Building Industry Cooking Up Interesting Recipes
By Scott Kriner, Green Metal Consulting
Well, the holiday season is over and all the parties and dinners are fond memories. If you are like me, you probably ate too much and then made a New Years resolution to lose the weight. Holidays are also the time when cooks offer some exciting new recipes with lots of interesting ingredients. This was the case in our household.
The building community is also cooking up some new recipes with very interesting outcomes. Plato said “Necessity, who is the mother of invention”. But I like to think of many ingredients driving innovation with a different type of recipe.
• 1 part mandate for net zero energy buildings
• 1 cup of energy code performance
• 1 tablespoon of sustainable design
• fold in increased stringency
• simmer in the marketplace for some time
The result is innovation in the field of materials and building systems.
Innovation was prevalent at the recent Buildings XI International Conference on Thermal Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings, held in chilly Clearwater, FL. This was a gathering of the “Who’s Who” in the building science community from around the world. In a way, it was our industry’s version of the Iron Chefs and Master Bakers converging to share new ideas, new concepts, and new innovation in building design. The delegates included building scientists, representatives from federal government agencies, academia, engineers, and architects. In fact the conference is sponsored by the US Department of Energy.
In many cases, the presentations highlighted radical changes from conventional construction practices that have been traditionally used in the past. It’s a new year and new ideas are prevalent.
The presentation of innovations in the field of building materials indicated that the laboratories, universities, and agencies around the world are busy at staying ahead of the curve. One example is vacuum transparent insulated glass windows. These products have R-values in excess of R-10. Another example in the fenestration category is micro mirror arrays in glazing that are thermally activated by a voltage potential. In the world of insulation, graphite-imbedded insulation was described that is much thinner than conventional glass fiber insulation of the same R-value. And how about a spray coating that uses a nanostructure based on silicone to make a surface significantly more resistant to moisture. Moisture in the building envelope can cause serious damage over time if not properly managed or eliminated. Or better yet, how about a spray-on air barrier system?
In addition to innovation in building materials, there were many presentations on innovative building systems. The use of dynamic systems was a common theme. For example, an adaptive ventilation system for attics that uses sensors of relative humidity and temperature to determine when and when not to ventilate. Another example was the use of hydronic heating and cooling, such as in a foundation slab, to reduce the energy normally required for thermal comfort. Another concept presented included incorporating ventilation ducts inside insulation in a building for better efficiency.
The debate over whether buildings should be designed to “breathe” or be “tight” was raging at the conference. In several presentations, the concept of using a Water Separation Plane (WSP) within the wall design, allows for the building envelope to “breathe” while removing any condensation or moisture in the WSP which is located between the inner and outer wall surface.
In the area of energy efficiency, several case studies were presented illustrating net zero energy possibilities. In one case, a net-zero energy home of 2300 ft2 was shown to have a neutral cash flow over a 30-year mortgage. The situation in Germany is calling for Energy PLUS buildings which go beyond net-zero energy, with U factors much more stringent than the current ASHRAE standard. Several presentations even showed how a building with renewable energy generation can itself be used as an energy storage system.
Even in the area of roofing, several new techniques were presented on introducing Above Sheathing Ventilation and increased energy efficiency on metal roofing, asphalt shingle roofing and tile roofing systems. Night-time ventilation systems in attics were also discussed.
In most cases, the innovations being described are part of a bigger picture for the building industry. The predictions of net-zero energy buildings, zero-plus buildings, healthier buildings, moisture sensitive designs, etc. are predicated on how soon they will be a) affordable, b) durable, and c) offer an attractive payback. But I’m sure that the cooks in the kitchen are coming up with some recipes for these issues as well.
Scott Kriner, MCA's Technical Director, is the president and founder of Green Metal Consulting Inc. He is a LEED Accredited Professional who began his career in the metal construction industry in 1981. His company is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council, the California Association of Building Energy Consultants and the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). Scott can be reached by email at skriner1@verizon.net, or by phone at (610) 966-2430. You can also visit him on the web at www.greenmetalconsulting.com.
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