The Hole Truth about U.S. Buildings

A recent survey of BCA members conducted in December 2015 highlights the prevalence of duct leakage in U.S. buildings today and the role that duct sealing can play in saving energy and improving building performance.
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News Release:
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Fact Sheet:
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The survey found that an overwhelming majority of engineers and other building professionals believe that duct leakage is a significant cause of energy loss in most commercial buildings today.  The survey, taken in December 2015 and sponsored in part by Aeroseal LLC, queried BCA members regarding various building performance issues.  A total of 236 nationwide BCA members, representing engineers, commissioning agents, facility managers and other building professionals responded to the survey.

Results of the survey indicate that the overwhelming majority of today’s building professionals believe that, for commercial buildings, leaky ductwork is a significant cause of energy waste.  75% of respondents said they believe that leaky ducts contribute substantially to energy loss in commercial buildings.

At the same time, building professionals think that leaky ducts are a common problem.  73.73% of the respondents said they believe most buildings in the U.S. today have significant duct leakage.  54.66% said that, in their experience, they believe that duct leakage rates of 15% or more are somewhat common, while an additional 13.4% said they are highly likely.