Energy efficient HVAC systems require a building’s envelope (the walls, windows, and roof) to be designed to constantly reduce overall demand on the system. Traditional building envelope analysis involves calculating the U-value of all the various components of the envelope to establish how much heat flows through each surface. Often this analysis focuses on the most extreme temperatures the building will experience, based on its location. However, buildings do not operate continuously in extreme conditions, which means that accurate optimization of the building envelope must consider all conditions that occur throughout the year.
