A building envelope is the physical separator between the conditioned and unconditioned environment of a building including the resistance to air, water, heat, light, and noise transfer. Thermally Efficient Building Envelope is Essential to Energy-Efficient Building Design For:
1. Lower Energy Consumption 2. Lower Cost 3. Comfort
A thermally efficient building envelope reduces a building’s carbon footprint significantly, as less energy is needed to heat or cool a building. A building designed with high R-value insulation in the walls and roof, and with insulated glass units with a low solar heat gain for example, will prevent too much heat from escaping the building during cold weather, and will prevent too much heat from entering the building during warm or hot weather.
A green roof also upholds the integrity of the building envelope and decreases energy consumption by acting as an insulator. The building is protected from solar radiation during the summer. This means that the building requires less air conditioning to keep cool. In the winter, a green roof prevents the loss of heat from inside a building because of the additional layers of soil and plants.
While thermally efficient design can cost more up front, operational costs will decrease in the long term and productivity can rise. According to a 2014 International Energy Agency report, “the value of the productivity and operational benefits derived [from energy-efficiency measures] can be up to 2.5 times (250%) the value of energy savings (depending on the value and context of the investment). Running an HVAC system every day can be costly, especially if your building is very large and located in a very warm or cold climate. When you build thermal efficiency into your design from the start, HVAC and other systems don’t have to work as hard.
Room temperature impacts the performance, mood, and overall well-being of occupants, regardless of building type. In hospitals, for example, comfort fosters higher recovery rates. In office buildings, employee productivity increases when the temperature is well-controlled. In schools, students are able to focus on tasks more easily when classroom temperatures are between a comfortable 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Through thermal-efficient building design, ideal room temperatures can be maintained using proper insulation and daylighting and natural shading strategies.
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