Sustainable Recladding: Bringing New Life to Aging Buildings

摘要

The majority of the existing commercial building stock in the United States predates the adoption of contemporary energy codes and consequently has comparatively poor energy performance. Many of these buildings are of durable construction, continue to be functional, or have architectural significance, so their continued use represents an advantage over new construction. These buildings represent an enormous opportunity to improve energy efficiency and reduce operating costs. In addition to mechanical system and lighting upgrades (not discussed in this paper), the most significant energy efficiency improvements for existing buildings can be gained through improved building enclosure technology. The cost to execute major building enclosure system improvements is usually not justified based on a simple return-on-investment analysis alone. Therefore, recladding projects are commonly driven by one of the following: intolerable performance problems; a confluence of building systems at the end of their service life; the owner's idealistic desire to invest in energy upgrades regardless of return, or an economic opportunity, such as an upgrade in building class or expansion of the enclosed building area. Effective building enclosure improvements require a project planning process that critically evaluates opportunities to improve building energy use, understands the limitations on upgrades in existing (often occupied) buildings, and understands the requirements and interplay of technical design decisions.