Thermal Bridges and Code Compliance: What You Need to Know

*This event will be occurring as a live webinar. Registrants will be emailed a link to access the program.*

Thermal bridging in building assemblies can reduce the effectiveness of insulation, create cold surfaces where mold can grow, and increase a building’s overall energy use. High-performance building certifications like Passive House require design teams to identify and model thermal bridges using European (ISO) standards related to heat flow in building envelopes.

But thermal bridge calculations are not just for Passive House anymore! Requirements to identify and model thermal bridges are quickly becoming an important part of North American building codes and standards as well.

This presentation will provide an overview of European (ISO) standards related to thermal bridges and detail ongoing efforts in North America to develop and integrate similar requirements into local codes and standards. Examples include the 2020 New York City Energy Conservation Code, the 2017 District of Columbia Energy Conservation Code, the BC Energy Step Code, the Toronto Green Standard V.3, theVancouver Zero Emissions Building Plan, and ASHRAE 90.1’s proposed thermal bridge calculation method. Additionally, we will review resources for cataloging and calculating thermal bridges with (or without) performing thermal modeling, such as ASHRAE RP 1365 and guides from BC Hydro and BC Housing.

This session will review existing standards, emerging trends, and resources related to thermal bridging, enabling design teams to account for this critical aspect of building envelope performance under current and future codes.

Speakers:
Ed May, RA, Partner, BldgTyp
Cheryl Saldanha, PE, CPHD, Senior Project Manager, Simpson Gumpertz and Heger
Gabrielle Brainard, AIA, CHPC, Visiting Associate Professor, Pratt Institute

About the speakers:

Ed May, RA, is a Partner at BldgTyp, a consultancy for high-performance buildings targeting Passive House Certification. May has been an Adjunct Professor at Parsons the New School as well an Industry Professor at Stevens Institute of Technology, where he directed the 2015 Solar Decathlon program. In addition, May teaches with the Passive House Academy the North American Passive House Network, and Passive House Canada and is certified by the Passive House Institute (PHI) in Germany and the Passive House Institute of the US (PHIUS) as a Certified Passive House Consultant.

Cheryl Saldanha, PE, CPHD, is a Senior Project Manager at Simpson Gumpertz and Heger (SGH). She specializes in the design and evaluation of building enclosures for new construction projects and in the investigation and renovation of building enclosures for existing buildings. Saldanha is adept at computer simulation of buildings and building components and leads SGH’s Building Science and Passive House practices.

Gabrielle Brainard, AIA, CHPC, is an architect, facade specialist, and educator. As a certified Passive House consultant, she consults on the design of high-performance envelopes for new construction and retrofits. Her research on retrofit strategies has been sponsored by NYSERDA and the AIA Upjohn Research Initiative. Bainard teaches facade design and building science at Pratt Institute and Columbia GSAPP.