Facade 749
Facade 749
Facade 749
In essentially every climate, good façade design begins with good glazing design. For the cold winters of the upper
Midwest, it is particularly important to keep the overall façade insulating value (U-value) as low as possible to slow
the transfer of heat through it. This starts with selecting the right amount of glazing. Limiting the amount of glazing
is important because even the highest performing glazing has a much higher U-value (U = 0.2–0.3) than a typical
wall assembly (U < 0.064). In addition to not insulating as well as a wall assembly, glazing adds solar heat to the
space, contributing to the cooling load.
However, keeping building occupants happy and productive is crucial, so ample daylight and access to good outdoor
views is important. Optimal glazing design, therefore, is a balancing act that provides adequate daylight, minimizes direct
sun exposure and reduces energy use. Fully daylighting a space does not require a 75 percent glazed façade. Careful
attention to glazing placement can provide plenty of daylight while minimizing the amount of glazing needed. Selecting
the appropriate glazing product will minimize solar heat gain, keep the building well insulated, and allow natural daylight
into the space. Then well-designed wall assemblies round out the façade for a well-insulated daylit building.
0% 60%
.35
spot where energy cost remains low while keeping daylight
0
V T= autonomy high. Note how steeply energy cost rises as the
WWR increases above 50 percent!
0.8
WINDOW TO WALL RATIO ENERGY AND CONSTRUCTION COSTS
Material cost Percent 0.7
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC)
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Page 2—COLD CLIMATE FAÇADE SPONSORED BY MADISON GAS AND ELECTRIC SEVENTHWAVE.ORG
WINDOW
SHGC: 0.4 SHGC: 0.28 $5,300
Visible transmittance: 54% 59,000 kWh
Seventhwave, one of the tenants at 749 University Row, Baseline Proposed Annual savings
Energy energy
U: 0.64 U: 0.55 savings
included skylights in its space to bring daylight into interior WALL $890
$890
10,000 kWh
rooms. Skylights alone will always result in increased energy 10,000 kWh
consumption because they have a much higher U-value Figure 6: Wall properties and energy savings
The exterior walls for 749 University Row are steel framing
they can be energy neutral or even save energy if designed at 16 inches on center with three inches of continuous
correctly. Engineers from Seventhwave conducted multiple mineral wool insulation. Mineral wool has a lower insulating
iterations of both daylight and energy analyses to ensure property than typical fiberglass insulation (R-4.6/inch vs.
that the skylight design would result in net energy savings. R-5/inch), but is made from 75 percent postindustrial
recycled content and is fire resistant. Continuous insulation
With the amount of glazing incorporated in the façade
is effective because it interferes with thermal bridging
at 749 University Row, it was also important to control
(when a more conductive material, such as steel framing,
glare. The daylight analysis showed that glare would be
allows an easy pathway for heat flow across a thermal
barrier). Insulation only in wall cavities compared to
A B
continuous insulation reduces the effective R-value of the
wall (by more than 50 percent in steel framed walls). Rigid
insulation was also used to avoid thermal bridging where
the window and the wall section meet. Figure 6 shows
the design wall assembly U-value as well as the annual
energy savings achieved by going above energy code
requirements.
Figure 5: Daylight analysis of southwest façade A) without and B) with window overhang.
Daylighting analysis done in AGI-32.
MAKING OPTIMAL GLAZING WORK applied air barrier instead of the more standard adhered
• Conduct conceptual energy and daylight modeling membrane. Liquid applied air barriers are easier to use in
as early as possible, even before schematic design, to detailed areas, and generally will have fewer failures.
optimize orientation, window-to-wall ratio, and façade • Review all architectural details with an eye on places
properties. where thermal bridging would occur.
• Analyze window assembly U-value not just glazing
OTHER RESOURCES
U-value because frames can vastly reduce the
effectiveness of high performance glazing. Impact of WWR on comfort: Payette, www.payette.com/
post/2335422-thermal-comfort-and-glazing-design
• Apply continuous insulation to minimize thermal
bridging. Mineral wool is easier to install than fiberglass COMFEN tool: windows.lbl.gov/software/comfen/
because it has more form, does not need to be stapled in comfen.html
place and leaves no air gaps.
Window property ratings: National Fenestration Rating
• Pay attention to infiltration reduction in façade Council, www.nfrc.org
design. The building at 749 University Row used a liquid
Page 3—COLD CLIMATE FAÇADE SPONSORED BY MADISON GAS AND ELECTRIC SEVENTHWAVE.ORG