Article #1455 - REScheck Webcast Questions - Garages
This article is based on questions asked during both the May 6, 2005
REScheck Training Webcast
and the July 28, 2005
as well as questions received through email following these events. The original language of the questions and answers has been modified to make them as generic as possible while retaining the applicable specific information.
Should a heated garage be included in the calculation? How about if the heater is only to maintain a temperature slightly above the outside temperature?
If the garage has a peak design rate of energy usage less than 3.4 Btu/h per square foot or 1.0 watt per square foot of floor area for space conditioning purposes, the garage would not be considered part of the conditioned building envelope. If the garage is being heated by the system used for the home at a peak design rate greater than 3.4 Btu/h per square foot, unless the garage is zoned separately, the garage would be considered part of the conditioned building envelope. A separate system heating the garage would require determining the energy usage to determine whether the garage would be considered part of the building envelope.
Are spaces over garage areas considered conditioned areas? What about carports?
If you have a room above a garage that is conditioned, the garage ceiling would be considered part of the conditioned building envelope (floor over unconditioned space) and would need to be insulated and sealed according to code.
Occupied living space over a carport would be required to meet the applicable energy code requirements for a conditioned space. The floor of the living space over the carport would be defined as a floor over outside air.
Are spaces over garage areas considered conditioned?
If the space is heated and/or cooled the space would be considered a conditioned space.