Underestimating thermal bridging can greatly undermine a building’s performance contributing to heating load variances of up to 30% and cooling load variances of up to 200%, says the MMM Group. That often means that a sophisticated and often expensive high-efficiency mechanical system is used to meet code requirements.
Scott Armstrong, MMM Group's Manager of Building Science and Sustainability, advices Building Teams to focus on reducing thermal loads in buildings instead of masking the problem with costly advanced high-efficiency mechanical equipment.
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10 Great Solutions
The editors of Building Design+Construction present 10 “Great Solutions” that highlight innovative technology and products that can be used to address some of the many problems Building Teams face in their day-to-day work. Readers are encouraged to submit entries for Great Solutions; if we use yours, you’ll receive a $25 gift certificate. Look for more Great Solutions in 2012 at: www.bdcnetwork.com/greatsolutions/2012.