For decades, one of the main goals of the building and construction industry was to use materials and technologies that would promote energy efficiency. As an industry, we have done a lot of work to optimize the building envelope to save time, money and emissions and to meet increasingly stringent building standards.

Those energy efficiency standards remain as important as ever in new construction and when retrofitting existing structures with newer technologies. Many regions, states and municipalities have laid out aggressive plans to meet net zero energy targets in the coming decade. Nationally, the Better Buildings Challenge looks to reduce energy usage by at least 20% over ten years, including in businesses, manufacturing facilities, cities, states, universities and school districts.

In short, our work is far from over when it comes to creating buildings with energy-efficient improvements. However, nowadays you can’t open an industry publication without seeing some sort of discussion about healthy buildings. It is indeed the new frontier of building design and we’re all looking for ways to balance the needs of energy-efficient buildings, healthy buildings and, most importantly, the needs of occupants.

Building Performance vs. Occupant Experience

It is widely cited that people spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, a number that has likely gone higher since the beginning of the pandemic. According to the EPA, indoor concentrations of some pollutants are two to five times higher than typical outdoor concentrations.

The government agency also says that “Indoor concentrations of some pollutants have increased in recent decades due to such factors as energy-efficient building construction (when it lacks sufficient mechanical ventilation to ensure adequate air exchange) and increased use of synthetic building materials, furnishings, personal care products, pesticides and household cleaners.”

The increase in indoor air pollutants has raised concerns about occupant health and safety with increased risk for irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, respiratory diseases, heart disease and cancer. Human interaction within structures also plays a role when it comes to infective disease transmission.

The healthy buildings concept takes aim at mitigating chronic illnesses through design improvements. The 9 Foundations of a Healthy Building Report put out by Harvard University professor Joseph Allen cites the following areas of focus:

• Ventilation;
• Air quality;
• Thermal health;
• Moisture;
• Dust and pests;
• Safety and Security;
• Water quality;
• Noise; and
• Lighting.

On the surface, it appears that the desire for building energy performance and return on investment for building owners and health and well-being are somewhat at odds with each other. But in reality, both need to be considered in building design, the selection of materials and in the development of new building technologies.

Emerging Technologies for Healthy, Efficient Buildings

While in a completely virtual environment this year, the Consumer Electronics Show in January put out a number of presentations on the future of the building and construction industry, including a session called “Healthy Buildings, Healthy Lives.” In the presentation, four panelists offered different perspectives on balancing building design and efficiencies with the human element.

They all talked about the importance of implementing sensors and other technology in existing and new structures to collect actionable data as it relates to underventilation or carbon dioxide levels. A current lack of data is the greatest barrier they saw when it comes to tracking the foundational elements of healthy buildings.

They also all agreed to one primary principle of healthy building design: putting the human element first. In short, you should not prioritize building performance over occupant health and well-being. For building owners, energy efficiency cannot be the only metric. Rather, the value of investing in healthy buildings comes from improved productivity, fewer sick days, higher rent premiums and increased lease renewal rates—among many other benefits.

Additionally, the cost of implementing data collection sensors and systems is becoming more palatable. We’re also seeing an emergence of building materials and technologies that promote healthier buildings, such as smarter ventilation systems that introduce more fresh air (versus recirculated air) into the building. Glass companies also are experimenting with conductive “anti-viral” glazing that heats glass in an effort to neutralize bacteria and viruses.

Evolving Our Understanding of Building Design

I think it’s important to remember that we are not going backward. Energy efficiency remains an important consideration when it comes to building design. However, like any technology, our understanding of buildings and their impact on people continues to evolve. I expect we’ll continue to see new, better and cost-efficient ways to balance the needs of all involved.

Questions or comments? Email me directly at joe.erb@quanex.com.

A recent blog post by my old colleague Jim Plavecsky caught my eye earlier this month. In the piece, which is specific to the residential side of our industry, he writes: “Many of my customers were still so busy at the end of the year that they had to forego their annual plant shutdowns. This is a ‘good news – bad news’ scenario. The good news is: They were so busy they could not afford to shut down their plants. The bad news is: They could not afford to not shut down their plants!”

Jim goes on to highlight the importance of preventative maintenance for window and door manufacturers and the benefits it can bring to a business. While the commercial side of the fenestration industry hasn’t experienced the huge demand spikes residential has witnessed, the message remains an important one: Taking time to shore up your manufacturing process and address any maintenance issues is critical to success.

This got me thinking about some of other ways that commercial glass pros can strengthen their businesses and operations during slower periods or when demand softens. Here are a few of them:

Take time for training. We all know how difficult it is to find labor right now—that makes it especially important to equip the people you do have with the right skills to do the job. Periods of slower production are a good opportunity to do so.

But as we continue to grapple with the pandemic, investing in training opportunities is easier said than done. Many plants continue to limit visitors, for good reason, making it impractical if not impossible to bring in trainers.

Unprecedented times call for creativity. Consider virtual training options if available from your suppliers, which can be an effective alternative. And while it is no true substitute for hands-on, in-person training, it can potentially be more efficient. A virtual training session that lasts a few hours—perhaps over a provided lunch—can pay dividends later during busier periods.

Strengthen your health and safety protocols. One reason the labor shortage has become more pronounced throughout the pandemic is worker hesitancy to enter what they might perceive as an unsafe working environment. As such, our current conditions have made workplace safety a competitive advantage.

This of course means more than paying lip service to the guidelines that are available for manufacturers. Making sure that you are walking the walk when it comes to pandemic-related protocols, as well as all other safety measures, can go a long way to keep up employee morale and potentially help bring in new hires who are confident you have their health and safety prioritized.

Stay with what works. Our industry moves in cycles. Certain scenarios can require a bit of belt-tightening. However, if we look at where our industry has been recently—and where we’re likely headed—it’s easy to identify one area we can’t compromise. High quality component products are essential to making reliable, durable and high-performing glass and glazing. Cutting costs or corners here is not a viable strategy.

We’ve seen building codes become increasingly stringent when it comes to thermal performance all around the country as broad sustainability and energy goals become more mainstream. Consider some of the new policy proposals from President Joe Biden, as noted recently in this USGNN™ article:

Among the most ambitious goals put forth under the Biden presidency is ensuring that the U.S. derives 100% of its energy needs from clean energy and achieves net-zero emissions no later than 2050. There is a great deal of discussion in the Biden platform of solutions to this goal that don’t include glass, including concepts like appliance efficiency and on-site clean power generation. One Biden proposal does call for weatherizing 2 million homes over four years and singles out more efficient windows as a key solution. Given their central role in determining the energy efficiency of homes and buildings, we will hope that fenestration products receive stronger billing when these energy efficiency policies are actually enacted.

Another building related proposal includes tightening and unifying building codes around energy efficiency. Fenestration manufacturers that improve products in order to meet tougher codes would benefit most if those codes were uniformly enforced everywhere.

Whether or not these proposals make it into actual legislation or regulation remain to be seen, but they make clear the kind of perspective the new administration has toward greater sustainability. We know that glass and glazing play critical roles when it comes to creating highly efficient buildings. Continuing to choose necessary high-performing products will be essential to our collective success throughout this year and beyond.

These are just a few strategies that can contribute to a stronger business in 2021. I hope your year has gotten off to a good start!

Joe Erb is commercial sales specialist for Quanex Building Products.