The Problem
The owner approached Your Solar Home Inc. to evaluate the current 19th century farm house energy requirements. There was a large renovation planned and the past energy consumption was approaching $1000 per month for propane and electricity in the winter months. The owner knew that he wanted to employ some energy conservation/efficiency with a solar energy strategy. The owner also wanted to preserve the original structure for historic and site reasons. Your Solar Home took this into account and approached the owner with a comprehensive energy reduction plan.
Previous Heating Technology
The furnace has been replaced 3 years before and was a 120 KBTU Bryant energy efficient system. There was no cooling in the building for the summer months and no ventilation since the structure was very old. There was also limited duct work, as the home had undergone multiple renovations. There was a wood burning fireplace with an insert for the winter months.
Recommendation and Solution
The original structure was sound with the exception of the foundation which had to be dug up and analyzed for it's integrity. The home had double brick construction which was used during the turn of the century. This was utilized for structure and thermal mass since heating technology was in its infancy. The recommendation was to completely remove all interior insulation and start from the brick level inside. An engineering firm was hired to evaluate the interior and exterior structure.
YSH recommended three inches of insulation to the outside brick mass. The thermal mass of the brick was utilized to keep the heat inside. The foam insulation would seal the building from the outside and eliminate the vapor barrier inside. Foaming was done from the base of the foundation to the top of the room. This would provide significant R value for maintaining internal temperatures.
