Building Science

Building science is all about understanding a buildings impact on energy efficiency,

durability, comfort and indoor air quality to establish high-performance buildings. Building
science uses the knowledge of physics, chemistry, engineering, architecture, and the life sciences.
Creating a building asks a person to indulge in an extensive preparation which involves the full
cycle of buildings (policy, planning, design, construction, commissioning, facilities management,
forensics and rehabilitation, restoration and retrofit, preservation and conservation, and
demolition and recycling.) This development in building science aligns with physical and
engineering sciences, to economics, political science, behavioral sciences, life sciences, and
architecture. Modern building science was created to modernize and fix pass failures
encountered when building designers failed to apply building science principles. There was also
no advancement toward high-performance buildings.
Cost-effective zero net energy homes begin with smart design. Designers and architects,
as well as builders, should be familiar with all the steps involved in building a net zerio home
and should design the home so that builders and subcontractors can implement these steps as
cost-effectively as possible. The home's energy use is estimated using energy modeling software
to ensure that the goal of net zero energy can be achieved while keeping costs down. Air sealing
a home is the most cost-effective way to reduce heating and cooling energy use. It also improves
comfort and indoor air quality. High performance homes have a continuous air barrier. It is
important to insulate the walls, floors and ceilings with types and thicknesses of insulating
materials that fit the specific needs of each surface, and to design walls, floor and ceiling
assemblies to accommodate those materials. Most building materials resist the flow of heat to

some degree. This thermal resistance property is expressed a R-value. Optimizing insulation
thickness and R-value is a key design task for all high-performance homes. Advanced framing
techniques allow space for added insulation and reduce thermal bridging. In addition to saving
energy, advanced framing allows you to build more efficiently.
Once space heating and cooling has been addressed, water heating methods, the second
largest opportunity for efficiency improvement must be considered. To optimize energy
efficiency in a zero energy home, builders and designers should look at the type and location of
water heating system they install as well as strategies for minimizing the use of hot water by
residents. Water heater efficiency is expressed by energy factor, which is essentially the
percentage of fuel converted to useful heat. EF is expressed as a decimal where .90 EF is 90%
efficient. Selecting the right type of water heater depends on the amount of hot water to be used,
the climate, and the building design. Solar thermal water heaters were a standard element of zero
energy homes, and they may still be a good choice for a large households. If your home provides
hot water for more than 5 people and will continue to do so for the next 20 years or so, then it
pays to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a solar thermal system. Smaller households will find
that upfront costs to install an electric water heater, along with enough PV capacity to run it, will
be much lower. The water heater will be best if located close to sinks, showers and appliances
where the hot water will be used. Shorter hot water pipe runs will save energy and water
U-value is the rate of heat transfer expressed as a decimal number from 0 to 1. Lower
numbers mean less heat transfer. A single pane of glass is a bout U-1.0. A typical-glazed
window would be around U.40, and triple-glazed windows would be around U-0.20. The
reported U-value takes into account both the glazing and the frame. Solar heat gain coefficient
tells how much of the sun's heat is allowed to penetrate the glass. SHGC is also expressed as a

decimal from 0 to 1. Lower numbers mean less solar heat gain. Window technology is
improving rapidly. Select the most cost-effective windows with a heat loss rate of U-0.25 or
lower. In some situations and climates, this may be advanced double-glazed windows, while
other situations may call for triple-glazed windows. More heat flows through the frame than the
insulated glass unit. This has two implications. First, look for windows that have the smallest
frame profile, because the frame has a higher thermal transmission than triple pane glazing.
Second, it is more energy efficient to use fewer, larger windows with the same glazing area than
more, smaller windows, because larger windows have a higher glass frame ratio. Operable
windows can be strategically placed to allow for optimal summer cross ventilation, which will
reduce the summer cooling load. Make sure of the stack effect to ventilate and cool the building,
by placing operable windows near high points to allow warmer air to escape and near low points
to draw cooler air in. All operable windows should be casement or awning where possible
because they seal better than sliders or single-hung windows.
Using the sun for heating through south facing windows during winter lowers heating
costs. Shading those same windows in the summer lowers cooling costs. Solar tempering aims
to optimize this passive use of the sun's heat, without incurring the added cost of thermal mass
needed to achieve maximum passive solar heating. Since zero energy homes are so airtight, a
continuous source of fresh filtered air and moisture control are critical to its success. This need
for ventilation has a silver lining: zero energy homes are healthier and more comfortable than
standard homes. Highly energy efficient ventilation systems, known as heat recovery ventilation
systems or energy recovery ventilation systems expel stable air while recovering its heat and
returning that same heat to the home with the fresh air. Grid-tired solar photovoltaic panels
currently provide the most cost-effective form of a renewable energy for a zero energy home.

They can power all the energy needs of a home including lighting, heating and cooling systems,
appliances and hot water. However, they are the most expensive component of a zero energy
home and strategies for reducing or mitigating those costs are important to consider.

https://www.wbdg.org/resources/building-science-concepts