Once buzzwords within the building industry, phrases such as “zero net energy,” “sustainable energy,” and “energy conservation,” are now commonplace. In the wake of this new era, building professionals face the challenging task of meeting increasingly stringent energy standards while fulfilling supplemental design goals. Nowhere is this more relevant than the building envelope.
As the physical separator and primary thermal barrier between conditioned and unconditioned spaces, the building envelope directly impacts energy transfer and consumption. According to Better Buildings U.S. Department of Energy, it “plays a key role in determining levels of comfort, natural lighting, ventilation, and how much energy is required to heat and cool a building.”