Building Envelope
As a thermal barrier, the building envelope plays a critical role in regulating interior temperatures and helps to determine the amount of energy required to establish a comfortable indoor environment. In commercial buildings, the space heating, cooling, and ventilation that maintain that environment account for 34 percent of energy used on site and 31 percent of primary energy use, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. By evaluating technologies such as “smart windows” and “high R-value windows,” which directly influence HVAC requirements, the SCE EM&T program is finding ways to make the building envelope more efficient.