Please Note:This website explains green building for a climate zone comparable to North Central Texas, such as the climate of Denton or Lucas, Texas, or Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. It is important to hire an energy consultant and a green builder who are experts in energy-efficient building in your climate zone.

Building Envelope in Green Homes

Modifiers of Green Envelopes 

 

This website is for the climate zone that includes North Central Texas or the DFW area such as Terrell, Grapevine, or Dallas-Fort Worth Texas.  Regardless of your climate zone, the first priority for green building or energy-efficient remodeling is to hire an energy consultant and green builder who understand and use up-to-date green building practices for your area. 

 

The purpose of the building envelope is to ensure the thermal, visual, and sound comfort of the rooms in a home with a minimum of energy consumption. It is certainly important for energy efficiency but it is just as important for the health, comfort, and well-being of the family living in the home. Since the interior environment relates to the physical needs of the family in residence, it is defined in terms of temperature, relative humidity, airflow rate, and air quality.

The exterior environment of a home can be modified and comfort increased when the green architect designs around existing trees and vegetation, plantings, prevailing breezes, windbreaks, and the soil itself. Garages, overhangs, site orientation, and even the surrounding homes modify the building envelope. particularly in the case of low-rise buildings. They must be considered to design a high-performing home. 

Examples:

1. A roof overhang modifies the amount of rain on the wall below. It is a microclimate modifier for the vertical portion of the building enclosure.  

2. An attached garage is not conditioned indoor space nor does it experience outdoor conditions. Rather it incorporates both the exterior wall of the house and the garage wall, with the space between containing the car and other objects stored in the garage as an integral part of the enclosure.  

3. In conditioned room (s) over a garage or carport,  the garage ceiling would be considered part of the building envelope and changes in that ceiling will modify the envelope.

4. Ivy growing on a home wall is part of the envelope. It has significant impact on moisture.

5. Adjacent buildings are also modifiers. Think of the side-neighbor's home which shades your west windows.

Other components such as lights and stoves plus space contents also modify the interior environment and thus the comfort of the user.

The thermal envelope and the building envelope are not always the same. 

Thermal Envelope 
Insulation 
Building Enclosure 
Reflective Roofs

Do you need an energy consult
or energy audit or
green builder/remodeler
in North Central Texas
or the Dallas-Fort Worth area?
Contact Terry Jensen
Frugal Energy, LLC
817 443-2553 or 972 251-1532

Green Homes in DFW

972 251-1532 or 
817 443-2553

Energy Consult
Green Build
Green Remodel

Are you looking for
 an energy efficiency
and utility savings
in Dallas-Fort Worth
 or North Central Texas 

Contact Terry Jensen 
Frugal Energy, LLC
972 251-1532 or 817 443-2553

Renewable Energy
in North Texas

 

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Note: The opinions expressed herein are exclusively those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the position of CyberParent. They are not intended to take the place of advice of a health, legal, or other professional whose expertise you might need to seek. This website explains green building and green remodeling for a climate zone comparable to North Central Texas or Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas,  It is important to hire a green builder and an energy consultant who is an expert in energy-efficient building in your climate zone and who uses the most up-to-date green building information.