- Explain
how the 3 main systems (building envelope, HVAC and lighting) work together
to provide comfortable, productive spaces.
Students
do not need to include descriptions of the three systems, however, they
are provided for your benefit. The answer should include something similar
to the paragraph following the System 3 description below.
System 1: The Building Envelope is a main system that includes floor,
wall, window and ceiling/roof and door (sub)systems. It is the main
barrier that separates building space from outside and protects us from
the elements.
System 2:
The Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning or HVAC system is a main
system that includes the space heating, mechanical ventilation, air
duct and space cooling components. The HVAC system increases comfort
and productivity in a building by further controlling/modifying the
temperature, humidity level and air quality.
System 3:
Lighting is a main system that includes lighting types such as the ones
we used in this unit: incandescent, fluorescent, and natural light (daylighting).
Lighting helps us to be comfortable and productive by allowing natural
light (daylighting) into a building, or by providing light produced
by lamps where there is no natural light, or during time times when
natural light is unavailable or insufficient.
The building envelope system is the main barrier that protects us from
the elements and allows us to control our surroundings. Since building
envelopes will in many cases not be able to sufficiently control building
spaces’ temperature and moisture levels alone, we use heating,
ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to cool or heat and
add or remove moisture to help make the spaces more comfortable and
productive. Lighting systems are also used to further increase buildings’
usefulness by allowing natural daylight into building spaces, providing
light to areas of buildings that don’t receive daylight and allowing
the building to be used on cloudy days and/or at night.
- Compare
and contrast the typical building systems we learned about in this unit
with those that might be seen at a campsite where campers are living
in a tent.
While
obviously made of different materials than typical buildings, a tent
has an envelope including a floor, a roof and/or sides, and at least
one door that together provide some protection from the elements. While
traditional HVAC equipment is not used camping, tents sometimes have
“window openings” and/or we can open the door to provide
ventilation. We also make fires at a campsite and use sleeping bags
to further control our surroundings. A campfire will also provide light,
and/or we will often use battery powered or propane lanterns as lighting
systems.
Individual pages from this web site may be printed
and duplicated for
student classroom use
provided that proper credit is given to
the Florida Solar
Energy Center (FSEC).