11.      Verification

Prescription: It’s all well and good to say a building is high performance, but without some kind of verification, there is no proof. Most high performance designers, architects, builders and consultants will use some form of energy modeling software to evaluate the components of a system. Anything from Ekotrope or BEopt to Passive House Wufi Passive & PHPP. Each of these energy modeling software allows the team to evaluate the most cost effective measures to meet your energy metrics and goals. Having an energy model done does not mean that you have to participate in a program. However, there are many great programs available to help guide your project to your end goals. From LEED, Energy Star, DOE Zero Energy Home, Passive House (US or International), Living Building Challenge and more. Even if you don’t want a certification. The more familiar your team is with the principles of these programs, the better your whole project will be.

Commissioning: But once the house is built, it’s also critically important to perform tests on the various systems. From blower door testing for air infiltration, to mechanical testing to be sure you’re providing the right levels of fresh air to all of your spaces. Having your designer/architect/consultant present during construction to test, verify, and evaluate all of these components will help to ensure that your home performs the way you intend it. It’s also important to connect the homeowner with the systems so that they are aware of how to operate, clean and maintain the system. And that you work with a local installer who is available to service systems should you ever have an issue.

Verification: It’s also important to track your systems once they are installed to ensure they are working properly and giving you the output desired. Verification and tracking can be as simple as monitoring the output of your solar array to data loggers installed within your wall cavities to verify moisture levels at different times of the year. We often recommend simple verification measures like a humidity sensor to make sure your indoor environment remains healthy. You can start with a simple $10 unit or measure much more of your indoor air quality metrics with a unit that tracks CO2, airborne chemicals and VOC’s, humidity, temperature, particulate matter (dust), NO2, CO, ozone & air pressure.

What you verify and how you verify it depends on the specific targets you’re trying to achieve. And maybe, just a little bit, on how nerdy you are!