Course Overview
This course will develop knowledge of building assemblies and airtightness to meet the requirements of the Upper Steps of the BC Energy Step Code including the Passive House standard. The course starts with a 2-hour lecture to refresh understanding of building science fundamentals, 6 principles of high performance buildings and the Energy Step Code. Over the course of a day students will apply this knowledge by constructing and evaluating select high performance assemblies based on sample projects. The assemblies selected support a critical comparison of the performance, constructability, and costs of different approaches to meet the thermal performance (TEDI) and airtightness (ACH) metrics of the BC Energy Step Code or the Passive House standard. Learning will cover various assembly approaches (above and below grade walls, roofs, etc) and detailing solutions for interfaces, windows, and penetrations.
Prerequisite(s)
- No specific prerequisites. Students are expected to have some prior knowledge of the BC Energy Step Code and building science.
Credits
1.0
- Not offered this term
- This course is not offered this term. Notify me to receive email notifications when the course opens for registration next term.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand the BC Energy Step Code and how it relates to near Zero Energy building standard, and the Passive House standard.
- Apply the 6 principles of high performance buildings and the "envelope-first approach" to design and construction.
- Explain fundamentals of building science (heat, air, and moisture transmission) in the context of various Zero Energy Building assemblies.
- Compare material properties (membranes, insulation, tapes, fasteners, etc.) in the application of various Zero Energy Building assemblies.
- Construct various enclosure solutions to achieve the airtightness (ACH) and thermal performance (TEDI) metrics of the BC Energy Step Code, Zero Energy building standard, and the Passive House standard.
- Compare the performance, constructability, and costs of several different approaches to meet the thermal performance (TEDI) and airtightness (ACH) metrics.
Effective as of Winter 2020
Programs and courses are subject to change without notice. Find out more about BCIT course cancellations.