Description: During an unseasonably cold winter, the owners of the home were receiving very high monthly electric bills (exceeding $300). Prof. Michael Gibson worked with an architecture student, Megan Cantu, through the Developing Scholars undergraduate research program to review construction specifications for the home, visit the home and talk to the homeowners, and capture environmental data from the home. In particular, thermography was used to evaluate the home’s insulation and identify potential comfort problems, and anemometer data loggers were used to measure HVAC supply and return flow in various rooms of the home. An energy model of the home was created to compare simulated energy performance to electricity bills.

A report was provided to the developer and homeowners with the team’s findings, which identified issues with air flow, insulation, and an improperly sized heat pump that was relying on emergency electric coil heating to heat the home on cold days. Doors in the homes’ bedrooms were undercut properly to increase airflow, while the heat pump was replaced with a larger unit to prevent the need for electricity-intensive emergency heat. Blown-in Insulation in the attic was redistributed to improve coverage and additional insulation was added to fill in gaps. Thermal bridging indicated heat loss at the eaves, slab edges, and door and window openings, which could be improved with more energy-conscious detailing and construction methods, which the team proposed for future builds.

In conclusion, the team’s conclusions notes that electric heat pumps can deliver significant and reliable energy savings in the Kansas climate when they are correctly sized and when they are paired with energy-efficient insulation and construction details.