Dow Building Solutions & Knight Wall Systems are active supporters of the “green building” efforts. Among its many affiliations and alignments with organizations dedicated to sustainable design and construction, Dow & Knight are members of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a nonprofit coalition that promotes high-performance green building design.
DOW™-KNIGHT CI-SYSTEM and LEED
More than an insulated wall, the DOW™-KNIGHT CI-System eliminates the need for batt insulation and is a systematic approach to achieving efficiency at every level: simplified design, streamlined construction and reduced energy consumption. The four-in-one system includes rain screen, insulation, flashing and an air barrier. The DOW™-KNIGHT CI-System enables use of thick rigid insulation up to 3.0”* (depending on the exterior veneer) while adaptable to all facades or cladding systems.
In conjunction with other items found in a steel stud wall design, the DOW™-KNIGHT CI-System can contribute to multiple LEED points. For details, download the DOW™-KNIGHT CI-SYSTEM & LEED document.
HOW CAN A WALL CONTRIBUTE TO ENERGY SAVINGS AND CO2 REDUCTION?
To demonstrate the potential energy savings and subsequent reduction in CO2 that can be achieved with the DOW-KNIGHT CI-System, Dow performed energy calculations on three square building models (footprints of 30,000 ft2, 100,000 ft2 and 200,000 ft2) in seven U.S. cities. Results are presented in Tables 1 and 2.
For example, based on the model in Tables 1 and 2, a 200,000 ft2 building (wall area of 75,132 ft2) built with the DOW-KNIGHT CI-System in Chicago (U value of 0.036) can reduce CO2 emissions by 227,540 lbs compared to a building with a typical wall assembly (R-19 fiberglass batt with 5/8" gypsum board [U value of 0.132]). That’s a potential annual CO2 reduction of 73 percent for the DOW-KNIGHT CI-System compared to a traditional fiberglass insulated wall. |
| TABLE 1: DOW™-KNIGHT CI-SYSTEM – ANNUAL TOTAL ENERGY SAVINGS POTENTIAL(1,2) | ||||
| LOCATION3 | 200,000 FT2 FOOTPRINT BUILDING | 100,000 FT2 FOOTPRINT BUILDING | 30,000 FT2 FOOTPRINT BUILDING | |
| Wall Area (ft2) 75,132 | Wall Area (ft2) 53,127 | Wall Area (ft2) 29,098 | ||
| Annual total kilowatt-hour (kw/h) equivalent savings | Miami | 46,457 | 32,851 | 17,992 |
| Denver | 287,963 | 203,622 | 111,524 | |
| Chicago | 380,363 | 268,959 | 147,310 | |
| San Francisco | 89,912 | 63,578 | 34,822 | |
| Dallas | 97,775 | 69,138 | 37,867 | |
| Seattle | 220,507 | 155,923 | 85,400 | |
| Boston | 331,929 | 234,711 | 128,552 | |
| TABLE 2: CO2 EMISSION REDUCTION IN POUNDS BASED ON ABOVE ENERGY SAVINGS | ||||
| LOCATION | 200,000 FT2 FOOTPRINT BUILDING | 100,000 FT2 FOOTPRINT BUILDING | 30,000 FT2 FOOTPRINT BUILDING | |
| Wall Area (ft2) 75,132 | Wall Area (ft2) 53,127 | Wall Area (ft2) 29,098 | ||
| CO2 emission reaction, lbs | Miami | 144,589 | 102,241 | 55,997 |
| Denver | 211,781 | 149,753 | 82,020 | |
| Chicago | 227,540 | 160,896 | 88,123 | |
| San Francisco | 93,086 | 65,822 | 36,051 | |
| Dallas | 155,334 | 109,838 | 60,159 | |
| Seattle | 154,554 | 109,l287 | 59,857 | |
| Boston | 198,987 | 140,706 | 77,065 | |
* Exact insulation thickness depends on specific cladding and wall assembly details per NFPA 285 fire approval.
(1) Compared to typical gypsum-based wall with R-19 fiberglass batt and 5/8" exterior gypsum sheathing. Effective R-value of R-7.1 for R-19 fiberglass in steel stud application (16" o.c., 6" studs); R-value of 0.56 for 5/8" gypsum board; total effective R-value of 7.56 (U=0.132).
(2) Window area not considered. Height of wall (ground to top) is 14' per story, total three stories. In all cases, study assumed natural gas furnace for heating with 90 percent efficiency, electricity for cooling with a SEER of 10. Calculations based on average heating and cooling degree-day data from www.ncdc.noaa.gov. The calculation is based on opaque wall area with conductive heat loss only.
(3) U value of 0.079: 1.5" SPF + 5/8" THERMAX™ (ci) Exterior Insulation for Miami, Dallas and San Francisco.
U value of 0.055: 1.5" SPF + 1.5" THERMAX™ (ci) Exterior Insulation for Denver and Seattle.
U value of 0.036: 1.5" SPF + 3" THERMAX™ (ci) Exterior Insulation for Chicago and Boston.