How Long Will Energy Prices Stay Depressed?
Natural-gas prices in March reached a new 10-year low, and they aren’t likely to go anywhere in a hurry. Record production of shale gas, coupled with the fourth-mildest winter on record, are keeping energy prices down. ...
Selecting a Mechanical Engineer for Green Projects
The services provided by mechanical engineers are crucial to the success of sustainable or "green" projects. It is vital to select a qualified professional or firm that will complement your project team....
Deregulated Energy Markets Raise Questions
When it comes to energy procurement, many facility owners and managers ask themselves, 'Should I stay (with the utility) or should I go?' Many are asking themselves this question, but the best answer won't come without some research...
Guidelines for Selecting an Energy Analyst
When you have decided to select an energy analyst to compliment your project team, understanding what energy analysis is will help ensure that you select a qualified professional....
Know Your Energy-Procurement Options
Reducing energy consumption can be hugely beneficial to a facility’s bottom line, but the second most direct route to decreasing energy costs is to manage the energy purchase itself. No single energy-procurement plan works for all companies. Business managers need to be aware of their options to make energy-purchasing decisions that will positively affect their bottom line....
Steps to Selecting a Sustainability Professional
Selecting the right design professionals and builders is an essential step in undertaking a successful sustainability project. Experienced sustainability professionals will help you realize your sustainability goals and help ensure a project is a financial and environmental success....
Don't Play at the Energy Suppliers' Casinos
Do you enjoy gambling? That's what it is like to buy energy on the open market or flatly accept the cost of energy from suppliers. Toss the dice, or spin the wheel. It's a gamble, and for some firms in today's precarious market, it is no better than entering into a game of roulette. ...
Energy Efficiency, the Environment, and VFDs
Strategically managing power can yield significant advantages—energy savings, improved sustainability, cost reductions. Among the technologies helping us to meet energy challenges while addressing efficiency and reliability concerns are variable-frequency drives (VFDs)....
The Case for Commissioning Existing Buildings
Existing-building commissioning (EBCx) has been slow to gain acceptance in the operations-and-maintenance (O&M) community, partly because EBCx often is...
Avoiding Human-Error-Induced Data-Center Downtime
When it comes to data-center downtime, technological malfunctions, such as equipment failure, or an unexpected event, such as a natural catastrophe, come to mind. According to a study by Uptime Institute (http://uptimeinstitute.org/), however, 70 percent of data-center downtime is caused by human error, which can be avoided by following some simple steps....
Making a Case for Reduced Classroom Ventilation
Across the United States, a minimum of 15 cfm of fresh air per student is required for classroom ventilation. That is the amount set forth in ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), and it is the minimum amount the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) will recognize through its LEED green-building certification program. In fact, the USGBC will award additional credit if 20 cfm of fresh air per student is delivered....
Balancing Heat for Savings and Comfort
Heat balance is exactly what it sounds like: ensuring buildings maintain a steady and even temperature. In this column, I will outline steps you can take to heat-balance the multifamily-residential and commercial buildings with which you work....
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