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More than 200,000 homes are factory built in the United States each year to the federally preemptive Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards, mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD-code). This paper analyzes national energy use and savings potential from improvements to thermal distribution system efficiency, thermal envelopes, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment over what is currently required by HUD-code. Estimated energy savings over current HUD-code are provided for four cases: National Fire Protection Association Standard 501-2005 (NFPA 2005), the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC 2006), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR® manufactured housing guidelines (EPA 2004), and Best Practice, based on the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America Industrialized Housing Partnership program home built in the Pacific Northwest (BAIHP 2005; NEEM 2004). Savings estimates are also provided from improved HVAC system efficiencies such as using ENERGY STAR heat pumps in lieu of electric furnaces and ENERGY STAR air conditioners. Energy use and associated savings are provided in terms of both energy cost and source energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Factory installation of crawlspace-assisted air-source heat pumps in manufactured homes avoids the need for an HVAC contractor to install the equipment on-site. The heat pump's outside coil is located in the back of the indoor unit. Air is drawn from a vented crawlspace over the coil and exhausted above the roof. The U.S. Department of Energy Building America Program Industrialized Housing Partnership has monitored these systems in energy-efficient manufactured homes in the Pacific Northwest. The researchers conducted HVAC "flip-flop" tests and presented results that compare the in-situ heat pump performance with electric resistance heating. They also evaluated the energy impacts of the defrost cycle and use of vented crawlspace air. This paper covers equipment installation, HVAC market distribution system barriers, and anecdotal maintenance and operation observations, along with recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]