8/6/2019 Energy Audits for Historical Buildings

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Energy Audits for Historic BuildingsJennifer Mui and Sarah Jackson

Architecture and EngineeringNational Center for Preservation Technology and Training

Purpose: to improve energy efficiency of an historic buildingwithout negatively impacting its historic character.

An energy audit analyzes energy use in a building by performingtests that identify areas of significant energy loss. Energy auditsinform energy saving techniques such as weather stripping gapsaround doorways, wrapping insulated film over the windows toblock airflow, and caulking cracks on the walls.

Energy audit at the Seed House at Oakland Plantation, Bermuda, Louisiana.The spot meter (crosshairs) canpinpoint the temperature of amaterial. Historic windows anddoors can leak energy throughgaps around the edges of framesand jambs.

Infrared Image: North Elevation

Objects such as pipes are often looselyfitted to thestructure. These holes can be a source of excessiveairflow. Sealing the gap on the interior andexterior helps with less airflow entering/exiting thebuilding.

Interior of the Seed House: view looking Southeast

Energy Audit Equipme nt

The Seed House is a long rect angular building that was usedhistorically for storing cotton seeds. The Seed House wasdesigned so that the structure could ventilate heat naturally.It was restored with modern technology in early 2000 as aconditioned space for a maintenance workshop. Without

altering the original ventilation design, the Seed House willwaste energy.

Site Plan

Seed House Floor Plan

Original Image: North Elevation

Infrared images show brightyellow, orange, red, and white areasrepresenting heat/airflow enteringor exiting the building. Sometimes,

this airflow can be detected by hand.

Infrared CameraThis special camera can detect differences intemperature that are telltale signs of energy loss.

Blower Door (DoorFan-Q46)This device has sensors that measure the amountof air that leaks from a building. A weather-tightbuilding will leak less air and waste less energy.