General Challenges Associated with Energy Efficient Buildings

Please be aware of these general issues with “super-insulated,” “low-load” buildings: 

• Better insulation leads to colder exterior surfaces and less heat available to evaporate water in the assemblies.
• The “sensible heat ratio problem”, that is, HVAC dehumidification capacity at part load conditions. Sensible cooling demands and loads are reduced, while dehumidification demands and loads still exist.

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