Whole-Building Research
Our whole building research consists of two components: using an integrated design approach combined with an integrated team process. The whole building or "integrated" design approach asks all the members involved in the construction of a building, from those in charge of the design and construction of a building (building owners, developers, architects, engineers, etc.) to the people who will occupy or work in the building (homeowners, tenants, maintenance personnel, electricians, etc.) to work as a team to look at the technical planning, design, and construction of the building BEFORE it is designed to predict and correct design problems early on. This process differs from the traditional method of building construction not only because it uses a "design team" to make all the design decisions rather than a single person but because it relies on the input from an energy analyst and others on the design team to ensure that the building meets its energy savings and environmental impact goals. The design team uses input from the energy analyst and others to ensure that the building's individual components (i.e., windows, walls, HVAC systems, building orientation, etc.) act as a "whole system" rather than separate elements combined to create one whole. Our research has shown that buildings constructed using the whole-building design team and process approach will have more significant energy savings than buildings constructed using traditional methods. (See commercial building case studies and Building America Program.
Although the whole-building design process is becoming more common among builders, NREL researchers were among the first in the nation to document and improve on the whole-building design process. For more than 30 years, NREL researchers have conducted research to improve and refine this process to improve the energy consumption of our homes and businesses and to reduce costs and improve occupant comfort and satisfaction.
