Envelope 1st Approach

The building envelope is a primary component of any building. It is the interface between interior and exterior environments. The building envelope contributes to energy efficiency, air quality, moisture control, fire resistance, durability, cost to operate, and aesthetics.

The heating & cooling loads for a building are determined by the balance of losses and gains through the building envelope, building ventilation, building volume, and the airtightness of the building envelope.

The building envelope is measured by using the TEDI (Total Energy Demand Intensity) metric.

TEDI requirements are adjusted in colder areas within a given climate zone to make the metrics more achievable. The TEDI targets will reflect the climate variability within each climate zone, based on the HDD (Heating Degree Days) rather than a single value for the entire climate zone.

By incorporating a good building envelope, you can reduce the size of mechanical equipment and could make the building more affordable to operate. Also, the envelope will last much longer than any mechanical equipment and does not require costly maintenance.