The Building America Industrialized Housing Partnership (BAIHP) has acquired a new research facility, the Manufactured Housing Laboratory (MH Lab). The MH Lab is a 1600 ft2 ENERGY STAR® manufactured home that will serve as a training center and building science laboratory.

Manufactured Housing Lab Ventilation Study Strategies

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FSEC began monitoring energy performance of the MH Lab in July of 2002. The data is downloaded through an internet modem every 15 minutes to FSEC, where it is processed and made available via the internet.Data summaries can be accessed online at the InfoMonitors web site. Detailed data queries and graphs can also be generated through FSEC's WebGet database.

The MHLab features two complete separate heating and cooling systems: an overhead duct system connected to a package unit air conditioner with electric resistance heating and a floor-mounted duct system connected to a split system air conditioner also with electric resistance heating.

Working in the MH Lab, students will practice:

• Measuring airflow, infiltration rates and air duct leakage.
• Determining the moisture content of building materials.
• Measuring pressure differences created by inadequate return air pathways and air duct leakage effects associated with forced air heating and cooling systems, and how to properly size adequate return air pathways.
• Permanent methods to repair leaky air ducts, and methods to build leak-free air ducts in the manufacturing facility.

Research topics under consideration include:

• Ventilation & moisture control
• Solar energy applications.
• Air & moisture flow including the influence of:
  • Direction & rate of flow
  • Vapor retarder location
  • Various skirting options