ABSTRACT
The building envelope is defined as the physical separator between the interior and exterior of a building. The building envelope consists of the wall, floors, roofs, doors and any structural openings such as windows. The construction of the building envelope greatly affects its ability to isolate the interior from the exterior. As thickness increases, insulation cost increases, loss of heat reduces. Vapor barriers increase energy efficiency but reduce air infiltration and may create a need for increased make up air. Solar shading devices can reduce the amount of energy required for heating or cooling, optimize the amount of energy used for lighting through daylight harvesting, and enhance indoor comfort. The dew point is the temperature at which water vapor in the air begins to condense. Thermal resistance is the temperature difference across a structure when a unit of heat energy lows through it in unit time.
