoor Temperature Spatial Variability Analysis ................................................ 34

6.1 New York....................................................................................................................................... 34

6.2 Indoor Temperature Difference Distribution ................................................................................. 34

6.2.1 Average Hourly Indoor Temperature Difference Profiles................................................ 35

6.3 Oregon and Washington ................................................................................................................ 36

6.3.1 Indoor Temperature Difference Distribution .................................................................... 36
vi

6.3.2 Average Hourly Indoor Temperature Difference Profiles................................................ 37

6.4 Combined New York, Oregon, and Washington Homes............................................................... 39

6.4.1 Indoor Temperature Difference Distributions................................................................... 39

6.4.2 Average Hourly Indoor Temperature Difference Profiles................................................ 41

7 Case Studies ....................................................................................................................................... 43

7.1 Florida House 11............................................................................................................................ 43

7.2 New York House 21....................................................................................................................... 44

7.3 Washington House 53.................................................................................................................... 44

8 Future Work......................................................................................................................................... 46

8.1 Existing Dataset ............................................................................................................................. 46

8.2 Future Experiments........................................................................................................................ 46

9 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................... 47

References................................................................................................................................................. 48

Appendix A: House Characteristics........................................................................................................ 49

Appendix B: Indoor Temperature Variability for All Homes................................................................. 50
vii

Figures

Figure 1. Florida living room temperature distribution........................................................................... 4

Figure 2. Florida hourly living room temperature profiles...................................................................... 5

Figure 3. Florida weekend and weekday temperature profiles .............................................................. 6

Figure 4. Average living room temperatures for Florida homes during the cooling season.............. 7

Figure 5. New York living room temperature distribution ...................................................................... 8

Figure 6. New York hourly living room temperature profiles ................................................................. 9

Figure 7. New York weekday and weekend temperature profiles........................................................ 10

Figure 8. Average living room temperatures for New York homes during the cooling season ....... 11

Figure 9. Comparison of Florida and New York cooling season living room temperature 

distributions........................................................................................................................................ 12

Figure 10. Living room temperature distribution for combined cooling season dataset.................. 13

Figure 11. Comparison of hourly living room temperature profiles .................................................... 14

Figure 12. New York living room temperature distribution .................................................................. 15

Figure 13. New York hourly living room temperature profiles ............................................................. 16

Figure 14. New York weekday and weekend hourly temperature profiles.......................................... 17

Figure 15. Average living room temperatures for New York homes during heating season............ 18

Figure 16. Oregon/Washington living room temperature distribution ................................................ 19

Figure 17. Oregon/Washington hourly living room temperature profiles ........................................... 20

Figure 18. Oregon/Washington weekday and weekend hourly living room temperature profiles ... 21

Figure 19. Average living room temperatures for the Oregon/Washington homes during the 

heating season.................................................................................................................................... 22

Figure 20. Comparison New York and Oregon/Washington living room temperature distributions 

for the heating season ....................................................................................................................... 23

Figure 21. Living room temperature distribution for the combined heating season dataset ........... 24

Figure 22. Comparison of hourly living room temperature profiles during the heating season...... 25

Figure 23. Florida indoor temperature difference distribution for the cooling season ..................... 26

Figure 24. Florida average hourly temperature difference profiles for the cooling season ............. 27

Figure 25. Florida average hourly weekday and weekend temperature difference profiles for the 

cooling season.................................................................................................................................... 28

Figure 26. New York indoor temperature difference distribution for the cooling season................. 29

Figure 27. New York average hourly indoor temperature difference profiles for the cooling 

season ................................................................................................................................................. 30

Figure 28. New York Average hourly weekday and weekend indoor temperature difference profiles 

for the cooling season ....................................................................................................................... 31

Figure 29. Comparison of Florida and New York indoor temperature difference distributions for the 

cooling season.................................................................................................................................... 32

Figure 30. Indoor temperature difference distribution for the combined cooling season dataset .. 32

Figure 31. Comparison average hourly indoor temperature difference profiles for the cooling 

season ................................................................................................................................................. 33

Figure 32. New York indoor temperature difference distribution for the heating season................. 34

Figure 33. New York average hourly temperature difference profiles for the heating season......... 35

Figure 34. New York hourly weekday and weekend temperature difference profiles for the heating 

season ................................................................................................................................................. 36

Figure 35. Oregon/Washington indoor temperature difference distribution for the heating season37

Figure 36. Oregon/Washington average hourly temperature difference profiles for the heating 

season ................................................................................................................................................. 38

Figure 37. Oregon/Washington average hourly weekday and weekend temperature difference 

profiles for the heating season ......................................................................................................... 39

Figure 38. Comparison New York and Oregon/Washington indoor temperature difference 

distributions........................................................................................................................................ 40

Figure 39. Indoor temperature difference distribution for the combined heating season dataset .. 41

Figure 40. Comparison of average hourly indoor temperature difference profiles for the heating 

season ................................................................................................................................................. 42
viii

Figure 41. Florida house 11 temperature variation ............................................................................... 43

Figure 42. New York house 21 temperature variation........................................................................... 44

Figure 43. Washington house 53 temperature variation....................................................................... 45

Tables

Table ES-1. Summary of Set Point Assumptions Specified in Standards ........................................... iii

Table ES-2. Summary of Living Room Temperatures ............................................................................ iii

Table ES-3. Summary of Indoor Temperature Differences (Living Room – Master Bedroom).......... iv

Table 1. Assumed Thermostat Set Points for Heating and Cooling Seasons ...................................... 1

Table 2. Average House Characteristics for Each Climate..................................................................... 3

Table 3. Comparison of Set Point Standards and Measured Temperatures for Cooling Season .... 11

Table 4. Comparison of Set Point Standards and Measured Temperatures for Heating Season..... 22

Table 5. Complete List of Available House Characteristics ................................................................. 49
1

1 Introduction

The accuracy of whole-house building simulations often depends on the accuracy of the input 

values and how well they reflect “actual values.” Whether an input is a defaulted value or 

measured, discrepancies between the actual value and input value can occur and propagate 

throughout the simulation, creating errors in the output (Polly et al. 2011). Among the most 

influential inputs for software-based energy analysis are the thermostat set points and associated 

indoor air temperatures that drive heat loss calculations. Standards such as the Building America 

House Simulation Protocols (HSP) (Hendron and Engebrecht 2010), International Energy 

Conservation Code (IECC) (ICC 2009), and Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Standards

(RESNET 2006) require differing default thermostat settings. Similarly, the Home Energy 

Scoring Tool (HEST), an asset rating tool that assumes typical occupancy, uses default 

thermostat temperatures that the software user cannot change. Discrepancies can largely be 

attributed to inadequate data in this area. Table 1 lists the thermostat settings for each standard.

Table 1. Assumed Thermostat Set Points for Heating and Cooling Seasons

Standard Cooling Set Point 

(°F)

Cooling Setup 

(°F)

8:00 a.m. –

5:00 p.m.

Heating Set Point 

(°F)

Heating Setback 

(°F)

8:00 a.m. –

5:00 p.m.

HSP 76 – 71 –

IECC 75 – 72 –

RESNET/HERS 78 – 68 –

HEST 78 84 68 60

This report examines temperature data that were collected for an entire year in a set of 60 homes 

in three climates. The analysis sought to determine the average living room temperatures for the 

heating and cooling seasons, whether the average values vary with climate, and the variability of 

indoor air temperatures throughout these homes. This dataset is not sufficient to provide 

statistical validation of a particular standard or default assumption, but it does contribute to the 

body of research characterizing home indoor air temperatures, and provides valuable information 

for developing future experiments that could help develop standards.
2

2 Background and Context

This section provides insight into the motivation and objectives for analyzing the dataset and 

some background on its origin.

2.1 Motivation

Differences in industry standards for heating and cooling season thermostat set point 

assumptions exist in part because of the lack of data and research, and the high variability in 

occupant behaviors and indoor temperatures. Collecting data and researching thermostat set 

points and indoor temperatures provide valuable information that leads to better standards and 

improved accuracy in software-based building energy simulations.

2.2 Objective

The initial vision of this research project was to analyze the building characteristics and 

temperature data gathered for this dataset and determine if there was a relationship between the 

overall building shell U-value and the temperature variations inside the homes. No clear 

relationship was found and the focus shifted toward answering the following research questions:

• What are the average “set point”5 temperatures for heating and cooling seasons?

• Do average “set points” vary with climate?

• What is the variability of indoor air temperature within a home?

Recommendations for improving future data collection efforts were also sought to provide 

adequate data to support standards development and increase modeling accuracy.

2.3 Data Background

This dataset originates from a study that was conducted to assess the impacts of moisture on the 

thermal performance and durability of homes (Arena et al. 2010). Three U.S. regions were 

targeted for the study: hot, humid southeast (Florida), cold northeast (New York), and the marine 

Pacific Northwest (Oregon and Washington). Twenty homes in each climate were outfitted with 

five Onset HOBO U12 data loggers that recorded temperature and relative humidity at 15-minute 

intervals for an entire year during 2008 and 2009. The data loggers were installed at each house 

in the primary living space (living room), master bedroom, primary bathroom, attic, and 

basement or crawlspace, depending on the house construction and the outdoors. The HOBO U12 

has a reported accuracy of ±0.63°F from 32° to 122°F.

Short-term testing and data collection were also performed to understand additional house 

characteristics. House data that were collected included year built; size; occupancy levels;

enclosure construction; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) description; and 

enclosure and duct leakage. Table 2 shows the average building characteristics for each region, 

and Appendix A lists all the data that were collected for each house.

 

5 Set point is in quotes here because the actual thermostat set points are unknown. For purposes of this analysis 

the living room temperature sensor is assumed to best represent the set point temperature.
3

Table 2. Average House Characteristics for Each Climate

Component Florida New York Oregon/Washington

n 20 20 20

Year Built 1998 1966 1947

Size (ft2) 1989 3118 2059

Air Leakage (ach50) 6.0 6.1 11.1

Dominant Heating Type Air-source heat 

pump

Furnace Furnace

Attic R-Value (ft2·°F·h/Btu) 22 36 24

Wall R-Value (ft2·°F·h/Btu) 12 12 7

Dominant Foundation Type Slab Partially finished 

basement Basement/crawlspace
4

3 Cooling Season Living Room Temperature Analysis

This section discusses the cooling season living room temperature data analysis in detail. The 

living room temperature sensor is assumed to best represent the thermostat set point; however, 

actual set points and exact locations of the data loggers in the rooms are unknown. The 15-

minute data were averaged to obtain hourly data. The cooling season analysis was performed for 

Florida and New York homes only, because most homes in the Oregon/Washington dataset do

not have central cooling.

The cooling season is defined for purposes of this analysis as May–September for the Florida 

homes, and June–August for the New York homes.

3.1 Florida

This section describes the living room temperature distribution, hourly temperature profiles, and 

average temperatures for the Florida homes during the cooling season.

3.1.1 Living Room Temperature Distribution

Figure 1 shows the living room temperature distribution for all hours and all Florida homes 

during the cooling season. The average living room temperature is 78.5°F with a standard 

deviation of 3.2°F.

Figure 1. Florida living room temperature distribution 

3.1.2 Average Hourly Living Room Temperature Profiles

Figure 2 shows the average hourly temperature profile for each Florida house during the cooling 

season. The value at each hour is the average of the four 15-minute logger readings following the 
5

top of the hour indicated. For example, the value at 7 might be the average of readings taken at 

7:05, 7:20, 7:35, and 7:50. The 0 hour is midnight. Most Florida homes control the temperature 

to a fixed set point, except homes 1 and 18, which appear to have a setup in the morning, and 

homes 3, 7, 11, 13, and 20 which appear to rarely use their air conditioning (A/C). House 6 does 

not have central cooling, central ventilation, or room A/C units, but stays relatively cool 

compared to other Florida homes.

Figure 2. Florida hourly living room temperature profiles

Figure 3 shows a comparison of the average weekday and weekend hourly temperature profiles.

The average hourly profiles are for all the Florida homes combined. There is only a slight 

difference between the weekday and weekend temperature profiles. There is about a 2.5°F 

difference between the daily minimum and maximum temperature in all three profiles. The shape 

of the temperature profiles suggests that the living room temperature is driven by the outdoor 

temperature and occupants using thermostat setups during the day when they might not be home.
6

Figure 3. Florida weekend and weekday temperature profiles

3.1.3 Average Daily Temperatures

Figure 4 shows the daily average living room temperature for each Florida home in order of 

increasing mean temperature. The last point on the graph is the average for all the Florida homes

combined. Homes 1, 3, 7, 11, 13, and 20 all have relatively high mean temperatures and large 

spreads between the daily average minimums and maximums, which signify that they most likely 

do not use their A/C systems or turn them off for longer durations. House 6 does not have 

cooling, so the larger spread in daily temperature is expected. Homes with a small spread in daily 

temperature might signify that the occupants leave the A/C systems running continuously 

without setup periods. Overall the Florida homes have a daily average of 78.5°F, and there is 

10.3°F difference between the homes with the lowest and the highest daily means.
7

Figure 4. Average living room temperatures for Florida homes during the cooling season

3.2 New York

This section describes the living room temperature distribution, hourly temperature profiles, and 

average daily temperatures for the New York homes.

3.2.1 Living Room Temperature Distribution

Figure 5 shows the living room temperature distribution for all hours and New York homes 

during the cooling season. The average living room temperature for the New York homes is 

74.0°F with a standard deviation of 3.5°F. 
8

Figure 5. New York living room temperature distribution

3.2.2 Average Hourly Living Room Temperature Profiles

Figure 6 shows the average hourly temperature profile for each New York house during the 

cooling season. The profile shapes suggest that the living room temperatures are influenced by 

outdoor temperature and occupants instituting setups. Homes 25, 26, and 31 appear to use a setup 

in the morning when the occupants might leave for work. Homes 22, 28, 29, 32, and 37 do not 

have central cooling systems; however, homes 22, 32, and 37 have window A/C units and house 

28 has a whole-house fan. Homes 23, 27, 38, and 40 have central A/C systems, but their 

temperature profiles signify that they might not use the systems or turn them off when not at 

home, creating a larger difference between daily maximum and minimum temperatures.
9

Figure 6. New York hourly living room temperature profiles

Figure 7 shows a comparison of the average weekday and weekend hourly temperature profiles 

for all the New York homes combined. The average living room temperatures on the weekend 

are roughly 0.5°F warmer than during the week. There is about a 3°F difference between the 

daily minimum and maximum, but the shape of the temperature profiles suggests that the living 

room temperature is driven by the outdoor temperature and occupants using thermostat setups

during the day when they might not be home.
10

Figure 7. New York weekday and weekend temperature profiles

3.2.3 Average Daily Temperatures

Figure 8 shows the daily average living room temperature for each New York home in order of 

increasing mean temperature, which varies from 71.5°F to 77.0°F; the overall average is 74.0°F.

Homes with larger spreads between the daily average minimums and maximums do not have 

central A/C systems or do not typically use them continuously. 
11

Figure 8. Average living room temperatures for New York homes during the cooling season

3.2.4 Combined Florida and New York Homes

This section compares the Florida and New York homes and examines differences between the 

two datasets. It also looks at the Florida and New York homes as one dataset as a way to 

compare the data as a whole with standards that are not climate specific. Table 3 gives a 

comparison of the average cooling season living room temperature calculated for the Florida, 

New York, and combined dataset with the different industry standards.

Table 3. Comparison of Set Point Standards and Measured Temperatures for Cooling Season

Set Point Standards (°F)

HSP 76

IECC 75

RESNET/HERS 78

HEST 78/84

Measured Living Room 

Temperatures (°F)

Florida 78.5

New York 74.0

Combined Florida and New York 76.8

3.2.5 Living Room Temperature Distributions

Figure 9 shows a comparison of the living room temperature distributions for the 20 Florida 

homes and the 20 New York homes. The distributions show a clear difference between the 
12

Florida and New York living room temperatures. The Florida mean temperature is 4.5°F warmer 

than New York and the standard deviation is 0.3°F greater for the New York homes. The Florida 

distribution also has a well-defined peak occurrence at 78°F; the New York distribution is flatter 

at its peak; temperatures of 72°F, 73°F, and 74°F have about the same occurrence.

Figure 9. Comparison of Florida and New York cooling season living room temperature 

distributions 

Figure 10 shows the living room temperature distribution for the 40 combined Florida and New 

York homes dataset. The distribution is dominated by the Florida homes because of the longer 

cooling season (62% of the data).
13

Figure 10. Living room temperature distribution for combined cooling season dataset

3.2.6 Average Hourly Living Room Temperature Profiles

Figure 11 shows a comparison of the average hourly living room temperature profiles for 

Florida, New York, and for Florida and New York combined as one dataset. The shapes of these

profiles are similar. Florida is warmer than New York, but the difference between the daily highs 

and lows is smaller than it is for the New York profile by about 0.5°F. 
14

Figure 11. Comparison of hourly living room temperature profiles 
15

4 Heating Season Living Room Temperature Analysis

This section discusses the heating season “set point” data analysis in detail. The living room 

temperature sensor is assumed to best represent the thermostat set point and the 15-minute data 

were averaged to obtain hourly data. The heating season analysis was performed for New York 

and Oregon/Washington homes only, because the Florida heating use was sporadic given the 

mild climate.

The heating season is defined for purposes of this analysis as November–March for the New 

York and Oregon/Washington homes.

4.1 New York

This section describes the living room temperature distribution, hourly temperature profiles, and 

average daily temperatures for the New York homes.

4.1.1 Living Room Temperature Distribution

Figure 12 shows the living room temperature distribution for all hours and New York homes 

during the heating season. The average living room temperature for the New York homes is 

65.0°F with a standard deviation of 4.7°F. 

Figure 12. New York living room temperature distribution 

4.1.2 Average Hourly Living Room Temperature Profiles

Figure 13 shows the average hourly temperature profile for each house in New York during the 

heating season. Several of the New York households appear to heat their homes at a constant set 

point the entire day, as their temperatures varied by about ±1°F (22, 25, 31, 35, 39, and 40).
16

Several New York homes either turn their heat off or use a setback in the evening and then turn 

the heat up in the morning after they wake up (23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 30, 32, and 34). A few homes 

(29, 36, and 38) appear to turn their heat up and down throughout the day, as evidenced by

several peaks and valleys in their temperature profiles. Nineteen of the New York homes have 

either a gas or a wood fireplace, and a few temperature profiles show evidence of fireplace use in 

the evenings, with a sharp increase in temperature (21, 24, and 32).

Figure 13. New York hourly living room temperature profiles

Figure 14 shows a comparison of the average weekday and weekend hourly temperature profiles.

The New York homes tend to turn off the heat or use a setback in the evening and then turn their 

heat back up in the morning, as seen by the 4°F temperature difference between the daily highs 

and lows. The increase in temperature from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. is probably driven, in part, 

by fireplace use, or occupants turning the heat up when they come home from work in the 

evening. The weekday and weekend temperature profiles show a slight difference; the weekend 

temperature starts to increase later in the morning because people presumably sleep in and turn 

the heat up later. The weekend is also about 1°F warmer during the day, which is likely caused 

by more people being home all day, leaving the heat on and adding to internal gain.
17

Figure 14. New York weekday and weekend hourly temperature profiles

4.1.3 Average Daily Temperatures

Figure 15 shows the daily average living room temperature for each New York home in order of 

increasing mean temperature. The mean temperature for all the New York homes varies from 

59.0°F to 72.2°F, with an overall average of 65.0°F. Households with larger spreads between the 

average daily minimums and maximums may use their fireplaces frequently in the evening or 

turn their systems up and down instead of leaving them at the same set point throughout the day. 
18

Figure 15. Average living room temperatures for New York homes during heating season

4.1.4 Oregon and Washington

This section describes the living room temperature distribution, hourly temperature profiles, and 

daily average temperatures for the Oregon and Washington homes.

4.1.5 Living Room Temperature Distribution

Figure 16 shows the living room temperature distribution for all the hours and Oregon and 

Washington homes during the heating season. The average living room temperature for the 

Oregon/Washington homes is 63.9°F with a standard deviation of 4.9.
19

Figure 16. Oregon/Washington living room temperature distribution

4.1.6 Average Hourly Living Room Temperature Profiles

Figure 17 shows the average hourly temperature profile for each house in Oregon and 

Washington during the heating season. Most Oregon and Washington homes turn the heat down 

in the evening and up in the morning. Only two homes (46 and 55) appear to leave their heat on 

all day, because their temperature profiles do not fluctuate by more than ±1°F. House 53 looks 

unusually cold, but has only electric resistance heaters, which appear to be frequently turned 

down or off in the living room. House 44 has only a wood stove for heating, which explains the 

large difference in daily minimum and a relatively high maximum compared to the other homes.

Most of the homes (17 of 20) also have fireplaces, which appear to be used frequently in the 

evening. Fireplace use or occupants turning the heat up in the evening when they come home 

could explain the increase in evening temperatures.
20

Figure 17. Oregon/Washington hourly living room temperature profiles

Figure 18 shows a comparison of the average weekday and weekend hourly temperature profiles 

are for all the Oregon and Washington homes combined. The Oregon and Washington 

households tend to turn down their heat in the evening and then turn it up again in the morning, 

as seen from the 4°F temperature difference between the daily highs and lows. The weekday and 

weekend temperature profiles vary slightly; the weekend temperature starts to increase later in 

the morning, presumably because people sleep in and turn the heat up later. The weekend is also 

about a 1.5°F warmer during the day, which is likely caused by more people being home all day 

and leaving the heat on, or turning up the heat.
21

Figure 18. Oregon/Washington weekday and weekend hourly living room temperature profiles

4.1.7 Average Daily Temperatures

Figure 19 shows the daily average living room temperature for each Oregon and Washington 

home in order of increasing mean temperature. The mean temperature for all the Oregon and 

Washington homes varies from 55.0°F to 68.5°F, with an overall average of 64.0°F. Households 

with a larger spread between the daily average minimum and maximum temperatures typically 

use their fireplaces frequently in the evening or turn their systems on and off instead of leaving 

their heat on continuously. 
22

Figure 19. Average living room temperatures for the Oregon/Washington homes during the 

heating season

4.1.8 Combined New York, Oregon, and Washington Homes

This section compares New York with the Oregon/Washington homes, and examines differences 

between the two datasets. It also looks at the New York and Oregon/Washington homes as one 

dataset as a way to compare the data as a whole with standards that are not climate specific.

Table 4 compares the average heating season living room temperature calculated for the New 

York, Oregon/Washington, and the combined dataset with the different industry standards.

Table 4. Comparison of Set Point Standards and Measured Temperatures for Heating Season

Set Point Standards (°F)

HSP 71

IECC 72

RESNET/HERS 68

HEST 68/60

Measured Living Room 

Temperatures (°F)

New York 65.0

Oregon/Washington 63.9

Combined New York and 

Oregon/Washington 64.5
23

4.1.9 Living Room Temperature Distributions

Figure 20 shows a comparison of the living room temperature distributions for the New York 

and Oregon/Washington homes. The New York mean temperature is 1.1°F warmer than the 

Oregon/Washington homes. The standard deviation is large at 4.7°F and 4.9°F for the New York 

and Oregon/Washington homes. This could be due, in part, to common use of fireplaces in both 

climates, which creates a wider spread of living room temperatures.

Figure 20. Comparison New York and Oregon/Washington living room temperature distributions

for the heating season

Figure 21 shows the living room temperature distribution for the combined New York and 

Oregon/Washington dataset.
24

Figure 21. Living room temperature distribution for the combined heating season dataset

4.1.10 Average Hourly Living Room Temperature Profiles

Figure 22 shows a comparison of the average hourly living room temperature profiles for New 

York and Oregon/Washington homes separately, and New York and Oregon/Washington homes 

combined as one dataset. The New York and Oregon/Washington homes tend to turn down their 

heat at night, then up in the morning. New York homes are 1° to 2.5°F warmer than the 

Oregon/Washington homes during most of the day. 
25

Figure 22. Comparison of hourly living room temperature profiles during the heating season
26

5 Cooling Season Indoor Temperature Spatial 

Variability Analysis

This section discusses cooling season indoor temperature spatial variability. Many home energy 

simulation models assume indoor air temperature is the same throughout a house. Temperatures

within a house vary, however, possibly because of orientation, shading, multiple HVAC systems, 

HVAC supply air flow, internal loads, auxiliary heating systems, and occupant behavior.

This analysis examines the temperature differences between the living room and master bedroom 

for each house in Florida and New York, and provides insight into the temperature variability 

within each house, between homes, and between climates. The cooling season is defined in 

Section 3. 

5.1 Florida

This section describes the indoor temperature variability distribution and average hourly 

temperature difference profiles for the Florida homes during the cooling season.

5.1.1 Indoor Temperature Difference Distribution

Figure 23 shows the difference distribution between the living room and master bedroom

temperatures. The cooling season distribution includes all the hours in the cooling season and all 

homes in Florida. The Florida homes’ mean temperature difference is 0.8°F—on average the 

living room is 0.8°F warmer than the master bedroom. The standard deviation is 1.8°F.

Figure 23. Florida indoor temperature difference distribution for the cooling season
27

5.1.2 Average Hourly Indoor Temperature Difference Profiles

Figure 24 shows the average hourly indoor temperature difference profiles for all the Florida 

homes. For most Florida homes the temperature difference between the living room and master 

bedroom fluctuates by more than ±1°F throughout the day. Homes 2, 8, and 18 temperature 

differences stay fairly steady throughout the day and fluctuate less than ±1°F. Homes 1, 5, 7, and 

19 have multiple HVAC units, which could explain the large fluctuation in indoor temperature 

differences between the living room and master bedroom.

Figure 24. Florida average hourly temperature difference profiles for the cooling season

Figure 25 shows a comparison of the average weekday and weekend indoor temperature 

differences for the combined Florida homes. There is not a considerable temperature difference 

from weekday to weekend. Overall the living room is warmer than the master bedroom the entire 

day, and the average difference does not fluctuate by more than 1°F.
28

Figure 25. Florida average hourly weekday and weekend temperature difference profiles for the 

cooling season

5.2 New York

This section describes the indoor temperature variability distribution and average hourly 

temperature difference profiles for New York homes during the cooling season.

5.2.1 Indoor Temperature Difference Distribution

Figure 26 shows the indoor temperature difference distribution for all New York homes and all 

hours during the cooling season. On average, the living room tends to be cooler than the master 

bedroom by 1.0°F. The standard deviation is 2.21°F.
29

Figure 26. New York indoor temperature difference distribution for the cooling season

5.2.2 Average Hourly Indoor Temperature Difference Profiles

Figure 27 shows the average hourly temperature differences between the living room and master 

bedroom for the New York homes. For most, the master bedroom is warmer than the living 

room, and fluctuates by more than ±1°F throughout the day. In homes 24, 29, 33, and 38, the 

average indoor temperature difference stays relatively steady and fluctuates less than ±1°F.
30

Figure 27. New York average hourly indoor temperature difference profiles for the cooling season

Figure 28 shows a comparison of the average weekday and weekend indoor temperature 

differences for the combined New York homes. There is not a considerable difference between 

the weekday and weekend profiles. Overall the master bedroom is warmer than the living room 

the entire day, and the average difference does not fluctuate by more than 1°F.
31

Figure 28. New York Average hourly weekday and weekend indoor temperature difference profiles 

for the cooling season

5.2.3 Combined Florida and New York Homes

This section compares indoor temperature differences for the Florida and New York homes and 

examines the Florida and New York homes as one dataset.

5.2.4 Indoor Temperature Difference Distributions

Figure 29 shows a comparison of the Florida and New York indoor temperature difference 

distributions. For both distributions the living room is usually slightly warmer than the master 

bedroom for the Florida homes and slightly cooler than the master bedroom for the New York 

homes.
32

Figure 29. Comparison of Florida and New York indoor temperature difference distributions for the 

cooling season

Figure 30 shows the distribution for the Florida and New York homes combined into one dataset.

Figure 30. Indoor temperature difference distribution for the combined cooling season dataset
33

5.2.5 Average Hourly Indoor Temperature Difference Profiles

Figure 31 shows a comparison of the average hourly indoor temperature difference between the 

living room and master bedroom for Florida and New York homes. The living room is always 

warmer than the master bedroom for the Florida homes and colder for the New York homes. For 

a combined Florida and New York dataset, the living room and master bedroom are very close to 

the same temperature throughout the day.

Figure 31. Comparison average hourly indoor temperature difference profiles for the cooling 

season
34

6 Heating Season Indoor Temperature Spatial 

Variability Analysis

This section discusses heating season indoor temperature spatial variability. This analysis 

examines the temperature difference between the living room and master bedroom for each 

house in New York and the Oregon/Washington dataset, and provides insight into the 

temperature variability within each house, between homes, and between climates. The heating 

season is defined in Section 4. 

In addition to the possible causes for temperature variation within the homes mentioned in 

Section 5, the use of fireplaces in both the New York and Oregon/Washington datasets is likely a 

factor.

6.1 New York

This section describes the indoor temperature variability distribution and average hourly 

temperature difference profiles for the New York homes during the heating season.

6.2 Indoor Temperature Difference Distribution

Figure 32 shows the indoor temperature difference distribution for all New York homes and all 

hours during the heating season. On average the master bedroom tends to be warmer than the 

living room by 0.3°F. The standard deviation is 4.9°F. One possible explanation for this is the 

use of fireplaces or space heaters in separate rooms during the heating season.

Figure 32. New York indoor temperature difference distribution for the heating season
35

6.2.1 Average Hourly Indoor Temperature Difference Profiles

Figure 33 shows the average hourly temperature differences between the living room and master 

bedroom for the New York homes. Homes 21, 24, and 32 have fireplaces, which appear to be 

used frequently in the evenings to heat the living rooms.

Figure 33. New York average hourly temperature difference profiles for the heating season

Figure 34 shows a comparison of the average weekday and weekend indoor temperature 

differences for the combined New York homes. There is not a considerable difference between 

the weekday and weekend profiles, except that on the weekend afternoons the living room 

temperature tends to be slightly warmer. Occupants may use their fireplaces more on the 

weekends or start them earlier in the day. Overall the temperature difference fluctuates by ±1.5°F 

throughout a day.
36

Figure 34. New York hourly weekday and weekend temperature difference profiles for the heating 

season

6.3 Oregon and Washington

This section describes the indoor temperature variability distribution and average hourly 

temperature difference profiles for the Oregon and Washington homes during the heating season.

6.3.1 Indoor Temperature Difference Distribution

Figure 35 shows the indoor temperature difference distribution for all the Oregon and 

Washington homes and all hours during the heating season. On average, the living room is 0.8°F 

warmer than the master bedroom. The standard deviation is 3.9°F. Fireplace use is one possible 

reason the living room is slightly warmer on average and may be responsible for the high 

standard deviation.
37

Figure 35. Oregon/Washington indoor temperature difference distribution for the heating season

6.3.2 Average Hourly Indoor Temperature Difference Profiles

Figure 36 shows the average hourly temperature difference between the living room and master 

bedroom for the Oregon and Washington homes. House 44 has only a wood stove for heating, 

which would explain why the living room is always much warmer than the master bedroom. The 

dip in the morning hours suggests that the occupants use the stove in the evening, allowing the 

living room to cool in the morning and bringing its temperature closer to the master bedroom.

House 53 has electric resistance heaters that are used more often in the master bedroom.

However, the house 53 profile suggests that the occupants use the living room heater mostly in 

the evening. 
38

Figure 36. Oregon/Washington average hourly temperature difference profiles for the heating 

season

Figure 37 shows a comparison of the average weekday and weekend indoor temperature 

differences for the combined Oregon and Washington homes. The weekday and weekend 

profiles differ mostly from the time the occupants are most likely awake. The differential 

between the living room temperature and the master bedroom is larger during weekend daytime 

hours than during the weekday daytime hours. Occupants may use their fireplaces more on the 

weekends or spend more time in the living room, increasing internal gains. Overall the 

temperature difference fluctuates between –0.2°F and 2.0°F throughout a day.
39

Figure 37. Oregon/Washington average hourly weekday and weekend temperature difference 

profiles for the heating season

6.4 Combined New York, Oregon, and Washington Homes

This section compares indoor temperature differences for the New York and Oregon/Washington 

homes and examines the New York and Oregon/Washington homes as one dataset.

6.4.1 Indoor Temperature Difference Distributions

Figure 38 shows a comparison of the New York and Oregon/Washington indoor temperature 

difference distributions. The New York distribution is flatter, having almost equal occurrence of 

temperature difference between 3°F and –4°F. The Oregon/Washington homes have a peak 

occurrence at 1°F and then drop sharply. For both distributions, the standard deviation is quite 

high, where the mean is close to zero.
40

Figure 38. Comparison New York and Oregon/Washington indoor temperature difference 

distributions

Figure 39 shows the distribution for the New York and Oregon/Washington homes combined 

into one dataset. The overall mean for the temperature difference is close to zero at 0.2°F; 

however, the standard deviation is 4.9°F.
41

Figure 39. Indoor temperature difference distribution for the combined heating season dataset

6.4.2 Average Hourly Indoor Temperature Difference Profiles

Figure 40 shows a comparison of the average hourly indoor temperature differences between the 

living room and master bedroom for New York and Oregon/Washington homes. The temperature 

difference fluctuates between the master bedroom being warmer than the living room in the 

morning and the living room being warmer in the evening.
42

Figure 40. Comparison of average hourly indoor temperature difference profiles for the heating 

season
43

7 Case Studies

Indoor temperature variability can depend on many factors such as house characteristics and 

occupant behavior. This section looks at a few cases studies to show how the temperature within 

a house varies throughout the year and the possible causes for temperature variation within each 

house. For each case study the hourly temperature difference between the living room and master 

bedroom as a function of the temperature difference between the living room and outdoor air 

temperature was plotted for an entire year. A complete set of plots for all 60 homes is given in 

Appendix B.

7.1 Florida House 11

The indoor temperature variation in Florida house 11 (Figure 41) demonstrates the effect that 

solar gain can have on the temperature in different spaces. The occupants of house 11 rarely use 

their central A/C system and have an average living room temperature during the cooling season

of 84.7°F (see Figure 4). The master bedroom temperature is higher than the living room 

temperature only occasionally throughout the entire year. House orientation and shading are 

unknown, however, given that the occupants do not actively control space temperature and the 

living room is almost always warmer than the master bedroom implies that the living room 

receives more solar and/or internal gain.

Figure 41. Florida house 11 temperature variation
44

7.2 New York House 21

Figure 42 shows the indoor temperature variation in New York house 21 and demonstrates how 

the occupants’ use of the fireplace to heat the living room during the heating season can affect 

the indoor temperature differences. The occupants have a gas fireplace and appear to have 

frequently used it during the winter months to heat the living room, creating large temperature 

differences between the living room and master bedroom.

Figure 42. New York house 21 temperature variation

7.3 Washington House 53

The indoor temperature variation graph for Washington house 53 (Figure 43) demonstrates how 

a combination of house characteristics and occupant behavior can affect the indoor space 

temperature difference. House 53 is an old house that has no central heating or cooling system 

and has only electric resistance heaters for heating. A large number of data points show that the 

master bedroom is much warmer than the living room during the heating season. This implies 

that the occupants use the resistance heater in the master bedroom more frequently than the 

heater in the living room, and when using the heater in the master bedroom the heater in the 

living room is turned down or off. On very cold days the occupants use both the living room and 

master bedroom heaters, but not necessarily at the same time. 
45

Figure 43. Washington house 53 temperature variation
46

8 Future Work

This section discusses continued analysis and research that could be done with this existing 

dataset and includes recommendations for future experiments to collect data that would help 

improve industry standards and modeling accuracy.

8.1 Existing Dataset

This report describes several areas of research that were completed using this dataset, but there 

are opportunities for continued research. For example, further examination of possible 

relationships between housing characteristics and indoor temperatures might provide insight into 

the primary drivers of temperature variations within a home.

8.2 Future Experiments

This analysis helped identify several types of information not collected during the original study 

that would have been useful in better understanding the drivers of indoor temperature variability 

and thermostat set points. The following list gives some suggestions for future experiments and 

additional data that should be collected along with the information that was given for this dataset. 

• Collect on/off status of the space conditioning system.

• Collect thermostat settings directly from the thermostat.

• Identify the thermostat location and collect air temperature data there.

• Collect window orientation and shading information.

• Provide specific information about the placement of the temperature sensors.

• Place temperature sensors in consistent locations.

• Place a sensor near the fireplace to monitor use.

• Collect data in more rooms.

• Collect energy use data.

Collecting system status and locating a temperature sensor at the thermostat will give a better 

understanding of when the indoor space temperature is being controlled and what set points are 

being used. Adding more sensors throughout the house can provide insight into the indoor air 

temperatures driving heat loss or gain. Educated guesses were made in this analysis for 

determining fireplace use and solar heat gain influences on indoor temperature variability; 

placing sensors near the fireplace and gathering information about the house orientation and 

window placement, and ideally insolation levels at the site, will provide insight into how these 

factors influence indoor temperatures.
47

9 Conclusion

The analysis discussed in this report sought to answer several research questions pertaining to 

house indoor air temperature variability. For the given set of 60 homes, located in Florida, New 

York, and Oregon/Washington, the average living room temperature was calculated for each 

home, climate, and heating or cooling season. The cooling season analysis showed that the 

average Florida living room temperature was 78.5°F (see Figure 1), and the average living room 

temperature for New York was 74.0°F (see Figure 5) yielding a 4.5°F difference between the two 

climates. Using the Florida and New York homes as one dataset gave an overall cooling season 

average living room temperature of 76.8°F (see Figure 10). The heating season analysis showed 

that the average New York living room temperature was 65.0°F (see Figure 12), and the average 

living room temperature for Oregon/Washington was 63.9°F (see Figure 16), a 1.1°F difference 

between the two climates. Combining the New York and Oregon/Washington homes into one 

dataset yielded an overall heating season average living room temperature of 64.6°F (see Figure 

21). These results show that set point temperatures vary with climate, and there is quite a bit of 

disagreement between industry standards and the heating season values calculated in this report 

(see Table 4), suggesting more research is needed.

This report also sought to characterize the spatial variability of indoor air temperature by looking 

at the difference between the living room and master bedroom temperatures. During the heating 

season the average indoor temperature difference was close to 0°F; however, the standard 

deviation was 4.9°F. This could be due to fireplace use in the winter. The standard deviation for 

the cooling season was 2.2°F, less than half that of the heating season. For the cooling season 

analysis the master bedrooms tended to be about 1°F cooler than the living room in Florida and 

1°F warmer in the New York homes. The reason is unknown, but house orientation, occupant 

behavior, HVAC airflow variability, and other house characteristics could be factors.
48

References

Arena, L.B.; Karagiozis, A.; Mantha, P. (2010). Monitoring of Internal Moisture Loads in 

Residential Buildings-Research Findings in Three Different Climate Zones. Washington, DC: 

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Bourassa, N. (May 2012). Personal Communications: HEST Documentation re set points.

Berkeley, CA: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Email.

Hendron, B.; Engebrecht, C. (2010). Building America House Simulation Protocols. Golden, 

CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-550-49426; DOE/GO-102010-3121.

[ICC] International Code Council. (2009). International Energy Conservation Code. Country 

Club Hills, Ill.: International Code Council, Inc.

Polly, B.; Kruis, N.; Roberts, D. (2011). Assessing and Improving the Accuracy of Energy 

Analysis for Residential Buildings. Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 

NREL/TP-5500-50865; DOE/GO-102011-3243.

RESNET. (2006). 2006 Mortgage Industry National Home Energy Rating Systems Standards.

Oceanside, CA: Residential Energy Services, Inc.
49

Appendix A: House Characteristics

This appendix (Table 5) provides the complete list of housing characteristics that were gathered 

in the original study (Arena et al.).

Table 5. Complete List of Available House Characteristics

1. Zip Code 30. Window U-Value 59. Domestic Hot Water Type

2. State 31. Window SHGC 60. Domestic Hot Water Fuel

3. Year of Construction 32. Attic Insulation 61. Domestic Hot Water Venting

4. Total Basement Area 33. Attic Insulation Depth 62. Kitchen Stove Fuel

5. Conditioned Basement Area 34. Attic R-Value 63. Clothes Dryer Fuel

6. Basement Ceiling Height 35. Foundation Insulation Type 64. Fireplace or Stove

7. 1st Floor Area 36. Foundation Insulation R-Value 65. Fireplace/Stove Venting

8. 1st Floor Ceiling Height 37. Crawlspace Insulation 66. # Room Air Conditioners

9. 2nd Floor Area 38. # AHUs 67. Room A/C Location

10. 2nd Floor Ceiling Height 39. AHU Types 68. # Humidifiers

11. Other Area 40. Heating Fuel Type 69. Humidifier Location

12. # of Bedrooms 41. AHU Location 70. # Dehumidifiers

13. # of Bathrooms 42. Duct Location 71. Dehumidifier Location

14. # of Occupants 43. Heating Unit Make 72. Dryer Vented

15. # of Adults 44. Heating Unit Model 73. Bath Fan Vented

16. # of Children 45. Heating Input 74. Range Hood Vented

17. # of All-day Occupants 46. AFUE/HSPF 75. Evidence of Mold

18. # of All-day Adults 47. Cooling Unit Make 76. Location of Mold

19. #of All-day Children 48. Cooling Unit Model 77. Bath Fan CFM

20. Foundation Type 49. Cooling Output 78. Bath Fan Control

21. Moisture Sources 50. SEER 79. Blower Door House Pressure

22. Primary Floor Covering 51. Duct Leakage 80. Blower Door Fan Pressure

23. Floor R-Value 52. Central Humidifier 81. Blower Door Ring

24. Primary Siding 53. Central Humidifier 

Type/Location

82. ACH50

25. Structure 54. Central Dehumidifier 83. Blower Door CFM50

26. Frame Wall R-Value 55. Central Dehumidifier 

Type/Location

84. Blower Door Leakage Notes

27. Block Wall R-Value 56. Central Mechanical Ventilation 85. Logger Locations

28. Window Type 57. Central Mechanical Ventilation 

Location

86. Logger ID #’s

29. Window Frames 58. Duct Leakage Notes 87. House ID #’s
50 

Appendix B: Indoor Temperature Variability for All 

Homes

Appendix B gives the indoor temperature variation for all the homes in Florida, New York and 

Oregon/Washington. 

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room - 

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 1 - Orlando, FL, 1978, Single Story 

2196 ft2 

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room - 

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 2-Orlando, FL, 1965, Single Story 

2237 ft2 

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_livng_room - 

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 3 - Orlando, FL, 1981, Single Story 

2744 ft2 

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room - 

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 4 - Orlando, FL, 1990, 1st Floor 1272 

ft2, 2nd Floor 614 ft2 

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room - 

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 5 - Orlando, FL, 2006, 1st Floor 1720 

ft2, 2nd Floor 1320 ft2 

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room - 

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 6 - Orlando, FL, 1995, 1st Floor 1206 

ft2, 2nd Floor 583 ft2 
51

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 7 - Orlando, FL, 1989, 1st Floor 1661 

ft2, 2nd Floor 805 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 8 - Gainesville, FL, 2007, Single Story 

1242 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 9 - Gainesville, FL, 2006, Single Story 

1583 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 10 - Gainesville, FL, 2006, Single 

Story 1538 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 11 - Gainesville, FL, 2007, Single 

Story 1538 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 12 - Gainesville, FL, 2006, Single 

Story 1241 ft2
52

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 13 - Gainesville, FL, 2006, Single 

Story 1538 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 14 - Gainesville, FL, 2006, Single 

Story 1538 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 15 - Edgewater, FL, 2004, Single 

Story 1785 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 16 -Tampa, FL, 2003, 1st Floor 1111 

ft2, 2nd Floor 1111 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T-living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T-living_room - T_ambient

House 17 -Tampa, FL, 2003, 1st Floor 1111 

ft2, 2nd Floor 1111 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 18 -Orlando, FL, 2006, 1st Floor 

1065 ft2, 2nd Floor 1441 ft2
53

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 19 - Orlando, FL, 2006, 1st Floor 

1544 ft2, 2nd Floor 1970 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 20 -Orlando, FL, 1980, Single Story 

1000 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-25 0 25 50 75

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 21-Syracuse, NY, 1956

1306 ft2 basement, 653 ft2 conditioned , 

1st Floor 1306 ft2, 2nd Floor 763 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-25 0 25 50 75

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 22-Syracuse, NY, 1924

696 ft2 basement, 348 ft2 conditioned, 1st 

Floor 696 ft2, 2nd Floor 696 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-25 0 25 50 75

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 23-Syracuse, NY, 1970, 

1144 ft2 conditioned basement, 1st Floor 

1144 ft2, 2nd Floor 1144 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-25 0 25 50 75

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 24-Syracuse, NY, 1971, 

1270 ft2 conditioned basement, 1st Floor 

1270 ft2, 2nd Floor 1270 ft2
54

-20

-10

0

10

20

-25 0 25 50 75

T-living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 25-Syracuse, NY, 1991, 

1040 ft2 conditioned basement, 1st Floor 

1040 ft2, 2nd Floor 520 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-25 0 25 50 75

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 26-Syracuse, NY, 1971, 

1260 ft2 conditioned basement, 1st Floor 

1260 ft2, 2nd Floor 1260 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-25 0 25 50 75

T-living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 27-Syracuse, NY, 1973, 

1172 ft2 basement, 586 ft2 conditioned, 1st 

Floor 1172 ft2, 2nd Floor 1172 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-25 0 25 50 75

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 28-Syracuse, NY, 1990, 

1160 ft2 conditioned basement, 1st Floor 

1160 ft2, 2nd Floor 1160 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-25 0 25 50 75

T-living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 29-Syracuse, NY, 1930, 

1st Floor 1080 ft2, 2nd Floor 680 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-25 0 25 50 75

T-living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 30-Syracuse, NY, 1974, 

1100 ft2 basement, 550 ft2 conditioned, 1st 

Floor 1100 ft2, 2nd Floor 972 ft2
55

-20

-10

0

10

20

-25 0 25 50 75

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 31-Syracuse, NY, 1989

1068 ft2 unconditioned basement, 1st 

Floor 1620 ft2, 2nd Floor 1068 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-25 0 25 50 75

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 32-Syracuse, NY, 1922, 

865 ft2 conditioned basement, 1st Floor 

865 ft2, 2nd Floor 783 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-25 0 25 50 75

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 33-Syracuse, NY, 1970, 

1000 ft2 conditioned basement, 1st Floor 

2034 ft2, 2nd Floor 988 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-25 0 25 50 75

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 34-Syracuse, NY, 1971, 

1126 ft2 conditioned basement, 1st Floor 

1402 ft2 1126 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-25 0 25 50 75

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 35-Syracuse, NY, 1975, 

1296 ft2 conditioned basement, 1st Floor 

1296 ft2, 2nd Floor 1102 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-25 0 25 50 75

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 36-Syracuse, NY, 1973, 

980 ft2 unconditioned basement, 1st Floor 

980 ft2, 2nd Floor 780 ft2
56

-20

-10

0

10

20

-25 0 25 50 75

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room -T_ambient

House 37-Syracuse, NY, 1964, 

957 ft2 conditioned basement, 1st Floor 

957 ft2, 2nd Floor 1331 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-25 0 25 50 75

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 38-Syracuse, NY, 1949, 

1596 ft2 conditioned basement, 1st Floor 

1596 ft2, 2nd Floor 450 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-25 0 25 50 75

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 39-Syracuse, NY, 1988, 

1603 ft2 conditioned basement, 1st Floor 

1603 ft2, 2nd Floor 1603 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-25 0 25 50 75

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 40-Syracuse, NY, 1975, 

1380 ft2 basement, 690 ft2 conditioned, 1st 

Floor 1380 ft2, 2nd Floor 1380 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 42-Portland, OR, 1914, 

1080 ft2 conditioned basement, 1st Floor 

1080 ft2, 2nd Floor 500 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 43-Portland, OR, 1912, 

Single Story 865 ft2
57

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_Living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 44-Portland, OR ,1919, 

300 ft2 unconditioned basement, 1st Floor 

640 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 45-Portland, OR, 1926, 

800 ft2 unconditioned basement, 1st floor 

1170 ft2, 2nd Floor 900 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 46-Portland, OR, 1912, 

700 ft2 unconditioned basement, 1st Floor 

1122 ft2, 2nd Floor 1122 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 47-Portland, OR, 1940, 

1137 ft2 basement, 500 ft2 conditioned, 1st 

Floor 1137 ft2, 2nd Floor 578 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

T_living_room 

-50 -25 0 25 50

-

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 48-Portland, OR, 2007, 

1st Floor 1412 ft2, 2nd Floor 842 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 49-Seattle, WA, 1929, 

1430 ft2 unconditioned basement, 1st 

Floor 1430 ft2, 2nd Floor 550 ft2
58

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 50-Seattle, WA, 1963, 

1290 ft2 basement, 620 ft2 conditioned, 1st 

Floor 1296 ft2, 1290 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_roomT_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 51-Seattle, WA, 1904, 

1260 ft2 unconditioned basement, 1st 

Floor 1260 ft2, 2nd Floor 1000 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 52-Redmond, WA, 2007, 

970 ft2 conditioned basement, 1st Floor 

970 ft2, 2nd Floor 1290 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 53-Ballard, WA, 1915, 

770 ft2 conditioned basement, 1st Floor 

770 ft2, 2nd Floor 700 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 54-Snohomish, WA, 1989, 

1st Floor 970 ft2, 2nd Floor 670 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 55-Redmond, WA, 1987, 

900 ft2 conditioned basement, 1st Floor 

1240 ft2, 2nd Floor 1150 ft2
59

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 56-Portland, OR, 2002, 

1st Floor 638 ft2, 2nd Floor 904 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 57-Portland, OR, 1911, 

924 ft2 unconditioned basement, 1st Floor 

924 ft2, 2nd Floor 680 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 58-Portland, OR, 1911, 

1180 ft2 basement, 900 ft2 conditioned, 1st 

Floor 1180 ft2, 2nd Floor 630 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 59-Portland, OR, 1926, 

884 ft2 unconditioned basement, 1st Floor 

932 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_livng_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 60-Seattle, WA, 1997, 

1st Floor 1886 ft2, 2nd Floor 960 ft2

-20

-10

0

10

20

-50 -25 0 25 50

T_living_room -

T_master_bedroom

T_living_room - T_ambient

House 61-Portland, OR, 1976, 

1st Floor 990 ft2, 2nd Floor 840 ft2