April 2016 — Property Management Quarterly —
Page 15
W
hether you call it the
building envelope or
building enclosure, mak-
ing improvements to the
exterior of the building is
key in reducing the energy usage of
a facility. It is no secret that signifi-
cant energy savings can be realized
through reroofing and exterior reno-
vation projects, but there are many
other financially viable energy-sav-
ing strategies available. The purpose
of this article is to discuss the bene-
fits of exterior energy improvements
and why a building envelope energy
evaluation is important to determine
the best strategy when considering
an improvement project.
Opportunity for Improvement
Buildings more than 20 years old
usually have the best opportunity for
making significant improvements.
Typically, the envelope has aged
through its design life and is in need
of repair. Often building additions,
change of use and lack of mainte-
nance result in premature failure of
an enclosure and its terminations
and transitions. The sum of small
air leaks in wall transitions, water
leaks in the roof, and failed sealants
at windows and doors contribute to
a significant loss in energy. Further,
buildings of this age usually have far
less insulation in the roof and wall
systems than required by today’s
energy codes.
Newer buildings can suffer from
the same symptoms. While our
buildings have become more air-
tight and better insulated, improper
detailing, poor application or value
engineering of whole roof and wall
systems leave owners with poorly
performing building envelopes.
Whether the building is new or old,
improvements to the envelope will
not only stop leaks, but also reduce
energy costs.
Improvement Benefits
While interior improvements such
as lighting, mechanical and con-
trol systems have a direct impact
on utility use, improvements to
the building enclosure have many
indirect energy cost-saving ben-
efits. Some of these benefits include
increasing the insulation in a build-
ing to reduce heating and cooling
requirements; reducing the heat
gain of the building through reflec-
tive roof coatings and glazing; and
increasing the air tightness of the
building enclosure to reduce the loss
of conditioned air and the potential
for damaging condensation.
The most significant benefit is the
chance to waterproof and protect
the interior of the building. The costs
of interior damages due to building
leaks can easily exceed the return
on investment from an energy
improvement. So, stopping mois-
ture intrusion first ensures energy
improvements of any kind will be
effective. Additionally, the longer the
life of the moisture-control system,
the greater the energy benefit will
be.
Take roofing, for example. Roof-
ing is accepted as a periodic capital
expenditure. What usually happens
in between these periodic capital
expenditures are a series of emer-
gency and maintenance costs in the
form of fixing leaks and repairing
damage. Because the maintenance
costs usually are paid out of a sepa-
rate budget, rarely do they get added
to the initial cost for a total lifecycle
cost of the roof system. The cost of
maintaining a roof
has a dramatic
impact on the
benefits of energy
improvements. A
longer-lasting roof,
with less mainte-
nance costs, will
provide a better
return on invest-
ment.
Ultimately, adopt-
ing a building
envelope strat-
egy that reduces
maintenance and
repair costs is the
best way to improve your return on
investment. A leak-free, long-lasting,
energy-efficient enclosure is the best
way to optimize your energy savings.
Envelope Energy Evaluation
There are several options available
to determine the energy-savings
potential of a building enclosure
improvement. These energy evalu-
ations provide valuable data that
helps determine the economic fea-
sibility of the project. However, often
these evaluations are limited to sim-
ply adding insulation or a reflective
roof surface. There are many other
factors that need to be addressed
when analyzing the energy efficien-
cy of a solution.
First, consider that additional insu-
lation thickness complicates water-
proofing details at flashings and
attachment methods, with roof and
wall systems. Second, consider air
leakage through poor detailing can
rob the building of energy, regard-
less of the amount of insulation
installed.
Facility operations and processes
determine the benefit of improve-
ments. For example, a manufactur-
ing facility with large thermal pro-
cesses has entirely different needs
than a classroom or office. Also, you
must consider that the simple pay-
back does not take into account the
true cost of ownership. A life-cycle
cost analysis, including energy pay-
back benefits, is essential to deter-
mining the true present value for
improvements to current facilities.
Because there are so many factors
involved in the energy-saving poten-
tial of a building envelope upgrade,
it is essential that a professional
building envelope energy evaluation
be performed. A building envelope
focused energy evaluation should
include:
1. An in-depth condition assess-
ment to identify air and water leak-
age sources and deficiencies in the
roof, walls, windows and doors;
2. Quantifying the amount of
energy leaking through the build-
ing envelope through testing and
inspection;
3. Analysis of historical utility data;
4. Recommendations for energy-
saving improvements; and
5. A life-cycle cost calculation of
the improvement project.
The dollar value of savings must
be weighed against the life expec-
tancy of the solution. The costs
of maintenance and replacement
offset the true benefit of an energy
improvement, so those costs must
be included.
In conclusion, we have an oppor-
tunity to renovate our existing build-
ings to save a great deal of energy. In
some cases, the energy costs saved
through improvements to the exte-
rior will pay for a large portion of
the project. The benefit is not only
financial; performance upgrades to
the building envelope also can pro-
vide a means for modernizing the
appearance, increasing the value of
a facility and increasing the com-
fort of the space for those who use
it. A professional building envelope
energy evaluation service is essen-
tial to determine the energy-saving
benefits of exterior roof and wall
improvements.
s
John L. Pierson,
PE
Engineering
services manager,
The Garland Co.
Inc.
Results of a life-cycle cost calculation
Garland’s R-Mer Span System
Photos courtesy The Garland Company, Inc. © 2016
Becker College uses Garland’s R-Mer Loc System
