Infiltration and leakage measurements in new houses incorporating energy efficient features.

Measures houses with energy efficient designs in Eugene, Oregon and Rochester (NY) for effective leakage area using blower door fan pressurization. Determines air change rates by tracer gas decay analysis. Makes fan pressurization measurements on 13 new houses in the San Francisco Bay area that have been partially sealed with polymeric foam sealant. Measures a similar group of 13 unsealed houses as a control. Uses the results of thesemeasurements in conjunction with an infiltration model developed at LBL to predict average annual and heating season infiltration rates. Finds specific leakage areas (leakage area per unit floor area) for the Eugene houses average 45% of that measured in post-1975 California housing, and that the energy-efficient Rochester houses are 50% tighter than their non-energy efficient counterparts in the same area.