Energy Efficiency in Housing and Small Buildings Blower Door Test

1. Energy Efficiency in Housing and Small BuildingsBlower Door Test May 17th 2011

2. Proposed Airtightness Requirements • Prescriptive Path • 10 specific construction details • Different approaches (poly, ADA, exterior sheathing) • ULC S741 Air Barrier Material • Address typical penetration and junctions • Testing for Assemblies • ULC S742 Air Barrier Assemblies • Address junction details (mfg’s instructions) • Blower Door Test • Required Performance 2.5 ACH • Permit both methods: “as operated” and “all vents sealed”

3. Proposed Airtightness Requirements • Performance Path • Reference House – Proposed House • assumed as 2.5 ACH - assumed 3.2 ACH (current practice) - assumed 2.5 ACH (prescriptive path) - as measured (blower door)

4. Executive Committee: • Performance path is a natural fit for blower door test • Multiple options for compliance – generally acceptable • Appendix Note to explain proper timing of the test • in the case of an interior air barrier, before dry-wall is taped and mudded • exterior air barrier less critical because blower door test depressurizes the house (sucking inwards) • Prescriptive Path • concerns over enforcement issues • qualification of testers • how the test fits into the permit protocol

5. Optional blower door test • Implications of offering a blower door test as an option • in the Prescriptive Path • allows an alternate means of compliance to construction details • would allow a second “tighter” compliance package based on 1.5 ACH • expected to be used only by energy efficiency experienced builders • in the performance path • allows to gain credit for building houses with better airtightness • Implications of not offering a blower door test as an option • in the Prescriptive Path • None – if the proposed assumed airtightness remains at 2.5 ACH • Loosing the possibility of offering a 1.5 ACH envelope compliance path • in the performance Path • No credit for more energy efficient construction • Less credit for heat recovery ventilation

6. Qualification of Testers • NRCan Energy Advisors (EA) • Over 1800 NRCan Energy Advisors • 1587 active energy advisors certified for existing housing • 227 active energy advisors certified for new housing • All Advisors are qualified to do the "as operated" blower door test. • New housing EAsare also qualified to perform the CGSB blower door test (“all vents sealed”). • NRCan maintains databases on EAs and Service Organizations • Many Building Science Engineers are also performing blower door tests

7. NRCan Energy Advisors (EA) • Service Organizations licensed by NRCan • train EAs (incl. specific blower door training) • train EA Instructors • certify and decertify EA’s • issue EA’s ID Card • name of EA • name & telephone contact of Service Organization • assure quality of Energuide process and administration

8. Timing of the Test • Blower Door Test can be performed during construction • Some sort of test report needs to be produced before compliance can be determined • Similar to spray-foam installation or site-built windows • Report will not be issued before compliance criteria have been met (2.5 ACH) • Most applications allow post-drywall / pre-mudding test • What the JTG is hearing … • Some jurisdictions are already allowing an ERS rating as compliance route, which would incorporate a blower door test • Some jurisdictions are considering to make the blower door test mandatory