Green Engineering Archive
GEOTHERMAL: The New Big Man on Campus
Geothermal is evolving from individual buildings to campuswide systems...
Commissioning Provisions of the International Green Construction Code
The International Code Council (ICC) is breaking new ground with the International Green Construction Code (IgCC). Due this spring, it will be the first internationally acknowledged code focused on high-performance buildings. It contains a comprehensive and detailed treatment of high-performance-building strategies, including energy conservation and commissioning (Cx)....
Green Innovations in Underfloor Air Distribution
A properly designed UFAD system takes advantage of thermal stratification. The key is to have a diffuser that rapidly mixes air before it penetrates the stratification layer at the upper end of the occupied zone. The pressurized plenum (the area between the slab and the raised floor) essentially is a large duct maintained at a constant pressure differential—typically, 0.05 to 0.10 in. w.g.—to the room above. This pressure is maintained through the supply of conditioned air from a number of supply-duct terminations...
New Approaches to Saving Energy in Buildings
Four strategies to drastically reduce energy use in commercial buildings...
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....
New York City's Greener, Greater Buildings Plan
The GGBP is part of PlaNYC, an effort undertaken by New York City’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability to prepare the city for 1 million more residents, strengthen the local economy, combat climate change, and enhance quality of life. So far, PlaNYC has built and preserved parks and housing, enhanced mass transit, and made existing buildings more energy-efficient....
Fred Dougherty Letter to Newspaper
The article “skeptic finds that global warming is real” misleads. As noted by Professors Patrick Michaels and Robert Balling in their book “Climate of Extremes” (2009), there is no serious disagreement with the degree of climate warming since 1900, or the change since 1950 confirmed by Professor Muller. The questions of climate change, however, are fourfold, of which only one is recent global temperature rise. ...
Green HVAC: Flattening the Learning Curve
This article will explore the learning curve in innovation and the challenges of green HVAC systems in both new construction and renovation. ...
Achieving Net Zero Requires Innovative Thinking
If a building owner has enough money for renewable-energy systems and the space to install them, any designer can achieve net-zero performance. Achieving net-zero performance economically, however, is a different matter. ...
A New Path to High-Performance Buildings
When a team prepares to design a sustainable or high-performance building, the designers usually seek to comply with a rating system such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC’s) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or Green Globes. Now, there is a third option available to designers: meeting the criteria spelled out in ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings....
Energy Retrofits: When Is the Time to Act?
This article will explore whether an existing building is a candidate for energy savings through measures such as adjusting a building-automation program, addressing years of deferred maintenance, recommissioning existing mechanical systems, and training in-house maintenance staff. When appropriately applied, these measures have the potential to reduce current energy consumption, extend equipment life, and improve comfort levels. Additionally, they typically can be tied into local utility rebate programs....
Planning for Energy-Efficiency Retrofit Projects
Accounting for nearly all existing commercial space, private commercial buildings present the largest untapped opportunity for energy-efficiency retrofits. However, federal and state facilities and other institutional buildings are more likely to receive funding and, therefore, have more opportunities for energy-efficiency retrofits....
Benefits of a Whole-Building Design Approach
Whole-building design refers to a design and construction technique that incorporates an "integrated design approach" and an "integrated team process."1 Basically, all of the elements of a building’s design need to be considered, and all team members/design stakeholders need to be involved in new ways earlier in the process. ...
Utilizing Plant Effluent for Heating and Cooling
The design team was chartered by DeKalb County to develop the most cost-effective and sustainable improvements possible for the plants. As part of this green effort, the design team developed a concept that would utilize the plant effluent for heating and cooling....
From "The Ecological Engineer: Glumac" Kelley Engineering Center
The following is an excerpt from the forthcoming "The Ecological Engineer: Glumac," a book offering a comprehensive look at the unique projects, processes, and personalities behind the success of Glumac (http://glumac.com/), an award-winning full-service mechanical, electrical, and plumbing consulting engineering firm specializing in the cost-effective, sustainable design of commercial, institutional, health-care, and advanced-technology facilities worldwide. ...
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