Certified HVAC Design: Adhering to Building Code Requirements & HRAI Guidelines for HVAC Design in Ontario
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In Ontario, Heat Loss Gain Calculations are a Building code requirement for Residential Mechanical Design. They are used to calculate a home's heating and cooling needs, by calculating the energy required to heat and cool the structure (usually measured in Btu's).
They are a Primary Component of HVAC Design and are the basis for HVAC System selection.
Accurate calculations and analysis are necessary to correctly size system components. Comfort, efficiency and reliability are closely related to this correct sizing. Especially in the selection of gas heaters (or other carbon based fuels for heaters) that enhance climate change.
When equipment is oversized, efficiency is reduced, operating costs soar and climate control over the home and utilized products are impacted. Correct equipment sizing is vital for system efficiency and short and long term reliability of all HVAC Products.
Many factors directly effect Heat Loss/Gain Calculations, they include
Heat Loss Calculation Sample
What is the difference between Heat Loss and Heat Gain?
Heat Loss
Heat Loss refers to what your home will lose to the environment in the heating season, and is critical in determining your furnace size.
What are some other names used for heat loss? It's often used interchangeably with HVAC Calculations, Heating Load, Heat Loss Calculations, System Load, or Heat Calcs.
Heat Gain
Heat Gain refers to the amount of energy your home collects from the environment in the cooling season and determines AC size.
What are some other names used for heat loss? It's used interchangeably with HVAC Calculations, Residential Heating Load Calculation (s), Heat Gain Calculations, furnace size calculator, or Heating Calcs.
Heat Loss and Heat Gain are primary components of: Heat Loss Gain Calculations, which are in turn part of an HVAC Design.
What is needed to complete an Heat Loss Heat Gain Calculation in Ontario?
To complete Calcs and Drawings, clients are required to provide the following
EEDS Form (SB-12)
Site Plan or North Arrow
Saltzberry Design Submission Form
Architectural Drawings should ideally be detailed, complete and drafted to scale. They should include all window and door sizes, ceiling heights of all rooms and building assemblies and insulation values. Drawings should be well labelled and suitable for issuance of building permit. Ideal Conditions: Fully Scaled and Dimensioned drawings, with all assemblies clearly denoted in pdf. Minimum Requirements: Clear Legible Drawings in jpeg or png.
Quick Tip: Test the suitability of your "scanned" drawings by zooming in all the way, are your notes and numbers readable? Are the drawings legible?
Design Intent: You should have a general idea of how you'd like your system to function. At a minimum you must be able to provide the intended location of the system, and its' type. We need a starting point. Designs can change and we're happy to help if your having issues as to where to start.
Project Information: You should be able to provide the Lot/Address, Street and Municipality for the intended build. Orientation of the building's front door to North and the available fuel sources that will be provided to run the HVAC Equipment.
How does Building Orientation effect Heat Loss Calculations?
South Elevation
East Elevation
West Elevation
North Elevation
Heat Loss Calculations and Heat Gain Calculations are directly influenced by the Sun. The positioning of the home on the property in relationship to the Sun is known as Solar Orientation.
Heat gained in the home from sun shining through its' glazing units (such as windows, and exterior doors) and warming surface temperatures is known as Solar Heat Gain. Theses gains adds to our total cooling load.
While Solar Heat Gain can help us during the heating season by reducing our required heating load, it is the largest contributor to Cooling Load during the cooling season.
How the building is positioned (in relation to North) determines the amount of time the suns rays, and amount of Solar Heat Gain.
How the building is positioned (in relation to North) determines the amount of time the suns rays, and amount of Solar Heat Gain.
How does the Composition of a Building Affect Heat Loss Gain Calculations?
Building R-Values, ceiling & wall heights, and wall construction values directly influence how a home losses or gains heat. This info can be found on the Architectural Cross Sections and Assemblies Schedules.
Alternatively they can be found in the Energy Efficiency Design Summary (EEDS)
Energy Efficiency Design Summaries are most often provided by your Architectural Designer. They provide all building assembly R-Values as summarized from your design.
Saltzberry Design can assist you if you have issues obtaining an EEDS.
How does External and Internal Shading Effect Heat Loss Calculations?
Internal and External shading can reduce glazing effects on Heat Loss Gain Calculations by over 70%. Reducing need for Fossil Fuels and helping our futures.
External Shading refers to the exterior objects and building projections that cast a shadow onto the home. These shadows help prevent the rays from the sun reaching the building, and increasing interior temperatures.
Internal Shading refers to those object that shade the window from the interior. This can be accomplished through the use of blinds, shades, curtains, shutters and sun shading and privacy tools.
How does Infiltration contribute to Heat Loss?
In the context of HVAC design, infiltration refers to the unintentional entry of outside air into a building through cracks, gaps, and other openings in the building envelope. This can happen through windows and other glazing units. This can occur when there is a difference in pressure between the inside and outside of the building, such as when a building is being heated or cooled. Infiltration can have a number of negative effects on a building's HVAC system, including increased energy consumption, reduced indoor air quality, and decreased thermal comfort.
To prevent infiltration, HVAC designers must carefully plan and specify the building envelope, including the doors, windows, walls, and roof. The building envelope should be designed and constructed to be airtight, with proper seals and weatherstripping to prevent air leakage. In addition, HVAC designers may recommend the use of mechanical ventilation systems, such as exhaust fans or air-to-air heat exchangers, to control the flow of air into and out of the building. By reducing infiltration, HVAC designers can help ensure that buildings are more energy-efficient and comfortable for occupants.
Does Soil Conductivity impact Heat Loss Calculations?
Soil conductivity is a measure of a soil's ability to conduct heat. In the context of heat loss calculation, soil conductivity is an important factor to consider when calculating the amount of heat that will be lost from a building to the ground.
Heat loss from a building to the ground occurs through conduction, in which heat is transferred from the building to the soil through direct contact. The rate of heat loss through conduction depends on several factors, including the conductivity of the soil, the temperature difference between the building and the soil, and the surface area of the building in contact with the soil.
To calculate the heat loss from a building to the ground, HVAC designers must first determine the Ontario Building Code conductivity values of the soil at the building site. Once the soil conductivity is known, the designers use a heat loss calculation method, calculate the heat loss from the building to the ground.
By taking soil conductivity into account in heat loss calculations, HVAC designers can provide accurate calculations of a building's heating and cooling needs, and design more efficient HVAC systems. This can help save energy and reduce the environmental impact of the building.
How to Order a Heat loss Calculation for Building Permit
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