In the U.S., buildings account for roughly 40 percent of all annual energy consumed and 40 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions. So as members of the building design industry, we have a responsibility to design as efficient a building as possible. In the Northwest climate, the building envelope plays a major role in determining the amount of energy the building uses.
This Month’s Meeting: “Measurement of Green Roof Performance”
The call for higher energy performance buildings is being heard loud and clear. A new state wide code is being released this summer with changes that affect envelope construction and design by changing critical energy performance criteria.
Many of the 60 million housing units in the United States built before 1960 will soon need major systems replaced. A new web seminar from the National Institute of Building Sciences Building Enclosure Council and the American Institute of Architects offers timely techniques for residential energy retrofit work, particularly applicable for older building stock.