Technical Bulletins
Tips and guides for getting the most out of the Duke Energy Indiana RNC Program
Continuous Insulation
Continuous insulation in a home involves applying insulation across all structural areas without thermal bridges, creating a seamless thermal barrier. This improves energy efficiency by preventing heat loss or gain through the building envelope. It helps maintain a consistent indoor temperature, leading to increased comfort and reduced energy costs.
Posted November 2024
Spray Polyurethane Foam Benefits
Utilizing Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) is an effective option for reducing energy costs and lowering utility bills by creating a tight seal that prevents air movement. According to studies by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), up to 40% of a home’s energy loss is due to air infiltration, often through wall outlets, windows, doors and top/bottom plates.
Posted October 2024
Ductless Mini Split Systems
Ductless mini-split systems offer an effective, energy-efficient solution for heating and cooling in new homes. This bulletin provides an overview of ductless mini-split systems, their benefits, and best practices for installation in compliance with the North Carolina HERO code program standards.
Posted September 2024
Ekotrope Reporting
HERO failures pose a recurring challenge for RNC program raters. In this technical bulletin, we delve into the intricacies of building reports that diagnose HERO failures beyond the scope of basic blower door or duct blaster assessments.
Posted July 2024
Modeling Basements and Crawlspaces
For accurate savings, HERS raters must assess and model basements and crawlspaces with precision. This technical bulletin will cover best practices.
Posted June 2024
Blower Door Guide
As part of the RNC Program, raters should understand the best practices when testing whole home infiltration. This technical bulletin covers basic preparation for blower door testing, manometer configurations, and air leakage calculations.
Posted May 2024
DG-700 Manometer
The DG-700 Manometer is a widely adopted pressure measurement tool utilized by the DERNC Program. This technical bulletin contains a summary of the fundamental controls and functionalities of the DG-700 used when performing a leakage to outside and total leakage test.
Posted April 2024
Insulation Grading
This bulletin is intended to help Program participants better understand insulation grading by defining RESNET Standard for Grade I, II, and III insulation. Pictures are also provided as a reference to help raters identify issues behind the insulation to determine the grade.
Revised March 2024
Originally Posted January 2023
Advanced Framing
This Technical Bulletin will cover best practices with advanced framing techniques.
Posted February 2024
Spray Polyurethane Foam
This Technical Bulletin will provide safety consideration, how to measure the depth of foam insulation and calculate the approximate R-value. Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) is frequently applied in the residential construction industry due to its ability to provide continuity of the water control, air control, vapor control, and thermal control layers necessary for environmental separation.
Posted January 2024
Pivot Table Tutorial
This Technical Bulletin will provide instructions on how to generate a Pivot Table in MS Excel to analyze data about homes submitted to the DERNC incentive program.
Posted November 2023
Modeling Slab Insulation
This Technical Bulletin will cover modeling partially insulated slab perimeters, slab insulation grading, and derating slab insulation with large termite gaps.
Posted October 2023
Recommended EELC Courses
This Technical Bulletin highlights recommended courses in the Duke Energy RNC Energy Efficiency Learning Center.
Posted September 2023
Top Plate Sealing
Top plate gaskets such as foam sill seal gasket or canned foam top plate gasket, have the potential for large impacts on energy savings and incentives in the RNC Program.
Posted August 2023
Ceilings
Various aspects of the ceiling affect the home’s energy modeling and performance. Insulation, roof decks, and baffling should be noted and inspected by raters for the type and quality of the installation. This month’s technical bulletin will help raters identify insulation issues that can affect the rebate and serve as a guide for modeling of ceilings in Ekotrope.
Posted July 2023
Garages
Proper installation of insulation and air barriers in garages during the rough stage will help improve blower door performance at final testing and help builders get their maximum possible rebate in the Duke Energy RNC Program.
Posted June 2023
Duct Testing
Accurate duct testing and modeling is crucial to the Duke Energy RNC Program savings calculations. This technical bulletin will cover duct testing procedures and serve as a guide to help raters estimate duct location percentages in the field.
Posted May 2023
Field Safety
Safety covers a broad range of topics; however, this technical bulletin will address three safety concerns that impact Home Energy Raters (HERS) while performing inspections.
Posted April 2023
Diagnosing Blower Door Problems
One of the main requirements for the Duke Energy RNC rebate program is a blower door test result at or below 4.0 ACH50. This month’s technical bulletin will give guidance on diagnosing blower door problems when the test results are over 4.0 ACH50.
Posted March 2023
Slab Insulation
Quality installation of insulation at a home’s thermal boundary is essential to qualify for the Duke Energy RNC Program. This technical bulletin provides examples of the types of slab edge insulation and common issues found.
Posted February 2023
What is HERO Code
The Duke Energy RNC Program promotes the construction of highly efficient, better quality new homes. Homes submitted into the Program must perform above code minimum requirements. This technical bulletin will help define HERO Code requirements and incentive structures.
Posted December 2022