At the bottom of the page is the Trade-off Explorer. It’s a grid with one column per component type (Slab, Framed Floor, Foundation Wall, Above Grade Wall, Ceiling / Roof, Opaque Door, Glazing, Skylight). Each column lists alternative values for that component, with a delta percentage showing how the home’s margin would change if you applied that alternative.
- Green cells are improvements: your home would move further toward (or further into) below Reference UA.
- Red cells are worsenings: your home would move closer to (or further into) above Reference UA.
- The percentage is the change to the current margin, not the resulting margin itself. So if you’re currently 11% above Reference and you see +22% green on a wall option, applying that wall would put you roughly 11% below Reference (passing).
V1 note: The Trade-off Explorer is display only. It shows the “what if” numbers but doesn’t apply changes. To act on a tradeoff, edit the component row above to match the alternative you want.
Common ways to use it:
- You’re failing by a small margin and want to know which single upgrade gets you over the line.
- You’re passing comfortably and want to find the cheapest assembly to relax (for example, going from triple-pane to double-pane windows) while still passing.
- You’re comparing two insulation strategies and want to see the UA effect of each.
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