BUILDING ENVELOPE

The document explains how to reduce home heating and cooling expenses by improving the building envelope. It details the physics of heat loss and gain, provides guidance on selecting and installing insulation materials, offers methods for identifying and sealing air leaks, and evaluates various window upgrade options from low-cost films to full replacements.

• Investment in building envelope improvements, such as sealing air leaks, adding insulation, and upgrading windows, can reduce a typical family's heating and cooling expenses by up to 50 percent.
• A dark roof can absorb 70–90 percent of solar energy, which, without proper insulation or attic ventilation, can increase an air conditioner's cooling load by 40 percent.
• Air leakage is estimated by the U.S. Department of Energy to add approximately 10 percent to annual energy bills, which is about $70 per year for an average home.
• Up to 20 percent of home heat is lost through uninsulated foundations, particularly in northern climates.
• Windows and doors can contribute up to 30 percent of a home's total heat loss and gain, with windows alone occupying 10 to 30 percent of the exterior wall area.
• The cost of air sealing measures for homes ranges from $100 to $600, depending on whether the homeowner uses do-it-yourself methods or professional services like blower door testing.
• Replacing entire window units is generally expensive, costing between $465 per window or $5,000–$20,000 for a typical home, and is primarily recommended for new construction or major remodeling.

APA

Yardi, R., Archambault, T., & Wang, K. (2004). BUILDING ENVELOPE. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_HEB1Building.pdf

Chicago

Yardi, Ramola, Tomakin Archambault, and Katherine Wang. BUILDING ENVELOPE. RMI, 2004. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_HEB1Building.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Yardi |first1=Ramola |last2=Archambault |first2=Tomakin |last3=Wang |first3=Katherine |title=BUILDING ENVELOPE |publisher=RMI |date=3 December 2004 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_HEB1Building.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yardi2004building, author = {Yardi, Ramola and Archambault, Tomakin and Wang, Katherine}, title = {{BUILDING ENVELOPE}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2004}, month = dec, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_HEB1Building.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }