ATLANTA – Multiple compliance options to ensure verification of delivered building envelope performance are being proposed for the ASHRAE/IES energy standard.

“Uncontrolled air leakage has long been an unquantified variable in load calculations for buildings large and small,” Chris Mathis said. “It has also been identified as the ‘weak link’ in many otherwise well insulated building enclosures. These newly proposed envelope testing, inspection and verification procedures are intended to not only help deliver better performing building envelopes, but also should help reduce errors associated with envelope air leakage in equipment sizing calculations.”

Addendum l is one of 14 proposed addenda to ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2013, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, currently open for public comment. To comment or learn more, visit www.ashrae.org/publicreviews.

 “The addendum addresses several items of timely and critical importance to users,” Mathis, a member of the 90.1 committee who helped to develop the proposal, said. “First, it seeks to clarify several inspection and performance verification items that have long been requirements of the standard, with the goal of improving delivered performance and code compliance.  Secondly, the proposed addendum includes new language addressing important building envelope inspection and verification requirements, especially as they relate to controlling air leakage. The proposal provides for multiple compliance methods including whole building air leakage testing and continuous air barrier inspection and performance verification procedures.”

 Mathis notes that the proposed changes would likely have an impact on construction first costs.

“Data provided to the committee showed that the savings of these various approaches to envelope performance verification more than justify the potential increases in first cost,” he said. “Additionally, the costs of the verification procedures will go down over time as builders become more familiar with envelope performance testing, inspection and other verification techniques and their construction practices improve due to the important feedback they will provide.”

Building enclosure professionals are encouraged to carefully review the proposed changes and to offer their comments to assist ASHRAE in strengthening these important code compliance provisions, Mathis noted.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is a global society advancing human well-being through sustainable technology for the built environment. The Society and its more than 50,000 members worldwide focus on building systems, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, refrigeration and sustainability. Through research, standards writing, publishing, certification and continuing education, ASHRAE shapes tomorrow’s built environment today. More information can be found at www.ashrae.org/news.