Potential Energy Use of a SIP Manufactured House

May 19, 2000

The energy savings of the SIP manufactured house relative to the similar house (same dimensions) built to the HUD code requirements was estimated using computer simulations. The simulations were done using an energy database created by the DOE-2 model. The energy end-uses included space heating and air conditioning only.

The manufactured house is a doublewide, with a floor area of 1368 ft². The heating system assumed was electric resistance furnace and central air conditioning (10 SEER) was assumed. Table 1 shows the dimensions of the envelope components along with the levels of energy efficiency for both the SIP house and the house built to the HUD-code minimum requirements. The SIP house was credited with a 25% reduction in infiltration and duct losses because of the improved air-tightness achieved by the SIP technique. This assumption of 25% air-tightness improvement comes from monitored data from Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB) SIP townhouses in Frederick, Maryland (see Energy Design Update, April 1997).

Table 1. House Dimensions and Energy-Efficiency Specifications

 

The energy use of the manufactured home was examined in four Northwest locations: Seattle, Salem, Yakima, and Bend. These locations cover the range of climates in the Northwest. Table 2 shows the estimated annual energy use (space heating and cooling) for the manufactured house in these climates.

Table 2. Simulated Annual Energy Use