BPI Test
Home performance - correct answer ✔is the systematic approach to
improving the comfort, health, safety, energy efficiency, and durability of a
home.
The Big 3: - correct answer ✔Heat, Air and Moisture
Difference in temperature and humidity between areas inside the house, and
between the inside and the outside of the house, are exerting some sort of
subtle influence on the conditions in the home.
Home Performance also includes: - correct answer ✔Occupant health and
safety
Indoor air quality and occupant comfort
Durability of materials
Building Science - correct answer ✔taken from physics chemistry and
thermodynamics
Whole-building home performance contractors - correct answer ✔those
professionals whose job is to improve home performance - need to
understand building science.
House-as-a-system: - correct answer ✔holistic view: the whole-house
approach and it's another way to define building science
Four general categories of building science: - correct answer ✔Building
Mechanicals
Environment
,Occupants
Building Envelope: - correct answer ✔Foundation
Walls
Roof
Windows
Doors
Mechanicals: - correct answer ✔Heating and cooling and ventilation
Electrical Systems Lighting and appliances
Plumbing Systems
Environment: - correct answer ✔in this context, refers to managing the
indoor environment as the exterior environment is changing (keeping the
interior temperature and relative humidity within acceptable levels, and
ensuring indoor air quality with an adequate amount of fresh air and little to no
pollutant concentrations
Importance of Occupants at a component of buildings - correct answer
✔Home performance primarily deals with existing, occupied homes.
Occupants are the beginning and the end of the system: they may do things in
a house that affect the other components, and they are certainly on the
receiving end when things like comfort and indoor air quality are affected
Interacting relationship - correct answer ✔an action taken on one component
causes reactions or changes in other components, or worsens certain pre-
exiting conditions (and increases their likelihood of producing negative effects
Ice dams - correct answer ✔occurs when warm air melts snow on the roof
directly above, but does not melt snow on the overhangs. Water from the
,melted snow flows down into the gutters, where it freezes. This prevents any
further melting snow from draining properly. Ice dams can damage the roof
and everything beneath it.
Mechanical ventilation (bathroom fan) - correct answer ✔could cause air
pressure differences between the inside and outside of the home. If air
leakage is present, this could cause the house to leak air at a faster rate,
which, in turn, would create the need for the thermostat to be adjusted more
often
Cathedral ceiling - correct answer ✔Has the same pitch as a roof
vaulted ceiling - correct answer ✔does not have the same pitch as a the roof;
can consist of one or two straight slopes, or it can be arched. in the case of
straight slopes, one wall of the room is taller than the opposite wall, and the
ceiling slopes downward toward the shorter wall.
Drawbacks to noon-standard types of ceilings - correct answer ✔hard to
clean, pain, and change light bulbs
cost more to heat and cool
expensive to install
Rafter - correct answer ✔a sloped framing member that supports the roof
Joist - correct answer ✔horizontal framing member that supports a ceiling or
floor
Stud - correct answer ✔a vertical framing member that supports an interior
or exterior wall
, Bay - correct answer ✔the space between and the size of the wood influence
the cavity or bay (indicates the amount of insulation)
Thermodynamics Definition - correct answer ✔an are of science that looks at
the relationship between heat and other kinds of energy
1st Law of Thermodynamics - correct answer ✔energy moves from place to
place; energy changes form one form to another; energy cannot be created or
destroyed
Energy moves around and changes form.
2nd Law of Thermodynamics - correct answer ✔energy flows naturally from
high concentrations to low concentrations
HEAT moves from warmer to cooler; AIR moves from higher pressure to lower
pressure; MOISTURE moves from wetter to drier
Potential vs. Kinetic Energy - correct answer ✔Potential energy is stored
energy. Think of firewood, or a battery.
Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. Burn the firewood, and its potential
energy is converted to kinetic energy in the form of heat.
dry-bulb Temperature (ambient air temp) - correct answer ✔measure the
amount of heat in t he air
wet-bulb temperature - correct answer ✔takes moisture into account; usually
lover than dry bulb bc of moisture content
Home performance - correct answer ✔is the systematic approach to
improving the comfort, health, safety, energy efficiency, and durability of a
home.
The Big 3: - correct answer ✔Heat, Air and Moisture
Difference in temperature and humidity between areas inside the house, and
between the inside and the outside of the house, are exerting some sort of
subtle influence on the conditions in the home.
Home Performance also includes: - correct answer ✔Occupant health and
safety
Indoor air quality and occupant comfort
Durability of materials
Building Science - correct answer ✔taken from physics chemistry and
thermodynamics
Whole-building home performance contractors - correct answer ✔those
professionals whose job is to improve home performance - need to
understand building science.
House-as-a-system: - correct answer ✔holistic view: the whole-house
approach and it's another way to define building science
Four general categories of building science: - correct answer ✔Building
Mechanicals
Environment
,Occupants
Building Envelope: - correct answer ✔Foundation
Walls
Roof
Windows
Doors
Mechanicals: - correct answer ✔Heating and cooling and ventilation
Electrical Systems Lighting and appliances
Plumbing Systems
Environment: - correct answer ✔in this context, refers to managing the
indoor environment as the exterior environment is changing (keeping the
interior temperature and relative humidity within acceptable levels, and
ensuring indoor air quality with an adequate amount of fresh air and little to no
pollutant concentrations
Importance of Occupants at a component of buildings - correct answer
✔Home performance primarily deals with existing, occupied homes.
Occupants are the beginning and the end of the system: they may do things in
a house that affect the other components, and they are certainly on the
receiving end when things like comfort and indoor air quality are affected
Interacting relationship - correct answer ✔an action taken on one component
causes reactions or changes in other components, or worsens certain pre-
exiting conditions (and increases their likelihood of producing negative effects
Ice dams - correct answer ✔occurs when warm air melts snow on the roof
directly above, but does not melt snow on the overhangs. Water from the
,melted snow flows down into the gutters, where it freezes. This prevents any
further melting snow from draining properly. Ice dams can damage the roof
and everything beneath it.
Mechanical ventilation (bathroom fan) - correct answer ✔could cause air
pressure differences between the inside and outside of the home. If air
leakage is present, this could cause the house to leak air at a faster rate,
which, in turn, would create the need for the thermostat to be adjusted more
often
Cathedral ceiling - correct answer ✔Has the same pitch as a roof
vaulted ceiling - correct answer ✔does not have the same pitch as a the roof;
can consist of one or two straight slopes, or it can be arched. in the case of
straight slopes, one wall of the room is taller than the opposite wall, and the
ceiling slopes downward toward the shorter wall.
Drawbacks to noon-standard types of ceilings - correct answer ✔hard to
clean, pain, and change light bulbs
cost more to heat and cool
expensive to install
Rafter - correct answer ✔a sloped framing member that supports the roof
Joist - correct answer ✔horizontal framing member that supports a ceiling or
floor
Stud - correct answer ✔a vertical framing member that supports an interior
or exterior wall
, Bay - correct answer ✔the space between and the size of the wood influence
the cavity or bay (indicates the amount of insulation)
Thermodynamics Definition - correct answer ✔an are of science that looks at
the relationship between heat and other kinds of energy
1st Law of Thermodynamics - correct answer ✔energy moves from place to
place; energy changes form one form to another; energy cannot be created or
destroyed
Energy moves around and changes form.
2nd Law of Thermodynamics - correct answer ✔energy flows naturally from
high concentrations to low concentrations
HEAT moves from warmer to cooler; AIR moves from higher pressure to lower
pressure; MOISTURE moves from wetter to drier
Potential vs. Kinetic Energy - correct answer ✔Potential energy is stored
energy. Think of firewood, or a battery.
Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. Burn the firewood, and its potential
energy is converted to kinetic energy in the form of heat.
dry-bulb Temperature (ambient air temp) - correct answer ✔measure the
amount of heat in t he air
wet-bulb temperature - correct answer ✔takes moisture into account; usually
lover than dry bulb bc of moisture content
