Learn how the building envelope acts as a mediator between the external and internal environment, and how its design and composition affect the interior conditions of the building, its energy consumption and life-cycle cost.

 

Learn a procedure to evaluate the success or failure of a building design by examining the expected percentage of time that human thermal comfort will be achieved.

 

Learn how the choice of building cooling strategy (i.e. natural ventilation, evaporative cooling, thermal mass, nocturnal ventilation, or mechanical air conditioning) is determined from the climate data for the site and an evaluation of what strategies work in different climates. 

 

Learn how natural ventilation in buildings is produced by pressure differences between the inside and the outside of the building, and how the magnitude of the pressure difference and the resistance to flow across the openings in the envelope will determine the rate of airflow through the openings.

 

Learn about convective, radiant, evaporative and earth cooling.