Building performance

Building performance or home performance is a comprehensive whole-house approach to identifying and fixing comfort and energy efficiency problems in a home.^[1]

Energy audits are performed by energy auditors, also known as building analysts or consultants,^[2] which, in the United States, are usually certified by the Building Performance Institute (BPI) or the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET).^[3][4] In the beginning stages of a design, building performance can also be optimized with software solutions for architects.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy started a national program "Home Performance with ENERGY STAR" to offer a comprehensive, whole-house approach to improving energy efficiency and comfort at home, while helping to protect the environment.^[5] The Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program has 40 programs, to date, across the country which are administered by various utilities and state energy offices.^[6]

Home performance applies building science to address the following issues:^[7]

• Efficient energy use
• Durability
• Indoor Air Quality
• Thermal Comfort
• Indoor Moisture sources and solutions^[8]

Diagnostic equipment includes:^[7]

• Blower door
• Duct blaster
• Thermographic camera
• Combustion analyzer

A home performance energy audit results in home energy retrofit recommendations to improve the comfort and efficiency of the home, the most common of which include:

• Sealing air holes and gaps in the building envelope and subsequently adding insulation.
• Sealing ducts.
• Upgrading heating and cooling systems, appliances and lighting by replacing them with energy efficient equipment such as ENERGY STAR appliances or devices, compact fluorescent lamps, or LED lamps.
• Adding heat recovery ventilation or other means to control and upgrade fresh air ventilation.
• Controlling moisture.

See also

• Energy audit
• Building science
• Green retrofit
• Weatherization
• Efficient energy use
• Architectural engineering

References

1. ^ Residential Sector: Designing a prescriptive whole house retrofit program Michael Wheeler, California Public Utilities Commission, page 15
2. ^ http://www.energystar.gov/ia/home_improvement/Consultant_Model.pdf
3. ^ http://www.energy.ca.gov/HERS/index.html
4. ^ http://www.southface.org/learning-center/trainings/home-energy-rating-system
5. ^ Home Performance with ENERGY STAR
6. ^ http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_improvement.hm_improvement_index
7. ^ ^{a b} http://www.stlcc.edu/Workforce_Development/Events_and_Seminars.html
8. ^ http://www.csuohio.edu/ce/catalog/courses/ENGR499101.html

External links

• BPI Building Performance Institute - U.S. organization setting home performance technical standards
• Efficiency First - U.S. trade association of home performance contractors and others promoting performance based energy retrofits.