High Performance Building: A Beginner's Guide to the Five Fundamentals

High performance building is a concept driven by concerns about health, climate change and energy efficiency. Essentially, it's about creating structures that maximize energy efficiency, minimize environmental impact, and prioritize occupant comfort and well-being. From optimizing insulation and ventilation to selecting the right windows and doors, high performance building aims to create sustainable, resilient, and healthy spaces that are not only better for the environment but also more comfortable and cost-effective for occupants. Understanding the five fundamentals of high performance building is crucial for ensuring the future of our planet.

* For definitions of key high performance terms, reference our guide: Unlocking High Performance Building Key Terms.

1. Continuous Exterior Insulation

Traditional building practices often rely on insulation between wall studs, but this approach presents two significant challenges. Firstly, standard wall and roof thicknesses may not accommodate the insulation needed for high-performance results. Secondly, framing in the walls can transfer outside temperatures indoors, bypassing the insulation—a phenomenon known as thermal bridging. 

2. High Quality Windows and Doors

Choosing the right windows and doors is critical for achieving high performance, with considerations varying based on climate and solar exposure. For moderate climates, thermally broken, argon-filled double-pane windows with insulated frames may suffice, while harsher climates may demand triple-pane windows with warm-edge spacers. Proper installation methods are essential to minimize thermal bridging and maximize performance.

3. Absence of Thermal Bridges

Thermal bridges represent weak points in a building's thermal envelope, compromising both energy performance and safety. By carefully selecting materials and their attachment methods, thermal bridging can be significantly reduced or eliminated altogether. However, certain materials necessary for this, like vapor-open continuous insulation or thermally broken fastening systems, can be challenging to source, often requiring specialized dealer supply chains for access.

4. Heat Recovery Ventilation

Heat recovery ventilation systems play a crucial role in maintaining indoor air quality and managing moisture levels within a building. These systems supply filtered fresh air while extracting damp, stale air, ensuring a constant flow of clean, oxygen-rich air throughout the space.  In the winter an HRV captures warmth from the air before exhausting it, rewarming the incoming air with much less energy than a furnace. In the summer, it does the opposite, cooling incoming air. 

By helping control internal humidity levels and removing pollutants and odors, these systems contribute to a healthier and more comfortable indoor environment. An adult requires 18 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of fresh air for optimal health. Yet, in a typical 160-square-foot room, two people consume this volume of air in just over 30 minutes. This underscores the critical importance of continuous fresh air exchange for maintaining indoor air quality. Mechanical ventilation systems, like HRVs, provide a reliable solution, filtering out pollutants and ensuring a steady supply of fresh, clean air for occupants.

5. Air Tightness

An airtight building enables greater heat recovery and less heating and cooling demand. This offers benefits such as improved durability, more consistent temperatures, reduced energy consumption, and enhanced indoor air quality. The correlation between air tightness and energy efficiency underscores the importance of prioritizing air sealing in building design and construction. 

Conclusion

Achieving desired outcomes ultimately hinges on the execution by the building team. Skilled tradespeople trained in high-performance building principles and meticulous attention to detail are essential for translating design intent into tangible results.

By embracing these core principles of high-performance building, we can create spaces that are not only energy-efficient and comfortable but also resilient, healthy, and sustainable for generations to come.

For more on the benefits of high performance building, see our guide: The Benefits of High Performance Building: A Science Based Approach to Design and Construction