Thermal Breaks and Energy Performance in High-Rise Concrete Balconies

The building sector is the largest consumer of energy in the United States and Canada – approximately 20 to 40% of primary energy use. Space conditioning makes up nearly half of energy use in residential buildings (DOE, IEA, NRCAN). This reality creates a significant need for increased energy efficiency in buildings.

This need is widely recognized, and measures are being taken by North American jurisdictions, to implement increasing energy efficient standards for buildings. This paper will discuss building envelope thermal performance as a critical consideration for meeting current energy efficiency targets, and will be an increasingly important factor, as authorities strive for low-energy buildings.

Date Published: 2013