Exterior shading is essential for reducing solar heat gain and glare in buildings, especially as energy codes demand better performance and temperatures rise. Effective shading ensures energy efficiency, occupant comfort, and safety. In this session, Felix Weber, Principal and Façade Specialist, and Daniel Haaland, Associate and Building Science Engineer, will cover exterior shading fundamentals and introduce a design tool for assessing shading efficiency. Through recent projects examples, you'll see effective shading in energy-efficient design. Gain practical insights into shading's role in sustainable design.

David Claus and his family have lived in the same Prince George, BC house for nearly two decades. In 2023, the Claus family started work on a massive retrofi...

In this backyard membrane test, three weather resistive barriers are exposed to the same situation to see how they deal with vapor diffusion. The thermometer...

This channel hosts video material in support of the BC Energy Step Code. The BC Energy Step Code is a new opt-in provincial standard that aims to create healthier, more efficient, and more comfortable new buildings. It does so by establishing measurable energy-efficiency requirements for new construction.

Minimizing thermal bridging through the building envelope is a key design aspect for achieving net-zero energy-ready (NZER) buildings. However, this can seem quite complicated for project teams, especially when much of the envelope is unknown during the early building design stage. Finding the optimal envelope solution for thermal performance that also incorporates architectural intent, cost savings, constructibility and durability is only achieved when the entire project team is engaged to collectively meet these goals. This playbook outlines good design practices for anticipating and dealing with thermal bridging in order to meet the expectations of the BC Energy [Step Code], Passive House or other NZER standards. The intent of this document is to provide guidance for design teams including developers, architects and consultants, to effectively tackle thermal bridging while meeting all project goals, not just thermal performance. 0:00 - Introduction 2:44 - Why does thermal bridging matter? 5:17 - How to set and achieve thermal bridging mitigation targets 9:06 - An example of thermal bridging mitigation for a multi-unit residential building 10:40 - Five tips to avoid thermal bridging pitfalls To access the playbook, check out 'Thermal Bridging In Net-Zero Energy-Ready Building Design' on the ZEBx.org website 'Resources' - or follow the link here: https://www.zebx.org/playbook-dealing-with-thermal-bridging-in-net-zero-energy-ready-building-design/