Editing Weatherization (section)

{{Short description|Weatherproofing a building; protecting it from harsh weather}}
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[[File:Weatherized Building.svg|thumb|A weatherized building is protected from the outside elements in order to maximize energy efficiency.]]
[[File:Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station 01.jpg|thumb|[[Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station]]]]
'''Weatherization''' ([[American English]]) or '''weatherproofing''' ([[British English]]) is the practice of protecting a building and its interior from the elements, particularly from [[sunlight]], [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]], and [[wind]], and of modifying a building to [[Energy conservation|reduce energy consumption]] and optimize [[Efficient energy use|energy efficiency]].

Weatherization is distinct from [[building insulation]], although building insulation requires weatherization for proper functioning. Many types of insulation can be thought of as weatherization, because they block drafts or protect from cold winds. Whereas insulation primarily reduces ''conductive'' heat flow, weatherization primarily reduces ''convective'' heat flow.

In the United States, buildings use one third of all energy consumed and two thirds of all electricity.<ref>According to the 2022 energy [[flow chart]] released by [[Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory]], the US in 2022 produced 13.3 [[Quad (unit)|Quad]] of electricity, of which 5.19 (39%) went into [[Residential]], 4.69 (35%) into Commercial - https://flowcharts.llnl.gov/</ref> Due to the high energy usage, they are a major source of the pollution that causes urban [[air pollution|air quality]] problems and pollutants that contribute to climate change. Building energy usage accounts for 49 percent of [[sulfur dioxide]] emissions, 25 percent of [[nitrous oxide]] emissions, and 10 percent of particulate emissions.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://asusmart.com/buildingmat.php|publisher=[[Arizona State University]]|title=Building Materials|year=2006|access-date=March 2, 2008}}</ref>