WBDG Guide1.docx

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Sustainability of the Building Envelope

by Rob Bolin, PE

Syska Hennessy Group

Last updated: 12-14-2009

WITHIN THIS PAGE

Introduction Description Fundamentals Applications Emerging Issues Relevant Codes and Standards Additional Resources

INTRODUCTION

Since the early 1990s, sustainability has become an increasing priority for facilities projects. It is no secret that

building construction and operation have an enormous direct and indirect impact on the environment in terms of

energy use, atmospheric emissions, use of raw materials, waste generation, water use, and many other factors. As

the economy and population continue to expand, the design, construction and operation community will face

increasing challenges to meet the new demands for facilities that areaccessible,secure,healthy, andproductive

while minimizing their impact on the environment.

Figure 1. Source: EPA, 2004

For the design, construction and operation of a facility, there is an especially important interface between the indoor

and outdoor environments, that of the building envelope. The building envelope is comprised of the outer elements of

a buildingfoundations, walls, roof, windows, doors and floors. The prime functions of the building envelope are to

provide shelter, security, solar and thermal control, moisture control, indoor air quality control, access to daylight, and
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views to outside, fire resistance, acoustics, cost effectiveness and aesthetics. Because of the varied and sometimes

competing functions associated with the building envelope, anintegrated, synergistic approachconsidering all

phases of the facilitylife cycleis warranted. This "sustainable" approach supports an increased commitment to

environmental stewardship and conservation, and results in an optimal balance of cos t, environmental, societal, and

human benefits while meeting the mission and function of the intended facility.

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DESCRIPTION

The main objectives of sustainable design are to avoid resource depletion of energy, water, and raw materials;

prevent environmental degradation caused by facilities and their infrastructure throughout their life cycle; and create

built environments that areaccessible,secure,healthy, andproductive.

While the definition of what constitutes sustainable building design, construction and operation is constantly evolving,

there are six fundamental principles that nearly everyone agrees on.

Optimize Site/Existing Structure PotentialCreating sustainablebuildings starts with proper site selection, and the location, orientation,

and landscaping of a building affect the local ecosystems,

transportation methods and energy use. It is usually more sustainable

to renovate an existing building than to tear it down and construct a

new one. Consider reuse and retrofit of available existing buildings

before deciding to build new.

Optimize Energy Use

A sustainable building should rely onefficiency and passive design measures rather than fossil fuels for its

operation. It should meet or exceed applicable energy y performance

standards.

Protect and Conserve WaterIn many parts of the country, freshwater is becoming an increasingly scarce resource. A sustainable

building seeks to reduce, control, and/or treat site runoff, use water

efficiently, and reuse or recycle water for on-site use when feasible.

Use Environmentally Preferable ProductsA sustainable buildingshould be constructed of materials that minimize life-cycle

environmental impacts such as global warming, resource depletion,

and human toxicity. Life-cycle raw materials acquisition, product

manufacturing, packaging, transportation, installation, use, and

reuse/recycling/disposal should all be taken into account.

Enhance Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)The indoorenvironmental quality of a building has a significant impact on

occupant health, comfort, and productivity. Among other attributes a
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sustainable building should maximize daylighting, provide appropriate

ventilation and moisture control, and avoid the use of materials that

are high in VOC emissions.

Optimize Operational and Maintenance PracticesIncorporatingoperations and maintenance considerations into the design of afacility will greatly contribute to improved work environments, higher

productivity, and reduced energy and resource costs. Designers are

encouraged to specify materials and systems that simplify and reduce

maintenance requirements; require less water, energy, and toxic

chemicals and cleaners to maintain; and are cost-effective and reduce

life-cycle costs.

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FUNDAMENTALS

Following are sustainability recommendations pertaining to the design and construction of the building envelope.

Optimize Site/Existing Structure Potential

Consider Climatic Conditionsconsideration of the local climaticconditions (temperature, moisture, wind) can influence the materials

of construction of the building envelope, the amount of and

performance of glazing used specific to each or ientation, and the

overall energy performance of the building. Reduce Urban Heat Islandsthe design of the horizontal elements

(roof) of the building envelope should consider the impact on the site's

urban heat island. Finish the facility's roof with light colored finish

materials or vegetated components to reduce energy loads and

extend the life of the roof, especially in warmer climates. Consider

incorporating vegetated roof materials. Use a roofing product that

meets or exceedsEnergy Star Standards.
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Figure 2.Energy Star Roof-compliant, high-reflectance, and high emissivity roofing can lower roof surface temperature by up to

100F, decreasing the amount of heat transferred into a building.

Optimize Energy Use

Optimize Thermal Insulationoptimize the insulation performance ofthe envelope opaque elements for both heating and cooling seasons.

Figure 3. A PV skylight entryway

(Courtesy of DOE/NREL)

Incorporate High Performance, Spectrally Selective Glazingthe

orientation, amount and performance ofvertical and horizontal glazing

should be appropriate for the climate of the building. Carefully analyze

the thermal (U-factor), solar (solar heat gain factorSHGF) and

daylighting (visible transmittanceVT) performance of glazing on each

elevation of the building. The performance criteria will vary dependingupon orientation and dominant strategy (e.g. solar performance or

daylighting performance).

Employ Effective Solar Shading Devicesuse exterior shadingdevices such as overhangs, vertical fins and light shelves as energy

efficiency measures (with consideration of maintenance and

security/safety issues).

Consider using lighting sensors to control perimeter lighting levelswhen adequate daylight is available to reduce power and HVAC

loads, particularly at peak demand periods which often coincides with

times for high daylight availability.

Integrate Photovoltaic PanelsincorporateBuilding IntegratedPhotovoltaic(BIPV) panels as part of the building envelope system or

solar shading system as a way of generating on-site, renewable

energy.
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Analyze Envelope Performance with Energy Simulationuseenergysimulation and life-cycle analysis toolsto optimize the performance of

all components of the building envelope. Make informed decisions

about the components of the building envelope based on life-cycle

performance.

Figure 4. Energy Plus Screen Captures

(Courtesy DOE)

Figure 5. Air Leakage through a Building Enclosure

Commission Envelope Elementsthebuilding commissioningprocess should include commissioning of the building envelope to
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insure that all performance requirements are being met.

Commissioning of the building envelope can identify areas of concern

related to air infiltration and leakage, moisture diffusion, surface

condensation, and rain water entryall issues that can negatively

impact the building's energy performance and indoor environmentalquality. Of particular importance is to begin commissioning of the

building envelope during design when design modifications can be

easily incorporated, rather than waiting until construction when

remediation can cost significantly more.

While the LEED Green Building Rating System requires buildings to undergo Fundamental Building Commissioning

of systems to achieve certification, it merely recommends that some form of building envelope commissioning be

incorporated. Lemieux and Totten have proposed a Building Envelope Commissioning process that could supplement

the Fundamental Building Commissioning required for LEED certification.

Protect and Conserve Water

Figure 6. Rainwater harvesting for reuse in landscape irrigation

(Courtesy of Texas Water Development Board)

Stormwater Managementuse avegetated roofas a means ofcapturing, filtering and reusing rain water on site.

Captured rainwateron the roof or faade can also be collected,filtered/treated, and then reused on-site for landscape irrigation or

toilet flushing, or held and released after a delay to municipal

stormwater systems.

Use Environmentally Preferable Products

Evaluate Environmental Preferability Using LCAemploylife-cycleassessment (LCA)tools likeATHENAandBEESto evaluate

environmental performance of building envelope components or

products. Embodied energy (energy required to acquire, manufacture,

transport, assemble, install) should be minimized where possible.
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Eliminate the use of materials that pollute or are toxic during theirmanufacture, use or reuse (VOCs, lead, asbestos, PCBs, CFC or

HCFC blowing agents for insulation materials). Where possible,

evaluate and consider the use of building envelope assemblies that

can be easily "de-constructed" at the end of their useful lives.

Figure 7. Viewed over a 30 year period, initial building costs account for approximately just 2% of the total, while operations and

maintenance costs equal 6%, and personnel costs equal 92%.

Source:Sustainable Building Technical Manual

Maximize Recycled Contentwhere possible, incorporate recycledcontent in building envelope construction materials, especially post-

consumer recycled content.

Use Wood fromSustainably Managed Forests

when using woodproducts as part of the building envelope, ensure they are supplied

from forests that are certified for their sustainable management

practices. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification is mandatory

for LEED projects certified under U.S. Green Building Council

programs.

Enhance Indoor Environmental Quality

Value Aesthetic Decisionswindows should be provided that affordbuilding occupants views outside but do not negatively impact thevisual and acoustic comfort of the work environment.

Provide Thermal Comfortcomponents of the building envelopeshould adequately address issues of thermal comfort at the building

perimeter, particularly thermal and solar performance of glazing

systems.ASHRAE Standard 55Thermal Environmental Conditions
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for Human Occupancyshould be used as the basis for thermal

comfort analysis.

Figure 8. Courtesy ASHRAE Standard 55-2004, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy.

Maintain Appropriate Indoor Air Qualitydesign and construction ofthe building envelope should give appropriate consideration to the

moisture dynamics so that water is not transmitted through the

building envelope in to the building construction such that indoor air

quality is compromised. Where appropriate, consider the use of

operable windows fornatural ventilationand occupant control, but be

careful to consider the effect on the building HVAC system so as not

to negatively impact the building's overall energy performance. Use

dedicated/separate outside airand conditioned air distribution

systems for the building perimeter zones to maintain positive

pressurization at the building envelope and appropriate indoor air

quality for occupants in the perimeter zones.

Avoid Use of Materials High in Pollutantslimit the use of volatileorganic compounds (VOCs) in such products aspaints and coatings,

andsealants and adhesives. Create a High Performance Luminous Environmentdesign the

glazing systems to maximize the use ofdaylight. Make sure that the

electric lighting iscontrolledto respond to daylight levels to maintain a

consistent light level on the work surface in the perimeter spaces. Use

internal shades or blinds for glare control (not for control of solar gain)

to maintain a healthy visual environment.
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OptimizeOperations and Maintenance Practices

Figure 9. The architectural entries of theEPA Kansas City Regional Officeare designed to prevent undesirable air particles from

entering the building. Originally conceived as a permanent grating "walk-off system," an easier to maintain stone floor with walk-off

carpets was eventually utilized offering lower capital and operational costs.

(Courtesy of GSA and Koll Construction.)

Preventative Maintenancebuilding occupants and operators shouldbe appropriately trained in acomprehensive preventative

maintenance programto keep all building systems associated with the

building envelope functioning as designed.

Environmentally Preferred Cleaning Productsinstitute a policy forthe purchase and use ofresource-efficient and non-toxic cleaning

products, supplies and proceduresfor building envelope elements.

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APPLICATIONS

The benefits of high performance, sustainable design, construction and operation are universal. All different types of

buildings, includingoffice buildings,schools,hospitals,libraries,courthouses, andresearch facilities, can and should

incorporate sustainable and high performance strategies and systems that consider the entire building life cycle,

above and beyond just the elements associated with the building envelope.

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EMERGING ISSUES

Balancing Security/Safety and Sustainability ObjectivesProviding for sustainable designs that meet all facility

requirements is often a challenge to the building design, construction and operation community. With limited

resources it is not always feasible to provide for the most secure facility, the most architecturally expressive design,
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or energy efficient building envelope. From the concept stage through the development of construction documents, it

is important that all project or design stakeholders work cooperatively to ensure a balanced design. Successful

designs must consider all competing design objectives.

Integrated DesignDesigners are moving away from the conventional building design approach that has historically

resulted in little interaction between all parties involved in the project. There is a movement to embrace integrated

building design, fostering communication amongst all parties that could be involved in the project, and facilitating

working together from the startto coordinate and optimize the design of the site and the building.

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RELEVANT CODES AND STANDARDS

Executive Order 13423, "Strengthening Federal Environmental,Energy, and Transportation Management"

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

WBDG

DESIGN OBJECTIVES

Sustainable Branch

PRODUCTS AND SYSTEMS

Building Envelope Design Guide

Publications

Environmental Building News Environmental Design & Construction Magazine Field Guide for Sustainable Constructionby the Pentagon Renovation

and Construction Program Office, Department of Defense. 2004.

Green BuildingsGuidelines for Creating High-Performance GreenBuildingsby Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

Greening Federal Facilities Guideby U.S. Department of Energy.2001.

High Performance Building Guidelines(PDF 2.2 MB, 146 pgs) by NewYork City Department of Design and Construction. April 1999.
http://www.wbdg.org/design/engage_process.phphttp://www.wbdg.org/resources/env_sustainability.php?r=sustainable#tophttp://www.wbdg.org/resources/env_sustainability.php?r=sustainable#tophttp://www.wbdg.org/ccb/browse_doc.php?d=7707http://www.wbdg.org/ccb/browse_doc.php?d=7707http://www.wbdg.org/ccb/browse_doc.php?d=7707http://www.wbdg.org/ccb/browse_doc.php?d=7707http://www.wbdg.org/ccb/browse_doc.php?d=7707http://www.wbdg.org/resources/env_sustainability.php?r=sustainable#tophttp://www.wbdg.org/resources/env_sustainability.php?r=sustainable#tophttp://www.wbdg.org/design/sustainable.phphttp://www.wbdg.org/design/sustainable.phphttp://www.wbdg.org/design/envelope.phphttp://www.wbdg.org/design/envelope.phphttp://www.buildinggreen.com/http://www.buildinggreen.com/http://www.edcmag.com/http://www.edcmag.com/http://www.wbdg.org/ccb/browse_doc.php?d=4161http://www.wbdg.org/ccb/browse_doc.php?d=4161http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=588208&mode=2http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=588208&mode=2http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=588208&mode=2http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=588208&mode=2http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=588208&mode=2http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=588208&mode=2http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=588208&mode=2http://www.wbdg.org/ccb/browse_doc.php?d=4230http://www.wbdg.org/ccb/browse_doc.php?d=4230http://www.nyc.gov/html/ddc/downloads/pdf/guidelines.pdfhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/ddc/downloads/pdf/guidelines.pdfhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/ddc/downloads/pdf/guidelines.pdfhttp://www.wbdg.org/ccb/browse_doc.php?d=4230http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=588208&mode=2http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=588208&mode=2http://www.wbdg.org/ccb/browse_doc.php?d=4161http://www.edcmag.com/http://www.buildinggreen.com/http://www.wbdg.org/design/envelope.phphttp://www.wbdg.org/design/sustainable.phphttp://www.wbdg.org/resources/env_sustainability.php?r=sustainable#tophttp://www.wbdg.org/ccb/browse_doc.php?d=7707http://www.wbdg.org/ccb/browse_doc.php?d=7707http://www.wbdg.org/resources/env_sustainability.php?r=sustainable#tophttp://www.wbdg.org/design/engage_process.php


11/11

Minnesota Sustainable Building Guidelinesby Regents of theUniversity of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus, College of Architecture

and Landscape Architecture.

Sustainable Building Technical Manualby U.S. Department of Energyand U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1996.

Sustainable Facilities Guideby U.S. Air Force Sustainable Federal Facilities - A Guide to Integrating Value

Engineering, Life-Cycle Costing, and Sustainable Developmentby

Federal Facilities Council, Washington DC, National Academy Press,

2001.

Organizations

Sustainable Buildings Industry Council(SBIC)

U.S. Green Building Council(USGBC)

Others

DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)Building Technologies Program

DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)Net-Zero Energy Commercial Building Initiative

Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), U.S. Department ofEnergy

Austin Energy Green Building Program

Green Building Advisor Green Buildings, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Greener BuildingsAn informative site created as a partnership of

GreenBiz.com and the U.S. Green Building Council.

High Performance Buildings DatabaseU.S. Department of Energy Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green

Building Rating System, U.S. Green Building Council

Smart Communities NetworkGreen Buildings, U.S. Department ofEnergy

Sustainable Design and Development Resourcewebsite, U.S. Army,ERDC-CERL

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Documents

WBDG Guide1.docx