Originally published on May 18, 2016 by BNP Media through the Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing Blog. Eight years ago, Autodesk made a bold and decisive move toward prioritizing sustainable design tools when it acquired the assets of Square One Research, including their design performance modeling software Ecotect. To that point in time, Dr. Andrew Marsh had incrementally built the Ecotect platform into a light, versatile energy analysis tool. Its playful graphic outputs and high degree of interoperability made it a….
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The Difference Between Permeance and Permeability
Originally published on April 18, 2016 by BNP Media through the Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing Blog. All information presented in imperial (I-P) units. Water vapor transmission is a rather confusing issue. The difference in vapor pressure between two sides of a building envelope assembly is the driving force behind vapor transmission. (Although by comparison, gaps in the envelope account for vastly greater amounts moisture migration due to vapor-laden air infiltration.) Vapor = Latent Heat; Air Temperature = Sensible Heat The….
Read MoreBuilding Performance Modeling Tools for Any Designer
Originally published on April 4, 2016 by BNP Media through the Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing website. An adapted version of this column was featured in the Summer 2016 print issue of Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing magazine. The building design and construction industry is becoming ever more attuned to high-performance outcomes. Design teams and clients alike are becoming ever more sophisticated with regard to building science and energy conservation measures. Consequently, there is a growing expectation that project teams leverage….
Read MoreReally Old Buildings are Exempt from the Indiana Energy Code
My firm handles a good amount of preservation and reuse work. Energy-efficiency is always an issue (we make sure of that). However, there is a considerable amount of confusion about how the Indiana energy code applies to historic buildings and renovation projects. Let’s clear the air. Buildings built before January 21, 1978 are exempt from the Indiana Energy Code. There is no substitute for primary source material. Keep these links handy: Indiana Administrative Code (IAC) – Also known as the….
Read MoreIs Daylight Saving Time Necessary?
Originally published on March 7, 2016 by BNP Media through the Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing Blog. Spring Forward, Fall Back. We know the routine well, but have you ever wondered why the United States uses Daylight Saving Time (DST)? If you ask around, you’ll hear some interesting theories: …so kids don’t have to catch the school bus in the dark? No. …to save energy? Not really. …to benefit farmers by giving them an extra hour of daylight?….
Read MoreDefining Mass Walls through Heat Capacity
Originally published on February 12, 2015 by BNP Media through the Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing Blog. There are significant differences in the prescriptive requirements of mass walls versus other above-grade walls. Using ASHRAE 90.1-2007 as example, above-grade walls for a steel-framed nonresidential building in Climate Zone 5 will need a minimum of R-13 insulation AND a continuous insulation layer of at least R-7.5. However, the building’s mass wall assemblies would only be required to exhibit a continuous layer of R-11.4….
Read MoreStandard Effective Temperature (SET) and Thermal Comfort
Originally published on January 18, 2016 by BNP Media through the Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing Blog. Recently, the U.S. Green Building Council adopted three new pilot credits on resilient design for use by LEED project teams for innovation credit. One pilot credit in particular, Passive Survivability and Functionality During Emergencies, endeavors to ensure that buildings will maintain reasonable (i.e., “survivable”) functionality, including access to potable water, in the event of an extended power outage or loss of heating fuel. Power outages….
Read MoreVisualizing Weather Data Using Climate Consultant
Originally published on December 28, 2015 by BNP Media through the Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing Blog. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) provides public access to long-term climate data for over 2,100 locations throughout the world in formats suitable for the publicly-funded EnergyPlus whole-building energy modeling software. These files are chock-full of hourly weather data of 30-year averages for temperature, humidity, wind speeds, and much more. For residential projects and other skin-load dominated….
Read MoreThe Difference Between Reflectance and Emittance
Originally published on November 18, 2015 by BNP Media through the Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing Blog. What is emittance? Among the three basic forms of heat transfer – conduction, convection, and radiation – the term emittance refers to a material’s ability to release heat through radiation. The term necessarily refers to the heat exchange at surface of a material because heat exchange through a solid would be conductive and heat exchange through a fluid would be convective. Emittance is the….
Read MoreCorporate Sustainability Reports (CSRs) and LEED v4
Originally published on October 20, 2015 by BNP Media through the Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing Blog. While various transparency labels such as Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), Health Product Declarations (HPDs), and Cradle to Cradle Certified Products have received a great deal of attention under LEED v4, project teams can also be rewarded by choosing products from manufacturers that have publicly released information from their raw materials suppliers indicating extraction locations, a long-term commitment to ecologically responsible land use, efforts to….
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