LEED and Energy Efficiency

LEED and Energy Efficiency Fast Facts Architectural Testing offers numerous services that result in LEED points for your new construction or renovation projects. For over 35 years, Architectural Testing has been an industry leader testing of building envelope components, assemblies, and materials that provide quantifiable results of performance. Architectural Testing's unique approach toward building enclosure commissioning results in achieving your desired expectations of performance, promotes a durable/sustainable building design and construction, and provides an opportunity to qualify for earning additional LEED points.

Opportunity

Energy efficiency is becoming increasingly important in the building industry. At Architectural Testing, we know the energy performance of a building is significantly impacted by air infiltration through the building enclosure. According to the Department of Energy (DOE), up to 40% of a building's energy usage is a result of air infiltration/exfiltration. Numerous benefits exist for improving energy efficiency in existing structures and new construction projects. By reducing the air flow across the building envelope real energy savings and better air quality can be realized.

The energy performance expectations you have for your existing or new construction building can best be reached through Architectural Testing's Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx) services. The process of Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx) will not only help you to achieve your building's performance expectations, it will help you qualify for points in the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™.

Value

Earning LEED Points:

Architectural Testing's experience with whole building air testing, air barrier assembly testing, and product testing has developed our strength for detecting leakage points for standard and enhanced construction. Our testing can provide you with the quantifiable values needed to input into the energy calculation model to achieve LEED points.

The LEED certification program encourages a wide variety of energy strategies that include commissioning; energy use monitoring and efficient design and construction that offer up to 18 points for quantifiable energy savings in the Energy and Atmosphere category.

In addition to controlling air flow, improving the R value of a wall will result in energy enhancement. Architectural Testing has a fully functional thermal department that is experienced in consulting with the development of thermal improvements to wall systems.

The process of building enclosure commissioning will not only help you to reach your building's performance expectations, but it will also qualify you for an innovation LEED point.

From LEED 2009:

"Benefits of commissioning include reduced energy use, lower operating costs, fewer contractor callbacks, better building documentation, improved occupant productivity and verification that the systems perform in accordance with the owner's project requirement.

Exemplary Performance – LEED for New Construction, LEED for Core & Shell, and LEED for Schools projects that conduct comprehensive envelope commissioning may be considered for an innovation credit. These projects will need to demonstrate the standard and protocols by which the envelope was commissioned."

Innovations

Architectural Testing offers numerous testing options which provide the basis to prove quantifiable savings.

Field and Laboratory testing and evaluation capabilities include:

• Thermal Cycling
• National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC)
• American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA)
• Solar Heat Gain Coefficient
• Energy Star
• Condensation Resistance
• Air Infiltration
• WUFI / THERM