This presentation is a technical discussion about using field measurements to validate thermal assumptions for existing buildings and help make energy models more accurate. In deep energy retrofits, the thermal performance of existing building envelopes is often difficult to determine with a high level of accuracy. For older buildings, the records of existing assemblies are often incomplete or inaccurate. To obtain greater baseline performance accuracy for energy models, in-field measurement tools can be used to obtain data on the thermal performance of the existing assemblies. Using case studies, this presentation will summarize non-destructive methods utilizing a set of various field tools to measure the baseline U-factors for a range of existing buildings with various wall assemblies. The lessons-learned covers what can be achieved, the limitations of these approaches and tools, and ideas on improving the accuracy and precision of measurements. The key factors include the weather conditions, the interior conditions, thermal mass of the measured assemblies, and thermal profiles of the assemblies in question.
A highly-motivated building enclosure consultant with RWDI’s Philadelphia team, Shibei possesses experience in detail design development specific to high-performance buildings, construction documentation, energy code compliance, assembly performance analysis, and site observation. With a background in architecture design, she brings a fresh perspective to our clients along with effective modelling skills for a new generation of technology. Shibei has experience in a broad range of project types and across all project phases. Her analytical skills and knowledge of building science contribute to an understanding of building performance and help inform building designs