Southface Energy Institute利用其小型商业（<50000 ft²（4645 m²））高性能建筑项目EarthCraft Light commercial（ECLC）及其能源部赞助的高级商业建筑倡议，评估38栋新建和现有建筑中不受控制的围护结构空气泄漏。使用美国陆军工程兵团（USACE）多点测试协议测量建筑围护结构泄漏率，该协议用于将建筑减压和增压至±75 Pa（0.3 inH2O），屏蔽室外空气、补充空气和排气围护结构穿透。测量的平均泄漏率为0.25 cfm/ft²（4.6 m³/h∙ECLC建筑和0.74立方英尺/平方英尺（13.6立方米/小时）∙亚特兰大Geogia大都会区现有建筑面积（平方米）。 除了USACE测试外，Southface还对各种配置的室外空气、补充空气和排气贯穿件进行了外壳压力测试，以确定阻尼器的存在和性能。在只有空气处理机组（AHU）运行、AHU+排气管运行和AHU+排气管+抽油烟机运行时测量建筑物压力，以确定大多数建筑物不在轻微正压下运行。从进行这些多风机风门外壳压力测试中获得的宝贵经验教训有助于简化测试程序。在完成这些升级之前和之后，对采用了翻新空气密封措施的建筑物进行了测试，结果表明，可以显著减少渗透。 发现空气泄漏路径的最大来源是复杂的屋顶组件。最后，利用三栋建筑的开放式演播室能量模型，利用实测渗透数据，分析了围护结构密封性对供暖和制冷能耗的影响。结果表明，不同建筑的节能效果不同，但使用爆破渗透系数的建模方法的节能效果最大，而使用DOE-2系数的建模方法的节能效果最小。引用:ASHRAE论文:2015年ASHRAE年会，佐治亚州亚特兰大

Southface Energy Institute has leveraged its small commercial (<50,000 ft2(4,645 m2)) high performance building program, EarthCraft Light Commercial (ECLC), and its DOE-sponsored Advanced Commercial Building Initiative to assess uncontrolled envelope air leakage in 38 new and existing buildings. Building envelope leakage rates were measured using the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) multi-point test protocol for depressurization and pressurization of buildings to ±75 Pa (0.3 inH2O) with masking of outdoor air, make-up air, and exhaust envelope penetrations. Average leakage rates were measured to be 0.25 cfm/ft2(4.6 m3/h∙m2) for ECLC buildings and 0.74 cfm/ft2 (13.6 m3/h∙m2) for existing buildings in the Atlanta, Geogia metropolitan area. In addition to the USACE test, Southface performed envelope pressure tests with various configurations of outdoor air, make-up air, and exhaust penetrations masked and unmasked to determine damper presence and performance. Building pressures were measured while only air handling units (AHUs) were operating, AHUs + exhausts operating, and AHUs + exhausts + kitchen hoods all operating to determine most buildings do not operate under slightly positive pressure. Valuable lessons learned from conducting these multi-blower door envelope pressure tests are presented to assist streamlining testing procedures. Buildings that received retrofit air sealing measures were tested before and after completion of these upgrades and show significant reductions in infiltration can be achieved. The largest source of air leakage pathways was found to be in complex roof assemblies. Lastly, the impact of envelope tightness on heating and cooling energy consumption was analyzed with Open Studio energy models of three buildings using measured infiltration data. Results show savings varied from building to building, but the modeling methodology using BLAST infiltration coefficients resulted in the greatest savings while applying DOE-2 coefficients resulted in the least savings.