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Building Envelope
Credit: USAID ECO-III Project
E Source Technology Atlas International Resources Group
Window Systems for High-Performance Buildings Phone: +91-11-2685-3110
90.1 User's Manual Email: eco3@irgssa.com
LBNL Tips for Daylighting Guide Web Site: www.eco3.org
Alliance to Save Energy
A well-designed building envelope not only helps in complying with the Energy
Conservation Building Code (ECBC) but can also result in first cost savings by taking
advantage of daylighting and correct HVAC system sizing. This document acts as a primer
on better envelope design practices and steps needed to comply with ECBC.
T
he building envelope refers Secondly, to maintain thermal comfort
Passive Solar Design Strategy
to the exterior facade, and is and minimize internal cooling/heating
comprised of walls, windows, roof, loads, the building envelope needs to Architects should pay attention to the
skylights, doors, and other openings. The regulate and optimize heat transfer through following basic design elements in an effort
envelope protects the building’s interior roof, walls, windows, doors, and other to reduce the energy consumption in small
and occupants from the weather conditions openings. Effective insulation of roof and commercial building that can be operated
and other external elements. The design walls, appropriate selection of glazing and without Central HVAC System.
features of the envelope strongly affect framing for windows, and suitable shading Siting and Orientation: Longer axis of
the visual and thermal comfort of the strategy are important in designing energy- the building should be in east-west direc-
occupants, as well as energy consumption efficient buildings. tion with maximum opening on north
in the building. An integrated building design considers side; also position the building on site to
the Envelope, the Heating, Ventilation and facilitate breeze access.
Envelope Design Basics Cooling (HVAC) system, and the Lighting Shade: Use different shading strategies to
From an energy efficiency point of view, system as a whole, rather than dealing minimize solar heat gain and reduce glare
the envelope design must take into with these independently. Changing the inside buildings. Provide vertical louvers
consideration both the external and internal specifications of one system can affect the on east and west side and horizontal shad-
heat loads, as well as daylighting benefits. performance of the other two significantly. ing devices on south side.
External loads include mainly solar heat For instance, investments in good insulation Cross-Ventilation: Building envelope
gains through windows, heat losses across of the roof, energy-efficient windows, or should allow the movement of breeze
the envelope surfaces, and unwanted air increased envelope airtightness can result in through out the building.
infiltration in the building; internal loads a smaller HVAC system, thereby reducing
include heat released by the electric lighting
systems, equipment, and people working in Heat Gain through roof Heat Loss through roof
Building Envelope: Exterior and the the window. SHGC is the ratio of solar effects of conduction, convection, and long
semi-exterior portions of a building. For heat gain that passes through fenestration wave radiation. Fenestration U-factor is the
the purposes of determining envelope to the total incident solar radiation that rate of heat flow through one square meter of
requirements for the ECBC, these are: falls on the fenestration. Solar heat gains fenestration when there is 1⁰C temperature
a. Elements that separate the conditioned includes directly transmitted solar heat and difference. U-factor dose not consider
spaces from the weather conditions, or absorbed solar heat, which is re- radiated, solar gains through the fenestration; this is
b. Elements of a building that separate the conducted, on convected into the interior addressed by SHGC. The lower the U-factor,
conditioned spaces of the building from space. (Fig.2) the better it is. Center-of-glass U-factors
the unconditioned spaces, i.e. office are generally lower than whole-window
space from unconditioned storage. Heat gain due
to direct solar
Direct and re-emitted U-factors, which account for the effect of
energy in an enclosed
radiation space the frame and mullions. This property is
Cool Roof: Property of roof that describes Outside Inside important for reducing heating load in cold
its ability to reflect and reject heat. Cool climates and for reducing cooling load in
roof surfaces have both high solar reflec- (a) incident solar
radiation
hot climates.
(b) directly
tance and a high emittance (rejecting heat (c) reflected heat transmitted heat Roof and opaque wall U-factor also re-
back to the environment). (d) absorbed heat fers to the amount of heat transferred (lost/
(e) re-emitted heat (f) re-emitted heat
gain), due to a temperature differential of
Effective Aperture: Visible Light Trans- 1⁰C between inside and outside, per square
mittance × Window-Wall Ratio (EA= Fig. 2: Solar Heat Gain Coefficient
meter. Figure 3 illustrates the concept of U-
VLT × WWR). factor. R-value is the resistance to heat flow
Sound Transmission: An important (R=1/U), with higher values indicating
Envelope Performance Factor: Trade-off requirement in some projects. Many energy- better insulation.
value for the building envelope performance efficient glazing deliver improved acoustic
compliance option, calculated using the performance as a side benefit. Vertical Fenestration: All fenestration
procedures specified in Appendix D of the other than skylights.
ECBC. Spectral Selectivity: Refers to the ability
of a glazing material to respond differently Visible Light Transmittance (VLT): The
Fenestration: All openings (including the to different wavelengths of solar energy – ratio of light passing through the glazing to
frames) in the building envelope that let in in other words, to admit visible light while light passing through perfectly transmissive
light (e.g. windows, plastic panels, skylights, rejecting unwanted invisible infrared heat. glazing. VLT is concerned only with the
glass doors) that are more than one-half Newer glazing products have achieved this visible portion of the solar spectrum, as
glass, and glass block walls. characteristic, permitting much clearer glass opposed to SHGC, which is the ratio of
than previously available for solar control all solar radiation. VLT is an important
Skylight: A fenestration surface having glazing. A glazing with a relatively high VLT parameter for daylighting of buildings.
a slope of less than 60 degrees from the and a low SHGC indicates that a glazing is
horizontal plane. selective. Spectrally selective glazing use Window-Wall Ratio (WWR): Ratio of
special absorbing tints or coatings, and are vertical fenestration area to gross exterior
Fenestration Area: Total area of the typically either clear or have a blue or blue/ wall area. Gross exterior wall area is
fenestration measured using the rough green appearance. measured horizontally from the exterior
opening (including glazing, sash, and surface; it is measured vertically from the
frame). For glass doors where glazed vision Thermal Emittance: Relative ability of a top of the floor to the bottom of the roof.
area is less than 50% of the door area, the material to radiate the absorbed heat.
fenestration area is the glazed vision area Weather stripping: Materials, such as a
otherwise it is the door area. U-Factor (W/m2·K): When there is a strip of fabric, plastic, rubber or metal, or
temperature difference between inside and a device used to seal the openings, gaps or
Opaque Wall: All areas in the building outside, heat is lost or gained through the cracks of venting window and door units to
envelope, except fenestration and building window frame and glazing by the combined prevent water and air infiltration.
service openings such as vents and grills.
U-factor Affects amount of heat transfer due to temperature difference
Solar Reflectance: Ratio of the light
reflected by a surface to the light incident Surface area=1m2
U= 0.57 W/m 2·K
Surface area=1m2
U= 0.42 W/m 2·K
upon it.
three mechanisms do not equally contribute to wetting. Bulk water has the
largest contribution to wetting, followed by air transported moisture, with
Vapor diffusion being the least important. Incidental moisture intrusion is
nearly impossible to avoid: walls will sometimes get wet. However, moisture
Prevent Promote problems only occur when wetting exceeds drying; that is, when walls get
Wetting Drying wet and stay wet for extended periods of time. It is therefore critical to design
forgiving walls which will allow drying of incidental moisture ingress. The key
to avoiding moisture problems is to manage the balance between wetting and
1. High Water W High Vapor
Resistance ettin rying drying: protect against wetting and promote drying. As the diagram shows,
g
with the ECBC, but it may be the best method for designing a building C
(no shading)
Method yields the greatest flexibility of design for the design team, South
of building simulation tools and very close communication between 0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0 100.0 120.0 140.0 160.0 180.0
which just meets the ECBC requirements (the “base case criteria” as Fig. 5: Annual Electricity Consumption by Orientation of Different
Glazing
described in detail in Appendix B of ECBC). The model compares
Total Energy Use for Different Orientation
the total predicted energy use of the Standard Design with that for Window B: double glazing, reflective coating, U=0.54, SHGC = 0.17, VT = 0.10
the Proposed Design. A building complies with the whole building North No Shading North With Shading
performance method when the estimated annual energy use of the South No Shading South With Shading
Proposed Design is less than or equal to that of the Standard Design, 390.0
even though it may not comply with all the prescriptive requirements 380.0
Fig. 5 shows the impact of different types of glazing for a 0.30 360.0
KWh/m2-yr
a warm and humid climate (e.g. Mumbai or Chennai). Fig. 6 shows 340.0
total energy use for different orientation (North and South- with 330.0
and without shading) for the same glazing. Hourly simulation tools 320.0
(e.g. Energy Plus and DOE2) are indispensable for conducting this 310.0
type of energy simulation analysis that looks at the interactive effects 300.0
0 0.15 0.3 0.45 0.6
Window to Wall Ratio
of different building systems and are able to predict a more reliable Fig. 6: Impact of Orientation and Shading on Annual Electricity
energy performance of the building. Consumption
Interior
permeable materials which allow drying in both directions
Interior
Air and Water Air and Water
Barrier (Vapor Barrier (Vapor are preferable.
open) open)
Exterior
Exterior
In cold and temperate climates or where the internal
Thermal Thermal
Insulation Insulation
humidity and temperature is likely to be relatively higher than
the outside, it must be ensured that materials that make up
Air and Water the envelope are progressively more Vapor permeable from
Vapor Barrier/
Barrier (Vapor
Retarder the inside to the outside or are vented towards the outside,
open)
Structural Structural so that if the envelope components (such as insulation) get
Wall Wall
wet, they can dry themselves through Vapor diffusion.
Interior Interior Cladding
Cladding Metal roofs with under deck fibrous insulation present
unique challenges in moisture management. Since the metal
sheet prevents active drying of insulation to the outside, it is
recommended that on the inner side, the insulation be faced
with a Vapor- open air and water barrier, to allow incidental
Assembly for Cold and Temperate climate zones Assembly for Hot, Composite and Humid
ingress of moisture to diffuse as Vapor. The exception to
climate zones
this would be in installations where the interior temperature
Fig. 7: Schematic Showing the Correct Placement of Barriers. and humidity are expected to be significantly higher that
Source: DuPont those on the outside.
air movement through windows and single-pane glass, the standard windows of these factors is critical to designing
envelope surfaces, is caused by a pressure just two decades ago. High-performance buildings that meet the needs of building
difference (air moves from high pressure windows are not only a wise investment owners and users. Once these factors are
to a lower pressure- Fig. 8). Limiting for new construction, but sometimes can identified, a designer can then apply the
air infiltration and exfiltration is key to be cost-effectively retrofitted, especially appropriate technology to address them.
improving energy efficiency; look for when timed with planned replacement and The three components of the solar radiation
opportunities to include a continuous downsizing of HVAC equipment. Glazing are: Ultra-Violet (UV), Visible, and Near-
membrane or roll-applied continuous air products (windows, skylights, etc.) can Infrared (NIR)- Fig. 9. While half of this
barrier, which can also serve as the building’s be specified to reduce solar heat gain and energy is invisible, either in the UV or NIR,
primary bulk moisture control layer. control light levels and glare. As a rule of it must still be considered in the selection
thumb, double glazing should always be of glazing. Standard, untreated glass is
Technical Tips for Glazing preferred over single glazing since facades naturally transparent to 85 percent of the
Most large commercial buildings are with double glazing not only offers superior UV, Visible, and NIR rays, but selective
dominated by cooling loads, so window thermal performance but can also help in glazing has the ability to distinguish visible
selection for commercial buildings significantly reducing unwanted external from invisible energy in ways that decrease
is usually an exercise in maximizing noise of traffic. solar heat gain while maintaining daylight
daylighting and keeping summer heat Windows are affected by many factors, transmittance and vice-versa.
out. Today’s best windows block heat which in turn affect the comfort and energy
transfer more than five times better than performance of buildings. Understanding UV
(3%)
Visible
(45%)
Near- infared
(52%)
Spectral distribution of
Infiltration Solar radiation
Eye Sensitivity
Curve
Edge Seal Frame through gaps in movable window parts. Infiltration
Glass Pane is foiled by careful design and installation, weather
stripping and caulking (type of sealing).
P1 P2 Convection
Air Infiltration Convection takes place in gas. Pockets of high 300 500 700 900 1,100 1,300 1,500 1,700 1,900
Glazing temperature, low-density gas rise setting up a Wavelength
(nanometers)
circular movement pattern. Convection occurs
within multiple-layer windows and on either side of Fig. 9: Solar Spectrum
window. Optimally spacing gas-filled gaps minimizes
Source: E Source Lighting Atlas
combined conduction and convention.
Radiation Clear glass, which is the most common
Outside Radiation is the energy that passes directly through type of glass used today, has no significant
Inside
T1 air from a warmer surface to a cooler one. Radiation
T2 is controlled through low-emissivity films or coatings. thermal resistance (R-value) from the pane
SHGC determines the amount of radiation that can itself. However, it has a value of R-0.9 to
pass through glazing. R-1.0 due to the thin films of air on the
Conduction interior and exterior surfaces of the glass.
Conduction occurs as adjacent molecules of gas or
solids pass thermal energy between them. Conduction Without any coatings, clear glass easily
T 1> T 2 is minimized by adding layers to trap air spaces, and transmits UV, Visible, and NIR energy.
P 1> P 2 putting low conductivity (Argon or Krypton) gases
in those spaces. Frame conductivity is reduced by
using low-conductivity material such as vinyl or fiber- Technical Tips for Cool Roofs
Legends
T: Temperature
glass instead of aluminium. U-factor determines the Use of solar-reflective (cool) surfaces and
amount of conduction heat transfer that can take the planting of urban trees are inexpensive
P: Pressure place across glazing.
measures that can reduce summer time
Fig. 8: Heat and Air Movement through Double Glazing Window System temperatures. At the building scale, a dark
Source: Adapted from E Source Technology Atlas roof is heated by the sun and thus directly
Daylighting Tips
• Minimize apertures and large glazing to help in window design and to
Fenestration should be designed to facilitate
surfaces on the east and the west. Low determine the importance of glazing
daylighting and reduce the need for electric
sun angles for these orientations make and shading decisions yet to come. If a
lighting. But bringing daylight to the
shading extremely difficult without light shelf or exterior shading are under
interior of the building is complex. Effective
blocking the entire window. Higher consideration, include these elements in
daylighting strategy should include a
WWR requires careful handling. the calculations.
combination of the following:
• Study the potential for (a) an articulated • Identify which occupant tasks best
• Exterior shading: Overhangs and verti- form that yields a high percentage benefit from daylight before laying
cal fins block direct sun. of perimeter space, (b) an envelope out task locations on floors. Put tasks
• Interior light distribution: Light structure and cladding that can integrate requiring low, uniform light levels or
shelves, diffusers, or reflective surfaces shading, and (c) opportunities for the with periodic occupancy in the building
move the light further back into space. building to shade itself. core. Keep interior finishes light-
• Daylighting controls: Automatic or • Develop initial thoughts about shading colored.
manual controls dim or turn off electric strategy and glazing type. • Discuss daylighting concepts with
lighting when there is sufficient daylight. lighting designer or consultant to ensure
• Determine whether the project budget
allows consideration of a light shelf or that electric lighting layout and controls
Tips that can be followed to maximize address daylight needs at the start of
daylighting without compromising thermal exterior projecting shading elements.
lighting design process.
performance are as follows: • Begin window design with both interior
considerations and exterior appearance • Build a simple model and view it
• Know the true north orientation of the outdoors for lighting quality and glare.
site and include it on all plan drawings. concerns simultaneously. Place windows
Lot property lines are typically given primarily to provide view and light. • Check coordination issues with lighting,
relative to true north. Size and place windows for best glare- structural, and mechanical design. Keep
free daylighting with minimal energy ceiling as smooth and high as possible.
• If the site allows, the first attempt at penalty. The designer should perform
building placement should be with the preliminary calculations at this point
long axis running east-west.
Guide for Early Architectural Decisions windows on comfort when weighing • Select an effective energy management
• Try to reduce cooling loads. Look the benefit of an improved U-factor system to optimize building operation
for opportunities where architectural or the disadvantages of a darkly tinted and tie together all HVAC, lighting and
decisions can save operating costs, glazing. automated shading controls.
reduce mechanical first costs, and reduce Reduce First and Operating Costs Maintain Thermal Comfort
mechanical space requirements.
• Calculate peak cooling load and energy • Window and shading design are
• Calculate building energy use starting use with reduced perimeter electric strongly linked to perimeter zone
during schematic design phase, even lighting load and size mechanical system comfort, regardless of air temperature.
if this requires many assumptions accordingly. Be sure to specify proven Hot or cold glass behaves like a radiant
about unknown details, and refine the and reliable daylight controls that will panel and affects occupant comfort
calculation as the building becomes dim or switch electric lighting during independent of air temperature.
more defined. peak cooling conditions. • An airtight building envelope
• Mechanical engineer should be an • Examine cooling system downsizing contributes to increased thermal
integral team player from the beginning. opportunities with various glazing and comfort of building occupants.
This is a departure from the traditional shading options. Work with architect in • Consider the effect of the window’s
model of building design procedure, fine-tuning window sizing and location, mean radiant temperature on thermal
where the mechanical engineer enters the shading strategy and glazing selection comfort. Poorly insulated windows
design process after major architectural for a smaller and more efficient system. (high U-factor) decrease the surface
decisions are already established.
• Calculate the annual energy saved with temperature in winter. Since the
• Assist in an optimal glazing selection. improved fenestration elements. Calcu- mechanical system controls the room’s
Stay up to date on glazing technologies- lations will show some of the benefit air temperature, occupants near the
dark or reflective glazing are no longer of exterior over interior shading, lower windows can be very uncomfortable.
the only choices for solar heat reduction. solar heat gain coefficient glazing, and
Consider carefully the radiant effect of daylighting controls.
Rigid Insulation: • Interior applications: Must be covered with • Basement walls, Exterior walls • High insulating value for
Extruded polystyrene 1/2-inch gypsum board or other building-code under finishing (Some foam boards relatively little thickness
foam (XPS), Expanded approved material for fire safety include a foil facing which will act as • Can block thermal short
polystyrene Foam • Exterior applications: Must be covered with a vapor retarder. Additionally, some circuits when installed
(EPS or Beadboard), weather-proof facing or continuous Air and insulation materials- e.g. XPS and continuously over frames
Polyurethane foam, Weather Resistive Barrier (WRB) closed cells polyurethane foams– or joists
Polyisocyanurate foam are vapor retarders. Please read the
discussion about where to place, or
not to place a vapor retarder)
• Unvented low slope roofs
Reflective Systems: • Foils, films, or papers: Fitted between wood-frame • Unfinished ceilings, walls, and floors • Easy installation: All
Foil-faced paper, studs joists, and beams (for wall applications, must consider suitable for framing at
Foil-faced polyethylene that most foil faced systems act as a standard spacing
bubbles, Foil-faced vapor retarder) • Bubble-form suitable if
plastic film, Foil-faced framing is irregular or if
cardboard obstructions are present
Getting Started technique– i.e. proper installation of an air • E Source (2005): E Source Technology
In this new and emerging market for insulation system and barrier, and correct Atlas Series- Volume I: Lighting,
energy-efficient buildings and building use of shading devices for windows –has Boulder, CO, USA.
components, it can be difficult at times to a significant impact on energy efficiency • E Source (1997): E Source Technology
locate and secure the best products for use along with the energy efficiency of Atlas Series- Volume II: Commercial
in construction. This may be because they individual components. Space Cooling and Air Handling,
are not available locally or are too expensive Boulder, CO, USA.
for the building owner’s budget. It may References • Ministry of Power, Government of
also be a significant task to determine • American Society of Heating, India: Energy Conservation Building
the energy efficiency properties (default Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Code 2007,(Revised Version, May 2008)
values) of products that are used for typical Engineers Inc. (2000): 90.1 User’s New Delhi, India.
construction and building assemblies used Manual ASHRAE/IESNA Standard • O’Connor, J., Lee, E., Rubinstein, F.,
locally. 90.1-1999, Atlanta, GA, USA. Selkowitz, S.: Tips for Daylighting with
As the demand for products grows, there • Carmody, J., Selkowitz, S., Lee, E., Windows- The Integrated Approach,
will likely be more competition and choice Arasteh, D. and Willmert, T. (2004): LBNL-39945, Lawrence Berkeley
available to designers. In the meantime, Windows Systems for High Performance National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA,
it is important to note that construction Buildings, New York: W. W. Norton. USA.