Building Performance Contractors Association

The Building Performance Contractors Association of
New York State Presents:

A Six-Hour Field Training
Advanced Diagnostics For Raters & For Home Performance Contractors &
Social Hour and Regional Dinner Forum
“Analyze This”
Home Performance Business Model with a View Toward Analysis

December 5, 2006 - 8:00am to 3:00 p.m.
(Tuesday)

Field Training: Advanced Diagnostics For Raters

Need More Information? call: Jim Hammel @ (315) 638 – 1757

Regional Evening Dinner Forum: “Analyze This”
Home Performance Business Model with a View Toward Analysis

Field Training Information:
Advanced Diagnostics for Home Energy Raters and Home Performance Contractors

A course abstract by Bob Kahabka

For several years now the Raters and Home performance Contractors of New York State have been conducting blower door and duct leakage testing to verify high quality air and duct sealing in the Energy star Labeled Homes Program®, and the Home Performance with energy Star Program. This level of diagnostics has done much to educate builders and contractors on the impact of random air leakage through the building envelope, and to prompt more detail in air sealing of both the envelope and heating/cooling duct work. This field presentation will take pressure diagnostics to the next level with illustration of techniques to measure the interaction and CFM of airflow between the conditioned spaces and attached unconditioned zones. This is a valuable diagnostic tool for prioritizing air-sealing work and in performing quality assurance of completed work in both new and existing buildings. Additional pressure diagnostics demonstrations using a differential manometer will include quantifying large exhaust fan airflow, measuring total airflow of central heating/cooling systems, testing for pressure balance within areas of the conditioned space and confirming the effectiveness of specialized mechanical systems such as radon sub-slab depressurization. This is a hands-on training, so bring your digital manometer a pocket calculator and those nagging questions.

Course Outline

The principles of pressure diagnostics
-- Physics of airflow and pressure transference – What is the relationship between the effective hole size, CFM flow and measured pressure differentials.
-- Typical pressures for typical buildings – What are the natural and mechanical forces (pressures) behind airflow, how can we prioritize their importance and what are the consequences of these driving forces across various pressure boundaries.

Tools for pressure diagnostics
-- Zonal pressure (series leakage) calculators – An easy to use and accurate way to measure CFM flow across established pressure boundaries.
-- Blower door diagnostics – More than measuring CFM/50 Pa., the blower door provides a means of manipulating building pressures for expanded diagnostics, i.e. zonal pressures, window leakage measurements, heat exchanger leak detection, venting appliance simulation.
-- Duct leakage testing devices – Techniques for measuring total duct leakage and leakage to outside of the conditioned zone, measuring total CFM flow across the heat exchanger/cooling coil and measuring the pressure differential at supply and return grills.
-- Fan flow metering – Techniques for measuring large and small exhaust fan flows, using a variety of measuring devices
-- Diagnostic smoke – Techniques for locating air leakage across pressure boundaries and duct work.

Interpreting leakage and ventilation measurements in context of Energy Star standards
-- Computerized calculator – Introducing a field calculator that helps interpret collected building information into useful Energy Star standards and terms, in addition to calculating standard geometric shapes, calculating dewpoints, converting HERS Scores to the new HERS Index.

PLEASE PRINT THE ABOVE INFORMATION FOR YOUR REFERENCE

The Building Performance Contractor's Association of New York State would like you to attend our third informational meeting of 2005 and anyone interested in Building Performance, Home Energy Ratings, Solar Electric Systems, HVAC, Air-Sealing and Insulation, Healthy Homes and Indoor Air Quality, or any combination of these, should attend this meeting. If you can't attend, BPCA/NYS holds similar monthly Regional Forums in New York State.

New York State offers several market-based initiatives that are designed to help contractors to become more profitable in providing new and ever-evolving energy efficiency and building performance services to the residential marketplace. We are here to assist you in learning more about these existing programs, as well as other educational and business opportunities. This meeting will give you a forum to offer ideas and to present feedback to NYSERDA, LIPA and the program implementers of the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR and the New York ENERGY STAR Labeled Homes Programs.

BPCA/NYS will also help you to get answers to any questions on your own projects, existing and upcoming NYS programs and other business opportunities. BPCA is here to assist you in training for new and better business practices, sourcing for new tools, building and energy efficiency practices and any other needs that may affect you, as a trades-person in the building performance contracting industry.

Please attend our afternoon 4-hour Workshop and stay on for our Dinner Forum. This Dinner Forum will be a 4-hour meeting AND a Discussion Period will follow with Q & A. You have the opportunity to earn a total of 6 Continuing Educational Credits, if you attend both afternoon and evening sessions.

For more information on BPCA/NYS, contact: Frazer Dougherty, Secretary tel. (631) 537-1654, Long Island Office or visit www.homeperformance.org

For registration information:
Email: deirdre@ceepinc.org
Telephone: 518.432.6400 x225

Payment is requested in advance to hold your registration. If paying at door, kindly have cash/check (payable to "CEEP, INC") ready in the appropriate amount. No shows will be invoiced. If you register and do not cancel, we will invoice you.

Speaker Biography:

Robert Kahabka, Northern Comfort Diagnostics, Woodhull, NY

Robert has over 25 years experience in building construction, energy analysis, air quality analysis and remediation work He has 18 years experience in adult education, including classroom and field training on building construction, energy efficiency and indoor air quality. He has served as a local Weatherization manager and a Technical Representative and Trainer for New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal. His current business, Northern Comfort Diagnostics, provides accredited training and quality assurance for The Energy Star Labeled Homes Program® in New York State and New England. Additionally he provides training and consulting services for builders, owners and home performance contractors in New York State.

DIRECTIONS:

Dinner Forum Directions:
Eddie G’s Steak Place
http://www.EddieGsSteakPlace.com/
1060 Rt.25A
Mt. Sinai, NY
(631) 331-6500

From the North:

From the South:

From the East:

From the West:

Jim Hammel BPCA (315) 638 – 1757

PLEASE PRINT THE INFORMATION ABOVE FOR YOUR REFERENCE

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Click here to go to the Building Performance Contractors of New York State home page.