Seattle City Light's Building energy performance and durability are often undermined not by bad intentions, but by missed coordination between the building envelope, fenestration, energy modeling, and construction execution. This webinar explores five real-world building envelope mistakes that routinely inflate construction costs, oversize mechanical systems, and erode energy efficiency—often without being discovered until well after occupancy. Drawing from multifamily projects in the Pacific Northwest, the session focuses on practical lessons learned and strategies to avoid these costly pitfalls.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Participants will learn how to:
- Identify common envelope and fenestration coordination failures that negatively impact energy efficiency and system sizing
- Understand how energy modeling assumptions are directly influenced by envelope design and construction quality
- Recognize when performance-based energy compliance can reduce construction cost and improve design flexibility
- Avoid mechanical oversizing caused by incorrect or unverified envelope inputs
- Align envelope commissioning efforts with actual project risk and code requirements
- Improve cross-discipline communication between architects, envelope consultants, energy modelers, and MEP engineers
RESOURCES
- Washington State Energy Code (WSEC) – Commercial Provisions
- ASHRAE 90.1 – Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential
- NIBS Guideline 3 – Building Enclosure Commissioning
- Seattle City Light – Energy Efficiency & Incentive Programs
AUDIENCE
- Architects
- Engineers
- Designers
- Energy consultants
- Utility and government staff
- Facility managers
- Contractors
- Manufacturers
- Installers
- And anyone interested in improving building energy performance, durability, and cost efficiency in multifamily projects