Energy Efficient Fenestration Assembly

Abstract

A fenestration assembly comprising a sliding glass assembly that slides between a fully closed position and a fully open position in which the sliding glass assembly is received into a pocket of the fenestration assembly. The pocket is covered on at least one side with insulation. The fenestration assembly may have two sliding glass assemblies. The fenestration assembly may be used in an energy efficient building system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A building energy system comprising:
 a building enclosure having an interior and exterior, the building enclosure comprising at least one wall separating the interior and exterior and comprising an opening; and   a fenestration assembly enclosing the opening in the wall, the fenestration assembly comprising:
 a frame having at least four edges surrounding first and second sides to be partially covered by building material, the frame defining:
 an opening from the first side to the second side; and 
 a first pocket section next to the opening and sized at least equally to the opening, 
 
 the frame comprising:
 an insulating mullion pocket between the opening and the first pocket section; and 
 three insulating edge pockets within edges of the frame surrounding the opening; 
 
 an insulating section between the first pocket section and one of the first or second sides of the frame; and 
 a first sliding glass assembly supported on a bottom edge by roller carts moveable within a raceway of the frame, the first sliding glass assembly capable of sealing the opening and moveable between:
 a fully-closed position in which the first sliding glass assembly is located substantially within the opening and seals the opening; and 
 a fully-open position in which the first sliding glass assembly is located substantially within the first pocket section of the frame, 
 wherein the first sliding glass assembly comprises two or more glass sheets that are spaced apart and sealed at perimeter edges of the two glass sheets and features one or more low emissivity coatings facing at least one glazing cavity between the glass sheets and where the center-of-glass provides more thermal resistance than the perimeter edges, and 
 wherein in the fully-closed position, the perimeter edges of the first sliding glass assembly are buried within the three insulating edge pockets and the insulating mullion pocket of the frame. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The building energy system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second fenestration assembly located in the opening and aligned with the fenestration assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The building energy system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one wall comprising the opening is a pre-existing wall having a window previously installed in the opening, wherein fenestration assembly is installed over the previously installed window. 
     
     
         4 . The building energy system of  claim 3 , wherein the fenestration assembly is installed to the interior of the previously installed window. 
     
     
         5 . The building energy system of  claim 4 , wherein the frame of the fenestration assembly further comprises a second pocket section next to the opening and sized at least equally to the opening, the insulating section located between the first and second pocket sections, and wherein the fenestration assembly further comprises a second sliding glass assembly within the frame capable of sealing the opening and moveable between:
 a fully-closed position in which the second sliding glass assembly is located substantially within the opening and seals the opening; and   a fully-open position in which the second sliding glass assembly is located substantially within the second pocket section of the frame.   
     
     
         6 . The building energy system of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 an integrated mechanical system that provides heating and cooling for various functions, and comprises:
 a cold thermal storage tank; 
 a hot thermal storage tank; and 
 a heat pump that in part transfers heat from the cold thermal storage tank to the hot thermal storage tank; 
   one or more hydronic heating/cooling devices each at least partially covered by a material of a high thermal mass and fluidly coupled to the hot and cold thermal storage tank for heating or cooling a portion of the building enclosure,   wherein during a heating season when solar thermal energy is available, one or more fenestration assemblies are operated to provide for higher solar thermal gains and the one or more hydronic devices are operated to cool down at least part of the respective thermal masses,   wherein stored low grade heat within the respective thermal masses is transferred to the cold thermal storage tank and is then extracted and upgraded by the heat pump and stored in the hot thermal storage tank.   
     
     
         7 . The building energy system of  claim 6 , where the hydronic devices comprise radiant ceiling panels and the material covering the hydronic devices is plasterboard. 
     
     
         8 . The building energy system of  claim 6 , further comprising an air stratified ventilation system. 
     
     
         9 . The building energy system of  claim 6 , wherein one or more rooms of the building enclosure incorporate a small extract fan located at a high level within the room and occasionally operated to remove polluted air from the room. 
     
     
         10 . The building energy system of  claim 6 , further comprising a first actuator for controlling movement of the first sliding glass assembly between the fully-open position and the fully-closed position. 
     
     
         11 . The building energy system of  claim 6 , further comprising a second actuator for controlling movement of the second sliding glass assembly between the fully-open position and the fully-closed position. 
     
     
         12 . The building energy system of  claim 6 , further comprising a blind within opening of the frame located between the first sliding glass assembly and the second glass assembly. 
     
     
         13 . The building energy system of  claim 12 , further comprising an actuator for controlling the position of the blind. 
     
     
         14 . The building energy system of  claim 6 , wherein the respective positions of the first and second sliding glass assemblies are automatically adjusted to control solar heat gains of the building enclosure through the opening. 
     
     
         15 . The building energy system of  claim 6 , wherein one of the first or second sides of the frame is an exterior side and the other of the first or second sides of the frame is an interior side, wherein each of the glass surfaces of the first and second sliding glass assemblies are numbered sequentially starting from the exterior side and wherein glass surface two has a solar gain, low emissivity coating. 
     
     
         16 . The building energy system of  claim 15 , wherein glass surface six has a solar control, low emissivity coating. 
     
     
         17 . The building energy system of  claim 6 , wherein at least one glass surface of one or more of the first or second sliding glass assemblies comprises a solar control low emissivity coating or a solar gain low emissivity coating. 
     
     
         18 . The building energy system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more interior sensors that measure environmental properties of the interior of the building energy system. 
     
     
         19 . The building energy system of  claim 18 , further comprising one or more exterior sensors that measure environmental properties of the exterior of the building energy system. 
     
     
         20 . The building energy system of  claim 18 , wherein the environmental properties comprise one or more of temperature, relative humidity, insolation and occupancy. 
     
     
         21 . The building energy system of  claim 18 , wherein the sensors are linked to one more controllers for controlling the respective positions of the first and second sliding glass assemblies. 
     
     
         22 . The building energy system of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the one or more controllers are linked to the Internet. 
     
     
         23 . The building energy system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second insulating section located on the other side of the frame from the insulating section. 
     
     
         24 . The building energy system of  claim 1 , wherein the insulating section and the second insulating section each comprise a stressed skin panel comprising an insulating core and at least one structural skin. 
     
     
         25 . The building energy system of  claim 24 , wherein the insulating section and the second insulating section are covered in respective building material. 
     
     
         26 . The building energy system of  claim 1 , further comprising a liquid desiccant dehumidifier. 
     
     
         27 . The building energy system of  claim 26 , wherein the liquid desiccant dehumidifier uses heat from the building system upgraded by the heat pump to regenerate the liquid desiccant. 
     
     
         28 . The building energy system of  claim 1 , further comprising a pre-heating water tank for pre-heating water for the hot water tank. 
     
     
         29 . The building energy system of  claim 28 , further comprising one or more hydronic devices, wherein heat recovered from the one or more hydronic devices is used to pre-heat the water of the pre-heating water tank. 
     
     
         30 . The building energy system of  claim 28 , further comprising a drain water heat recovery device, wherein heat recovered from the drain water heat recovery device is used to pre-heat the water of the pre-heating water tank.