House Insulation Simulation Storyboard – Final 5

1/14/03

Screen: 01

Text: House Insulation Simulation

Introduction

The purpose of this simulation is to insulate a house with different types of insulation to determine the effectiveness of a given insulation type, and how many years it would take to recoup your investment in a given insulation type.

To successfully complete this simulation, you need to:

1)Utilize the Heat Loss Formula to determine BTUs lost in one hour

a)determine the square feet to be insulated for walls, roof, and windows

b)determine the Heating Degree Days for a given location

c)determine the insulation to be used

2)Determine how much money will be used to heat a house of a given square footage and insulation type for one year

a)utilize the BTUs lost, the type of fuel, and the Heating Degree Days in a simple formula

3)Add an insulation type to the house, then determine heating cost savings for one year, and the amount of time needed to recover the investment in the additional insulation

4)Write a report detailing your findings

You will receive guidance through each step of the simulation.

You must complete the entire simulation in one session because no records are stored. Each time you run the simulation values for the house may change.

Graphics: A house in 3-D view, with insulation being added to walls.

Notes: This page lists the goal and objectives for the sim.

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Screen: 02

Text: What Do I Do?

In this simulation you are building a house. You need to determine how much it will cost you to insulate the house with both minimal and additional insulation for one year. You will also determine how many years it will take to recover your additional insulation investment.

Sequence of Activity

  1. Insulate a simulated house. You will choose a house type, a geographical location, the number of windows, the type of fuel you will use to heat the house, and a given insulation type.
  1. Calculate the total square feet to be insulated.
  1. Determine the heat loss in millions of BTUs per hour.
  1. Determine the cost of heating the house for one year.
  1. Add one type of insulation to the house, and determine the resulting cost.
  1. Determine the heat (and money) saved per year with additional insulation. Then determine the number of years needed to recover the cost of the additional insulation.

Compile and include this information in a report you will submit to your instructor.

Graphics: Show a two-story house and a ranch house with various insulation materials being applied to one of the walls. Apply the first insulation type. Then erase it, apply the second insulation type, erase it, etc until all five types of insulation are used. Then repeat the entire sequence, making it a continuous loop.

Four different types of insulation - 3/4" foam, 1 1/2" foam, 1” Superlite (Urea) Foam, and 3 1/2” fiberglass.

Notes: This is the advanced organizer for the sim.

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Screen: 03

Text: What Do I Need?

You need the R-values and cost per square foot for the first five materials listed in the chart below:

(Show chart here w/ R-values & w/costs added for first 5 materials)

You may want to print this page for use in this simulation. Later in the simulation you will choose a window type and will be given the R-value for the window type at that time.

Graphics: Five different types of insulation - 1/2" plywood, 3/4" foam, 1 1/2" foam, Superlite (Urea) Foam, and 3 1/2” fiberglass.

Programmer Notes:Add a print button to print the chart.

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Screen: 04

Text: Chart 1 - House with Minimal Insulation

To simplify this simulation:

1. Your house will have 1/2-inch plywood used as the only insulation material. Normally, a house would have several layers of materials that insulate, possibly including clapboard siding followed by plywood on the outside, and drywall on the inside. For this simulation, you will ignore the clapboard siding and drywall in all calculations and reports.

This basic house will later be compared to another house that contains one additional layer of insulation.

2. You will not need to insulate the floors. (In real life, you would insulate the floors of a house.)

3. The roof is made of 1/2-inch plywood only.

4. The height of each wall is 8 feet.

5. As the number and type of windows will remain the same throughout the simulation from this point, there is no need for you to calculate window cost.

Name:

House Type:

Location:

Material
Component / R-value
(BTU/h X °F X sq.ft.) / Total Area
(sq. ft.) / Total Cost of Materials
($) / Annual Heat Loss
(BTUs)
Wall (1/2” plywood)
Roof (1/2” plywood)
Windows / N/A
Grand Total / N/A

HDD =

Fuel Type =

Cost of Fuel =

Cost of Heat for One Heating Season =

This is the first part of the report you will hand in at the end of this simulation. Create this chart in a word processor or spreadsheet so you can submit it electronically when it is complete. The screens that follow will provide the data you need to fill in this chart.

Programmer Notes: Add a Print button so users can print the chart.

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Screen: 05

Text: Basic House Simulation

Please choose the location of your house, the number of stories (single or double), length & width, number and type of windows, and type of energy used for heat.

Programmer Notes: To calculate, you need in addition to info provided in storyboard/input:

Cost of the insulation material

Size of roof = 1.2 X L X W (this is an average)

Each window is 4' X 2.5' .

Window types & R-value

  • Single glazing, clear glass, Aluminum frame R value = 0.8
  • Double glazing, Clear glass wood or vinyl frame R value = 2.0
  • Double glazing Low-e coating (low solar gain) wood frame R value = 3.0
  • Triple glazing, 2 low-e coatings, wood or vinyl frame R value = 4.1

At this point, the Insulation should be locked on 1/2” plywood. No other choice can be made.

FYI: Total cost to heat for entire house is sum of costs to heat the wall area, the roof area, and the window area.

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Screen: 06

Text: Calculate the Square Footage

Based on the house you built, here’s what you know:

  • The walls of your house consist of one insulating material made of 1/2” plywood. You are not using any additional insulation.
  • The house is rectangular, X feet wide by Y feet long. Each wall is 8 feet high. The square footage for one floor is X•Y. To determine the total wall square footage for one story, you take the square footage for each wall and add them together. Example: If you have a 15’ X 20’ house, with all walls 8’ high,

15’ X 8’ = 120 sq. ft.
+ 15’ X 8’ = 120 sq. ft.
+ 20’ X 8’ = 160 sq. ft.
+ 20’ X 8’ = 160 sq. ft.

Total sq. ft. = 560 sq. ft.

The total sq. ft. for the walls for one story is 560 sq. ft. If you have a second story, you must multiply this number by two, so for a two-story house, 560 sq. ft. X 2 = 1120 sq. ft.

  • The house has N stories.
  • The roof of your house consists of 1/2” plywood. The square footage of the roof is R. (This is based on an average roof being 1.2 times the area of a single floor of a rectangular house, due to its pitch or slope.)
  • The house has W windows. Each window is 4 feet high by 2 1/2 feet wide. The total square footage of the windows is Z. The R-value of the window is WP.
  • The Heating Degree Days for your chosen location is HDD.

Record all this information on the chart you previously constructed.

Graphics:

Show the chart with arrows pointing to columns to fill in. This is serving as a model for the student to follow – but we cannot give all the information away here.

If you are tight for space, drop the chart.

Show a cut-away view of the chosen house as close as possible to the specs chosen/generated.

Example: (We can’t use this – must create our own).

Programming Notes:

  • X and Y are variables set when the user makes a choice on this screen with the range 20’ ≤ X ≤ 30’,
    60’ ≤ Y ≤ 90’. Length & width of the house.
  • N is a variable determined by house choice. Ranch = 1, Two-story = 2.
  • W is a variable set by the user. # of windows 8 ≤ W ≤ 16.
  • R is generated based on the length and width of the house, and the pitch. Use area of one floor X 1.2
  • WP is a variable auto generated by R-value of window chosen.
  • Single glazing, clear glass, Aluminum frame R value = 0.8
  • Double glazing, Clear glass wood or vinyl frame R value = 2.0
  • Double glazing Low-e coating (low solar gain) wood frame R value = 3.0
  • Triple glazing, 2 low-e coatings, wood or vinyl frame R value = 4.1
  • Z is total sq.ft. of windows
  • HDD is the HDD for the chosen location.

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Screen: 7

Text: Calculate Your Heat Loss for a House with Minimal Insulation

Heat loss depends on the following variables:

  1. Total Surface Area of the House
  2. Insulation Property of the Total Surface Area
  3. Heating Degree Days (HDD)

1. Total Surface Area is the combination of the total wall surface area, the total roof surface area, and the total window surface area.

  • Total wall surface area is the combined wall area of all stories. For example, a two-story house with a wall surface area of 500 sq. ft. for one floor would have a total wall surface area of 1000 sq. ft. (500 sq. ft. X 2 = 1000 sq. ft.)
  • Total roof surface area is the floor surface area (length X width of the house) for one story X 1.2 for this simulation. (This represents an average roof pitch.)
  • Total window surface area is the window area of one window multiplied by the number of other windows in the house. For example, if one window has an area of 5 sq. ft. and there are 6 windows in the house, the total window surface area would be 30 sq. ft. (5 sq. ft. X 6 = 30 sq. ft.)

ALTERNATE TEXT IF WE MUST SUBTRACT WINDOW AREA FROM WALL AREA

1. Total Surface Area is the combination of the total window surface area, the total wall surface area, and the total roof surface area.

  • Total window surface area is the window area of one window multiplied by the number of other windows in the house. For example, if one window has an area of 5 sq. ft. and there are 6 windows in the house, the total window surface area would be 30 sq. ft. (5 sq. ft. X 6 = 30 sq. ft.)
  • Total wall surface area is the combined wall area of all stories minus the total window surface area. For example, a two-story house with a wall surface area of 500 sq. ft. for one floor would have a total wall surface area of 1000 sq. ft. (500 sq. ft. X 2 = 1000 sq. ft.) Next, you must subtract the total window surface area from this – think of the windows as holes in the wall that don’t count as wall area. For example, if you have 1000 sq. ft. of wall surface area and 30 sq. ft. of window surface area, 1000 sq. ft. – 30 sq. ft. = 970 sq. ft. wall surface area.
  • Total roof surface area is the wall area for one story X 1.2 for this simulation. (This represents an average roof pitch.)

2. Insulation Property of the Total Surface Area consists of the individual R-values of the wall, the roof, and the windows.

  • R-value for the wall with minimal insulation
  • R-value for the roof with minimal insulation
  • R-value for the windows

3. Heating Degree Days (HDD)

  • The annual average difference in temperature between the inside (based on 65° F) and outside of the building.

Heat loss is expressed in BTUs per hour using the symbol Q. You use a formula to calculate the heat loss for the walls, roof, and windows individually. Then you add the three calculations together to determine the total heat loss.

For example, with 80 sq. ft. of wall area and 20 sq. ft. of window area:

  • Q walls = Wall Heat loss = 80 X (HDD*24)/R value of walls.
  • Q roof = Roof heat loss = (80 X 1.2) X (HDD*24)/R value of the roof.
  • Q windows = Window heat loss = 20 X (HDD*24)/R value of windows.

The total heat loss is the sum of all three.

Calculate and record the heat loss information on the chart you previously constructed.

Note: The reason for multiplying HDD by 24 is that R-values are expressed in time units of one hour. To make the equation correct, you must multiply HDD by the total hours in one day (24).

Programmer Note: If you need to break this up into 2 screens, do so at the “Heat loss is expressed in BTUs” sentence. Label the screens

Calculate Your Heat Loss for a House with Minimal Insulation, Part 1

Calculate Your Heat Loss for a House with Minimal Insulation, Part 2

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Screen: 8

Text: Calculate Your Cost of Heat for One Heating Season

Now that you have a heat loss number expressed in BTUs per hour, the fuel cost, and the HDD, you can calculate the total cost of heat for one heating season. Use this formula to do so:

Where Q is the sum of Qs (walls, roof, windows) expressed in millions of BTUs per hour, Cost is the amount of $ you spend to buy one unit of fuel, and the final part of the equation shows how many millions of BTUs you get in one unit of fuel.

Record this information on the chart you previously constructed.

Graphics: You could show the chart w/ arrow pointing to the HDD. Not essential.

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Screen: 9

Text: Chart 2: House with Added Insulation

Name:

House Type:

Location:

Material
Component / R-value
(BTU/h X °F X sq.ft.) / Total Sq. Ft. Area
(sq. ft.) / Total Cost of Materials
($) / Annual Heat Loss
(BTUs)
Wall (1/2” plywood) + 1 Insulation Type
Roof (1/2” plywood) + 1 Insulation Type
Windows / N/A
Grand Total / N/A

HDD =

Fuel Type =

Cost of Fuel =

Cost of Heat for One Heating Season =

This is the second part of the report you will hand in at the end of this simulation. Create this chart in a word processor or spreadsheet so you can submit it electronically when it is complete. The screens that follow will provide the information you need to fill in this chart.

Programmer Note: Add a Print button that prints this chart. Export to Excel if possible, as in Sim 2.

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Screen: 10

Text: Adding Insulation to Your House

Choose one type of insulation to add to your house from the pull-down list. (Then proceed to the next screen.)

Graphics: Show the chosen house. Apply the chosen insulation type to the inside walls, and attic roof when user makes a choice.

Programmer Note: You must store the insulation type choice for later use. ONLY insulation types are available. All other choices are locked and show the choices made previously.

Do NOT include clapboard siding and drywall in the pull-down choice of insulation.

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Screen: 11

Text: Calculate Heating Costs With Additional Insulation

Record your name, house type, total sq. ft. HDD, fuel type, and cost of fuel in Chart 2. You can copy this information from Chart 1.

To find the total R-value of a composite wall or roof, you add the R-values of the different materials together.

Then complete the chart:

  • Square footage remains the same.
  • Determine the total cost of the additional insulation.
  • Determine the new R-value for the composite walls (1/2” plywood + 1 additional insulation material).
  • Calculate the new heat loss for walls, roof, and windows using the heat loss formula.

    Remember to calculate total heat loss by adding together the heat loss from walls, roof, and windows.
  • Calculate your cost of heat for one heating season with the formula

Graphics:Highlight the following columns: R-value, Cost of ins., Heat Loss, Cost to heat for one season. If possible.

Show a profile view of the composite wall.

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Screen: 12

Text: Determine the Cost Savings for One Year With the Additional Insulation Type

To find this, subtract the cost of heat listed on your second chart from the cost of heat listed on your first chart. The difference between the two is your cost savings for one year with additional insulation.

For example, if your initial heat cost from chart 1 was $1000, and your heat cost from chart 2 was $700, $1000 - $700 = $300. You are saving $300 per year in heat costs.

The Cost Savings is the third part of the report you will hand in at the end of this simulation.

Graphic:Show a bogus Report with Section 3 being completed. Section 1 is Chart 1, section 2 is Chart 2, Section 3 is cost savings.

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Screen: 13

Text: Establish the Time to Recover Your Investment in the Additional Insulation

To determine this, divide the cost of the additional insulation by the cost savings for one year.

For example, if the additional insulation cost $5000, and your cost savings for one year was $300, $5000 ÷ $300 per year = 16.67 years. It would take you nearly 17 years to recover your investment in the additional insulation.

The Time to Recover the Insulation Investment is the fourth part of the report you will hand in at the end of this simulation.

Graphic:Show a bogus Report with Section 3 being completed. Section 1 is Chart 1, section 2 is Chart 2, Section 3 is cost savings, Section 4 is time to recover.

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Screen: 14

Text: House Insulation Simulation

Conclusion

You're done! Congratulations! You should have a report ready to hand in to your instructor, consisting of the following sections:

1)Chart 1: House with Minimal Insulation (1/2” plywood only)

2)Chart 2: House with Added Insulation (1/2” plywood + 1 additional insulation material)

3)Cost Savings for One Year With the Additional Insulation Type

4)Time to Recover Your Investment in the Additional Insulation

Prepare all this information so it can be submitted to your instructor electronically. S/he will provide you with the exact submission method.