Past Projects

	Denotes a project part of CCHRC's Product Testing Lab
	Denotes a project part of CCHRC's Sustainable Northern Shelter
	Denotes a project part of CCHRC's Hybrid Micro Energy Project

Alaska Energy Efficiency Program and Policy Recommendations
Alaska residents see the cost of energy as a major issue. As utility bills skyrocket, this issue escalates, affecting homeowners, renters, businesses and industry. Legislators are concerned and looking for the best strategy to provide some form of relief to residents.
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Anaktuvuk Pass Test Module  
CCHRC constructed a test module using the materials and techniques envisioned for application in the prototype home constructed in Anaktuvuk Pass. The test module was monitored to evaluate the functionality of the design, and informed the final design.

BEES Study
CCHRC was funded by Alaska Housing Finance Corporation to undertake a written economic analysis of the proposed changes to the Building Energy Efficiency Standards (BEES).
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Best Management Practices for Rain Catchment Systems in Alaska
CCHRC developed a project with the Institute of Northern Engineering/Water and Environmental Research Center and received project funds from AHFC. The objective of the study was to prepare a best management practices (BMP) in regard to materials and methods of rain catchment systems for domestic water collection, storage and distribution.
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Building America in Alaska
The Cold Climate Housing Research Center, the U. S. Department of Energy and Alaska Housing Finance Corporation formed a state/industry partnership to implement the Building America program in Alaska. The primary goal of this project was to develop plans for energy efficient, durable, healthy, and cost effective homes affordable to moderate income Alaskans.
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Building America in Alaska II
CCHRC was awarded a second grant from the Department of Energy for a State Energy Program Special Project award to continue our work on the Building America program.
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CIHA – Mountain View Housing Study
We want to determine if new homes heated with boilers and built by the Cook Inlet Housing Authority (CIHA), as well as new homes heated with furnaces and built by a local CIHA contractor, meet expectations for energy efficiency, homeowner comfort, indoor air quality, and humidity control.
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Combustion Air/CO Study
CCHRC, through a grant from Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, conducted a combustion air evaluation in the Fairbanks area. The purpose of the study was to assess sufficiency of current practices in combustion air supply for atmospherically vented heating appliances, and assess the performance of power-vented appliances.
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Compressed Natural Gas Viability in the Residential Market
CCHRC performed a high level analysis of the potential of using compressed natural gas (CNG) in the residential market in the Fairbanks North Star Borough. CCHRC evaluated the economic and technical aspects of delivering and using CNG in the FNSB residential market. The conclusion is that CNG delivery through a neighborhood hub scenario has economic and practical potential, but merits a more detailed assessment to make a final determination.

Evaluating Residential Heating Systems
CCHRC, through a grant from Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, contracted with Arctic Energy Systems (AES) to measure the actual design heat load of houses by monitoring the runtime of the furnace in relation to outdoor temperatures.
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Evaluating Ventilation Systems with Regard to Indoor Air Quality
CCHRC, through a grant from Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, contracted with Alaska Building Science Network (ABSN) to monitor 100 relatively new homes in 3 different climatic regions in Alaska (Anchorage/Matsu, Juneau, and Fairbanks).
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Four Star Plus, Five Star, and Five-Star Plus Energy Rated Homes Survey & Analysis
Six responses were received to the RFP and Ivan Moore Research (IMR) of Anchorage, Alaska was awarded a contract on July 26, 2001.
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Frost-protected Shallow Foundation Study
This project used funding from AHFC to purchase equipment and drilling services to install and monitor five thermocouple strings at each of two houses. This was part of a larger project that in turn is part of the PhD project of Mr. Paul Perreault. The basic idea behind frost-protected shallow foundations (FPSF) is that suitable insulation placed outside of a shallow (hence, less expensive) foundation can protect it from heaving due to seasonal freezing.
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Health House VOC Monitoring
Through a grant from Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, CCHRC contracted with Alaska Energy Associates (AEA) for data collection of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) in various new homes in Fairbanks and Juneau.
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Healthy Homes In Alaska
The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) partnered with the Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC) to conduct Healthy Homes project activities in Fairbanks and in Hooper Bay.
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Improving the AK Warm Design Heat Loss Calculation
CCHRC, through a grant from Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, contracted with Arctic Energy Systems to develop computer software that calculates the design heating load of a home, so that the home's heating system is properly sized.
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Kenai Indoor Air Quality Study
We are solving the most common causes of indoor air quality problems in south-central Alaska through an AFHC-funded study. Project Manager John Davies, working with the contractors, Wisdom and Associates, monitored 100 homes during the 2003-04 winter for carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, temperature, relative humidity, and radon.
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Mobile Test Lab - Wall Systems for Southeast Alaska
CCHRC contracted with UAS to continue Marquam George's work in testing wall sections appropriate to SE Alaska in CCHRC's Mobile Test Lab.
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Mold Survey
In early March, 2003, we were contracted by the HUD Office of Native American Programs (through Magna Systems) to do a rapid survey of mold problems is Alaska Native Housing.
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Nansulate® and Super Therm®
Two coating products, Nansulate® Home Protect Clear Coat and Super Therm®, were evaluated to determine whether they contribute insulating properties to the building envelope when applied as an interior coating. Each coating was tested to determine whether it fits the definition of a radiant barrier, changes the R-value of material it coats, or reduces heating demand within an insulated miniature structure.
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PM2.5 Reduction: Policy Options and Recommendations
CCHRC developed a model to estimate PM2.5 emissions from residential heating sources in the vicinity of Fairbanks and evaluated a variety of policy options aimed at reducing emissions. The analysis concluded that a combination of policy options could result in reduced PM2.5 emissions from residential heating sources of to 422 tons/year, or 52 percent.
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Qingok
A Qingok is a “stove pipe” that created a stack effect in traditional subterranean houses. CCHRC tested a Qingok as part of its research for the Anaktuvuk Pass project of its Sustainable Northern Shelter program. For testing, a Qingok was  installed in a test module.  CCHRC monitored the test module throughout a cycle of freezing and thawing.
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Remediation of Smoke Particles in Fairbanks Homes
Bill Reynolds of Solutions and Cathy Cahill of the University of Alaska conducted a emergency study to improve indoor air quality and address simple and affordable filtration strategies.
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REMOTE Wall Study
In 2002, CCHRC undertook a simple study of the performance of two residential dwellings built with different wall systems. One was a standard wall system with an interior vapor/air barrier and the other was a modified PERSIST wall that has been named "REMOTE" which stands for Residential Exterior Membrane Outside Insulation Technique.
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Research and Testing Facility Legacy Monitoring 
More than 400 sensors have been installed in the RTF to make it a living demonstration of building system operations and performance. Michael Lilly of GW Scientific is working with us to monitor this data.
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South Central Ventilation Study
The Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC) commissioned John Freeman of Sunrise Energy Works to study the Skuttle ventilation technique in new housing in the Anchorage area during the winter and spring months of 2004. This study monitored nine houses in a new subdivision to assess the effectiveness of their Skuttle ventilation system and their compliance with the Alaska Building Energy Efficiency Standard (BEES) ventilation requirements.
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Statewide Housing Survey
This project updates and extends the 1991 Housing Needs Assessment Study conducted by the ASK* Marketing Research Group for the Department of Community and Regional Affairs.
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Straw Bale House Monitoring Project
CCHRC is gleaning in-house data from three straw bale houses in the Fairbanks area. As part of this AHFC-funded project, researchers are measuring temperature and moisture gradients throughout the straw bale insulation of the exterior walls.
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Wood-burning Technology
CCHRC is evaluating the economic and environmental considerations of a variety of wood energy appliances for residential use, including wood stoves, pellet stoves, wood boilers, and masonry heaters.
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