The webinar on Oct. 23, 2014, focused on strategies to improve the performance of HVAC systems for low load homes and home performance retrofits. Presenters and specific topics for this webinar will be:

• Andrew Poerschke, IBACOS, presenting Simplified Space Conditioning in Low-load Homes.  The presentation will focus on what is “simple” when it comes to space conditioning? Single Zone? Hydronic? Mini-split? As loads in houses (new and deep energy retrofit) are almost as low as the interest on a 2013 mortgage, what are some alternatives to a furnace and ducts? The discussion will also include how they maintain comfort, what will and won’t work, and what should be discussed with clients looking for simple and potentially lower cost solutions to a single furnace and ducts to each room. View the presentation.

• Kohta Ueno, Building Science Corporation, presenting Heating and Cooling with Mini-Splits in the Northeast. Kohta will discuss their research on ductless heat pumps versus mini-splits being used in high performance (high R value enclosure/low air leakage) houses, often configured as a simplified distribution system (one heat source per floor). Eight of these houses in Massachusetts (DOE Zone 5A) were monitored from 2011 through 2014; analysis of the monitored data will be presented. View the presentation.

Read the transcript.