Role of building envelope in energy saving to be discussed at special seminar

Saying that apart from aesthetics, a building façade plays an important role in energy savings, ASHRAE has announced that the role of façades in energy savings would be discussed at a seminar under the Technical Program, at ASHRAE’s 2014 Winter Conference, scheduled to take place from January 18 to 22 at the New York Hilton, New York, NY.

To be held on January 19 under the rubrics The Façade Odyssey: Solutions for Design of High Performance Buildings, the seminar is part of a track focused on Systems and Equipment, and would be chaired by Kent Peterson, PE, the announcement added.

According to ASHRAE, speakers from different parts of the world be presenting on the effect of various basic elements in design of envelope and its consequent effect on building operating energy, carbon emissions and air conditioning load. The final part of presentation will focus on future façade solutions.

ASHRAE gave further details: John Swift Jr, PE, Cannon Design, Boston, Massachusetts, will focus on the latest developments in high- performance facades in North America, including use of simulation tools by integrated design teams to perform extensive and detailed analysis, and will share case studies on two large research laboratory projects: the New Cambridge Campus for Novartis currently under construction, and a new research building for the CJ Corporation in Seoul, South Korea, designed by the Yazdani Studio of Cannon Design. Ashish Rakheja, PE, CEO, Spectral, New Delhi, India, will focus on double façade, phase change materials and green walls. Also presenting is Frank A Mills, PE, Low Carbon Design Consultants, Leyland, UK, who will discuss the role of façade design in natural ventilation.

Elucidating on the seminar, Peterson said: “Façade design is a vital aspect of building, largely controlled by architects as per wishes of building owners. “However, based on experience of design of several green buildings, it has been found that façade optimisation can help reduce as much as 40% of building energy. This becomes an important aspect in developing economies, wherein decisions are generally based on first cost, with little importance to lifecycle cost. Emerging markets, such as Brazil, Russia, India and China, will add over 100 billion square feet in next two decades. So better understanding of facade design will go a long way in preserving ecological balance in the world.”

The International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Expo, held in conjunction with the Winter Conference, will run from January 21 to 23, at the Javits Convention Center, ASHRAE informed.