Many residential buildings in the Pacific Northwest have or are undergoing comprehensive rehabilitation largely to remedy moisture-related problems. The rehabilitation of the building enclosure presents a unique opportunity to examine and assess the actual energy-related performance of the in-service building and to determine the energy impact of the building enclosure improvements (i.e. from increased insulation, thermally improved window frames and glazing, improved air-tightness).

The Building Code defines criteria for air infiltration and structural performance for fenestration products but is essentially silent on the topic of water penetration resistance. The industry standard in the U.S. for determining the water penetration performance for fenestration products has essentially been controlled by the manufacturers of the window products themselves.

In the recent construction economy, high performance new building construction has been complimented with prominent energy efficient retrofit projects. In both categories of construction, improved building envelope design and materials are needed to achieve energy savings goals. One important envelope element is a new class of glazing that has entered the market. So-called “super insulating glass” is capable of attaining high thermal resistance by combining a variety of high performance components.

Whole-building commissioning is a process of quality assurance in building construction. It is a systematic process of ensuring, through documented verification, that building systems are installed and perform according to the documented design and the owner's operational needs. The process starts at the project Design Development stage and continues through staff training, pre-warranty inspection and completion of the wrap-up Commissioning Manual.

This presentation has been requested and scheduled for the AIA National Convention June 11, 2010. As an early viewing of the same presentation, we will briefly review the latest version of The Living Building Challenge 2.0, while discussing envelope opportunities within this progressive framework. The Living Building Challenge is a measure of sustainability far more progressive than LEED Platinum or Triple Net Zero alone. This system does not contain points, rather 20 simple but profound imperatives that is performance based, not prescriptive.

A three day event, comprising three tracks (Energy Efficiency/Whole Building/Fenestration) that will provide a focus on specific aspects of performance of building systems with a view to high energy efficiency, good indoor climate and long-term performance. The conference will bring together leading research from Europe, Canada and the United States focusing on existing and future buildings. The academic research will be complimented with "real world" applications and case studies. The program will include panel discussions, featured workshops and plenary speakers.

Many of the 60 million housing units in the United States built before 1960 will soon need major systems replaced. A new web seminar from the National Institute of Building Sciences Building Enclosure Council and the American Institute of Architects offers timely techniques for residential energy retrofit work, particularly applicable for older building stock.

The call for higher energy performance buildings is being heard loud and clear. A new state wide code is being released this summer with changes that affect envelope construction and design by changing critical energy performance criteria. In preparation for the July 1 adoption of the 2010 Oregon Energy Efficiency Specialty Code (OEESC), based on the IECC, Portland BEC will host a presentation that highlights what changes have and haven’t taken place in this code cycle.

This Month’s Meeting: “Measurement of Green Roof Performance”