Investigation of Airtightness and Duct Leakage Patterns in Gulf Coast Residential Buildings: A Case Study in Louisiana

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

1-1-2026

Abstract

Residential buildings account for approximately 21% of total energy consumption in the United States, with uncontrolled air leakage through the building envelope responsible for up to 30% of heating and cooling loads. This challenge is particularly critical in hot-humid climates, where infiltration of warm, moist air increases HVAC demand, elevates operating costs, and degrades indoor comfort and durability. To address the scarcity of field data in such regions, this study investigates airtightness and duct leakage in over 40 residential buildings across Louisiana using blower door testing. Air leakage (CFM₅₀) values were normalized by building volume to derive ACH50, enabling comparative analysis across building vintages and retrofit conditions. Pre-retrofit ACH50 values averaged 15.9 h-1 (median 14.3 h-1), while post-retrofit values declined to an average of 10.6 h-1 (median 8.9 h-1), reflecting reductions of approximately 33%. When translated into energy impacts using TMY3 weather data and enthalpy-based load calculations, these improvements corresponded to annual HVAC energy savings of roughly 2,000 kWh (6.8 MMBtu) per home, with reductions ranging from 15-75%. The results provide empirical evidence of the significant role of retrofits in improving airtightness and reducing energy use in humid subtropical housing, offering insights that can inform energy modeling practices and future building code development.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

ASHRAE Transactions

First Page

499

Last Page

507

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