Surveying and measuring the thermal properties of buildings

Abstract

The energy performance of buildings and the ability to accurately predict energy demand is of global importance. As the relative cost and environmental impact of harnessing energy increases so does our need for energy efficiency. Designing, constructing and retrofitting buildings to be more energy efficient requires a thorough understanding of the way each building behaves and responds to its climatic variations. Although the measurement of a building's energy consumption is straightforward, understanding why consumption differs from that expected requires a detailed and systematic building performance analysis. The way a building is assembled and retrofitted affects performance, and thus each aspect of a building's makeup should be measured or monitored to understand its behaviour. When attempting to understand the performance of a building, it is important to consider each element, the components used and the way that they interface to perform as a whole. The measurement of building components in the laboratory is relatively well documented but the testing and measuring of buildings once constructed in the field is an emerging science. This chapter presents the methods used to survey, measure and monitor building performance in the field and how the work is being used to inform the next generation of energy-efficient buildings.