SIP structures, when matched with high performance windows and doors prevent bulk air leakage, thereby keeping occupants comfortable at a lower energy cost. Not only does moving air cause discomfort for the occupants, it robs the structure of its heated air in the winter and its cooled air in the summer, causing high energy costs. Exterior air moves through these apertures under both positive and negative air pressures, causing as many as 5 to10, or more uncontrolled air changes per hour in the structure.
Drafts in a building are caused by poorly fitted framing, mis-applied water and air barriers, loose fitting windows and doors. We’ve all been in buildings that are drafty and have a cold feeling. These factors also lead to ultimate interior comfort for the occupants of SIP structures. Learn more about the importance of controlling thermal bridging in high performance building envelopes here.Īs stated earlier, the contributing factors to the Energy Conservation of SIPs are their air tightness and high/stable R-value. Residential and commercial structures using SIPs for the building envelope (walls, roof/ceilings, and/or floors) will perform at peak energy efficiency, at a lower cost to the occupants, thereby resulting in maximum Energy Conservation. SIPs, with their continuous high performance rigid insulation cores eliminate the majority of energy robbing thermal brakes, thereby removing most opportunities for heat loss through thermal bridging. Framed wood and steel structures lose energy because their framing members cause “thermal breaks” in walls and roof/ceilings and they use insulations with less R-value stability. SIPs’ high/stable R-value results in less heat moving outside in winter and less heat moving in during summertime by slowing the movement of heat through SIP walls and roof/ceilings. Additionally, the rigid insulation core of SIPs has high stable R-value (R-value is the resistance to heat movement). Air tightness is the corner stone of Energy Conservation, because structures that leak air, expressed as “air changes per hour” require more energy to maintain a comfortable interior temperature. When SIP walls and roof/ceilings are assembled to form the structure, they will provide exceptional air tightness for that structure. SIPs are then laminated together to form a strong airtight and insulating structural composite. SIPs achieve a very high level of Energy Conservation because they are made with OSB skins and a core of high/stable R-value rigid insulation, both of which are air impermeable materials. Interestingly, all of the performance benefits mentioned above are tied together, because of the materials and methods used to manufacture SIPs.
The performance of SIPs can be viewed specifically in three areas of product features and customer benefits: Provide performance, and be sustainable.įor this edition of Tech Talk, let’s focus on the first attribute on the list: Performance.We learned that SIPs, unlike other building envelopes, met all four key attributes needed to qualify as an HPBE: Publication number: CEC-500-99-013.In our last Tech Talk installment we identified Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) as the preferred High Performance Building Envelope (HPBE) for residential and light commercial structures (revisit the comparison of high performing building options here). High-Performance Facades: Design Strategies and Applications in North America and Northern Europe. The case studies illustrate the benefits as well as the challenges seen in specific solutions with respect to energy use, comfort, and operation and maintenance. These buildings demonstrate envelope strategies ranging from simple yet effective designs to advanced dynamic facade systems. and Northern European professionals with substantial experience in the design and construction of building envelopes were sought out in order to obtain their perspective on the design and construction of high-performance facades, as well as the benefits and barriers to the adoption of advanced facade systems.įour North American buildings were selected for facade case studies. The study probes questions related to the benefits and barriers to the implementation of advanced facade design strategies in North America. Through a critical analysis of case study buildings in North America and interviews with building professionals in both northern Europe and North America, this report identifies facade design solutions that enable the development of spaces that minimize the need for HVAC and lighting energy use, while maximizing occupant well-being and connection to the outdoors.
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