Engineering Green Buildings

Air Infiltration: The Hidden Energy Efficiency

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 18:47:00 +0000

By Nate Gillette, AIA, LEED AP, CEM; Energy Finance Analytics LLC; Grand Rapids, Mich.

Standards—and architects’ and engineers’ responsibilities—are changing

Air infiltration long has been a little-understood or even ignored factor when it comes to energy efficiency in commercial buildings. Engineers understand it exists, but tolerate its existence by simply accounting for it in heating- and cooling-system design.

Commissioning Uncovers Opportunity for Energy Savings

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 19:37:00 +0000

By KEVIN KOSS, PE, LEED AP; ACS; Madison, WIS.

Seek out artificial inefficiencies in HVAC systems, and it is likely you will find them

Building commissioning agents owe their clients the attention required to fine-tune their heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems.

Integrated Project Delivery: A Return to Teamwork

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:37:00 +0000

Spreading risk and reward among all project stakeholders and achieving real results

Leveling the Playing Field of Green Products

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 16:00:00 +0000

BY LAWRENCE (LARRY) CLARK, LEED AP O+M; SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS LLC; FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.

Ensuring innovative, but underfunded, new technologies get noticed—and used

In a 2010 survey of chief executive officers worldwide, 93 percent of respondents cited sustainability as critical to the future success of their companies, with 91 percent saying their companies would employ new technologies, such as renewable energy and energy efficiency, to address sustainability issues in the ensuing five years. That is the good news. The bad news is that many promising new products and technologies are having a difficult time making it onto the radar of specifiers and purchasers.

Achieving Net Zero Requires Innovative Thinking

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0000

MARK S. LENTZ, PE, LENTZ ENGINEERING ASSOCIATES, SHEBOYGAN FALLS, WIS.

The days of discouraging 'high-risk' behavior by system designers must end

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

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:00:00 +0000

DENNIS STANKE, TRANE, LA CROSSE, WIS.

ASHRAE Standard 189.1 offers guidance in code language

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.

Planning for Energy-Efficiency Retrofit Projects

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:00:00 +0000

Promod Kumar, PE; KAI Design & Build; St. Louis, Mo

The four phases of an energy retrofit require flexibility and creative thinking

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

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:00:00 +0000

James D. Qualk, LEED AP, BD+C; SSRCx; Nashville, Tenn.

Working as a team earlier in the design process fosters creative problem-solving

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.

The True Cost of LEED-Certified Green Buildings

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 17:00:00 +0000

Stephen J. Vamosi, PE; Intertech Design Services; Cincinnati, Ohio

Columnist examines what contributes to the higher price tags of green designs

Many industry professionals believe that seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification will put an additional financial burden on new and existing/remodeled buildings. Let's take a closer look at what goes into the cost of a LEED design

Who Will Be Held Liable for Green Designs?

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Stephen J. Vamosi, PE; Intertech Design Services; Cincinnati, Ohio

Green-building professionals are being warned not to promise specific results

While the USGBC has brought more awareness to the green movement, it also has prompted agencies and associations, such as the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and ASTM International, to adopt guidelines without proper scientific scrutiny. While adopting and mandating third-party guidelines, these agencies inadvertently have positioned themselves to promote, sanction, and even demand design and construction practices that result in "green" buildings that are less efficient, more costly, and less sustainable than well-thought-out non-green/"traditional" buildings.