Building energy use compilation and analysis (BECA): An international comparison and critical review. Part A: New residential buildings.

The potential for energy consevation in space heating of new residential buildings is characterized using results from computer analysis, and from a survey of low-energy houses. Simulations of the energy requirements of a proto-type house in the USA at different levels of conservation show that much higher levels of conservation then those presently employed in new houses result in minimum life-cycle costs. Measurements taken in actual houses indicate that very low space heating energy requirements - comparable to that now used for domestic water heating - can be acheived in new houses by attention to insulation, air infiltration and solar-design principles.