Page 37 - Green Builder Magazine Sept-Oct 2021

DOE Annual Building Science Roundup
SILVER LININGS
Data-Driven

Performance

United Way’s way of getting things done right?
Getting help from professional data analysis of
the projected design’s performance.

HE CONCEPT of building infor- United Way of Long Island, New York, agency has constructed 21 homes certified
mation modeling (BIM) has been used BIM to successfully visualize con- to DOE’s ZERH program. It has won six
T around since the 1970s. Nearly struction of its five-bedroom, two-bath- HIAs and five grand awards in the afford-
half a century later, it’s coming into its room, two-story home in Port Jefferson able homes category since 2015.
own within the construction industry. Station, New York. The 2,500-square-foot The winning home achieved a Home
BIM produces integrated three-dimen- house earned a grand award in the U.S. Energy Rating System (HERS) score of 37
sional renderings of every aspect of a Department of Energy (DOE) Zero Energy without photovoltaic (PV), or -2 with PV,
home, including framing, HVAC, plumb- Ready Home (ZERH) 2020 Housing Inno- enough to power the home and an electric
ing and electrical. It allows a construction vation Awards (HIAs). vehicle. The home is expected to save about
team to visualize how components fit “This is the first project United Way has $5,300 a year in utility costs, which is criti-
together, giving team members a better constructed using BIM,” says Rick Wert- cally important to the nonprofit agency that
understanding of the end product. They heim, senior vice president of Housing owns the home, according to Wertheim.
can see potential conflicts in sequenc- and Green Initiatives for the United Way
ing of construction steps, and potential of Long Island Housing Development NOTHING BETTER THAN BIM
problem areas such as maintaining a con- Corporation, a nonprofit organization The design included a novel attic truss
tinuous air and thermal barrier around a that builds or renovates about six homes specifically crafted to accommodate a
home’s conditioned space. per year for its nonprofit partners. The ducted mini-split heat pump tucked into

Average Monthly Energy Bill
$0 Climate IECC,4A, mixed-humid

Calculated
Dry (B) Moist (A)
Marine (C)
7
6
Annual Savings 4 6
$5,250 5 5

Calculated versus typical new homes 4

3
2 3
2 2
Saved in the first 30 Years
$218,800 1

Includes fuel escalation rates,
2019 EIA Energy Outlook

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