Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: WELL Building • Radiant Heating • U-Value

Infiltration Rate

Term from Green Building industry explained for recruiters

Infiltration Rate measures how much outside air leaks into or out of a building through cracks, gaps, or openings. Think of it like checking how "airtight" a building is. This is important for energy efficiency and building performance specialists because less air leakage means lower heating and cooling costs. When someone lists this on their resume, they probably worked on testing buildings or designing solutions to improve their energy efficiency. It's sometimes also called "air leakage rate" or "air tightness testing."

Examples in Resumes

Conducted Infiltration Rate testing for 50+ commercial buildings using blower door equipment

Improved building envelope design to reduce Air Leakage Rate by 40%

Led Air Tightness testing teams for LEED certification projects

Typical job title: "Building Performance Specialists"

Also try searching for:

Energy Auditor Building Envelope Specialist Building Performance Engineer Green Building Consultant LEED Professional Building Science Specialist Energy Efficiency Consultant

Where to Find Building Performance Specialists

Professional Organizations

Job Boards

Professional Networks

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you develop a building envelope improvement strategy for a large commercial building with poor infiltration rates?

Expected Answer: Should discuss assessment methods, cost-benefit analysis, working with contractors, and creating phased implementation plans. Should mention experience managing similar projects and coordinating with different stakeholders.

Q: What factors affect infiltration rate measurements and how do you account for them?

Expected Answer: Should explain weather conditions, building size, construction type, and testing conditions. Should demonstrate experience in adjusting results and making recommendations based on these variables.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What testing equipment do you use for measuring infiltration rates and why?

Expected Answer: Should be able to explain blower door tests, pressure gauges, and smoke testing. Should understand when to use each method and basic troubleshooting.

Q: How do you explain infiltration rate results to building owners?

Expected Answer: Should demonstrate ability to communicate technical results in simple terms, explain impact on energy bills, and provide practical improvement recommendations.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What is a blower door test and why is it important?

Expected Answer: Should explain basic concept of using fan to pressurize building and measure air leakage. Should understand connection to energy efficiency.

Q: What are common areas where air leakage occurs in buildings?

Expected Answer: Should identify typical problem areas like windows, doors, electrical outlets, and pipe penetrations. Basic understanding of building envelope concepts.