The California Energy Commission is considering upgrading the State energy code, Title 24, to require mechanical ventilation based on the requirements of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2004, Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low-Rise Residential Buildings. These requirements call for mechanical ventilation systems to be installed in virtually all new homes but allow for a wide variety of design solutions. These solutions, however, may have 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 condition the ventilation air from the fan 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, but supply and balanced systems can provide additional non-energy benefits.

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