National Oilheat Research Alliance 29 Chapter 5 Home Performance and Building Science Building Science is the study of how a building keeps the heat generated by the heating system within the building when it is cold outside, and how it keeps the heat from outside out of the building when it is hot outside. Home performance is how well the building does at keeping the heat in during the winter and out during the summer. Home Performance is a comprehensive, whole-house approach to improving energy efficiency and comfort in a building. Home performance contractors do energy audits to find air leaks in the building and evaluate the quality of the insulation. They also seal air leaks and improve insulation. The Building is Part of the Heating System The building itself is critical to the efficiency of the heating system. The part of the building that keeps the indoors from being outdoors is called the envelope. It includes the walls, roof, floors, windows, and doors. The building envelope’s job is to separate the warm and comfortable indoor environment from the weather outside. The building operates as a system. All of the elements of the building—the envelope, mechanical systems, and occupant activities—affect each other and the result affects the performance of the building as a whole. Figure 1. For example, reducing air leaks through the envelope makes the building less drafty and more comfortable. It helps protect the envelope from moisture damage. However, it will also increase the moisture level inside the building caused by occupant activities, such as cooking and bathing, since less water vapor escapes. This leads to increased condensation on the windows. Sealing up leaks can also starve combustion appliances such as the oil burner of needed combustion air. Any change to one component of the whole building system can have an immediate and often negative effect on other components. The building design and construction determines the heat load that the heating system Figure 1 Building Air Flow
NORA Advanced Efficiency
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