As unvented attics have become a more common design feature implemented by Building America partners in hot-dry climates of the United States, more attention has been focused on how this approach affects heating and cooling energy consumption. By eliminating the ridge and eave vents that circulate outside air through the attic in most new houses and by moving the insulation from the attic floor to the underside of the roof, an unvented attic becomes a semiconditioned space, creating a more benign environment for space conditioning ducts. An energy trade-off is made, however, because the additional surface area (and perhaps reduced insulation thickness) increases the building loss coefficient. Other advantages and disadvantages, unrelated to energy, must also be considered. This paper addresses the energy-related effects of unvented attics in hot-dry climates based on field testing and analysis conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
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ASME 2003 International Solar Energy Conference
March 15–18, 2003
Kohala Coast, Hawaii, USA
Conference Sponsors:
- Solar Energy Division
ISBN:
0-7918-3676-2
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
Thermal Performance of Unvented Attics in Hot-Dry Climates: Results From Building America
Robert Hendron,
Robert Hendron
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO
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Sara Farrar-Nagy,
Sara Farrar-Nagy
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO
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Ren Anderson,
Ren Anderson
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO
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Paul Reeves,
Paul Reeves
Partnership for Resource Conservation, San Diego, CA
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Ed Hancock
Ed Hancock
Mountain Energy Partnership, Boulder, CO
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Robert Hendron
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO
Sara Farrar-Nagy
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO
Ren Anderson
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO
Paul Reeves
Partnership for Resource Conservation, San Diego, CA
Ed Hancock
Mountain Energy Partnership, Boulder, CO
Paper No:
ISEC2003-44070, pp. 73-80; 8 pages
Published Online:
January 5, 2009
Citation
Hendron, R, Farrar-Nagy, S, Anderson, R, Reeves, P, & Hancock, E. "Thermal Performance of Unvented Attics in Hot-Dry Climates: Results From Building America." Proceedings of the ASME 2003 International Solar Energy Conference. Solar Energy. Kohala Coast, Hawaii, USA. March 15–18, 2003. pp. 73-80. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/ISEC2003-44070
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