Future energy regulations will pose a real challenge in terms of building envelope energy performance. Pressure to reduce the energy transmission of curtain walling has brought about a range of technological developments such as glass coatings, thermal breaks and active facades, but strict regulations are increasingly felt in the form of restriction of design freedom. As part of an ongoing discussion on the relationship between design and performance, this paper presents thermal modelling of curtain walling solutions. The specific objective is to gauge the limits of currant curtain walling technology and discuss the potential value of performance enhancements for slim envelopes. The method is based on THERM 3D finite element modeling of commercially available systems in generic combinations with different geometries.
