Grant: Applied Research Tools and Instruments Grants

The purpose of this Applied Research Tools and Instruments proposal for a Air Leakage Testing System and Environmental Chamber to Assess the Energy Performance of Large Buildings, Sub-Systems and/or Components is to complement and enhance the applied research capabilities of Red River College's Sustainable Infrastructure Technology Research Group. This equipment and facility will support research activities in four concentrated areas: building envelopes; mechanical and renewable energy systems; building performance monitoring and reducing the embodied energy of buildings. Large building air leakage is a major factor is how much energy is required to heat or cool a building. Typical air leakage characteristics of new and existing low-rise dwellings are well done though testing done by research projects and in conjunction with programs such as R-2000 and ecoENERGY Retrofit for Homes (which alone has conducted airtightness testing on more than 19,000 homes in Manitoba). However, very little is known about air leakage in commercial and institutional buildings - it is estimated that less than a dozen non-residential buildings have been rested in Manitoba. Yet, over the past two decades, several hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent in Manitoba repairing building envelopes in commercial and institutional buildings which have experienced premature failure due to excessive air leakage. The new equipment (airtightness test apparatus, videoscope and weather stations) which has been proposed will enable the College to establish itself as a leader for commercial building airtightness research in Manitoba. This is a relatively emerging field for which there is limited data. The existing environmental test chambers will also be modified and enhanced to enable testing of larger building components and sub-systems (eg. wall sections) which can affect the airtightness of large buildings.