Building energy performance monitoring, diagnostics, quality assurance & compliance testing solutions for the built environment.

Air leakage testing is the measurement of the amount of air movement between the inside and outside of a building, also referred to as measuring the air permeability or airtightness of a building. It is important as excessive air movement can cause additional heat loss and energy consumption, while sufficient fresh air supply is required to provide a healthy internal environment.

Air movement to and from a building occurs in two forms. Through deliberate ventilation, such as the supply of air through a mechanical system or a controlled opening. Or infiltration, which is unintentional air movement through cracks and gaps in the building fabric.

Building Performance Evaluation (BPE) is used to understand how a building is functioning in order to better manage and improve its performance. BPE is an all-encompassing term, referring to better understanding the performance of building fabric, systems and usability.

Whole building heat loss is a key metric in assessing energy performance and involves measuring heat loss through the entire building fabric such as walls, floors, roofs, ventilation and infiltration. Accurately measuring the heat loss rate of a building is a key step in better evaluating and managing in-situ building performance.

U-values are a metric of how effective a building element (wall, floor or roof) is at preventing heat from transmitting from the inside of a house to the outside. In simple terms, the lower the U-value the better insulated the fabric of a building is and the lower the heat loss and energy consumption will be.

U-value measurement is the act of measuring these U-values using equipment such as infrared thermography or heat flux plates. Measuring U-values allows you to understand the level of performance prior to adding insulation or carrying out retrofit works and can also be used to produce more accurate Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs).