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Indoor Environment Quality

Building Envelope

The building envelope should be efficient in keeping the building thermally stable and comfortable. Heat transfer through envelope components is quite involved and multifaceted. The direction and magnitude of heat flow is affected by solar gains from the sun, outdoor temperature and indoor temperature. To correctly measure and identify the appropriate materials for the purpose of both energy efficiency and thermal comfort, building envelope components can be evaluated based on three main performance characteristics: insulation, measured in U-factor or thermal resistance (R-value); thermal mass or ability to store heat, measured as heat capacity (HC); and exterior surface condition, which affects absorption and reflectance and is measured in emittance. Depending on the use of these materials and their location, appropriate values of thermal resistance, heat capacity, and exterior surface condition should be considered to optimize the achievement of energy efficiency and thermal comfort.

The building envelope can contribute to energy savings and increased indoor environmental quality that may significantly heighten student and staff productivity, lower energy costs, allowing budget shifts toward other school needs. In addition, the shape of the building envelope has significant impact on the thermal comfort of the building. For example, window placement and direct sunlight infiltration affect the amount of heat that enters the building.

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