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  1. Above Green
  2. Certification Programs
  3. EarthCraft
  4. House
  5. High Performance Building Envelope (BE)

High Performance Building Envelope (BE)

Buildings account for about 40% of all energy use in the United States. EarthCraft encourages an energy efficient building envelope to reduce this impact. One of the key elements to any energy efficient home is constructing a proper building envelope by sealing for air leaks, properly installing insulation and using high-quality windows. The building envelope is the barrier that separates the home’s conditioned space from unconditioned space or the outside. The building envelope consists of two parts – an air barrier and a thermal barrier (insulation) that must be both continuous and contiguous (touching each other). In a typical residence, the building envelope consists of the roof or ceiling, walls, windows, doors, and floor or foundation.

  • BE 1: Envelope leakage testing: ≤5 Air Changes per Hour at 50 pascals (ACH50) or an Envelope Leakage Ratio (ELR) of ≤0.30
  • BE2: Air seal where required by EarthCraft
  • BE3: All recessed can lights must be airtight, gasketed, and Insulation Contact(IC) rated in insulated ceilings
  • BE4: Insulated corners at all exterior locations
  • BE5: Ladder T-walls at all exterior locations
  • BE6: Insulate building components to meet EarthCraft requirements
  • BE7: Grade 2 insulation or better installation quality (floors, walls, ceilings)
  • BE8: Unconditioned attics
  • BE9: Window and skylight U-factor and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient(SHGC) meets IECC 2015 + Georgia Amendments
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