A thermal analysis of the model conservation standards for new homes in the Pacific Northwest U.S.A.

Energy-efficiency standards have been proposed for new, electrically-heated houses constructed in the Pacific Northwest (U.S.A.). Before implementation, several hundred houses were built to the new standards in order to determine their costeffectiveness. In order to estimate the energy savings, weekly energy consumption data for total utility, space heating, water heating, and appliances were collected for the houses built to the new standards and an equal number of Control houses. After adjustments for climate, floor area, internal gains, and inside temperature, the homes built to the new standard used about 45% less electrical space heat than the Control homes.