Building Envelope Design for Optimization: Leveraging BEM and Energy Simulation Capabilities
When it comes to energy efficiency in building and occupant structures like Homes, Offices, Healthcare facilities, etc, the first things that come to your mind are probably the efficiency and use of HVAC systems and the lighting within a facility. However building envelope is arguably the first place to start with as this is where the maximum potential for exploring and implementing energy saving opportunities lies, and this has come to the fore with increased use of Building Energy Consumption Analysis tools.
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Building Envelope Design:
Building envelope management delivers two primary benefits – energy savings and cost reduction. The two ways to improve building envelope are a) by managing the air the leaks from and into the building, and b) by reducing the HVAC equipment size that is required for efficient cooling, heating, air conditioning and ventilation in a building.
Deft utilization of tools and technologies like green building design, energy modeling and analysis, allows managing building envelope for higher sustainability. Due to the results generated by Energy Analytics for Buildings, experts have realized that a buildings envelope is a major influencer for overall energy consumption in a facility.
Conventionally, the focus has been on water proofing, and mitigating air leakage in the building. Now, over the years what has changed is how experts address building envelope. While earlier, buildings were designed to bring in more air, today air infiltration in buildings is avoided. However this does not mean that fresh air is not allowed into a building.
What has changed is that, air is not allowed to enter at its own temperature, as air enters the building it is treated and then allowed to enter. This is not only an energy efficient proposition, but it also reduces air contamination and hence provides better air quality to occupants, which is very important for hospitals, and health care centers.
Continuous Insulation:
The energy modeling capabilities have also brought in a new concept called ‘continuous insulation’. According to this concept, the insulation that is done inside the building envelope shifts to the exterior envelope. Due to this insulation runs continuously and is not broken at each stud and hence the buildings energy performance improves.
Energy modeling makes it possible to downsize equipment without affecting energy performance.
Previously, when experts faced the problem of air leakage in buildings, they usually addressed this problem by over sizing the equipment. This was done to make sure that all the spaces were conditioned properly. However, today, energy modeling allows engineers to identify their air leakage goals. Hence they can now work towards controlling and managing air leakage in building and hence is become possible to downsize equipments. This directly translates into savings in equipment costs and energy costs over a period of time.
TrueCADD is an India based company providing comprehensive energy modeling services to analyze and device energy efficient solutions for energy consumption, ventilation, cooling, overheating risks, water usage etc. With a commitment towards client appeasement and a relentless pursuit of delivering excellence has earned the company a wide client base across the globe.
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