Good Building Envelope Design

Course Overview

The construction of the building enclosure, or "envelope," has a significant effect on both energy efficiency and occupant comfort, especially when taking into account the enclosure's color, thermal mass, levels of insulation, air and vapor permeability, and resistance to unplanned air leakage. The building envelope also enhances acoustic comfort by moderating site and traffic noise. A good building envelope design integrates all these considerations along with the school's HVAC systems to create the best possible environment.

This course explores how heat passes through the building envelope, explaining the concepts of U-factor, R-value, thermal mass, and heat capacity. This course also provides an introduction to efficient building shell methods, including cool roofs, radiant barriers, indoor air quality, air infiltration, and insulation. These methods are discussed in more detail in the Energy Efficient Building Shell Methods course. The course is worth one hour of continuing education credit in the area of Health, Safety, Welfare.

Companion Course: Energy-Efficient Building Shell Methods