The Elephant in the Room - HVAC for High Performance Homes

In new homes, poor HVAC design and installation practice accounts for more energy waste than any other single factor. Unfortunately, when it comes to HVAC, it’s easier to sell high efficiency boxes than high efficiency systems, a distinction invariably lost in a competitive marketplace.

In particular, oversizing, endemic in code-built homes, is becoming an epidemic in high performance homes. Even though mechanical contractors are taught the virtues of right-sizing, they can’t seem to break free from their ‘bigger is better’ bias. Moreover, most are unfamiliar with the nuances of designing for high performance homes. As a result, the HVAC equipment is often grossly oversized. This not only undercuts potential energy savings but makes these homes especially vulnerable to comfort and moisture problems.

Although there’s general awareness of this issue among industry practitioners, few understand the full extent of the problem or its consequences.As a result, HVAC remains the weakest link in most high performance homes.