November 2009 Monthly Meeting

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).

A research project is currently underway with the objectives to review and assess the effects of building enclosure improvements on the space conditioning energy use in typical mid and high-rise multi unit residential buildings (MURBs) and then to develop better strategies that take into account enclosure repairs, energy conservation and greenhouse gas emissions. In some instances, this review also provides the opportunity to look at other changes to the buildings while in service, whether it be occupant behavior, or changes to the mechanical systems (such as the domestic hot water system) and associated impact on the overall energy consumption. The research applies to both new and rehabilitated buildings and has national relevance as the buildings selected for the study have similarities throughout United States and Canada. This presentation will discuss part 1 of the study highlighting the energy use within existing high-rise MURBs and the trends and issues affecting consumption and energy efficiency.

Graham Finch is a Building Science Research Engineer with RDH Building Engineering Ltd. in Vancouver BC. He holds a masters degree specializing in building science from the University of Waterloo and is actively involved with numerous research projects at RDH. Graham has several years experience as an engineering consultant on building enclosure issues across North America. This work has included new construction design, hygrothermal modeling, forensic investigation, whole building monitoring and several industry research studies. Graham’s current research interests focus on improving the energy efficiency of high-rise buildings through improvements in the building enclosure.