The First Facility Management Blog

A study released last month by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), “Investigation of the Impact of Commercial Building Envelope Airtightness on HVAC Energy Use,” confirms that continuous air barrier systems can reduce air leakage by up to 83% and energy consumption by up to 40%. The report states that:

“Despite common assumptions that envelope air leakage is not significant in office and other commercial buildings, measurements have shown that these buildings are subject to larger infiltration rates than commonly believed. Infiltration in commercial buildings can have many negative consequences, including reduced thermal comfort, interference with the proper operation of mechanical ventilation systems, degraded indoor air quality, moisture damage of building envelope components, and increased energy consumption.”

The study was conducted by Steven J. Emmerich (Building and Fire Research Laboratory, NIST), Timothy P. McDowell (TESS Inc.), and Wagdy Anis (Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott). It evaluated the energy savings of an effective air barrier requirement for non-residential buildings in five cities representing different climate zones (Miami, Phoenix, St. Louis, Bismarck, and Minneapolis).

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 90.1 Envelope Subcommittee is looking to update the building air leakage requirements in the standard to include a continuous air barrier system. The NIST report was prepared in part to show that committee the potential energy savings and cost effectiveness of an air barrier requirement.

Some states mandate thermal air barrier systems as part of their Commercial Energy Code, and 29 other states include similar mandates in their provisional Energy Codes.

For more on this report, or to download a PDF of the report, visit the NIST website at www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2005_1007.htm.

Everyone from FacilityBlog wishes you a safe, happy, healthy, and emergency free holiday.

Regular comments should resume on December 1, 2005, but we invite you to check back and share your thoughts on any posts that catch your fancy. In the interim, posts from the editors may be sporadic at best….and the Friday Funny will resume on December 2, 2005.

Is your building up-to-code? Buildings around the country are being cited every day for National Electrical Code (NEC) violations due to the presence of abandoned cabling in the ceiling and risers. Don’t make the mistake of ignoring this important issue! Learn what you need to do today to be in compliance with the new NEC — and how to avoid paying for cable removal.

Realcomm has teamed with legal and industry experts to present an educational series on the new (NEC) requirements regarding existing and abandoned cabling in commercial office buildings. This three-hour seminar provides a comprehensive review of the NEC and what it means to building owners and managers, including code requirements, recommended lease and license language, liability and insurance risks, cable fire safety, cable materials, permitted cabling, cable audits and abatement, case studies, estimated costs, interviews with local electrical inspectors, and more.

The upcoming event in Toronto will be hosted by BOMA Toronto.