Energy implications of meeting ASHRAE Standard 62.2

The first and only nation-wide standard for residential ventilation in the United States is ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2004. This standard is being considered for adoption by various jurisdictions within the U.S. as well as by various voluntary programs. The adoption of 62.2 would require mechanical ventilation systems to be installed in virtually all new homes, but allows for a wide variety of design solutions. These solutions, however, may have a different energy costs and non-energy benefits. The authors have used a detailed simulation model to evaluate the energy impacts of common and proposed mechanical ventilation approaches for a variety of climates. These results separate the energy needed to ventilate into the energy needed to condition the ventilation air and the energy needed to distribute and/or temper the ventilation air. The results show that exhaust systems are generally the most energy efficient method of meeting the proposed requirements, mostly due to having the least increase in ventilation relative to an unvented home.