Locate Your AC Ducts within the Home's Conditioned Space

Designing and locating the HVAC ducts (and the air handling unit (AHU)) within the home's conditioned space can minimize energy losses significantly by increasing the operating efficiency of the HVAC system in your home.. As per studies by US Department of Energy (DOE) and EPA, moving ducts within the conditioned space can reduce cooling and heating loads by over 10%.

Even if ducts are well insulated there could be leakages at some points (damaged/ decaying insulation (over time)), causing loss of conditioned air, or if the ducts are located in vented attics or crawl spaces there could be energy losses because of temperature difference (delta).

1) Insulating the attic (if ducts in attic) or 2) using a false/dropped ceiling in your home corridors (where the ducts are running) are two most effective and economical solutions 

One of the best ways to accommodate ducts in conditioned space (also possible in case of late design stage intervention and retrofitting) is using dropped false ceiling - one can drop the ceiling within the circulation space (ducts run in the circulation space) to accommodate the ducts within the conditioned space. The AHU can be located in the closet and the supply registers to individual rooms can be on the wall surface adjoining the corridor, thus maintaining the height of individual rooms.

- See more at: http://www.smartzerohome.com/HVAC_Ducts_conditioned_Smart%20Zero%20Home.html#sthash.0dmDP8YE.dpuf

The Top 5 Tankless Water Heaters in the US Market...

Once you know the tankless water heater specifications (get specifications customized for your home) befitting your needs and your home size (see tankless water considerations to understand all the tankless water heater features that your should be focusing on), its time to zero in on the tankless water heater that you want to buy. 

Tankless water heaters, save considerable space and water, and are a lot more energy efficient compared to storage water heaters

Rinnai and Rheem natural gas tankless water heater, offer one of the highest efficiencies available (energy factor of 0.94). For very cold climates, electric tankless water heaters from Ecosmart can heat input temperatures as low as 37 degrees. 

The following is our pick of the best tankless water heaters available in the market today, based on our analysis, market study, and feedback from consumers and retailers:

http://www.smartzerohome.com/WaterHeater_toptankless_SmartZeroHome.html

Wall Insulation 101

Adequate wall insulation prevents heating and cooling losses, thus conserving energy, and ensuring maximum utilization of the Furnace & Air-Conditioning system.  Good wall insulation also makes the interior space more comfortable and less noisy. 

Choosing between different insulation options

Adding wall insulation to existing walls, requires drilling holes into the wall to access the wall cavity, to fill it with insulation. Spray foam insulation is the best option when retrofitting existing home walls, as it can be sprayed inside the wall cavity with minimal intrusion/holes. Spray-foam insulation thus allows for fast, easy and effective (one of the highest R values/density) retrofitting options, while also automatically air-sealing any existing leakages. 

Spray foam is an effective and less intrusive wall insulation option 

Cellulose insulation is organic and can also be blown-in with minimum intrusion, but can absorb water in humid weather. For deeper (interior walls are torn down) retrofits, insulation boards/batts (rigid foam boards or fiberglass batts) can be used.

Getting the Insulation "R" Value

Insulation’s effectiveness is measured by its “R” value. R is the short form for Insulation’s Resistance against transfer of heat across it. Thus higher the R value of the Insulation, higher is its effectiveness. Our (SmartZeroHome.com) intelligent design software can specify the exact insulation R values that are the most cost-effective and the most impactful, for your home.

Also see our post on roof/attic insulation, and our pick of the best roof insulation products in the market.

- See more at: http://www.smartzerohome.com/insulation_wall_SmartZeroHome.html#sthash.gn7Gnx41.dpuf

What is a Smart Home?

The definition of a “Smart Home” has continued to evolve with newer technological advancements. A Smart Home maximizes the comfort of the resident, in the most cost-effective way. We (smartzerohome.com) would extend the definition of a Smart Home to include it being a solar powered energy efficient self-sufficient net Zero Energy home.

Various smart devices can be connected – monitored and controlled – under one platform

A Smart Home consists of smart connected devices and appliances that act based on the home resident’s desires and behaviors, to maximize their comfort. A Smart Home accomplishes this objective through connected devices and smart appliances that are connected via a Connected Smart Home Platform and/or a Home Energy Management System which allows them to communicate with each other and follow a pre-selected course of action based on the home resident’s behavior, and on the most cost-effective energy efficiency strategy.

See more at SmartZeroHome.comwww.smartzerohome.com