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The first paragraph of Philip Wenz’s article, “The Future of Sustainable Design,” doesn’t paint such a pretty picture for those of us involved in commercial building…

“We have entered what I call the Not-So-Great Depression, a double whammy of eco-nomic and ecological crises.”

But it can’t be that bad, can it? I did some digging, and I’m happy to report that there is hope for the future and sustainable design is part of that.

The latest issue of AAMA’s newsletter opened with a note from President and CEO, Rick Walker. He said, “Moving forward in 2010, green building and energy efficiency continue to be buzzwords prevalent within the industry, as well as in economic sectors. Green building has shown itself to be much more than a passing industry trend, but has proven itself both as a movement that has the potential for financial savings, as well as job creation and general stimulus of the economy.”

That’s what I like to see - Green building is much more than a passing industry trend. Green building is a part of our lives, and it’s up to us to take the regulations and requirements and make the best, most sustainable buildings we can.

Another recent example of advancing sustainability is a Top 10 list of green building legislation, pointed to pending bills in the House and the Senate.  Some of these bills include The American Clean Energy and Security Act, The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act, The Clean Energy and American Jobs Act, and The American Clean Energy and Leadership Act. These bills are all designed with one goal in mind – a sustainable future.

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Tags:Building, Sustainability

Are you watching closely? Turns out, the new take on the gold, silver and bronze medals is more than just a funky new shape. In an effort to reduce electronic waste, each medal was made with a tiny bit of the more than 140,000 tons of e-waste that otherwise would have been sent to Canadian landfills. And that’s not the only eco-friendly thing about the 2010 winter games.

The Olympic Village in Vancouver has received LEED certification. According to The Vancouver Sun, “The athletes’ village in Vancouver’s southeast False Creek can now be called the greenest community in the North America - possibly the world - Mayor Gregor Robertson said Tuesday morning, as he announced the entire neighbourhood had received a certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.”

Yesterday, “Platinum certification was awarded to the $1-billion, 32-hectare South East False Creek neighbourhood development project based on a variety of factors including its proximity to the downtown core, affordable housing, green buildings and habitat restoration. The Olympic Village is the second development in the world to receive Platinum certification.”

Some of the examples of the design elements of the buildings throughout the athletes’ village are green roofs, cisterns to catch rainwater, passive solar design, upgraded insulation and windows as well as carpets and paint with low or no VOC.

When the announcement was made on Tuesday, USGBC chair Tim Cole called the athletes’ village a “remarkable example” of what is possible.

Lance Hosey, in his Op-Eco blog, looks over the sustainability claims by Olympic organizers that the Vancouver games are “the greenest games ever.” Supposedly, various forms of waste mitigation and energy efficiency will take down the games’ carbon output by 15 percent. But the land-grading methods used to make ski slopes at Whistler are among the most permanently destructive. And, of course, the organizers can’t help it if the air travel involved in bringing people to the games amounts to the annual belchings of 30,000 cars.

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Tags:Awards, Building, LEED, reduce, USGBC

With climate change firmly on the agenda of governments around the world, many countries are looking to invest further nuclear energy as a way to reduce their carbon emissions. This begs the question: should Ireland go nuclear? This simple question can provoke extremely heated debates in Ireland. The last time Ireland considered nuclear power was in the late 1970’s. Thousands of people descended on the proposed site in Carnsore Point in Co. Wexford for week long “protest festivals”. The plans were scrapped. Yes, Chernobyl was one of the biggest human tragedies in history but there is simply no comparison between the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl and a modern nuclear reactor. At the moment Ireland imports a significant amount of electricity from the UK and which has numerous nuclear power stations.

I believe Ireland needs to have a reasonable and logical debate on what our long term energy source will be. Do I believe Ireland should go nuclear? Absolutely not, but in my opinion Irish people are vehemently opposed to nuclear power for all the wrong reasons. Is there a single nuclear power station in Saudi Arabia? Unsurprisingly the answer is no. The Saudi’s sit on the world’s largest oil reserves so they have had no need for nuclear. The west coast of Ireland on the other hand has some of the best wind energy potential in the world. Ireland has roughly 2% of the EU’s land mass but about 6% of the wind energy potential. This makes Ireland one of the richest countries in the world in terms of wind energy potential per capita.

The ambitious “Spirit of Ireland” project proposes to build a massive network of wind turbines and hydro energy reservoirs along the west coast of Ireland to not only meet the energy needs of Ireland, but to also export electricity to the UK and mainland Europe. The key principle behind this project lies with the hydro energy reservoirs. These are basically large water reservoirs built on the top of hills or cliffs. The wind turbines are used to power water pumps which will pump water up to these reservoirs. When the water is released from the reservoir it flows down hill through hydro electric turbines to generate electricity for the country. The basic theory is to convert wind energy to hydro energy to electricity.

The major disadvantage of wind energy alone is its unreliability. The wind might blow when you don’t need it and might not blow when you do. The major advantage of using hydro energy reservoirs along with wind turbines is that you will always have a constant supply regardless of the weather! Wind energy alone would never be reliable enough to meet the countries needs. Currently Ireland has only one hydro energy storage reservoir facilities at Turlough Hill Co. Wicklow. Spirit of Ireland envisage building many more of these along the west coast of Ireland.

With natural resources like this why would we even consider nuclear…

For more information on these ambitious plans see http://www.spiritofireland.org/

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Tags:Building, climate, reduce

I recently read about the Environment 2.0 Exhibition at FutureEverything 2009. In particular two exhibits made a point of highlighting sources of Carbon Emissions in ways that encourage people to think of the impact they could be having on the environment.

The first was Aaron Koblin’s Flight Patterns

It is accepted that air travel is a major source of carbon emissions and will have to be tackled by governments who are aiming to cut emissions to meet increasingly ambitious targets and shows the reality of the current dependence on air travel by animating the flight paths of thousands of aircraft over US airspace in a 24 hour period.

The second was HeHe’s large-scale environmental installation Nuage Vert (meaning Green Cloud).

A laser image was projected on to the cloud of vapour as it spewed out from a power plant chimney (“the ultimate icon of industrial pollution”) over Helsinki with the aim of making the local population consider the emissions from the plant the relationship to their own power consumption. The image shape and size was adjusted according to power consumption and people in the local area were encouraged to reduce electricity usage while the image was projected so that “the green cloud could grow”.

These projects show us how the everyday activities of people are affecting the environment by presenting the effects of our actions in a visual way that anyone can appreciate. In much the same way, IES is constantly working to present solutions to these issues in a way that people can fully appreciate and use to improve building design so that emissions are lowered in future.

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Tags:Building, Environment, reduce

An Integrative Design Process (IDP) is a collaborative approach to building design which places a strong emphasis on cross-team integration throughout the development process in pursuit of a ‘whole building’ holistic design. But where does it start and what does it really mean? How can the range of IES <VE> software tools be used to assist in the design process?

In conventional building design a project develops through a strict and rigid chain of milestones and hand-offs e.g. owner requirements to architect, architect’s concept to structural engineer, structural design to MEP engineer etc.

This conventional process means that key members of the design team are often excluded from the initial planning stage, and with the lack of their expert knowledge and insight the project can progress down the wrong path for a significant period of time before serious underlying problems are identified. This leads to inefficiency; higher capital costs, time delays, over-sized HVAC etc.

With an Integrative Design Process (IDP) all key members of the multi-disciplinary design team are included at the very beginning of the planning stage, from the initial conception of the building itself. In this way all major design decisions can be carefully considered in relation to other disciplines right from the outset. This avoids abortive work resulting from single-minded decisions and increases overall project efficiency.

So where does building performance analysis fit-in?

The IES <VE> platform provides a unique set of analysis tools that allow building performance analysis to be used throughout every stage of the project, from concept to completion. An experienced <VE> engineer becomes an integral member of the IDP team and can really help drive the design to meet aggressive sustainability targets and objectives.

Let’s look at the lifecycle of a typical project and how the <VE> could be used at each stage:

Concept: VE-Ware and VE-Toolkits used with Google SketchUp ‘massing’ models of various design options and iterations to determine performance characteristics: climate metrics, optimum site orientation, daylight feasibility, ballpark energy estimates etc.

Scheme: Findings from Concept analysis used to select the ‘optimum’ design solution which is then progressed to schematic stage. VE-Toolkits and VE-Gaia used to enhance the basic design i.e. optimize; shading, building envelope, daylight, energy etc

Detail: Enhanced model from Scheme design is driven more aggressively with VE-Gaia and VE-Pro to extract further energy savings i.e. optimize; HVAC plant selection (right-sizing), electric lighting dimming control strategy, zone set-back temperatures, boiler/chiller optimum start/stop etc.

Construction: Findings from Detail analysis input to Construction Documentation and the optimized Detail model is then
updated with ‘As-Built’ information. This ensures that the specified design has actually been installed i.e. do pressure test results match the design infiltration rates, are installed plant efficiencies and SFP’s as per the MEP spec, has the glazing data specified(u-value, SC etc.) actually been installed? Comparative VE-Pro analyses conducted to benchmark Design vs As-Built

Commissioning: Findings from Construction comparison used to drive Quality Assurance (QA) checks in order to identify areas that are not installed and performing as per design. Detailed <VE> room loads can be used to assist in production of Commissioning Documentation and for balancing calculations for duct and pipework systems.

Operation: 6months to 1yr after completion recorded BMS readings can be compared against the As-Built Construction model. Comparative analysis is used to determine areas of the building and associated HVAC plant which are not performing as per design. The building FM team continues to monitor BMS vs Model readings, making site changes where necessary to ensure that the building operates at optimum performance.

This example illustrates how the building performance analysis can be used to fully support an Integrative Design Process. By utilizing the unique four-tiered <VE> approach (VE-Ware, VE-Toolkits, VE-Gaia and VE-Pro) there is an analysis tool for every occasion which can be closely aligned with the sustainability objectives of the project in order to realize the maximum potential.

Through the use of the Google SketchUp based conceptual <VE> analysis tools a building’s energy and carbon footprint can be optimized from the initial outset of the project, before it has a chance to progress down a wrong path. By getting involved early more aggressive energy and sustainability targets can be met and realized such as LEED Platinum, Estidama 5-Pearl, BREEAM Outstanding etc

But the use of performance analysis tools at concept stage alone is not enough on to reach these higher objectives. Aggressive targets mean that an aggressive modeling strategy must be used an continued throughout the project from concept to completion. This is the only way of designing buildings that are truly ‘green’ and is the only way of taking the Integrative Design Process to ‘Infinity and Beyond’.

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Tags:BREEAM, climate, daylighting, Engineers, Estidama, HVAC, LEED, sketchup

If someone asked me what my carbon footprint was 10 years ago, I probably wouldn’t have had any idea what they were talking about.  Now, I can find that answer rather quickly on a number of different websites including carbonfootprint.com and the Nature Conservatory’s website.  Just by imputing a few estimations about my home energy use, recycling, and transportation choices I am given a number in tons of carbon/year.  Most sites will also show you how you compare you to the US national average and the global average and show recommendations on how to lower your green house gas emissions.

While measuring my personal carbon footprint takes a few minutes, how would someone go about measuring the carbon footprint of an entire city like Boston?  Calculating this footprint has a great deal more variables including measuring the exhaust of the commuting traffic daily, energy consumption for both commercial and residential and consideration of photosynthesis in the city. Recently Nathan Philips from Boston University received a grant to take on this task.  The National Science Foundation and U.S. Forest Service are financing the precursor to this project which will measure carbon footprint around one of Boston’s busiest streets, Commonwealth Ave.  

Their calculations will cumulate to create a map of Boston that will display the largest carbon emission spots and uptake zones. Philip’s hope is that policy makers in the city will use this to address the serious problems that the city and other cities worldwide are currently facing.

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Tags:Boston, carbon footprint, recycle, recycling

Most large cities suffer from air pollution in winter as well as in summer time. Increasing prices for fossil fuels makes people looking for alternatives. Hamburg, as the second largest city in Germany, is moving forward and developed a strategy to base it’s entire public transport on electricity. While current train systems already run on electricity, they’re aiming to have all diesel engine buses replaced by hydrogen powered hybrid buses. For several years six hydrogen powered buses of the first generation are running on a day to day basis already and have proven their reliability. In a partnership with Daimler / Mercedes-Benz the next generation of Citaro FuelCell-Hybrid bus made it’s debut in Hamburg Nov 2009. 10 of them will start it’s service in 2010. The new buses will cut fuel consumption by approx. 50%. This advancement became possible through improvement of fuel cell technology and the use of recuperation through it’s wheel hub engines. According to Mr. Elste, director of Hamburg Hochbahn, is the long term goal in Hamburg to have all public transport running on electricity. To achieve that, current buses will be replaced step by step every year by clean, zero carbon technology.

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Tags:2030 Challenge, Engineers, Germany

We love coming back from the holidays to good news. According to Environmental Leader, and specifically by research released by Zpryme, the U.S. green building market is set to grow 146 percent by 2013.

According to the Environmental Leader article, “The commercial sector should get a boost from the news that major real estate firms have signed up for a pilot program that would help building owners, prospective tenants and buyers ascertain the energy efficiency of a building. The Building Energy Quotient program – Building EQ for short – is administered by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).”

We are looking forward to the results of the Building EQ program. Given our position in the industry, it is (and has been from the beginning) our hope that buildings are as energy efficient as possible. For new buildings, this starts from the earliest stages of design. For retrofits, there are many changes architects can implement during the remodel to ensure a building not only reduces its energy usage, but also reduces it carbon emissions.

On another note, and for a little fun to start your new year off right, our partners at Autodesk have created RetroFits, a game to help raise awareness about the benefits of better, greener buildings. Stop by and check it out! Buildings continue to be the #1 source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. But we can make them more energy efficient, little by little.

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Tags:Architects, ASHRAE, Autodesk, Building, Engineers, reduce, USA

I was recently asked to complete an interview questionnaire for the CIBSE Young Members website. Having benefitted from CIBSE Young Engineer’s activities over the years, I was more than happy to help out.

CIBSE YE offers graduates and school leavers an opportunity to find out more about the industry, meet recent graduates working in the profession, and gives young engineers a chance to network with peers and even prospective employers.

One of my interview questions focussed on advice to students and graduates. My guidance was to take heed of the rapidly changing nature of the industry. With sustainability at the centre of what we do, forward-thinking young engineers are in a strong position to make a real difference to the way we design buildings. This was summed up very well in an interview I read recently with David C.J. Peters, an HVAC consulting engineer for US firm Southland Industries. You can read the full interview at Consulting Specifying Engineer here.

In addition, one of my colleagues Liam Buckley, was one of the six shortlisted in the this year’s CIBSE/ASHRAE Graduate of the Year Award.  You can read about all their hopes for their careers and the future of building services engineering in CIBSE Journal - unsurprisingly it oozes green ambition!

Many graduates and school leavers are unaware of the sheer scale of the building services industry, and the myriad of career opportunities within. So, if you’re a student or recent graduate considering a career in the built environment, CIBSE YE is a great first point of reference.

Check out mine and past interviews on the CIBSE YE website.

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Tags:ASHRAE, building services, careers, CIBSE, graduates, Green Building, students, sustainable buiding, young engineers

Now a protest on smoking in LEED buildings was not quite the sight I expected to see as a rocked up for the first day of Greenbuild! I believe the protesters were referring in particular to the newly certified ARIA resort and casino in Las Vegas which allows smoking on the casino floor.

On closer inspection and investigation however, it appears that the casino itself was excluded from the LEED submission, which only covers the hotel resort tower and convention center.

“The USGBC already has awarded LEED Gold certification to ARIA’s hotel tower, convention center and theater; as well as Vdara Hotel. CityCenter’s remaining venues are poised to receive a combination of Silver and Gold LEED ratings.” (For full article click here)

But even if it had been included smoking could be allowed in designated areas with measures taken to avoid second-hand smoke in other areas according to EQ Prerequisite 2: Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control. See the blog and comments at Cooper Green Design for more detail.

I wonder if the protesters knew this or if it would make much difference to them? However, it does raise some interesting questions about what LEED should and can demand of facilities, and how boundaries are set. Though I believe the Minimum Program Requirements (MRP) in the latest version of LEED (2009) would now not allow this kind of exclusion.

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Tags:Greenbuild, LEED, Sustainability