Jennifer Poirier
Whole Building Air Tightness Testing: A 6-Year ...

It’s no secret that green building practices and energy efficiency are on top of many contractors, owners, and industry professionals’ minds right now, and for good reason. We all want quality buildings, low energy and maintenance costs, and reduction in liability to name a few benefits. But are designs, products and energy codes yielding the results the industry is seeking?

QED has tested over 31 million square feet of building enclosures since 2012, but this article focuses on whole calendar years between 2016 and 2021 in the Pacific Northwest. Why? Many airtightness energy codes in the Pacific Northwest took effect in 2012, but it takes years between code implementation and building completion before a these projects can yield solid data.

Whole Building Air Tightness Testing: A 6-Year History of Test Results in the Pacific NW

Whole Building Air Tightness Testing: A 6-Year History of Test Results in the Pacific NW

Whole Building Air Tightness Testing: A 6-Year History of Test Results in the Pacific NW

It’s no secret that green building practices and energy efficiency are on top of many contractors, owners, and industry professionals’ minds right now, and for good reason. We all want quality buildings, low energy and maintenance costs, and reduction in liability to name a few benefits. But are designs, products and energy codes yielding the results the industry is seeking?

QED has tested over 31 million square feet of building enclosures since 2012, but this article focuses on whole calendar years between 2016 and 2021 in the Pacific Northwest. Why? Many airtightness energy codes in the Pacific Northwest took effect in 2012, but it takes years between code implementation and building completion before a these projects can yield solid data.