As unvented attics have become a more common design feature implemented by Building America partners in hot-dry climates of the United States, more attention has been focused on how this approach affects heating and cooling energy consumption. By eliminating the ridge and eave vents that circulate outside air through the attic in most new houses and by moving the insulation from the attic floor to the underside of the roof, an unvented attic becomes a semiconditioned space, creating a more benign environment for space conditioning ducts. An energy trade-off is made, however, because the additional surface area (and perhaps reduced insulation thickness) increases the building loss coefficient. Other advantages and disadvantages, unrelated to energy, must also be considered. This paper addresses the energy-related effects of unvented attics in hot-dry climates based on field testing and analysis conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Technical Papers
Thermal Performance of Unvented Attics in Hot-Dry Climates: Results from Building America
Robert Hendron,
Robert Hendron
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401-3393
Search for other works by this author on:
Sara Farrar-Nagy,
Sara Farrar-Nagy
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401-3393
Search for other works by this author on:
Ren Anderson,
Ren Anderson
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401-3393
Search for other works by this author on:
Paul Reeves,
Paul Reeves
Partnership for Resource Conservation, 1221 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO 80302
Search for other works by this author on:
Ed Hancock
Ed Hancock
Mountain Energy Partnership, 815 Alpine Ave, #6 Boulder, CO 80304
Search for other works by this author on:
Robert Hendron
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401-3393
Sara Farrar-Nagy
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401-3393
Ren Anderson
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401-3393
Paul Reeves
Partnership for Resource Conservation, 1221 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO 80302
Ed Hancock
Mountain Energy Partnership, 815 Alpine Ave, #6 Boulder, CO 80304
Contributed by the Solar Energy Division of THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS for publication in the ASME JOURNAL OF SOLAR ENERGY ENGINEERING. Manuscript received by the ASME Solar Energy Division, May 2003; final revision, August 2003. Associate Editor: M. Krarti.
J. Sol. Energy Eng. May 2004, 126(2): 732-737 (6 pages)
Published Online: May 4, 2004
Article history
Received:
May 1, 2003
Revised:
August 1, 2003
Online:
May 4, 2004
Citation
Hendron , R., Farrar-Nagy , S., Anderson, R., Reeves, P., and Hancock, E. (May 4, 2004). "Thermal Performance of Unvented Attics in Hot-Dry Climates: Results from Building America ." ASME. J. Sol. Energy Eng. May 2004; 126(2): 732–737. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1687795
Download citation file:
Get Email Alerts
Cited By
Analysis of Erosion of Surfaces in Falling Particle Concentrating Solar Power
J. Sol. Energy Eng (April 2025)
Related Articles
What are the Required Conditions for Heavy Structure Buildings to be Thermally Effective in a Hot Humid Climate?
J. Sol. Energy Eng (August,2004)
Bringing Automated Fault Detection and Diagnostics Tools for HVAC&R Into the Mainstream
J. Eng. Sustain. Bldgs. Cities (August,2020)
Application of Energy Conservation Measures and Their Impact on the Thermal-Energetic Performance of a Building in the Brazilian Amazon Region: A Case Study
J. Sol. Energy Eng (June,2018)
Evaluation of a High-Performance Solar Home in Loveland, Colorado
J. Sol. Energy Eng (May,2007)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
Dynamic Cool Roofing Systems
Advanced Energy Efficient Building Envelope Systems
Pressure Testing
Process Piping: The Complete Guide to ASME B31.3, Third Edition
Integration of Solar Energy Systems
Handbook of Integrated and Sustainable Buildings Equipment and Systems, Volume I: Energy Systems