by Helen Sanders
At the Façade Tectonics Institute’s (FTI) World Congress, Sept. 28-Oct. 2, I presented the conclusion of FTI’s work outlining an above-code rating program for high-performance nonresidential façades. FTI’s research was made possible by funding
The absence of an envelope-first approach in the United States model energy codes is a major reason why the construction of high-performance façades and the use of high-performance fenestration are not widespread. While new buildings
Compliance with mandatory energy codes in the United States, with some important exceptions, typically does not result in high-performance installed fenestration and façades. This is because of: The way codes are written, adopted and enforced.
The commonly held view of market transformation is that the first step is to pull the market to higher performance using incentive programs encouraging the use of above-code, voluntary, performance standards. What dynamics are at