HVAC Sizing

Methodology for
Insulated
Concrete Homes

U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Office of Policy Development and Research
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 HVAC Sizing Methodology

for Insulated Concrete Homes

Prepared for:
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Policy Development and Research

Prepared by:
John Gajda, Medgar Marceau, and Martha VanGeem

Construction Technology Laboratories, Inc.

Skokie, Illinois

February 2004

 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

Acknowledgments. Project co-sponsors were the Portland Cement
Association (PCA), the Insulating Concrete Form Association (ICFA), the
Concrete Foundation Association (CFA), and the National Concrete
Masonry Association (NCMA). The authors wish to thank Mr. Dave
Shepherd of the Portland Cement Association for his support, and the
reviewers for their helpful comments:

James Baty Tilt-Up Concrete Association

Maribeth Bradfield consultant to the National Concrete Masonry Assoc.
John Broniek IBACOS, Inc.
Kelvin Doerr Reward Wall Systems, Inc.
Dianne Griffiths Steven Winter Associates, Inc.
John Hogan City of Seattle
David Jarmul American Polysteel, LLC
Tom Kenney NAHB Research Center
Scott Makintubee Guaranteed Watt Saver Systems, Inc.
Mark Ross Architectural / Residential Tech, Inc.
Pieter Vanderwerf Buildingworks, Inc.
Bruce Wilcox Berkeley Solar Group
Bob Wright R. W. Wright Design

Disclaimer. The contents of this report are the views of the contractor and
do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development or the U.S. Government.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE OF WORK .................................................................... 1

Background ......................................................................................................................1
Thermal Mass and Residential HVAC Equipment Sizing...............................................2
METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................. 3

Original Approach: Regression........................................................................................4

Present Approach: Modeling ...........................................................................................4
Limitations .......................................................................................................................5
Software Assumptions .....................................................................................................5
HVAC system ..............................................................................................................6
Number of zones ..........................................................................................................6
Ducts ............................................................................................................................6
Unconditioned spaces ..................................................................................................6
Shape of house .............................................................................................................6
Occupancy....................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................... 6

APPENDIX A – LITERATURE REVIEW.................................................................... A-1

APPENDIX B – THERMAL MASS IN CONCRETE AND MASONRY.................... B-1

APPENDIX C – MASS HVAC SIZER USER’S MANUAL ........................................ C-1

APPENDIX D – LICENSING AGREEMENT .............................................................. D-1

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE OF WORK

The objective of this work was to compile available information regarding energy use in concrete
homes, develop additional information as needed, and use this information to develop a
methodology to properly size heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment for
concrete homes in the US and Canada.

The authors prepared a literature review on thermal performance of insulated concrete walls and
on sizing HVAC equipment in residential construction. The literature review, attached as
Appendix A, identifies and briefly summarizes published information on (i) thermophysical
properties of concrete and concrete walls, (ii) thermal behavior of concrete walls, including work
performed to support the development of energy codes, (iii) general information on sizing
HVAC equipment independent of construction type, and (iv) sizing HVAC equipment for
insulated concrete homes. Appendix B is a summary of thermal mass in concrete and masonry.

The authors developed an Excel-based program intended for use by residential contractors to
estimate the required heating and cooling system capacity for single-family concrete homes. The
capacity is based on a user-defined thermostat set point, the house dimensions, construction
materials, and location (US and Canada). The program uses the DOE2.1E (Winkelmann, 2002)
program modules to determine energy loads for equipment sizing. A recent version of Microsoft
Excel for Windows (such as Excel 97, 2000, or XP) is required to use the program. The program
User’s Manual is attached as Appendix C.

Background
Insulated concrete walls are increasingly being utilized as an alternative to wood frame walls in
residential construction. Insulated concrete walls include insulating concrete form (ICF) walls,
cast-in-place insulated concrete walls, insulated precast concrete walls, autoclaved aerated
concrete (AAC) walls, and insulated concrete masonry (CMU) walls. Houses constructed with
concrete wall systems are both disaster resistant and energy efficient. Energy efficiency is
imparted by the inherent thermal mass, high levels of insulation, and low air infiltration of these
walls.

Considerable work has been performed by a variety of researchers to compare the energy
performance of concrete homes to that of wood framed alternatives. The consensus is that the
inherent energy-saving properties of insulated concrete walls can result in HVAC equipment
being downsized by as much as 15 to 40% in concrete homes in comparison to identical wood
framed homes.

Unfortunately, widely used HVAC sizing methods such as Manuals J and S (Rutkowski, 2002
and Rutkowski,1995) and the ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals (ASHRAE, 2001) are either
cumbersome or do not account for the thermal mass, high levels of insulation, and/or low air
infiltration of the insulated concrete walls. Even worse, many builders and HVAC contractors
size HVAC equipment based on a “rule-of-thumb” developed for wood framed homes that

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

equates equipment size with square footage of living space. The net result is an inefficient
HVAC system that is typically oversized. An oversized HVAC system will have a higher initial
cost than a correctly sized system, and it will consume more energy than necessary to maintain
thermostat set points. Additionally, an oversized system will have a shortened “on” time, which
can lead to larger temperature swings and reduced thermal comfort. Air conditioning systems
with short “on” times do not remove enough moisture from the indoor environment, which can
promote moisture problems and increase the probability of occupant respiratory problems.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has a long history of supporting the
development of information and technology related to energy-efficient affordable housing. HUD
supports insulated concrete construction because it is energy-efficient and affordable. This
project extends HUD’s work through the creation and distribution of guidelines and
methodology for properly sizing HVAC equipment in insulated concrete homes.

Thermal Mass and Residential HVAC Equipment Sizing

Properties of the exterior mass walls that affect the energy use of the house include the type and
thickness of insulation, thermal mass, and air infiltration. Wood and metal frame walls are
considered low-mass walls. Heat loss through a frame wall is dependent on the amount of
insulation and air infiltration. More insulation typically means less heat loss and less energy
required for heating and cooling. The benefits of using more insulation are well publicized by
insulation manufacturers and consumers understand these benefits. However, thermal mass also
has a significant effect on the heating and cooling energy. The concept of thermal mass is less
publicized and is poorly understood by consumers. Walls with high thermal mass, such as
concrete walls, have the ability to store and later release heat. This ability tends to moderate
indoor air temperatures, and reduces energy associated with heating and cooling.

Thermal mass is not a new concept; it has been used for centuries to build comfortable living
environments. For example, traditional adobe houses in Mexico and the Southwest have thermal
mass walls typically constructed of very thick sun-dried clay, sand, and straw bricks. Adobe
houses moderate indoor air temperatures by capturing and slowing the transfer of heat. Similarly,
concrete and stone houses in the Mediterranean and other parts of the world moderate indoor
temperatures.

The effects of thermal mass is illustrated in Figure 1 where the heating and cooling energy to
maintain an indoor air temperature of 70°F is shown over a 48-hour period for two houses in
Boulder, Colorado: one has frame walls and the other has mass walls. Assuming average U.S.
energy costs (from 2000) of $0.786 per therm for natural gas and $0.082 per kilowatt-hour for
electricity, heating and cooling costs for the two-day period are $7.54 for the frame wall, and
$5.96 for the mass wall. The frame wall has a U-factor of 0.078 Btu/hr·ft2·°F and a heat capacity
(measure of thermal mass) of less than 1 Btu/ft2·°F, while the mass wall has a U-factor of
0.090 Btu/hr·ft2·°F and a heat capacity of 29 Btu/ft2·°F. Although the mass wall has less
insulation (that is, a higher U-factor), the total heating and cooling energy and costs for the house

2 February 2004
 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

with the mass walls are significantly less. Thermal mass of the mass wall moderates the indoor
temperature, reducing the load on the heating and cooling equipment.

In many locations, less peak energy and therefore smaller equipment sizing is required for
heating and cooling a house with mass walls compared to a house with frame walls of similar
thermal resistance. As shown in Figure 1, peak heating generally occurs at approximately 5 AM
and peak cooling generally occurs in the mid-afternoon. The mass wall required less peak energy
for this house, climate, and daily outdoor temperatures. The peak heating generally occurs on a
cold, cloudless night in January, and the peak cooling generally occurs on a warm, sunny, humid
afternoon in July or August.

40
0.32

Heating and Cooling Energy Cost, U.S. Dollars per Hour

Heating and Cooling Energy, Thousand Btus per Hour

Mass Wall
35 Frame Wall
0.28
Extra Energy
Required
30
0.24

25
0.20

20
0.16

15 0.12

10 0.08

5 0.04

0 0.00
12:00 AM 6:00 AM 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 12:00 AM 6:00 AM 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 12:00 AM

April 1st April 2nd

Figure 1: Comparison of Heating and Cooling Energy and Costs for Identical Houses with Mass
and Frame Walls in Boulder, Colorado.

METHODOLOGY
The starting point in developing the HVAC sizing methodology was to establish a base-line
comparison between the results from two widely-used HVAC sizing methods, Manuals J and S
and the ASHRAE Load Calculation Method, with DOE2.1E, the industry-standard energy
analysis tool for buildings.

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

Manual J is a detailed procedure that takes into account construction materials, climate, glass,
duct, infiltration, and internal loads. Although Manual J includes factors for calculating loads
using many combinations of CMU, brick, ICFs, and 4-in. uninsulated and insulated concrete
walls, it does not consider mass effects when calculating heating loads. Manual S (Rutkowski,
1995) is used to determine the size and type of equipment once the heating and cooling loads are
determined. However, the heating and cooling loads are based on steady-state winter and
summer design temperatures, respectively. Manuals J and S do not consider hourly and daily
temperature swings, and therefore do not accurately account for the thermal mass of concrete
wall systems.

The ASHRAE method also assumes static conditions. However, DOE2.1E is capable of
simulating dynamic, hourly conditions. In the preliminary analysis we considered average and
design weather conditions. From these results, we determined that only DOE2.1E was capable of
adequately modeling the dynamic nature of mass walls.

Original Approach: Regression

One option for sizing methodology consisted of performing all of the initial modeling at the
beginning, summarizing and simplifying the data, and creating a computer program based on the
reduced data. This approach would involve performing a series of DOE2.1E modeling runs for a
representative set of the ASHRAE 90.1-2001 climate zones so that heating and cooling loads
could be determined per unit area of wall for a variety of wall types and orientation, and for a
variety of window types, shading, and orientation. This information would then be supplemented
with calculations for other building envelope loads, occupant loads, and infiltration loads to size
the heating and cooling equipment for the house.

Preliminary modeling indicated that this methodology was sound for the trial location (Chicago,
Illinois). The modeling was therefore extended to nine wall types, one standard window type,
and 29 climate locations representing the normal range of climatic conditions experienced in the
US and Canada. This modeling generated an enormous amount of data, which we began to
summarize and analyze. While analyzing the data, we realized that the results could not be
summarized effectively into a simple and accurate form. Hence, we conceived the present, and
more direct, approach.

Present Approach: Modeling

The present approach incorporates the DOE2.1E calculation engine directly into the program.
The user-interface is a Microsoft Excel worksheet. The user inputs thermostat set points, house
dimensions, construction materials, and location. Excel macros pass the user inputs to the
DOE2.1E modules. The modules calculate the heating and cooling loads of the space for each
hour of a year and simulate operation and response of the equipment and systems that control
temperature and humidity and distribute heating, cooling and ventilation to the building. Excel
macros return the results back to the worksheet for interpretation and further analysis.

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

A special license was purchased to distribute derivative programs that use the DOE2.1E program
modules. A copy of the distribution statement is included in Appendix D. The license allows the
distribution of DOE2.1E as part of a software package that utilizes it.

The software and user manual were sent to 13 reviewers, and comments were received from all
reviewers or their representatives. The majority of their comments have been included. Typical
comments related to inputs, layout, structure, and ease of use. Several reviewers compared the
results to those of other software, and most compared favorably. In general, comments were
positive and encouraging.

Limitations
An Excel-based program was developed for residential contractors to estimate the heating and
cooling system capacity for single-family concrete homes. Assumptions were made to simplify
the inputs. The intent was to make the program easy to use and, therefore, widely used. This
program takes a different approach than other HVAC sizing methodologies, such as Manuals J
and S and the ASHRAE Load Calculation Method. These sizing methodologies were developed
for low-mass frame walls and utilize the summer and winter design conditions. Design
conditions are predicted to be exceeded approximately 1% of the time (88 hours) in a typical
8760-hour year.* To account for the thermal mass imparted by concrete walls, this program
utilizes hourly weather data for a full typical year. These hourly data are commonly utilized in
energy modeling software and are based on typical mean (average) conditions from the past 30
years (TMY2 data). This is more representative of actual conditions in which the HVAC system
will be operating. Although insulated concrete walls moderate indoor temperatures, during
extended periods of extreme hot or cold temperature conditions that last two or more days, the
walls may become “fully loaded” and indoor temperatures may fluctuate outside of the desired
temperature ranges. Mass walls store heat that can be released in later portions of the day. “Fully
loaded” in this sense means the walls have reached their full potential to store heat.

In general, most occupied houses will not have the same heating and cooling loads as predicted
by energy simulation software. This is due to many reasons including, but not limited to the
following:

1. Variations in house occupant use, such as number of occupants, appliance use, setting
back thermostats, optimal use of windows and doors, and optimal use of window shades.
2. The construction of the as-built house as compared to the construction as modeled.

Software Assumptions
The authors used DOE2.1E software as a basis for the project software. Many assumptions were
made to simplify user input. The following is an overview of the major assumptions.

*
The actual design conditions typically chosen vary from 0.4% to 2% of the hours in a year.

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

HVAC system. The HVAC system is a residential-type system with direct expansion air-
cooled air conditioning and forced-air heating. The HVAC system is controlled by a typical
residential thermostat with 2°F throttling range.

Number of zones. The furnace and air conditioner condition the house as a single zone.
Basements surfaces, if present, are considered part of the conditioned space.

Ducts. Ducts for air distribution are located within the conditioned space. Ducts located in
unconditioned spaces such as attics and garages contribute to distribution losses that will
increase energy use.

Unconditioned spaces. The program does not model heat transfer to unconditioned spaces,
such as unconditioned basements and attached garages. However, the user’s manual
(Appendix C) contains some suggestions on how to overcome this limitation. For example, if the
basement is not conditioned, the user may choose to model the basement as a slab-on-grade. An
unconditioned attached garage tends to lower the peak heating load and increase the peak cooling
load. Therefore, to model this situation the user can (i) ignore the exterior walls of the garage and
(ii) consider the area of walls between the garage and the house to be completely shaded or on
the north-facing wall (or the wall that is closest to north-facing).

Shape of house. Assuming the house is box-shaped greatly simplifies the effort of describing
the geometry of the house. This assumption is acceptable if the house is roughly box-shaped.
However, even if the house is not box-shaped and as a consequence a significant part of some
wall is mostly shaded by another part of the building, the results will tend to be conservative for
cooling (that is, cooling capacity may be over-sized) and neutral for heating. The user manual
advises to check the validity of this assumption in non-box-shaped houses by running the
program as described above and then running the program again after revising the inputs to place
a portion of the walls and windows that are significantly shaded on the north wall. The user can
then compare the output from these different runs and determined the validity of the results.

Occupancy. Occupant energy consumption for uses other than heating and cooling were
assumed to range on a daily basis from 960 to 32,000 Btu/hr. This maximum value is from
ASHRAE 2001 Handbook of Fundamentals (ASHRAE, 2001) and the daily schedule is from
ASHRAE Standard 90.2 (ASHRAE, 1993). There are a maximum of four occupants in the house
(in the evening, at night, and in the morning) and a minimum of one (during the day).

REFERENCES
ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 90.2-2001, Energy Efficient Design of New Low-Rise Residential
Buildings, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers,
Atlanta, GA, 1993. www.ASHRAE.org

ASHRAE 2001 Handbook of Fundamentals, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and

Air-Conditioning Engineers, Atlanta, GA, 2001. www.ASHRAE.org

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

Rutkowski, Hank, Manual S Residential Equipment Selections, Air-Conditioning Contractors of

America, Arlington, VA, 1995. www.acca.org

Rutkowski, Hank, Manual J Residential Load Calculation, 8th edition, Air Conditioning
Contractors of America, Arlington, VA, 2002. www.acca.org

Winkelmann, F., “DOE2.1E-119,” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Science and Technology
Software Center, Oak Ridge, TN, 2002.

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

APPENDIX A – LITERATURE REVIEW

This literature review identifies and briefly summarizes published information on
(i) thermophysical properties of concrete and concrete walls, (ii) thermal behavior of concrete
walls, including work performed to support the development of energy codes, (iii) general
information on sizing heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment independent
of construction type, and (iv) sizing HVAC equipment for concrete homes. Sources of
information include documents available from the Portland Cement Association (PCA)
(www.cement.org), Construction Technology Laboratories, Inc. (CTL) (www.CTLgroup.com),
and a focused literature review. The literature review yielded many case studies of specific
concrete products or buildings that saved energy through the use of thermal mass or passive solar
design. These case studies are not included in this report.

A1. CONCRETE WALLS

References to detailed information on all aspects of concrete homes can be found on one of the
Portland Cement Associations’ websites (www.concretehomes.com/publications/). Information
for homebuilders on concrete construction is covered in Residential Concrete (National
Association of Home Builders, 1998). The Portland Cement Association's Guide To Concrete
Homebuilding Systems (VanderWerf and Munsell, 1995) contains a thorough description of the
various concrete systems. This fully illustrated book describes these modern systems and gives
advice to the homebuilder on choosing and using them. Based on comprehensive research
involving hundreds of builders, architects, tradespeople, real estate agents and buyers, this book
provides data to aid in design and decision-making. The book covers the entire range of concrete
systems—from concrete masonry and poured-in-place, to shotcrete and precast, plus the latest
information on insulating concrete forms (ICFs). The book describes each system's design,
discusses how it has worked in the field, and explains where to get additional technical
information. A detailed source of technical information on ICFs can be found in Insulating
Concrete Forms Construction Manual (VanderWerf and Munsell, 1996) and Insulating Concrete
Forms for Residential Design and Construction (Vanderwerf et al, 1997). More information on
ICFs is available from the Insulating Concrete Form Association at www.forms.org.

Conventional concrete and concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls can be insulated on the inside, on
the outside, or have insulation between two layers of concrete (sandwich panel walls). ICFs have
a layer of rigid foam insulation on the outside, a layer of concrete in the middle, and a second
layer of foam on the inside. Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) has an air void matrix rather
than sand and gravel commonly used in conventional concrete. The density of AAC is in the
range of 30 to 50 pounds per cubic foot compared to conventional concrete with a density of
approximately 140 pounds per cubic foot. Figures A1 through A4 provide cross-sections of eight
types of insulated concrete walls (Gajda, 2001).

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

Gypsum Wallboard
Plaster
Wood Furring or 2x4 Wood
AAC Framing w/ Fiberglass Insulation
(Where Required)
Stucco
CMU

Stucco

83 4 in. 10-13 in.

AAC CMU

Figure A1: Typical AAC and CMU Wall Sections

Gypsum Wallboard Gypsum Wallboard

Concrete Polystyrene Board

Insulation
Molded Polystyrene
Insulation Concrete

Aluminum or Aluminum or
Vinyl Siding Vinyl Siding

1018 in. 1118 in.

Waffle Grid ICF Flat Panel ICF

Figure A2: Typical ICF Wall Sections

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

Gypsum Wallboard Plaster

Polystyrene Board Concrete

Insulation
Polystyrene Board
Concrete Insulation

Stucco Wood Sheathing

Aluminum or
Vinyl Siding

9 in. 73 8 in.

Interior Insulation Exterior Insulation

Figure A3: Typical Cast in Place Wall Sections

Plaster Plaster

Concrete Concrete

Polystyrene Board Polystyrene Board

Insulation Insulation

Concrete Concrete

Stucco

83 4 in. 121 4 in.

Engineered Sandwich Panel Typical Sandwich Panel

Figure A4: Typical Sandwich Panel Wall Sections

A2. THERMOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE WALLS

The first step in developing a methodology to size HVAC equipment in a concrete home is to
understand the unique thermal behavior of concrete walls. The thermal behavior of concrete
walls depends on the thermophysical properties of the components of the walls. Thermophysical
properties include thermal conductivity, density, and heat capacity. The term “thermal mass” is
commonly used to mean the ability of a material to store significant amounts of thermal energy

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

and delay heat transfer through a building component (ASHRAE, 1999). Concrete, masonry,
adobe, and logs have much more thermal mass than other building materials so they modulate
temperature swings within a building. Thermal mass is also effective in commercial buildings
because it moderates internal loads generated by occupants, lighting, and equipment. Thermal
resistance (R-values) and thermal transmittance (U-factors) do not take into account the effects
of thermal mass, and by themselves, are inadequate in describing the heat transfer properties of
construction assemblies with significant amounts of thermal mass (VanGeem, 1987).
Appendix A provides more information on thermal mass.

An extensive compilation of thermophysical properties of masonry and its constituents is

presented in Assessment of the Thermal and Physical Properties of Masonry Block Products
(Valore et al., 1988). The data were collected from about 50 references dating from 1935 to
1985. The tables in the report list the thermophysical properties of cement paste; various sands,
aggregates, and clays; perlite; vermiculite; concrete; and masonry units. A summary of
properties, the effect of moisture, and how they are measured is also available (VanGeem and
Fiorato, 1983). The American Concrete Institute (ACI) Committee 122 on Energy Conservation
has published a guide on thermal properties of concrete and masonry systems (ACI, 2002). The
guide includes chapters on thermal conductivity, R-values, thermal mass, passive solar, and
condensation. An up-to-date source of thermophysical data on masonry, concrete, and concrete
constituents can be found in Chapter 25 of the 2001 ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals
(ASHRAE, 2001).

A3. THERMAL BEHAVIOR OF CONCRETE WALLS

The impetus for research on the thermal behavior of concrete walls came with the awareness of
energy conservation due to the energy crisis in the early 1970’s. The U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE) supported research on energy conservation, insulation, behavior of mass walls, and
passive solar design.

Passive solar design refers to the use of the sun's energy to heat a building when needed. The
building itself, or some integral element of it, takes advantage of thermophysical properties of
materials and exposure to the sun. Concrete is an ideal material to use because of if its high heat
capacity and density and its relatively low conductivity. These three properties together account
for thermal mass—the key property affecting the thermal behavior of concrete walls.

A3.1 Influence of Energy Codes

Jeff Christian of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) (Christian, 1991) recounts the history
of DOE-sponsored research on thermal mass and illustrates how it lead to the inclusion of
thermal mass credits in two concurrent energy codes: the Model Energy Code (CABO, 1995)
[now the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)] and ASHRAE Standard 90.2, Energy
Efficient Design of New Low-Rise Residential Buildings (ASHRAE, 1993):

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

From the beginning of 1979, there was considerable private industry debate over
the magnitude of the effect of envelope mass on annual heating and cooling loads
of buildings. The result was an experimental database consisting of thermal
performance measurements on 14 test houses in two locations with various
amounts of external wall mass; detailed measurements on a massive 4,000-ft2
office/dormitory; independent consistency checks on the measurements; validation
of a variety of building simulation models; several extended simulated databases
of full-size, single-family residences; and several simplified techniques for
predicting the effect of exterior thermal mass on annual heating and cooling loads.
The simplified technique used to develop the Thermal Mass Credit Tables in the
then proposed Model Energy Code was the simplified technique that is most
consistent with the DOE-2.1C simulated database used to develop the envelope
component recommendations in ASHRAE Standard 90.2.

BLAST, DOE-2.1, and DEROB can simulate mass effect tendencies. More than
100 comparisons of model predictions with measured experimental data were
made. The periods of comparison varied from one day to two weeks. The
cumulative comparison of all test periods, test houses, and models predicted 1.5%
above the measured loads, and 8896 of these comparisons fell within ±25% of the
measured loads.

Results of DOE thermal mass research showed that if all building parameters
remain constant, exterior wall mass improves or maintains the annual thermal
performance of buildings. Thermal mass in the exterior walls does not save
energy if the building load is continuously a gain or a loss for all hours of the
day. An insulated mass wall is most effective with the insulation outside the mass.

In 1992, the U.S. Congress passed the U.S. Energy Conservation and Production Act. This
legislation mandated each state certify that it has a commercial building energy code that meets
or exceeds the ASHRAE Standard 90.1. This, in effect, made the requirements in ASHRAE 90.1
the minimum energy requirements for the US for the buildings it covers: all buildings except
low-rise residential. In this sense low-rise residential is three stories or less above grade.
ASHRAE 90.1 specifies requirements for energy use and conservation, and includes criteria for
lighting, HVAC systems, and heat loss through walls. The current benchmark for the federal
mandate is ASHRAE Standard 90.1-1999. The legislation also recommended that each state have
a residential energy code that meets or exceeds the requirements of the Model Energy Code
(MEC), now the IECC. Much of the work done on thermal mass and the behavior of concrete
walls has been done to support the requirements for mass walls in these energy codes.

The status of residential energy codes by states is available from the Building Codes Assistance
Project (BCAP) (www.bcap-energy.org/backissues.html) and is presented in Table A1. Some
states, such as Florida and California, have independently developed and adopted their own
energy codes. Some states and jurisdictions do not yet have residential energy codes despite the
federal requirement.

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

Prescriptive requirements in early energy codes penalized concrete and masonry by specifying
minimum R-values regardless of the type of wall system. Recent energy codes like
ASHRAE 90.1, however, account for thermal mass of concrete and masonry (Gajda and
VanGeem, 1995). The codes also recognize that thermal mass behavior depends on climate, wall
heat capacity, and insulation position.

Table A1: Residential Energy Code Adoption, Autumn 2002

MEC Version or Equivalent State Code States Adopted or Adopting

2000 IECC, IRC or equivalent state code

19 States (NM, CA, OR, WA, ID, ND, FL, KY, MD, NC, SC,
adopted or under review or in rulemaking for
NH, NY, PA, TX, UT, GA, WI, RI)
statewide adoption/equivalence
1998 IECC 1 State (OK)
95 MEC,
8 States and DC (CT, MA, MN, NJ, OH, VA, VT, HI)
Mandatory statewide adoption/equivalence
95 MEC,
1 States ( LA2)
Partial adoption/equivalence
93 MEC,
3 States (DE, KS, MT,)
Mandatory statewide adoption/equivalence
92 MEC,
4 States (AR, IA, IN, TN)
Mandatory statewide adoption/equivalence
No statewide residential code or residential 14 States (AZ1, 3, AK1, AL3, CO3, IL3, ME, MI, MO1, MS3, NE1,
code is not EPAct compliant NV, SD, WV3, WY3)

1. State code is required for state-owned and -funded buildings only.

2. LA has adopted 95 MEC for multi-family residential only.
3. Code implementation depends upon the voluntary adoption of the code by local jurisdictions.
(Source: http://www.bcap-energy.org/backissues.html Sept./Oct. 2002)

A3.2 Laboratory Research

Concrete walls have a relatively low R-value yet can perform as well as frame walls with higher
R-values in many climates. The process for getting this concept adopted by codes was to perform
laboratory studies and then use applicable computer models to show these mass effects. These
computer models were then used to generate criteria for acceptance by codes.

Results of laboratory tests of building envelope components under steady-state and dynamic
temperature conditions have been used to develop methods to accurately predict heat losses and
gains through the building envelope. PCA, DOE, and others sponsored tests (VanGeem, 1984;
VanGeem 1985; VanGeem, 1986) to measure the thermal characteristics of 21 wall assemblies.
Walls included different types of concrete, masonry and wood-frame walls and two standard
calibration assemblies, and were tested using a calibrated hot box in general accordance with
ASTM C976, “Standard Test Method for Thermal Performance of Building Assemblies by
Means of a Calibrated Hot Box.” The measured steady-state values were used to calculate
average heat transmission coefficients. These heat transmission coefficients from testing are

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

compared with the heat transfer coefficients calculated from material properties of the individual
components making up the assembly. The transient and diurnal dynamic tests provide data on
thermal performance under controlled conditions that simulate actual temperature changes in
building envelopes. Measured heat flow through the walls is compared to heat flow predicted by
steady-state analysis. The difference between measured and predicted heat flow is shown to be
due in general to thermal storage capacity (thermal mass) of the wall assembly.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) (Kosny et al., 1998), under the sponsorship of DOE,
measured the dynamic thermal performance of an 8 ft by 8 ft insulated concrete form (ICF)
system using a calibrated hot box. Test results were compared to calculations using the finite
difference computer code HEATING 7.2. The test method and computer modeling results were
in good agreement. This ICF wall had a clear wall R-value of 12 hr·ft2·ºF/Btu. Computer and test
results were used to define a thermally equivalent wall with a simple multilayer structure with
the same thermal performance as the ICF wall with the complex three-dimensional heat flow
structure. This thermally equivalent wall and lightweight wood frame walls with R-values from
2.3 to 29.0 hr·ft2·ºF/Btu were modeled as part of single-family houses for six representative U.S.
climates. The heating and cooling loads from the analyses were used to estimate the R-value of a
wood frame wall that would have the same thermal load as the ICF wall. This was then said to be
the “effective R-value” of the ICF wall. These “effective R-values” for the ICF wall ranged from
16 to 23 depending on the climate. These values are not the true R-values of the ICF wall, since a
true R-value is a physical property determined from steady-state tests. This paper also analyzed
the effect of a 20% reduction in uncontrolled air infiltration of an ICF house compared to a wood
frame house. This reduction was based on blower door tests of seven ICF houses. These results
indicated wood frame walls would require R-values in the range of 26 to 44 to perform as well as
the R-12 ICF wall.

A3.3 Analytical Studies

The PCA sponsored an analytical program (Wilcox, 1987; Wilcox and VanGeem 1997; Wilcox
and VanGeem, 1998) to determine whether or not thermal mass tables in the MEC fairly
represent the performance of ICF walls and, if not, to propose an alternative approach. ICF walls
have a high insulation R-value and significant thermal mass. In the MEC, the wood frame wall
requirements are in the form of an overall U-factor and are a function of heating degree-days and
whether the building is single-family or multifamily. The MEC includes three mass wall
insulation requirement tables for exterior, interior, and integral insulation, which depend on
heating degree-days. The intent of the MEC mass wall tables is to produce a total annual heating
and cooling load for a mass wall in a home equal to the lightweight wall. For this study, Wilcox
performed computer simulations using DOE2 and BLAST to determine the relative performance
of ICF and wood frame walls in a prototypical house in a range of climates. The BLAST results
fall between the MEC integral and interior insulation position table values. The DOE2 results are
consistent with the MEC interior insulation table. The authors recommend that the interior
insulation position be used for showing compliance of ICF walls with the MEC.

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

The PCA sponsored another analytical program (Gajda, 2001) to model a typical 2,450 square-
foot single-family house for energy consumption in twenty-five cities, representing the twenty-
five ASHRAE 90.1-1999 zones across the US and Canada. In each location, the house was
modeled using DOE2.1E software with eleven different exterior wall systems: conventional
wood frame walls, steel frame walls, autoclaved aerated concrete walls, concrete masonry unit
walls, insulating concrete form (ICF) walls, and insulated concrete hybrid walls with exterior
insulation, interior insulation, or internal insulation. Walls were designed with typical materials
to meet or exceed the minimum energy code requirements of the 2000 IECC for U.S. locations
and the 1997 Model National Energy Code of Canada for Houses for Canadian locations.
Annual energy use of the otherwise identical homes was calculated on an hourly basis using
DOE2.1E to determine the effects of exterior wall R-value and thermal mass. Analyses showed
that energy for heating and cooling accounted for 20 to 70% of the total annual energy cost,
depending on location. Other occupant energy uses such as appliances and hot water accounted
for the remainder, with a higher percentage of occupant energy use in milder climates. Due to the
thermal mass, houses with concrete walls had lower heating and cooling costs than houses with
frame walls, except for locations where the concrete walls were extremely under-insulated.
Building orientation and uncontrolled air infiltration were also shown to have a significant effect
on house energy use.

Government reports published in the 1980s (Flanders, 1980; Childs et al, 1983) explained the
theory behind thermal mass. The thermal time constant is a good indicator of a wall’s thermal
mass. The time constant is related to the material’s thermal diffusivity and thickness. Thermal
diffusivity is a function of density, specific heat, and thermal conductivity. CTL has also
prepared proprietary reports on wall systems using simplified methods that are now outdated
(VanGeem, 1996, Greenblock; VanGeem, 1996, ICFA).

A3.4 Field Studies

Statistical comparisons sponsored by PCA (VanderWerf, 1997) indicate that constructing the
exterior walls of a house with insulating concrete forms (ICFs) instead of conventional wood
frame will reduce the amount of energy consumed for space heating by approximately 44%, and
for space cooling (where applicable) by approximately 32%. Values are averages for houses
constructed across the US and Canada. All ICF homes were constructed with a wall system made
of pure foam (no foam-cement composites). The statistics derive from analysis of 58 homes: 29
ICF and 29 wood frame. The investigators solicited participation so each ICF house would be
compared with one frame house that was (1) nearby, (2) of similar square footage, and (3) of
new construction (less than 6 years old). They then adjusted the energy consumption of each
house to control for differences in size, design, foundation, number of occupants, thermostat
settings, and HVAC equipment. The corresponding estimated dollar savings for ICF homes
averaged approximately $221 per year for heating energy and (where applicable) $89 for cooling
energy. Energy savings on a percentage basis were independent of climate. Absolute savings will
be higher in extreme climates, where total bills are higher. Responses to open-ended questions
revealed differences in reasons for why owners had positive feelings about their homes.

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

Four demonstration projects were coordinated by the NAHB Research Center (NAHB, 1997)
with sponsorship provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
and PCA to evaluate the use of ICF in residential construction. The demonstration homes are
located in Virginia Beach, Virginia; Austin, Texas; Sioux City, Iowa; and Chestertown,
Maryland. Construction details of the homes were documented and also photographed. After
construction, thermographic imaging and air infiltration tests were performed. Homeowners were
interviewed concerning their impressions of the design, construction, thermal comfort, sound
comfort, and overall satisfaction with their homes. Homeowners were generally pleased with
their homes and cited reduced transmission of “street noise” and being part of new technology.
Builders, and general contractors where appropriate, were also interviewed and they provided
information on the construction process and construction costs, including concrete mixing,
placement, use of forms, and code requirements. Costs of constructing homes with ICFs were
compared to typical framing by project location. Builders did not have difficulty in selling these
homes, and plan to continue using this construction. Thermographic imaging showed ICF walls
have fewer cold spots than frame construction. However, testing also showed that construction
details at window and door openings, penetrations, and foundations had a significant impact on
energy use. Blower door tests on the demonstration homes indicate winter infiltration rates
ranged from 0.15 to 0.55 air changes per hour.

The NAHB Research Center (NAHB, 1999) conducted a study to compare cost, energy
performance, and thermal comfort of ICF walls to conventional wood-frame exterior walls.
Three identical homes except for the wall construction were built adjacent to each other in
Chestertown, Maryland. Walls consisted of an ICF plank system, an ICF block system, and
conventional 2 by 4 lumber construction. Energy monitoring was installed in the three homes,
which were unoccupied. Annual energy used on an hourly basis was modeled using BLAST in
conjunction with site weather data to compare predicted and actual energy use of the homes. The
measured and calculated energy performance were similar, and the ICF homes were
approximately 20% more energy efficient than the wood-frame house. This was expected due to
the higher R-value of the ICF walls. The continuous insulation at the slab also contributed to
energy savings of the ICF homes. The effects of ground coupling were not significant. Results
from air leakage tests were similar for the three homes. One ICF home and the wood frame home
were also monitored to provided data for thermal comfort analysis in accordance with ASHRAE
Standard 55-1992, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Comfort. The ICF home
showed significantly better performance in comfort measures than wood frame homes.

The ORNL Buildings Technology Center (Desjarlais et al, 2002) compared the energy
performance of houses with ICF and typical wood frame construction. The project included field
monitoring of two identical 1094-ft2 houses except for the walls; one has ICF walls and the other
has wood frame walls with a concrete masonry unit foundation. The sponsors teamed with the
Loudon County Habitat for Humanity, Inc. to construct the two adjacent single-story houses in
Knoxville, TN. The whole-wall R-values of the ICF and R-11 wood frame walls were 15.0 and
10.6 hr·ft2·F/ Btu, respectively. The houses were monitored for energy use for one calendar year,
during which they were unoccupied and operated on identical heating and cooling schedules. The
ICF house used 7% less energy than the wood frame house. Measured results were compared to

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

DOE2 energy analyses and found to be in good agreement. Using DOE2 to extrapolate results to
other climates, total annual energy savings for the ICF house was predicted to be 1.5 to 11%.
These results include all house and occupant energy uses. Predicted energy savings for heating in
Atlanta, Phoenix, and Minneapolis is 26, 61, and 15%, respectively, for the ICF house. For
cooling, the predicted energy savings are 7, 6, and 11% in the same cities for the ICF house.
During the peak heating season, the ICF house exhibited lower overall and lower peak energy
use on a daily basis. During 15 weeks between the heating and cooling seasons, no heating or
cooling or ventilation was used and air temperatures within the house were allowed to float. The
ICF house exhibited a much narrower band of temperature swings with a minimum temperature
of 57ºF, compared to a minimum of 50ºF in the frame house despite freezing temperatures
outside. Since the fluctuations in temperatures are lower in the ICF house, fewer decisions need
to be made about when to use natural ventilation or when to turn on the HVAC equipment.
Infrared images during the winter indicated an exterior wall corner of the ICF house was
significantly warmer than the same corner in a wood frame house: 65ºF versus 57ºF†. Blower
door tests at the end of winter indicated 10% less uncontrolled infiltration through the exterior of
the ICF house. This was attributed to the foundation wall-to-external wall joint in the frame-wall
house. Also, infiltration in the both houses was greatest in the winter due to shrinkage of the
wood trusses.

Additional results of analytical, laboratory, and field studies are reported in the Building Thermal
Mass Seminar (Courville and Bales, 1983).

A3.5 Design Guides

The PCA sponsored a project to develop two manuals of guidelines for using ICFs with energy
codes; one for complying with the MEC (VanGeem, 1998, MEC) and one for complying with
ASHRAE 90.2-1993, Energy-Efficient Design of New Low-Rise Residential Buildings (VanGeem,
1998, 90.2). The MEC and ASHRAE 90.2 pertain to all one and two family residences regardless
of height and multi-family residences with three or fewer stories above grade. Generally, this
includes condominiums, rooming houses, rectories, monasteries, convents, boarding houses, and
sorority congregate residences with complete facilities including kitchens. The MEC and
ASHRAE 90.2 set requirements for maximum energy loss through walls, roofs, and floors. They
also set requirements for heating and air-conditioning equipment, domestic hot-water heaters, and
over-all energy-efficiency. The manuals guide ICF users through the provisions of the 1995 MEC
and ASHRAE 90.2 as they relate to ICF walls. The manuals describe thermal properties of ICF
walls needed to show compliance and three methods of complying with the codes. Detailed step-
by-step procedures and examples are provided. The documents also include background
information on types of ICF walls, how to calculate R-values, and thermal mass. A general user’s
manual published by ASHRAE for use with ASHRAE 90.2-1993 is also available (ASHRAE,
1996).

†
Note from CTL: this may result in more comfortable living conditions and less potential for condensation and
moisture problems in ICF houses.

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

The National Codes and Standards Council of the Concrete and Masonry Industry published a
guide for using concrete and masonry and complying with ASHRAE 90.1 (Eley Associates,
1994). ASHRAE 90.1 specifies requirements for energy use and conservation within commercial
buildings, and includes criteria for lighting, HVAC systems, and heat loss through the walls,
roofs, and floors. It includes all buildings except low-rise residential. The manual guides users of
concrete and masonry through the provisions of ASHRAE 90.1-1989. The manual also describes
the basics of heat flow, thermal mass, and daylighting. A general user’s manual published by
ASHRAE for use with ASHRAE 90.1-2001 is also available (ASHRAE, 2002).

A guide covering the topics of heat transfer, air leakage, rain penetration, thermal mass,
insulation, fenestration, energy savings, and cost-benefits analysis was published by the Masonry
Council of Canada. (Masonry Council of Canada, 1982).

Mr. J. Douglas Balcomb has been the premier author of guidelines and procedures for passive
solar design. He is now associated with the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
and a search of their website (www.NREL.gov) yields 44 publications by him on passive solar
design, solar energy, and energy analysis. The design manual Passive Solar Heating Analysis
(Balcomb et al, 1984) provides guidelines for passive solar design and analysis methods to
calculate energy use of passive solar buildings. The book is primarily for residential and small
commercial buildings and provides detailed guidance for specific design strategies. The thermal
mass of concrete and masonry play a major part in passive solar design strategies by storing solar
energy that can be used to heat spaces. In a supplement (Balcomb and Wray, 1987), the authors
provide additional methods for calculating the energy required to maintain comfort in the heating
season and estimate energy savings of passive solar design. Methods are based on the “solar load
ratio” concept (SLR). The “diurnal heat capacity” (DHC), the capacity of an element to store and
return heat on a daily basis, is provided for concrete and masonry materials. The supplement also
develops an analytical expression for the total “effective heat capacity” (EHC) of buildings. EHC
is similar to DHC except it also includes heat that can be stored for periods longer than one day.
Both DHC and EHC are measures of thermal mass.

A4. GENERAL INFORMATION ON HVAC SIZING

The goal of proper HVAC sizing is to provide occupant comfort in the form of heating, cooling,
“fresh air”, humidification, or dehumidification. Humidification is most often used in the winter
heating season in northern climates while dehumidification is most important in the cooling
season in the eastern half of the United States‡.

Most residential HVAC equipment installations are not designed but are selected based on
square-foot rule-of-thumb tables. These tables generally do not take into account the type of wall
and roof construction or its thermal performance. Most are based on typical steady-state R-values
of wood frame construction and do not take into account thermal mass.

‡
The eastern portion of the US is divided from the western portion, for moisture purposes, by a north-south line
through the center of the state of Texas.

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

The most common design approaches for sizing HVAC systems in houses are the ASHRAE
Handbook of Fundamentals (HOF) method in Chapter 28, “Residential Cooling and Heating
Load Calculations” (ASHRAE, 2001) and the Manual J method (Rutkowski, 2002). The HOF
Chapter 28 method for cooling loads accounts for “light, medium and heavy-weight walls and
doors” for multifamily but not for single-family detached residences. The text states this
difference is due to the “averaging technique required” to develop the factors. The heating load
calculation is based on steady-state R-values. Heating and cooling loads are based on winter and
summer design temperatures, respectively for indoor and outdoor air. Manual J is a detailed
procedure that takes into account construction materials, climate, and glass, duct, infiltration, and
internal loads. The manual includes factors for calculating loads using many combinations of
CMU and brick, ICFs, and 4-in. uninsulated and insulated concrete walls. The procedure does
not include mass effects when sizing heating equipment. Companion software for Manual J is
available from the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (www.acca.org). Manual S
(Rutkowski, 1995) is used to determine the size and type of equipment once the heating and
cooling loads are determined. Heating and cooling loads are based on winter and summer design
temperatures, respectively, for indoor and outdoor air.

The ASHRAE HOF Chapter 29, “Nonresidential Cooling and Heating Load Calculation
Procedures,” includes the “radiant time series” (RTS) method for accounting for wall thermal
mass in cooling load calculations (p. 29.26). The heating load calculations do not include the
“thermal storage effect of the building structure or content.”

The November 2002 draft of the California Energy Commission 2005 Residential Alternate
Calculation Methods (ACM) Manual, Appendix RM, (Eley, 2002) requires the use of the
ASHRAE HOF Chapter 28.

Oversized cooling equipment is not energy efficient and because of the shorter cycling time, has
the potential to be ineffective in removing the moisture (latent load) in buildings. This can lead
to moisture problems in residences. For this reason, the California draft manual (Eley, 2002)
includes maximum allowable cooling capacities. The use of winter and summer setback
temperatures at night effect the equipment size, especially for homes with thermal mass.

Industry practice is to not consider mass effects when sizing heating equipment. Heating system
loads are generally calculated assuming indoor and outdoor temperatures are constant at their
design values. Solar gains and internal gains are not considered because the peak load time is at
night or early morning when it is dark and before people and appliances have offsetting effects.
There are no thermal mass effects under these design conditions. For sizing purposes, heating
system loads are often increased by a factor to account for morning warm-up periods. The short
term energy required to return from a night time setback is greater when there is more thermal
mass.

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

A5. HVAC SIZING IN CONCRETE HOMES

A5.1 Laboratory Research

A concrete and masonry building was constructed and monitored for energy performance in a
large environmental chamber at the National Bureau of Standards, now the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST) (Peavy et al, 1973). Results showed that steady-state methods
of predicting heating and cooling loads could result in oversizing heating equipment for this type
of building by 30% or more for the temperature cycles tested. The two diurnal cycles tested had
temperatures ranging from approximately 40 to 100ºF and 10 to 70ºF, respectively.

A5.2 Analytical Studies

The PCA sponsored an analytical program to determine cooling load factors for houses with ICF
walls (Wilcox, 1998). Manual J, 7th edition (Rutkowski, 1986), Figure 7-4 provides Equivalent
Temperature Differences (ETD) for calculating the cooling load impact of exterior walls. The
cooling load per square foot of wall is the wall U-factor times the ETD. The ETDs are tabulated
for climates based on design temperatures and daily temperature ranges. Since the Manual J table
provides ETDs for only two types of exterior walls, “frame and veneer-on-frame” and “Masonry
walls, 8-in CMU or brick,” Wilcox calculated ETDs for ICF walls. For the R-16.7 ICF and R-13
wood-frame wall houses he considered, cooling system sizes for ICF house were 75 to 95% of
the size required for the frame house for the range of U.S. climates covered by Manual J.
Although Wilcox found ICF walls have lower peak heating loads than wood-frame walls with
the same U-factor, he does not recommend reducing heating system sizes for mass effects due to
the industry practice previously discussed.

Further work was sponsored by PCA to calculate heat transfer multipliers (HTMs) for ICF walls
(Wilcox and VanGeem, 1997; Wilcox and VanGeem, 1998). Manual J uses HTMs to calculate
heating and cooling loads. The HTM for a wall is the amount of heat that flows through one
square foot of wall at a given temperature difference. For climates with medium and high daily
temperature ranges as defined by Manual J, HTMs (cooling) for ICF walls are significantly less
than those in Manual J, 7th edition, for masonry walls. Manual J, 8th edition, has incorporated
HTMs for many more wall systems than were in the 7th edition. However, the values for ICF
walls for medium and high daily ranges in the 8th edition are the same as those for low daily
ranges, and therefore not as favorable as in this study. Wilcox and VanGeem also present HTMs
(heating) for ICF walls.

A5.3 Field Studies

Six test buildings were constructed at NBS (now NIST) in Gaithersburg, MD, and extensively
monitored to measure heating and cooling loads (Burch, 1983). The one-room buildings had the
same floor plan and orientation, and were identical except for the wall construction. The six
walls were: insulated wood frame, uninsulated wood frame, CMU, CMU and brick insulated on
the inside, CMU and brick with insulation in the cavity, and, log. Wall mass did not reduce

February 2004 A-13

 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

heating loads in the winter heating season. Wall mass significantly reduced cooling loads in the
summer cooling season. Load reductions due to wall mass were also observed in the intermediate
season. The mass effects were greatest when the insulation was placed on the outside of the wall.

The ORNL Knoxville project with ICF and frame homes, previously discussed (Desjarlais et al.,
2002), showed heating and cooling sizes were oversized for both wall types. Heating system
sizes could be 5 to 100% smaller and cooling system sizes could be 3 to 55% smaller when
DOE2 analyses were performed for the homes for a full range of U.S. climates. The ICF house
required smaller system sizes than the frame house. The report also states, “A procedure for
sizing that is less painstaking than trying smaller and smaller equipment sizes in DOE2 is needed
to take advantage of this feature in ICF construction.”

A5.4 Design Guides

The PCA sponsored a project to develop a manual of guidelines for sizing cooling and heating
equipment for ICFs in residential buildings (VanGeem et al, 1998). This publication guides ICF
users through Manual J, 7th edition. The PCA publication provides HTMs for heating and
cooling for ICF walls so Manual J procedures can be used for these systems. For climates with
medium and high daily temperature ranges as defined by Manual J, HTMs (cooling) for ICF
walls are significantly less than those currently in Manual J for masonry walls. However, the
design cooling load is dominated by the heat gain through windows rather than walls. Simplified
worksheets are provided with step-by-step examples of Manual J cooling load calculations for
homes with ICF walls. The PCA publication also provides more general guidelines or rules-of-
thumb in response to current practice. Many air-conditioning systems in residences are sized
using rules-of-thumb based on square feet of floor area. These methods are crude because they
neglect building geometry and orientation; the insulating capabilities of the walls, windows, and
roofs in the building envelope; and numerous other building features. Nevertheless, cooling
factors for use with such rules-of-thumb are also provided in this publication. Recommended
reductions in cooling loads for homes with ICF walls compared to frame walls range from 1 to
23% depending on the climate. Typical HTM values for ICF walls for designing heating
equipment are also provided. Manual J and standard industry practice make no allowance for
mass effects when sizing heating systems.

A6. SUMMARY
This literature review is Task 1 of a project to develop an HVAC Sizing Methodology Manual
for insulated concrete homes. This literature review identifies and briefly summarizes published
information on (i) thermophysical properties of concrete and concrete walls, (ii) thermal
behavior of concrete walls, including work performed to support the development of energy
codes, (iii) general information on sizing of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC)
equipment independent of construction type, and (iv) sizing HVAC equipment for concrete
homes. The literature review supports these conclusions:

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

1.) Thermal mass in concrete and masonry buildings saves energy in many climates.
Thermal mass shifts peak loads to a later time and reduces peak energy. Laboratory,
analytical, and field studies support the theory.

2.) The effect of thermal mass in a concrete element is time dependent and it is related to the
specific heat, density, and thermal conductivity of the materials in the element. Thermal
diffusivity is a function of specific heat, density, and thermal conductivity.

3.) Thermal resistance (R-values) and thermal transmittance (U-factors) do not take into
account the effects of thermal mass, and by themselves, are inadequate in describing the
heat transfer properties of construction assemblies with significant amounts of thermal
mass.

4.) Commonly used energy codes recognize the benefits of thermal mass and provide

separate criteria for mass and frame walls.

5.) Most residential HVAC equipment installations are not designed but are selected based
on square-foot rule-of-thumb tables that do not take into account thermal mass of
concrete and masonry systems. These methods will result in oversized equipment in
many cases.

6.) The most common design approaches for sizing HVAC systems in houses are the
ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals (HOF) method in Chapter 28, “Residential Cooling
and Heating Load Calculations” and the ACCA Manual J method for cooling. Both
methods are time-consuming.

7.) The ASHRAE HOF method does not take into account thermal mass for single-family
homes.

8.) The Manual J method takes into account thermal mass for cooling but benefits may not
be fully realized. The Manual J method does not take into account thermal mass for
heating.

9.) Laboratory, analytical, and field studies support reducing cooling equipment sizes due to
thermal mass. Results are mixed for whether heating equipment sizes should be reduced
due to thermal mass.

A7. REFERENCES
ACI 122R-02, Guide to Thermal Properties of Concrete and Masonry Systems, American
Concrete Institute, Detroit, 2002. www.concrete.org

ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2001, Energy Efficient Design of New Buildings, Except

Low-Rise Residential Buildings, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air
Conditioning Engineers, Atlanta, GA, 1999. www.ASHRAE.org

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 90.2-2001, Energy Efficient Design of New Low-Rise Residential

Buildings, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers,
Atlanta, GA, 1993. www.ASHRAE.org

ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55-1992, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Comfort,

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers, Atlanta, GA,
1993. www.ASHRAE.org

ASHRAE 90.1-2001 Users’ Manual, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air
Conditioning Engineers, Atlanta, GA, 2002. www.ASHRAE.org

ASHRAE 90.2-1993 Users’ Manual, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air
Conditioning Engineers, Atlanta, GA, 1996. www.ASHRAE.org

1999 ASHRAE Handbook of HVAC Applications, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating,

and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Atlanta, GA, 1999. www.ASHRAE.org

2001 ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and

Air-Conditioning Engineers, Atlanta, GA, 2001. www.ASHRAE.org

Balcomb, J. Douglas, Jones, Robert, and McFarland, Robert, Passive Solar Heating Analysis,
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers, Atlanta, GA,
1984. www.ASHRAE.org

Balcomb, J. Douglas and Wray, William O., Passive Solar Heating Analysis—Supplement One—
Thermal mass Effects and Additional SLR Correlations, American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Atlanta, GA, November 1987.
www.ASHRAE.org

Burch, D.M., Remmert, D.F., Krintz, D.F., and Barnes, C.S., “A Field Study of the Effect of
Wall Mass on the Heating and Cooling Loads of Residential Buildings,” Proceedings of the
Building Thermal Mass Seminar 1982, ORNL Report No. CONF-8206130, Oak Ridge
National Laboratory, 1983.

CABO, Model Energy Code, 1995 Edition, Council of American Building Officials, CABO,
Country Club Hills, IL, 1995.

Childs, K.W., Courville, G.E., and Bales, E.L., Thermal Mass Assessment: An Explanation of the
Mechanisms by Which Building Mass Influences Heating and Cooling Requirements,”
ORNL/CON-97, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1983.

Christian, Jeffrey E., “Thermal Mass Credits Relating to Building Envelope Energy Standards,”
ASHRAE Transactions 91 (2), American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-
Conditioning Engineers, Atlanta, GA, 1991. www.ASHRAE.org

A-16 February 2004

 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

Courville, G., and Bales, E., Proceedings of the Building Thermal Mass Seminar 1982, ORNL
Report No. CONF-8206130, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1983.

Desjarlais, A.O., Kosny, J., Petrie, T.W., Atchley, J.A., Childs, P.W., Ternes, M. P., and
Christian, J.E., “Field Validation of ICF Residential Thermal mass, Air-Tightness and
Ground-Coupling: A Whole Building Demonstration - DRAFT” Oak Ridge National
Laboratory, October, 2002. www.ornl.gov/roofs+walls

Eley Associates, Thermal Mass Handbook, Concrete and Masonry Design Provisions Using
ASHRAE/IES 90.1-1989, Portland Cement Association, 1994. www.cement.org

Eley Associates, 2005 Residential Alternate Calculation Methods (ACM) Manual, California
Energy Commission, San Francisco, CA, 2002.
(www.energy.ca.gov/2005_standards/documents/2002-11-05_workshop/2002-10-
22_RESIDENTIAL_ACM.PDF)

Flanders, S.N., Time Constraints on Measuring Building R-values, CRREL Report 80-15, U.S.
Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH, 1980.

Gajda, John, “Energy Use of Single Family Houses with Various Exterior Walls,” PCA CD026,
Portland Cement Association, Skokie, IL, 2001. www.cement.org

Gajda, John and VanGeem, Martha G., “The Thermal mass Advantage of Masonry on Energy
Codes and Standards,” Proceeding of the 7th Canadian Masonry Symposium, June 1995.
www.CTLgroup.com

Guide to Energy Efficiency in Masonry and Concrete Buildings, Masonry Council of Canada,
Downsview, Ontario, 1982.

International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), International Code Council, Falls Church, VA,
www.intlcode.org/codes/index.htm

Kosny, Jan, Christian, Jeffrey E., Desjarlais, Andre O., Kossecka, Elisabeth, and Berrenberg,
Lance, “Performance Check Between Whole Building Thermal Performance Criteria and
Exterior Wall measured Clear Wall R-Value, Thermal Bridging, Thermal mass, and
Airtightness,” ASHRAE Transactions, Vol. 140, Pt. 2, 1998. www.ashrae.org
www.ornl.gov/roofs+walls/

NAHB, “Insulating Concrete Forms for Residential Construction: Demonstration Homes,” U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and
Research, Washington, DC; and The Portland Cement Association, Skokie, IL, May, 1997.
www.cement.org www.nahbrc.org

NAHB, Residential Concrete, 3rd edition, NAHB, Washington, DC, 1998.

www.BuilderBooks.com

February 2004 A-17

 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

NAHB, “Insulating Concrete Forms: Comparative Thermal Performance,” U.S. Department of

Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research,
Washington, DC, NAHB, Washington, DC, August 1999. www.nahbrc.org

Peavy, B.A., Powell, F.J., and Burch, D.M., Dynamic Thermal Performance of an Experimental
Masonry Building, Building Science Series No. 45, U.S. Department of Commerce,
National Bureau of Standards [now NIST], Gaithersburg, MD, 1973.

Rutkowski, Hank, Manual J Residential Load Calculation, 7th edition, Air Conditioning
Contractors of America, Arlington, VA, 1986. www.acca.org

Rutkowski, Hank, Manual J Residential Load Calculation, 8th edition, Air Conditioning
Contractors of America, Arlington, VA, 2002. www.acca.org

Rutkowski, Hank, Manual S Residential Equipment Selections, Air Conditioning Contractors of

America, Arlington, VA, 1995. www.acca.org

Valore, Rudolph Jr., Tuluca, Adrian, and Caputo, Arnold, Assessment of the Thermal and
Physical Properties of Masonry Block Products, ORNL/Sub/86-22020/1, U.S. Department
of Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy, Office of Buildings and Community
Systems, Building Systems Division, 1988.

VanderWerf, Pieter, “Energy Comparison of Concrete Homes Versus Wood Frame Homes,”
PCA Report No. RP119, Portland Cement Association, Skokie, IL, 1997. www.cement.org

VanderWerf, Pieter A. and Munsell, W. Keith, The Portland Cement Association’s Guide to
Concrete Homebuilding, McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York, NY, 1995, 296 pages.

VanderWerf, Pieter A. and Munsell, W. Keith, Insulating Concrete Forms Construction Manual,
McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York, NY, 1996.

VanGeem, Martha G., Calibrated Hot Box Test Results Data Manual - Volume I, " Oak Ridge
National Laboratory Report No. ORNL/Sub/79-42539/4, PCA Serial No. 1757, Portland
Cement Association, Skokie, IL, 1984. www.CTLgroup.com www.cement.org

VanGeem, Martha G., Calibrated Hot Box Test Results Data Manual - Volumes II, Oak Ridge
National Laboratory Report No. ORNL/Sub/79-42539/5, PCA Serial No. 0884, Portland
Cement Association, Skokie, IL, 1985. www.CTLgroup.com www.cement.org

VanGeem, Martha G., “Summary of Calibrated Hot Box Test Results for Twenty-One Wall
Assemblies,” ASHRAE Transactions, Vol. 92, Pt. 2, 1986. www.CTLgroup.com
www.cement.org

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

VanGeem, Martha. G., "Thermal Mass - What R-Values Neglect," The Construction Specifier,
Construction Specifications Institute, Alexandria, June 1987,pp. 70-77. .
www.CTLgroup.com

VanGeem, Martha G., “Analysis to Determine Thermal mass Performance of a Typical 9-in.
ICFA Form Wall,” CTL Letter Report to Insulated Concrete Form Association, 1996. .
www.CTLgroup.com

VanGeem, Martha G., “Thermal Resistance and Thermal mass of a GREENBLOCK Wall Letter
Report to GREENBLOCK WorldWide Corp,” CTL Letter Report, 1996. .
www.CTLgroup.com

VanGeem, Martha G., “Guidelines for Using ASHRAE 90.2-1993 with Insulating Concrete
Forms,” PCA R&D Serial No. 2143, Portland Cement Association, Skokie, IL, 1998. .
www.CTLgroup.com www.cement.org

VanGeem, Martha G., “Guidelines for Using the CABO Model Energy Code with Insulating
Concrete Forms,” PCA R&D Serial No. 2150, Portland Cement Association, Skokie, IL,
1998. . www.CTLgroup.com www.cement.org

VanGeem, Martha G., and Fiorato, A.E., “Thermal Properties of Masonry Materials for Passive
Solar Design--A State-of-the-Art Review," U.S. Department of Energy Report No.
DOE/CE/30739, Construction Technology Laboratories, 1983. www.CTLgroup.com

VanGeem, Martha G., Gajda, John, and Wilcox, Bruce, “Sizing Air-Conditioning and Heating
Equipment for Residential Buildings with ICF Walls,” PCA R&D Serial No. 2159,
Portland Cement Association, Skokie, IL, 1998. . www.CTLgroup.com www.cement.org

Wilcox, Bruce A., “Technical Analysis for Sizing HVAC Equipment for ICF Homes,” PCA
R&D Serial No. 2160, Portland Cement Association, Skokie, IL, 1998. www.cement.org

Wilcox, Bruce A., “Technical Analysis for Using Energy Codes for ICF Homes,” PCA R&D
Serial No. 2123, Portland Cement Association, Skokie, IL, 1997. www.cement.org

Wilcox, Bruce and VanGeem, Martha G., “Using the MEC and Manual J for ICF Walls,”1997
Excellence in Building Conference, Energy Efficient Building Association, Inc.,
Minneapolis, 1997. . www.CTLgroup.com www.cement.org

Wilcox, Bruce and VanGeem, Martha G., “Thermal mass Factors for ICF Walls in the MEC and
Manual J,” ASHRAE, Thermal Envelopes VII, 1998. www.ASHRAE.org

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

APPENDIX B – THERMAL MASS IN CONCRETE AND MASONRY∗

Thermal mass is a property that enables building materials to absorb, store, and later release
significant amounts of heat. Buildings constructed of concrete and masonry have a unique
energy-saving advantage because of their inherent thermal mass. These materials absorb energy
slowly and hold it for much longer periods of time than do less massive materials. This delays
and reduces heat transfer through a thermal mass building component, leading to three important
results. First, there are fewer spikes in the heating and cooling requirements, since mass slows
the response time and moderates indoor temperature fluctuations. Second, a massive building
uses less energy than a similar low mass building due to the reduced heat transfer through the
massive elements. Third, thermal mass can shift energy demand to off-peak time periods when
utility rates are lower.

The impact of thermal mass on building envelope performance varies with several interrelated
factors. The most important of these are the climate at the building site, the building design and
occupancy, and the position of the wall insulation relative to the mass.

Thermal mass is more effective in reducing cooling loads than heating loads. In some climates,
thermal mass buildings have better thermal performance than low mass buildings, regardless of
the level of insulation in the low mass building. Mass has the greatest benefit in climates with
large daily temperature fluctuations above and below the balance point of the building. For these
conditions, the mass can be cooled by natural ventilation during the night, and then be allowed to
"float" during the warmer day. When outdoor temperatures are at their peak, the inside of the
building remains cool, because the heat has not yet penetrated the mass. Although few climates
are this ideal, thermal mass in building envelopes will still improve the performance in most
climates. Often, the benefits are greater during spring and fall, when conditions most closely
approximate the "ideal" climate described above. In heating-dominated climates, thermal mass
can be used to effectively collect and store solar gains or to store heat provided by the
mechanical system to allow it to operate at off-peak hours.

Building design and occupancy significantly impact the effectiveness of thermal mass. In low-
rise residential buildings, for example, heating and cooling loads are primarily determined by the
thermal performance of the building envelope. In commercial buildings, loads are influenced
more by internal heat gains from occupants, lights, and equipment. Because exposed thermal
mass can absorb intermittent internal heat gains, thermal mass is generally more effective in
commercial buildings than in low-rise residential. However, thermal mass is effective in may
climates in both building types.

To best moderate indoor temperatures, the thermal mass should be exposed to the interior
conditioned air and insulated from outdoor temperature variations. Thermal resistance (R-values)
and thermal transmittance (U-factors) do not take into account the effects of thermal mass, and
by themselves, are inadequate in describing the heat transfer properties of construction

∗ Adapted from Eley Associates, Thermal Mass Handbook, Concrete and Masonry Design Provisions Using
ASHRAE/IES 90.1-1989, Portland Cement Association, 1994.

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

assemblies with significant amounts of thermal mass. Only computer programs such as DOE2
that take into account hourly heat transfer on an annual basis are adequate in determining energy
loss in buildings with mass walls and roofs. The heat flow through the wall is dependent on the
materials’ unit weight (density), thermal conductivity, and specific heat.

B1. Temperature, Damping and Thermal Lag

In addition to holding up the roof and keeping out the rain, walls act as thermal dividers between
conditioned interior space and the outdoor environment. Their thermal function is complex,
because heat is absorbed from solar radiation and hot air, radiated to cold skies and transferred to
cool air, conducted to the interior, stored within the walls, and absorbed from and released to the
interior.

The directions and magnitudes of these heat flows are constantly changing in the environment,
and the amount of heat stored and released within the mass wall changes accordingly.

Temperature damping is a characteristic of mass construction that describes the way exterior
temperatures and heat flows affect the interior of a building. For example, in the summertime,
the temperature on the outside surface of a wall fluctuates widely, from a high temperature
during the sunny midday to a low temperature in the middle of the night. This can be thought of
as a temperature "wave." The inside surface of the wall, however, will experience a much
smaller temperature fluctuation or wave. The wall "damps," or reduces, the amplitude of the
temperature wave. The narrower temperature fluctuation on the interior means that the cooling
loads are lower, and the inside of the building is more comfortable. The damping depends on
both the insulation and the heat capacity of the construction. For two walls with the same
insulation, the more massive wall will display greater temperature damping characteristics, as
shown in Figure B1.

Figure B1: Time Lag and Temperature Damping

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

Another result of thermal mass is that the time of peak temperatures and heat gains on the
interior is delayed, compared to the peak times on the exterior. This phenomenon is called
thermal lag. With concrete and masonry walls, the time of highest interior temperature will be
three to eight or more hours later than the time of highest exterior temperatures. As a result, peak
cooling loads are delayed to cooler times of the day when the air conditioning equipment
operates more efficiently, or when the building is unoccupied and not air conditioned at all. The
thermal lag in wood and metal frame walls is generally less than two hours.

B2. Temperature Gradients

The benefits of thermal mass may be illustrated by considering transient or changing heat flow
conditions. When the temperature on one side of a wall in steady-state equilibrium is changed to
another constant value, steady-state heat flow is not achieved immediately. Heat flow from the
time the temperature is changed until steady-state conditions are reached is referred to as
transient heat flow. The difference between steady-state and transient heat flow may be
illustrated by considering idealized temperature profiles across a homogeneous wall section.

Figure B2: Temperature Gradients for Transient Heat Flow through a Homogeneous Wall

Figure B2 shows the temperature profile (or gradient) through a mass wall at six time intervals.
The air films (surface conductances) are shown with exaggerated thickness for each time
interval. At t = 0, the outdoor surface of the wall and the outdoor surface temperatures are both
70°F and the homogeneous wall is in a steady-state condition. The temperature gradient is zero,
and there is no heat flow through the wall. At t = 1, the outdoor temperature is increased to
100°F, which causes the outdoor surface temperature to increase. Heat enters the wall from the
outdoors, but only that part of the wall close to the outdoor surface responds to the temperature
change. No heat leaves or passes through the wall on the indoor side, because the temperature
gradient at the indoor surface is still zero. The accumulated heat is being stored by the wall. At
t = 2, t = 3, t=4 and t = 5, more time elapses. At t = 1 and t = 2, heat enters the wall but does not

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

pass through to the indoor surface. At t = 3 and t = 4, some heat is released to the indoor side of
the wall. However, the heat entering the space is less than the amount entering the wall from the
outdoors. For t = 1 through t = 4, heat is continually being stored by the wall. Heat flow
predicted by steady-state R-value or U-factor calculations will overestimate heat gains during
periods illustrated by t = 1 through t = 4. Steady-state conditions are finally reached at t = 5. The
temperature gradient is linear, and the amount of heat entering the wall is equal to the amount
leaving. Mass walls are seldom in steady-state conditions due to the changes in outdoor
temperatures during the day.

B3. Mass Insulation Position

Energy codes (ASHRAE Standard 90.1; IECC) often specify insulation requirements for mass
walls based on whether the insulation is interior, integral, and exterior, as shown in Figure B3.
Interior insulation isolates the mass from the interior, reducing the ability of the thermal mass to
moderate the indoor temperature. Integral insulation refers to thermal mass on both sides of the
insulation, as with an insulated masonry cavity wall or insulated concrete panel, or to insulation
and mass materials well mixed, as in a log wall. Exterior insulation refers to mass exposed to the
interior, isolated from the exterior conditions by insulation. This last is the most thermally
effective way to insulate the envelope of a thermal mass building. ICF walls perform somewhere
between integral and interior mass walls, and the interior position should be used for meeting
code requirements (Wilcox, 1997). It should be noted insulated mass walls combine the benefits
of insulation and mass and are often quite energy efficient.

Figure B3: Mass Wall Insulation Methods

B4. Measurable Properties of Thermal Mass

The thermal mass of a wall, roof, or floor is directly related to its thickness, density, thermal
conductivity, and specific heat. Thermal mass performance in energy codes is often characterized
by heat capacity (HC). For a single layer wall HC is calculated by multiplying the density of the
material times its thickness times the specific heat of the material. It is generally assumed that

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

the higher the heat capacity the greater the thermal mass benefits. Heat capacity is an adequate
performance measure for comparing materials with similar thermal conductivities. This includes
most concrete and masonry constructed with ordinary sand and gravel. However, lightweight
materials such as concrete made with low density aggregates have better thermal mass effects
although their heat capacity may be lower due to their combination of thermal conductivity and
unit weight (VanGeem, 1986).

B5. Weight and Density

Density is a property of raw materials measured in pounds per cubic foot (lb/ft3). The weight of a
wall, roof, or floor is equal to its volume times its density. Ordinary sand and gravel concrete has
a density of approximately 140 lb/ft3, but when steel reinforcing is added the density increases to
145 to 150 lb/ft3. The clay material used to make typical bricks has a density of about 120 lb/ft3.
The density of concrete used to make concrete masonry units varies from 85 to 135 lb/ft3. As the
material is fabricated into masonry units or bricks, the density of the basic material is unchanged,
but the unit weight of the finished product can be lower because of cores in the final product. A
cubic foot of a CMU wall includes the hollow cores as well as the solid material, and so its unit
weight is lower than that of a cubic foot of solid concrete.

B6. Specific Heat

Specific heat is defined as the quantity of heat energy (in Btu) required to raise the temperature
of one pound of a material by one degree Fahrenheit. Because specific heat defines the
relationship between heat energy and temperature for a given weight of material, it can also be
used to determine the change in temperature for a material as it absorbs or releases energy.
Specific heat describes a material's ability to store heat energy. As a material absorbs energy, its
temperature rises. A material with a high specific heat, such as water, can absorb a great deal of
heat energy per pound of material, with little rise in temperature. The same weight of a material
with low specific heat, such as copper, rises to higher temperatures with only a small quantity of
heat absorbed. The specific heat of concrete and masonry can generally be assumed to be
0.2 Btu/lb·ºF. (ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals, 2001)

B7. Heat Capacity (HC)

Heat Capacity (HC) is the heat capacity per square foot of wall area (Btu/ft2·°F) and includes all
layers in a wall. For a single layer wall HC is calculated by multiplying the density of the
material times its thickness (in ft) times the specific heat of the material. HC for a multilayered
wall is the sum of the heat capacities for each layer.

B8. Published Thermal Properties

Values of heat capacity, thermal resistance, and thermal transmittance for concrete and masonry
are presented in ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2001. Thermal conductivities are presented in the
ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals.

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

APPENDIX C – MASS HVAC SIZER USER’S MANUAL

This program is designed for residential contractors to estimate the heating and cooling system
capacity for single-family concrete homes. The capacity is based on user-defined thermostat set
points, house dimensions, construction materials, and location (US and Canada). The program
uses the DOE2.1E1 modules to determine energy loads for equipment sizing.

C1. Running the Program

The program is run through a Microsoft Excel-based interface. A recent version of Microsoft
Excel for Windows (such as Excel97, 2000, XP, or newer) is required. The program also requires
approximately 350 megabytes of disk space on the C-drive.

C1.1 Program overview. Open the file named “Mass HVAC Sizer.xls”. On the “Input
Screen” choose the climate location and orientation of the house and enter the wall, roof, and
window construction type and areas, and other requested information. Fill in the “Input Screen”
from top to bottom and left to right to ensure that all entries have been made and nothing has
been overlooked. Once all the information is entered, click the button “RUN Building
Simulation” (it looks like the button below). The output, which is to the right of the button,
shows the required heating and cooling capacity.

RUN building s imulat ion

C1.2 Security settings. In Excel, Macro Security must be set to “Medium” or “Low” for the
program to run. The default security setting is usually “Medium”. With this setting, when
“Mass HVAC Sizer.xls” is opened, a dialog box will appear warning that the file contains
macros. Select “Enable Macros”. If no dialog box appears, check the security setting. To check
and set the security level in Excel, open Excel, click on “Tools” in the menu bar, select “Macro”
from the drop-down menu, and then select “Security…” from the submenu. Next, select either
“Medium” or “Low” from the available options and click “OK”.

C1.3 Weather files. Text versions of the weather files can be viewed. The folders “Weather
data - monthly summary” and “Weather data – hourly” contain summary and detailed weather
data, respectively. The weather file corresponding to each location consists of the city name
followed by the state or province name, such as “Alabama, Birmingham.txt”.

C1.4 House dimensions – the building envelope. The user will need to know the
dimensions of the following building envelope components: exterior walls, windows, attic
ceilings, cathedral ceilings (if any), floors (in conditioned spaces), and basement walls (or slab-
on-ground).

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

C1.5 Wall naming convention. The program assumes that the house has four walls. All walls
must be designated either Front, Left, Back, or Right. The orientation of the building is
determined relative to front of the house. For example, in Figure C1, the front of the house faces
south. So south is entered as the house orientation and the walls are labeled as “Front”, “Left”,
“Back”, and “Right” as shown in the figure. Alternatively, the user may enter the angle formed
between a line perpendicular to the front of the house and a line pointing south. The angle is
measured clockwise from south to west.

Left wall
w all Back wall

N
Right wall
w all
Front wall

W E

User-defined
User-defin ed
orientatio n
orientation
S
Figure C1: The front of this house faces south, so according to the wall naming convention, the
orientation should be entered as south and the walls should be labeled as shown in the figure.

All walls—and all portions of walls—that face a particular direction must be entered as one wall.
For example, if the Back wall faces north, then any wall that faces north is considered to be part
of the Back wall. For a box-shaped house, this is not an issue; however, for a house with a non-
rectangular layout, the user must determine the total wall area facing north and enter this value as
the Back wall area. The exterior length of the Back wall is then the total length of all north-
facing walls. See the step-by-step instructions for more guidance on entering the wall length if
the house does not have the same number of stories throughout.2

For greater accuracy, wall areas that are completely shaded, such as the wall that separates an
unheated garage from a heated portion of the house, should be modeled as facing north.

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

C2. Step-by-step instructions

Name Instruction
Choose a building climate location from the drop-down menu. Cities are
Location
listed alphabetically by state. Canadian cities are listed at the end.
Choose an orientation which best represents the orientation of the front
House orientation of the house. Any of the major eight cardinal orientations, such as north,
northwest, west, etc., may be chosen.
If a cardinal orientation is not entered (as described above), the exact
angle of the house can be entered by selecting “User-defined”. This is
Angle between front
the angle between a line perpendicular to the front of the house and a
of house and south
line pointing south. The angle is measured clockwise from south to
west. See the “House Orientation” tab for a sketch.
The default value is 0.35 ACH (air changes per hour). Alternatively,
enter the total air leakage (from infiltration) of the house in terms of
ACH. While concrete homes and tightly constructed homes of other
House air leakage materials can have a natural infiltration of less than 0.1 ACH, ASHRAE
Standard 623 (and the related standards) recommends a combination of
natural and mechanical ventilation to maintain 0.35 ACH as the
minimum. The program assumes that windows are closed.
Wall construction (see individual entries below)
Select a wall type based on the wall construction and level of insulation.
Choose an option from the drop down menu. Drawings and descriptions
of the different wall types are on the tab labeled “Wall Types”. Select
the “House Orientation” tab to determine which sides of the house are
Opaque wall
“Front”, “Left”, “Back”, and “Right”. The properties of the front wall
construction
can be copied across to the other walls by clicking on the button labeled
“Make all walls the same as front wall”, or the user can select a
different wall type for each wall. Unless specified, the R-value (thermal
resistance) represents the added R-value in hr·ft2·°F/Btu.
Enter the above-grade gross wall areas. Include window and door areas.
The program will automatically subtract the window areas that are
entered later. All wall areas that face the same direction should be
added together and entered as one wall. At this time, the program does
Above-grade gross
not allow above-grade basement walls that are of a different
wall area
construction than above-grade walls. So above-grade basement walls
should be considered to be the same construction as above-grade walls
and their area added to the appropriate above-grade wall.4 Be sure not to
include their area with below-grade basement walls (see below).

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

This is the length of a particular wall. For homes that have some walls
Exterior length of
that are more stories than other walls, calculate the length by dividing
wall
the wall area by the average wall height.
Window and glass
(see individual entries below)
door properties
Enter the total area of the windows and glass doors on each wall
orientation. The area should include the area of frames, sashes, and
Total window area other opaque components of the window. The area for the non-glass
portion of doors should not be included here because it is included as
part of the wall by default.
Number of windows Enter the number of windows and glass doors on each wall.5
Enter the NFRC-certified U-factor (thermal transmittance in
Btu/hr·ft2·°F) and SHGC (solar heat gain coefficient) for the product
from the label. Alternatively choose one of the following, but note that it
is better to use the labeled values since U-factor and SHGC can vary
greatly.
U-factor and SHGC
from NFRC6 label Window type U-factor SHGC
Single pane 1.20 0.80
Double pane, vinyl frame 0.50 0.60
Double pane, low e, vinyl frame 0.40 0.55

Select the description from the drop-down menu that best describes the
shading for the applicable orientation. This is a relative value of zero to
one—a “0” (zero) means that no direct sunlight shines through the
shading and a “1” (one) means there is no shading. This value, the
“Fraction of direct sunlight transmitted” is shown below the description
on the “Input Sheet”. Windows with no blinds or curtains, with no
exterior overhangs, and with no shading from trees should be entered as
“No shading” (representing a value of 1.0), although this situation
would be unusual. Most windows will have some amount of shading.
Shading Evergreen trees can provide almost complete shading (representing a
value of 0). Deciduous trees can provide significant shading in the
summer, but even bare branches in the winter can block 25 to 50% of
the sunlight (representing a shading value of 0.75 to 0.50). The term
overhang is used to represent any obstruction that blocks 60% of the
sunlight.
The shading amount entered should be the average amount for a
particular wall orientation. The user is advised to explore the effect of
different shading assumptions on heating and cooling capacity
requirements. For HVAC sizing, the maximum heating load will occur

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

in the early morning hours when it is still dark outside so shading has
little effect on the required heating capacity. The maximum cooling load
will generally occur during the afternoon in the summer so it is more
important for the amount of shading entered on the “Input Screen” to
reflect peak summer-time conditions. For east facades, use mid-morning
shading; for south-facing facades, use noontime shading; and for west-
facades, use mid-afternoon shading.
The properties of the front-facing windows can be copied across to the
Are all window like
other windows by clicking on the button labeled “Make all windows
those in the front
the same as windows in the front wall” or the user can enter different
wall?
window properties for each wall.
The default solar reflectivity is 0.20 (the allowable range is 0 to 1).
Alternatively, select one of the following from the drop down menu.
Roof surface Color7 Solar reflectivity Example
Solar reflectivity of Light 0.35 "white" shingle or red clay tile
roof
Medium 0.20 (default) green shingle
Dark 0.05 dark roofing material

Roof construction,
Add all the areas of horizontal ceilings that are below an attic space.
attic: length and
Calculate an average length and width for this area.8
width
R-value of added
Choose a value from the drop-down menu.
insulation
Classify the sloped portions of the ceilings according to the direction
that they face, as was done for exterior walls. If a ceiling does not face
Roof construction,
exactly in the same direction as one of the four walls, classify it with an
cathedral ceiling:
orientation that is as close as possible to the one of the four walls.
length and width
Determine the gross area for each direction and calculate an average
length and width.9
Tilt is the angle of the cathedral ceiling measured in degrees up from the
Tilt angle horizontal. See the sketch above the entry box on the “Input screen” for
more information.
Choose a value from the drop-down menu. The properties of the front-
facing roof can be copied across to the other roofs by clicking on the
R-value of added
button labeled “Make all cathedral ceilings the same as the front-
insulation
facing ceiling” or the user can enter different properties for each face of
the cathedral ceiling.
Foundation Choose either slab-on-grade, basement, or crawl space. Basements are
construction, type considered conditioned space.

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

Depending on the foundation type, choose a depth. The depth refers to

the depth below ground. A basement depth of 4 ft applies to a house
Foundation or
with the lower half of the basement below grade and upper half above
basement depths
grade. See the instructions for “above-grade gross wall area” for houses
with above-grade portions of basement walls.
Choose insulation amount and configuration. For foundations, select the
most appropriate type with the help of the drawings on the tab labeled
“Foundation Insulation.” At the present time, these are the only
Insulation configurations with available heat-transfer data10 for this program, so
configuration choose an insulation configuration that matches as closely as possible to
situation being modeled. The user is encouraged to explore the effect of
different insulation assumptions on peak heating and cooling load
requirements.
Choose “Based on wall dimensions” for the program to calculate the
slab area based on a box-shaped house. Alternatively, the user may enter
Area of floor slab or a value. If the foundation is a slab-on-ground, enter the area of the slab
basement wall that is in contact with soil. If the foundation is a basement or crawl
space, enter the area of the underground walls that are in contact with
soil.
Choose “Based on wall dimensions” for the program to calculate the
Perimeter length of slab area based on a box-shaped house. Alternatively, the user may enter
floor slab or a value. Enter the perimeter of the slab edge or the perimeter of the
basement wall basement wall. The perimeter refers to edges or length of surfaces that
are exposed to the outside.
Choose “Based on wall dimensions” for the program to calculate floor
area based on a single-story box-shaped house. Alternatively, the user
may enter the total floor area of all conditioned spaces. For example, a
Floor area of
two-story house with overall dimensions of approximately 50 x 50 ft
conditioned space
and a conditioned basement has total floor area of approximately
7500 ft2 (that is, 3 x 2500 ft2). However, excluding the basement floor
area does not introduce a large error.
Choose “Based on wall dimensions” for the program to calculate
volume based on a box-shaped house. Alternatively, the user may enter
Volume of the total volume of all conditioned spaces. The program does not
conditioned space automatically calculate the volume of conditioned basements. If the
basement is conditioned, the user should add its volume manually to the
house volume.
Thermostat set Common thermostat settings are 70°F for winter heating and 75°F for
points summer cooling.11

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

C3. RUN Building Simulation

Once all the information is input, click the button “RUN building simulation”. Depending on
the speed of your computer, the calculations may take as little as a few seconds or up to few
minutes.

The program will display the maximum hourly heating and cooling loads and the heating and
cooling capacity required to meet the thermostat set-point temperature. It also displays (i) the
number of hours per month that are either under-heated or under-cooled, (ii) the monthly
minimum and maximum zone temperatures, and (iii) relative contribution of the individual
components that make up the load. The contribution from walls, windows, roofs, foundations,
infiltration, and internal loads is shown in the bar charts (blue for cooling conditions, red for
heating conditions). The loads are normalized by dividing by the maximum hourly cooling or
heating load as appropriate. The number of hours under-heated or under-cooled should always be
zero. If they are not, check that the thermostat set points are reasonable and run the program
again. If they still seem high, check the monthly maximum and minimum temperatures for the
space to see if system performance is acceptable.

C4. Size Optimizer

It may be possible to further reduce the size of the heating and cooling systems. Try running the
second part of the program with a new user-defined capacity for heating and cooling. Enter a
new heating capacity and/or a new cooling capacity that is less than the auto-sized capacity
calculated by the program. Run the program by clicking the “Re-run with user-defined
capacities” button (it looks like the button below). Check whether the number of hours
underheated or undercooled is acceptable and whether the zone temperatures remain with an
acceptable range.

Re-run with user-defined

capacit ies

C5. Modeling Assumptions

C5.1 Modeling assumption 1: Number of zones. The furnace and air conditioner
condition the house as single zone. Basement surfaces, if present, are considered part of the
conditioned space. The user, however, must manually add the volume of conditioned basements
to the house volume.

C5.2 Modeling assumption 2: Ducts. Ducts for air distribution are located within the
conditioned space. Ducts located in unconditioned spaces such as attics and garages contribute to
distribution losses that will increase energy use.

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

C5.3 Modeling assumption 3: Shape of house. Assuming the house is box-shaped greatly
simplifies the effort of describing the geometry of the house. This assumption is acceptable if the
house is roughly box-shaped. However, even if the house is not box-shaped and as a
consequence a significant part of some wall is mostly shaded by another part of the building, the
results will tend to be conservative for cooling (that is, cooling capacity may be over-sized) and
neutral for heating. To check the validity of this assumption in non-box-shaped houses, the user
is advised to run the program as described above and then run the program again after revising
the inputs to place a portion of the walls and windows that are significantly shaded on the north
wall. Compare the output from these different runs.

C5.4 Modeling assumption 4: Interior thermal mass. In addition to the thermal mass of
exterior walls, 8 lb/ft2 of interior thermal mass is assumed to be evenly distributed across the
floors to account for the thermal mass of furniture and partition walls.

C5.5 Limitations. Assumptions were made to simplify the inputs. The intent was to make the
program easy to use and, therefore, widely used. This program takes a different approach than
other HVAC sizing methodologies, such as Manual J and the ASHRAE Load Calculation
Method. These sizing methodologies were developed for low-mass frame walls and utilize the
summer and winter design conditions. Design conditions are predicted to be exceeded
approximately 1% of the time (88 hours) in a typical 8760-hour year.§ To account for the thermal
mass imparted by concrete walls, this program utilizes hourly weather data for a full typical year.
The hourly data are commonly utilized in energy modeling software and are based on typical
mean (average) conditions from the past 30 years (TMY2 data). This is more representative of
actual conditions in which the HVAC system will be operating. Although insulated concrete
walls moderate indoor temperatures, during extended periods of extreme hot or cold temperature
conditions that last two or more days, the walls may become “fully loaded” and indoor
temperatures may fluctuate outside of the desired temperature ranges. Mass walls store heat that
can be released in later portions of the day. “Fully loaded” in this sense means the walls have
reached their full potential to store heat.

In general, most occupied houses will not have the same heating and cooling loads as predicted
by energy simulation software. This is due to many reasons including, but not limited to the
following:

1. Variations in house occupant use, such as number of occupants, appliance use, setting
back thermostats, optimal use of windows and doors, and optimal use of window shades.
2. The construction of the as built house as compared to the construction as modeled.

C6. Modeling Tips

C6.1 Modeling tip 1: Unconditioned basement. If the basement is not conditioned, the
user may want to choose to model the basement as a slab-on-ground.

§
The actual design conditions typically chosen vary from 0.4% to 2% of the hours in a year.

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

C6.2 Modeling tip 2: Attached garage. An unconditioned attached garage tends to lower
the peak heating load and increase the peak cooling load. Therefore, model this situation
(i) ignore the exterior walls of the garage and (ii) consider the area of walls between the garage
and the house to be completely shaded or on the north-facing wall (or the wall that is closest to
north-facing).

C6.3 Modeling tip 3: Saving and printing. The “Input Screen” is laid out to be printed on
four standard letter-sized pages in landscape orientation. The file can also be saved. The user-
defined changes will be saved with the exception of the foundation insulation configuration. This
value always reverts back to the default condition of “uninsulated”.

C7. Opaque Wall Types

The user chooses an above grade wall from one of the following wall types12. For most types, the
user also chooses the amount of insulation as described following the sketches.

Gypsum Wallboard
Plaster
Wood Furring or 2x4 Wood
Framing w/ Fiberglass Insulation
AAC
(Where Required)

Stucco
CMU

Stucco

Varies Vanes

AAC CMU, with interior insulation

Gypsum Wallboard Gypsum Wallboard

Polystyrene Board Concrete

Insulation
Molded Polystyrene
Concrete Insulation

Aluminum or
Aluminum or
Vinyl Siding
Vinyl Siding

Vanes
Varies

ICF, flat panel ICF, waffle grid

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

Gypsum Wallboard Plaster

Polystyrene Board Concrete

Insulation

Polystyrene Board
Concrete Insulation

Stucco Wood Sheathing

Aluminum or
Vinyl Siding

Varies
Varies

Interior insulation (CIP, int. insul.) Exterior insulation (CIP ext. insul.)

Plaster Plaster

Concrete Concrete

Polystyrene Board Polystyrene Board

Insulation Insulation

Concrete Concrete

Stucco

Varies Varies

Engineered sandwich panel (SP-eng) Typical sandwich panel (SP-typ)

Gypsum Wallboard

2x4 or 2x6 Wood Framing

w/ Fiberglass Insulation

Wood or Insulated
Sheathing

Aluminum or
Vinyl Siding

Varies

Wood frame

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

The autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) wall consists of commercially available AAC blocks
with a nominal density of 30 lb/ft3. Block thickness is selected by the user. The exterior surface
has ½ in. of portland cement stucco. The interior surface is plastered with ¼ in. of cement
plaster.

The concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls consist of normal-weight CMUs with partly grouted
uninsulated cells,* interior wood furring at 16 in. centers, gypsum wallboard on the inside
surface, and stucco on the outside surface. The nominal unit weight of the CMU concrete is
115 lb/ft3. An uninsulated lightweight block with a concrete unit weight of 90 lb/ft3 is also
available for selection. The interior insulation cases have added insulation between wood furring.
The exterior insulation cases assume continuous insulation. The user chooses no insulation,
interior insulation, or exterior insulation, with a wide selection of added insulation values.

The flat-panel insulated concrete form (ICF) wall consists of two layers of either expanded
polystyrene (EPS) or extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation of a uniform thickness separated by
normal-weight concrete with plastic through-wall ties. The exterior surface is aluminum or vinyl
siding. The interior surface consists of ½ in. gypsum wallboard. When selecting a wall from the
drop-down menu for above-grade walls, the thickness is that of the concrete core. Choose the
R-value closest to the total R-value of the wall from the manufacturer’s literature.13 The total
R-value is approximately equal to the added R-value of the insulation for this wall type system.

The waffle-grid ICF wall consists of expanded polystyrene insulation (EPS) in a non-uniform
thickness as shown in the sketch. The exterior surface is sided with aluminum or vinyl siding.
The interior surface is covered with ½ in. gypsum wallboard. When selecting a wall from the
drop-down menu for above-grade walls, the thickness is the thickest portion of the concrete core.
Choose the R-value closest to the total R-value of the wall from the manufacturer’s literature.14

The cast-in-place concrete wall with interior insulation (CIP, int. insul.) consists of a normal
weight concrete wall, interior wood furring at 16 in. centers, and added insulation between the
wood furring. The exterior surface has ½ in. of portland cement stucco. The interior surface
consists of ½ in. gypsum wallboard. This wall also represents a typical flat panel ICF wall where
the exterior insulation is removed. When selecting a wall from the drop-down menu, the R-value
is that of the added insulation.

The cast-in-place concrete wall with exterior insulation (CIP, ext. insul.) consists of a normal
weight concrete wall with expanded or extruded polystyrene board insulation (EPS or XPS) held
in place by integral plastic ties. Plywood or OSB sheathing is applied to the exterior of the
polystyrene to act as a nailing surface for the aluminum or vinyl siding. The interior surface is
plastered with ¼ in. of cement plaster. When selecting a wall from the drop-down menu, the
R-value is that of the added insulation.

*
“Partly grouted uninsulated cells” means that some CMU cells were grouted, while others were empty (did not
contain insulation or grout). Grouted cells typically contain reinforcing steel. The ratio of grouted to non-grouted
cells is defined in ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2001.15

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

The engineered sandwich panel (SP-eng.) wall consists of two layers normal weight concrete
separated by expanded or extruded polystyrene board insulation (EPS or XPS) with integral
plastic ties that connect the concrete layers. The exterior surface has ½ in. of portland cement
stucco. The interior surface is plastered with ¼ in. of cement plaster. When selecting a wall from
the drop-down menu, the R-value is that of the added insulation.

The typical sandwich panel (SP-typ) wall consists of a normal-weight architectural concrete
layer on the outside, expanded or extruded polystyrene board insulation (EPS or XPS), and a
normal-weight prestressed concrete layer on the inside. Concrete layers are connected with ⅛-in.
diameter metal ties spaced at 24 in. centers. The interior surface is finished with ¼ in. of cement
plaster. When selecting a wall from the drop-down menu, the R-value is that of the added
insulation.

The wood-frame wall consists of 2x4 or 2x6 studs at 16 in. on center. The exterior surface is
aluminum or vinyl siding. The interior surface consists of ½ in. gypsum wallboard.

Total wall thermal resistances (R-values) are from ASHRAE sources15 or are calculated using
ASHRAE procedures16 and are listed in the following table.

Total Wall Thermal Resistance (R-value)*

R-value
Wall
hr·ft2·°F/Btu
6-in. AAC 6.5
8-in. AAC 8.3
10-in. AAC 10.2
CIP, R-3 exterior insulation 5.2
CIP, R-4 exterior insulation 6.2
CIP, R-5 exterior insulation 7.2
CIP, R-6 exterior insulation 8.2
CIP, R-8 exterior insulation 10.2
CIP, R-10 exterior insulation 12.2
CIP, R-13 exterior insulation 15.2
CIP, R-15 exterior insulation 17.2
CIP, R-19 exterior insulation 21.2
CIP, R-4 interior insulation (1 in. furring) 4.5
CIP, R-6 interior insulation (1.5 in. furring) 6.0
CIP, R-8 interior insulation (2 in. furring) 7.5
CIP, R-10 interior insulation (2 in. furring) 8.4
CIP, R-13 interior insulation (2x4 in. furring) 11.5
CIP, R-15 interior insulation (2x4 in. furring) 12.4
CIP, R-19 interior insulation (2x6 in. furring) 16.4
CIP, R-21 interior insulation (2x6 in. furring) 17.4
CMU, no insulation 3.3
*Includes an interior air film of 0.68 hr·ft2·°F/Btu.

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

Total Wall Thermal Resistance (R-value)* (Continued)

R-value
Wall
hr·ft2·°F/Btu
Lightweight CMU, no insulation 3.5
CMU, R-3 exterior insulation 6.0
CMU, R-4 exterior insulation 7.0
CMU, R-5 exterior insulation 8.0
CMU, R-6 exterior insulation 9.0
CMU, R-8 exterior insulation 11.0
CMU, R-10 exterior insulation 13.0
CMU, R-13 exterior insulation 16.0
CMU, R-15 exterior insulation 18.0
CMU, R-19 exterior insulation 22.0
CMU, R-4 interior insulation (1 in furring) 5.4
CMU, R-6 interior insulation (1.5 in. furring) 6.9
CMU, R-8 interior insulation (2 in. furring) 8.4
CMU, R-13 interior insulation (2x4 furring) 12.4
CMU, R-15 interior insulation (2x4 furring) 13.3
CMU, R-19 interior insulation (2x6 furring) 17.3
CMU, R-21 interior insulation (2x6 furring) 18.3
ICF-flat, 4 in. concrete core, R-16 total 16.5
ICF-flat, 4 in. concrete core, R-20 total 20.5
ICF-flat, 4 in. concrete core, R-22 total 22.5
ICF-flat, 6 in. concrete core, R-16 total 16.6
ICF-flat, 6 in. concrete core, R-20 total 20.6
ICF-flat, 6 in. concrete core, R-22 total 22.6
ICF-waffle, 6 in. nominal cores, R-12 total 12.5
ICF-waffle, 6 in. nominal cores, R-16 total 16.5
ICF-waffle, 6 in. nominal cores, R-20 total 20.5
ICF-waffle, 8 in. nominal cores, R-12 total 12.6
ICF-waffle, 8 in. nominal cores, R-16 total 16.6
ICF-waffle, 8 in. nominal cores, R-20 total 20.6
SP-typ, R-4 insulation with metal clips 6.3
SP-typ, R-6 insulation with metal clips 7.9
SP-typ, R-8 insulation with metal clips 9.4
SP-typ, R-10 insulation with metal clips 10.6
SP-eng, R-4 insulation with plastic clips 5.2
SP-eng, R-5 insulation with plastic clips 6.2
SP-eng, R-8 insulation with plastic clips 9.2
SP-eng, R-10 insulation with plastic clips 11.2
Wood frame wall, R-13 batt insulation 11.6
Wood fame wall, R-13 batt insulation + R-5 continuous insulation 17.3
Wood frame wall, R-19 batt insulation 15.2
Theoretical wall with no heat transfer, R-1000 1000
*Includes an interior air film of 0.68 hr·ft2·°F/Btu.

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

C8. Endnotes

1. Winkelmann, F., “DOE2.1E-119,” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Science and

Technology Software Center, Oak Rigde, TN, 2002. DOE2.1E-119 is a set of modules for
energy analysis in buildings. Modules are included (i) to calculate the heating and cooling
loads of each space in a building for each hour of a year, (ii) to simulate operation and
response of the equipment and systems that control temperature and humidity and distribute
heating, cooling and ventilation to the building, (iii) to model energy conversion equipment
that uses fuel or electricity to provide the required heating, cooling and electricity, and (iv) to
compute the cost of energy and building operation based on utility rate schedule and
economic parameters.

2. Note on the program operation: The program actually requires the coordinates of all the
building envelope components in a three dimensional coordinate system. However, to
simplify the input, the user only needs to enter the area (or sometimes the length and width)
of a particular component. The program then converts the house into a box shape with the
correct area and perimeter. Although most contemporary houses are not simple boxes, they
usually are roughly box-shaped. This simplification does not introduce significant errors.

3. ASHRAE Standard 62-1999, “Ventilation for acceptable indoor air quality,” American
Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. Atlanta, GA, 1999.
www.ASHRAE.org

4. For concrete houses with minimal above-grade basement wall area, this assumption does not
introduce significant errors.

5. The program assumes windows and glass doors have an aspect ratio of 3:2. This entry evenly
distributes the windows and glass doors across the wall.

6. NFRC is the National Fenestration Rating Council. www.NFRC.org

7. Roof color is not directly related to solar reflectivity, but in the absence of better values,
these values are adequate.

8. An average length and width are needed because the program calculates heating and cooling
loads for surfaces in three-dimensional space. Entering an average length and width is a
simplification that saves the user from having to enter the coordinates of all attic surfaces in a
three-dimensional coordinate system.

9. Similar to the horizontal ceilings, an average length and width are needed because the
program calculates heating and cooling loads for surfaces in three-dimensional space.
Entering an average length and width is a simplification that saves the user from having to
enter the coordinates of all attic surfaces in a three-dimensional coordinate system.

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 HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

10. Winkelmann, F., “Underground Surfaces: How to get a better Underground Surface Heat
Transfer Calculation in DOE-2.1E,” Building Energy Simulation User News, Vol. 23, No. 6,
2002.

11. A non-setback thermostat is assumed. Recent studies have shown that setbacks save a few
percent on annual energy bills. However, with thermally massive walls, setting back the
thermostat when the house is unoccupied or at night may significantly increase the energy
demand at the beginning of the occupied period or in the morning because the furnace or air
conditioner has to overcome the inertial thermal mass of the structure. This can be
accommodated by increasing the time allowed to ramp the temperature to the set point. Many
thermostats accommodate this automatically.

12. Gajda, J., “Thermal Mass Comparison of Wall Systems”, Portland Cement Association,
Skoki, IL, CD026, 2001. www.cement.org. These wall types were adapted from the
referenced PCA document. Note that the number of wall configurations have been increased
and in some cases, the properties of the walls have been updated based on better or more-
defensible information.

13. The below grade option for the flat panel ICF has an R-value of 20.4 hr·ft2·°F/Btu. Variations
in R-values for below grade ICF walls will not have a significant effect on results.

14. The below grade option for the waffle grid ICF has an R-value of 15.4 hr·ft2·°F/Btu.
Variations in R-values for below grade ICF walls will not have a significant effect on results.

15. ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2001, “Energy Efficient Design of New Buildings, Except Low-Rise
Residential Buildings,” American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning
Engineers, Inc., Atlanta, GA, 2001. www.ASHRAE.org

16. ASHRAE 2001 Handbook of Fundamentals, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and
Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc., Atlanta, GA, 2001. www.ASHRAE.org

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APPENDIX D – LICENSING AGREEMENT

February 2004 D-1

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development FIRST-CLASS MAIL
Office of Policy Development and Research POSTAGE & FEES PAID
Washington, DC 20410–6000
HUD
Official Business PERMIT NO. G–795
Penalty for Private Use $300

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