 Building Science at UC Berkeley: Research
Development of Final Building Design for the Alternatives to Compressive Cooling Project Edward Arens,
Department of Architecture California Institute for Energy Efficiency This part of the multi-phase, multi-team Alternatives to Compressor Cooling project funded by the California Institute for Energy Efficiency focused on developing a prototype house design which maintains comfort during overheated periods in California’s transitional climate zones without the use of an air conditioner. We are interested in encouraging California building and developers, with the assistance of utilities, to become interested in this housing type. Therefore, the design is responsive to market pressures and directions faced by the merchant housing industry while providing increased thermal performance over a typical Title 24 house. In July 1995, we held a three-day design workshop, involving architects, industry leaders, research teams, energy and thermal performance experts, and UCB graduate students. During this workshop, four house concept designs were developed. Three were then taken into the schematic design stage to further explore thermal performance potential and industry acceptance. Of these, a 2,200 square foot house featuring a courtyard has been fully developed in drawings and construction details. Cost estimates and DOE-2 performance simulation runs were used to tine tune the design. This design was presented to the housing industry, utility program and State energy officials for comment and review during 1996-1997 through individual meetings with Southern California developers and a workshop at the Pacific Gas and Electric Energy Center in March 1997. Parallel to the development of a prototype design, the team has led the development of a new category title the "Summer Comfort House" for the Gold Nugget Awards given by the West Coast and Pacific Rim housing industry. The second Summer Comfort awards were announced and presented in June 1997 at the West Coast Builders Conference in San Francisco, CA.
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