Introduction to Commercial Building Envelope Assessment

Description

Learn how to assess the most common commercial and institutional building envelope assemblies for energy saving opportunities. This class will focus on envelope basics: the 4 control layers, insulation types, and air barrier principles. Then we will cover common envelope opportunities and evaluation techniques for existing buildings. There will be chances throughout to ask questions and practice with the new information.

Agenda:

1. Intro to Building Envelope
   1. Introductions – students and instructor
   2. What do you know about envelopes already?
   3. The 4 control layers: air, thermal, water, and vapor
      1. Control layer examples
   4. Control layer principles: sandwiched, continuous, dual-purpose materials
      
2. Identification of building envelope opportunities
   1. R-value and diminishing returns
      1. Identifying insulation types
   2. Air tightness, stack effect, wind, and HVAC pressurization
   3. Fenestration
      1. Windows, storefront, curtain walls, skylights
      2. Spandrel panels, shadow boxes
      3. Entrances, vestibules, service doors, coil doors, sectional doors
   4. Solar gain and orientation, impact of high internal loads
   5. Surface area
   6. Below grade areas
   7. Mass effects
   8. Local climate – Heating or cooling dominant, impact of windows/skylights
   9. Patterns
      
3. Approach to an Envelope Audit
   1. Available documents
      1. How construction drawings are organized
      2. Sections and details
      3. How specifications are organized
   2. Visual inspection
   3. Checklist handout
   4. Ask the building operator
   5. Energy modeling
   6. Cost estimating
      
4. Selling Envelope Upgrades
   1. Understand your client
   2. Sell approaches with good paybacks
   3. Sell approaches and retrofits that will be less disruptive
   4. Integrated packages and creativity
   5. Work in context with renovations
   6. Look for low cost 80% solutions

Instructor:

Jon Haehnel, Vice President, CEI, BPI- BA-T BA-P, CABS
SALAS O’BRIEN

Jon has been testing and inspecting buildings for over 24 years. His expertise in building envelope commissioning and design focuses primarily on institutional and commercial buildings, both new construction and renovation. Jon has commissioned the building envelope on all types of construction: laboratories, clean rooms, indoor pools, hospitals, military facilities, manufacturing, dormitories, high rise construction, and educational buildings. His experience also includes building envelope forensics.      

Jon is coauthor of “Setting Airtightness Standards” (ASHRAE Journal, Sept. 2005) and has presented on building envelope topics for American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Better Buildings by Design Conference, Building Commissioning Association (BECxA), Construction Standards Institute (CSI), American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). Jon formerly taught commercial energy auditing and blower door testing at Vermont Technical College.