Building Performance Architecture

Hi Friends! Happy !

The building where these photos were taken has a good shot at Thermal Chic, and at excellent air-tightness, believe it or not.

Why, you may ask?

Because the project team did this blower door test and infrared scan! By finding the leaks before other building materials cover the surfaces that should be air-sealed, quality control professionals can show the Contractor where to apply air sealing measures, while there is still time to do it properly.

Pre-insulation blower door tests can enable buildings reduce air leakage so much that the building's mechanical system will have full control over ventilation, rather than getting uncontrolled ventilation via envelope air leakage. So, the building envelope consultant who does their job properly is helping the mechanical contractor achieve the objectives of the mechanical engineer and the owner, to the benefit of all parties to the construction contract, and to the benefit of building occupants.

What are your thoughts on this topic? And what do you see in these two formats of the same thermal image?

The Energy Conservatory Kentucky Thermal Institute Air Barrier Association of America

Hey there, folks! Happy ! Thermal Earth Day?

Reflection on life on Earth: While we don't always like the look of it, we're still pretty lucky to be here. So much life! Sometimes you get a stately hardwood tree, and other times you get a bracket fungus whose mycelium has invaded the tree, consuming it and weakening it over time.

The bracket fungus in this thermogram is not emitting as much infrared radiation as the tree trunk, but it is still very much alive. In fact, the fungal fruiting body shown here has a reason to be cooler than surrounding objects: to induce gentle convective airflows that can carry spores off to new locations.

While not good for the individual living tree, fungi like this can be very beneficial to forest ecosystems, breaking down dead or dying wood and enriching the soil for future plants.

Thanks to this fertile speck in the vast universe, we get to exist and be fascinated by the amazing complexity of what we encounter. Let's be grateful!

What are your thoughts? And what else do you see in these images?

Extinction Rebellion NRDC House Committee on Natural Resources: Democrats 350.org

Hello friends! Happy !

Last week, there was a suggestion to provide thermograms from a home, so here are thermograms from a home. A home that is targeted to achieve a high-performance certification. Only, these photos, taken during blower door testing, are not the kind of photos you want to see in a high-performance home.

Streaks are leaks. Air leaks, that is.

Many efforts have already been made to achieve the air tightness target. But the blower door test did not yield the desired result. Air was leaking out from around the windows during building pressurization, and leaking in from above the tongue and groove cathedral ceiling boards and into the conditioned space from gaps between ceiling and wall, during depressurization.

The project team did not understand how this air leakage could happen even after extensive air sealing measures. There is a temptation to blame the messenger who brings unwanted news: "There must be something wrong with the verifier's blower door equipment."

But the thermograms don't lie.

It isn't known why these air leaks have persisted (nothing more specific known than their leakage pathways weren't sealed during the test), but key project team members have listened to the verifier's comments and committed to keep trying, and do what is needed to meet the air tightness target at other program requirements.

The team, even with multiple experienced members, needs all the help it can get on this one. A more consistent verifier presence on site could be helpful but would require a significant increase in resources. Practical recommendations from colleagues near and far would be welcome.

What are your thoughts on these images and the story behind them?

Passive House Accelerator TruTech Tools, LTD The Energy Conservatory