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HVAC Basics and Indoor Air Quality
Published in Ed Bas, Indoor Air Quality, 2020
According to the Air-Conditioning Refrigeration Institute (ARI), a P-TAC consists of a wall sleeve with a separate unencased combination of heating and cooling assemblies specified by the builder and mounted through the wall. In this system’s air-source heat pump, a heat exchanger passes inside heat to outdoor air when cooling and extracts heat from outdoor air when heating. PTAC units are installed on an exterior wall and are primarily for commercial use to heat and cool a single room or zone.
Observations of energy consumption and IEQ in a ‘Tiny House’
Published in Building Research & Information, 2020
The types of residential space heating and cooling systems that can be used in THs include: electric resistance heating, and portable heater for space heating; air conditioners for space cooling; and radiant heating and cooling, wall packaged terminal air conditioners (PTAC), and mini-split ductless electric heat-pumps for both space heating and cooling (US DOEa, n.d.; US DOEb, n.d.). According to the residential energy code heating ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems are required to be sized using Manual J calculations1 but are usually not enforced (Rock, 2018). In addition, selecting the appropriate size of space conditioning equipment may be challenging and restricted by sizes available commercially. The intermittent operation of oversized HVAC systems may cause issues with control of space conditions and occupant comfort. Other options include mini-split ductless electric heat-pumps with variable-speed compressor and fan controls. These systems allow both the compressor and fan motor to be driven at variable speeds to match the output of the system to changing heating and cooling loads (Fujii & Lutzenhiser, 1992; Rock, 2018).