Morrison Hershfield’s Rick Ziegler has recently received RCI, Inc.’s 2016 Richard M. Horowitz Memorial Award for his article titled Achieving Building Enclosure Performance Through Energy Modeling and Commissioning. RCI, Inc. is an international association of building envelope consultants. Members specialize in design, investigation, repair, and management of roofing, exterior wall, and waterproofing systems.
The award is presented for the best technical article of the year published in RCI’s technical journal, Interface.
Ziegler’s article outlines the benefits of engaging a Building Envelope Commissioning (BECx) Authority and how the BECx process can provide further benefits to the Owner and Design Team in achieving an energy-efficient building, especially when partnered early in the design process with Energy Modeling.
The building enclosure affects both energy consumption and HVAC loads through areas - such as space heating, space cooling, ventilation fans and indirect-lighting.
Early engagement of a BECxA when partnered with energy modeling used as a comparative analysis tool can be used to show which aspects of a building’s design have more impact on energy performance than others, enabling the Owner and Design Team to make energy and cost-effective decisions with regards to the enclosure.
As a result, enclosure improvements can have a significant impact when looking for whole-building energy savings.
Rick Ziegler is a Building Science Consultant in Morrison Hershfield’s Salt Lake City office.
