Heating
and cooling account for over half of a household’s energy use and over
one-third of energy consumption in commercial structures, according to a
survey conducted by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. These
survey results, in combination with pressing issues such as rising
energy costs and climate change, are giving momentum to the global
conversation around energy conservation.
In turn, today’s
building and design professionals are tasked with supporting
energy-efficient design, construction and operations. To meet this
responsibility, many are closely examining the building envelope for
opportunities to decrease energy loads before considering other
technology options like equipment, appliances or renewables. As the
physical and thermal barrier between external environments and internal
conditioned spaces, the building envelope has a close relationship with
energy transfer and consumption.