Energy (de)Codes

C401.3 Thermal envelope certificate

The 2021 IECC requires a thermal envelope certificate that includes basic information including – R-values, U-factors and the results of air leakage testing.

EnergyLogic provides C401.3 compliance certificate either as a stand alone service or in conjunction with our air leakage testing services for C402.5.2

A permanent thermal envelope certificate shall be completed by an approved party. Such certificate shall be posted on a wall in the space where the space conditioning equipment is located, a utility room or other approved location. If located on an electrical panel, the certificate shall not cover or obstruct the visibility of the circuit directory label, service disconnect label or other required labels. A copy of the certificate shall also be included in the construction files for the project. The certificate shall include the following:
1. R-values of insulation installed in or on ceilings,
roofs, walls, foundations and slabs, basement walls,
crawl space walls and floors and ducts outside conditioned
spaces.
2. U-factors and solar heat gain coefficients (SHGC) of
fenestrations.
3. Results from any building envelope air leakage testing
performed on the building.

Where there is more than one value for any component of
the building envelope, the certificate shall indicate the area weighted
average value where available. If the area weighted
average is not available, the certificate shall list
each value that applies to 10 percent or more of the total
component area.

C402.1.5 Component performance alternative

EnergyLogic can provide COMChek reports for projects, but at this time, we only provide the envelope portion of the report. Our dedicated Energy Modeling team, part of EnergyLogic Design Consulting, is ready to assist you with your project.

C402.5.1.2 Air barrier compliance

The IECC 2021 mandates that air barrier compliance be demonstrated and in the case of buildings that do not undergo air leakage testing per the exceptions in C405.1.2.

EnergyLogic provides complete air barrier compliance reports for projects throughout our service area.

A continuous air barrier for the opaque building envelope shall comply with the following:

1. Buildings or portions of buildings, including Group R and I occupancies, shall meet the provisions of Section C402.5.2. Exception: Buildings in Climate Zones 2B, 3C and 5C.

2. Buildings or portions of buildings other than Group R and I occupancies shall meet the provisions of Section C402.5.3.

Exceptions:
1. Buildings in Climate Zones 2B, 3B, 3C and 5C.
2. Buildings larger than 5,000 square feet (464.5 m2) floor area in Climate Zones 0B, 1, 2A, 4B and 4C.
3. Buildings between 5,000 square feet (464.5 m2) and 50,000 square feet (4645 m2) floor area in Climate Zones 0A, 3A and 5B.
3. Buildings or portions of buildings that do not complete air barrier testing shall meet the provisions of Section C402.5.1.3 or C402.5.1.4 in addition to Section C402.5.1.5.

C402.5.1.5 Building envelope performance verification

EnergyLogic provides building envelope verification per C402.5.1.5. This includes review, inspection and commissioning where required.

The installation of the continuous air barrier shall be verified by the code official, a registered design professional or approved agency in accordance with the following:

1. A review of the construction documents and other supporting data shall be conducted to assess compliance with the requirements in Section C402.5.1.

2. Inspection of continuous air barrier components and assemblies shall be conducted during construction while the air barrier is still accessible for inspection and repair to verify compliance with the requirements of Sections C402.5.1.3 and C402.5.1.4.

3. A final commissioning report shall be provided for inspections completed by the registered design professional or approved agency. The commissioning report shall be provided to the building owner or owner’s authorized agent and the code official. The report shall identify deficiencies found during the review of the construction documents and inspection and details of corrective measures taken.

C402.5.2 Dwelling and sleeping unit enclosure testing

EnergyLogic offers diagnostic testing on buildings of almost any size. We’ve tested structures across Front Range Colorado and beyond. Our team is professional, responsive and detailed. Reports are in compliance with ASTM E779 and ANSI/RESNET/ICC 380. Our testing protocols for either required individual unit tests or sampling protocols follow the code sampling directives.

The building thermal envelope shall be tested in accordance with ASTM E779, ANSI/RESNET/ICC 380, ASTM E1827 or an equivalent method approved by the code official. The measured air leakage shall not exceed 0.30 cfm/ft2 (1.5 L/s m2) of the testing unit enclosure area at a pressure differential of 0.2 inch water gauge (50 Pa). Where multiple dwelling units or sleeping units or other occupiable conditioned spaces are contained within one building thermal envelope, each unit shall be considered an individual testing unit, and the building air leakage shall be the weighted average of all testing unit results, weighted by each testing unit’s enclosure area. Units shall be tested separately with an unguarded blower door test as follows:

1. Where buildings have fewer than eight testing units, each testing unit shall be tested.

2. For buildings with eight or more testing units, the greater of seven units or 20 percent of the testing units in the building shall be tested, including a top floor unit, a ground floor unit and a unit with the largest testing unit enclosure area. For each tested unit that exceeds the maximum air leakage rate, an additional two units shall be tested, including a mixture of testing unit types and locations

C402.5.3 Building thermal envelope testing

EnergyLogic offers whole building thermal testing to show compliance with C402.5.3. For these tests, our protocols are in compliance with ASTM E779, ANSI/RESNET/ICC 380 and , ASTM E3158 or ASTM E1827. Our team works closely with project teams to strive for the least disruption to the project. In order to do that we perform pre-test walks and have intensive communication with project teams about vital test preparation.

The building thermal envelope shall be tested in accordance with ASTM E779, ANSI/RESNET/ICC 380, ASTM E3158 or ASTM E1827 or an equivalent method approved by the code official. The measured air leakage shall not exceed 0.40 cfm/ft2 (2.0 L/s × m2) of the building thermal envelope area at a pressure differential of 0.3 inch water gauge (75 Pa). Alternatively, portions of the building shall be tested and the measured air leakages shall be area weighted by the surface areas of the building envelope in each portion. The weighted average test results shall not exceed the whole building leakage limit. In the alternative approach, the following portions of the building shall be tested:

1. The entire envelope area of all stories that have any spaces directly under a roof.

2. The entire envelope area of all stories that have a building entrance, exposed floor, or loading dock, or are below grade.

3. Representative above-grade sections of the building totaling at least 25 percent of the wall area enclosing the remaining conditioned space.

Exception: Where the measured air leakage rate exceeds 0.40 cfm/ft2 (2.0 L/s × m2) but does not exceed 0.60 cfm/ft2 (3.0 L/s × m2), a diagnostic evaluation using smoke tracer or infrared imaging shall be conducted while the building is pressurized along with a visual inspection of the air barrier. Any leaks noted shall be sealed where such sealing can be made without destruction of existing building components. An additional report identifying the corrective actions taken to seal leaks shall be submitted to the code official and the building owner, and shall be deemed to comply with the requirements of this section.

C402.5 Air leakage—thermal envelope.

The building thermal envelope shall comply with Sections C402.5.1 through Section C402.5.11.1, or the building thermal envelope shall be tested in accordance with Section C402.5.2 or C402.5.3. Where compliance is based on such testing, the building shall also comply with Sections C402.5.7, C402.5.8 and C402.5.9.