Scientific Environmental Design (SED) Helps Architects and Home Builders Dramatically Improve Residential Air Quality and Energy Efficiency
HIGH POINT, N.C., Aug. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientific Environmental Design, Inc. (SED) is on a mission to partner with architects, designers and custom home builders to improve the poor state of the heating and air conditioning industry and the harm it is causing homeowners.
"Most residential HVAC systems are not being designed to strictly adhere to IECC (International Energy Conservation Code) and local building code requirements," said Neal Kearney, VP of Sales & Marketing. "As a result, many homeowners are experiencing air quality issues and mold problems, and they are paying too much to heat and cool their homes."
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), almost half of the brand-new custom homes built in the United States contain improper heating and air conditioning (HVAC) designs and equipment. Another 2013 EPA study found that 30 million homes in the U.S. have significant indoor air quality issues.
HVAC Coding Requirements Are Being "Deliberately Evaded"
Kearney said that although the current residential HVAC industry appears to be well regulated and subject to legislative mandates that require systems that are installed based on a specific set of mechanical building code requirements, reality is much different.
"In our nearly 40 years of experience in this industry, we have seen that adherence to actual mechanical code requirements is universally misapplied, ignored or deliberately evaded," Kearney said.
"We can't count the number of times that designers, architects and home owners have said 'the HVAC system passed inspection, so it must be code compliant and installed correctly," he continued. "However, nothing could be further from the truth. Passing inspection does not equal code compliance."
Larger Homes Have Increased HVAC Problems
The challenge of heating and cooling homes has increased along with average home sizes.
According to the Census Bureau, in 2015 the average size of new houses built in the U.S. increased to an all-time high of 2,687 square feet—1,000 feet larger than in 1973.
While homes have gotten large and construction materials have improved along with more efficient HVAC equipment, the one component of the home's environmental system that is not receiving proper attention is the vastly increased interior volume with increased air flow requirements.
"The lack of proper air flow results in inadequate dehumidification, stagnant air pockets and temperature differentials in the home. This not only results in occupant discomfort it has the real potential to contribute to health issues due to mold growth and poor indoor air quality," Kearney said.
Many in the HVAC industry recognize the interior air volume is an issue. The standard solution is to add more HVAC equipment. This leads to several problems, including equipment short cycling (i.e., turning off and on too frequently), higher initial costs and ongoing high utility costs. All the while, the systems still do not properly dehumidify or purify the indoor air.
All of this is solved by SED's Total Flow™ technology.
SED Is Educating Architects, Designers and Builders on Its Total Flow TechnologyTM
SED is working with custom home builders and subcontractors to educate them on the complexities and solutions needed to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) and efficiency.
Using its Total Design Approach™, SED is involved from the home's design phase through construction to ensure 100% code compliance and reliability of all aspects of the home's environmental system. Applying their energy performance analysis program, SED also guarantees energy savings for the lifetime of each system it designs—with savings of up to 60% on the cost for heating and cooling.
Architects, homeowners and custom home builders can learn more about SED's services at www.sedefficiency.com.
Media Contact:
Brandon Uttley
704-584-9656
[email protected]
SOURCE Scientific Environmental Design
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