IES Blog

With 2011 officially in the books, the IES team thought it was time to take a look back at the hottest green technology and sustainability stories this year had to offer. Even with some of the fallout from the Solyndra and Beacon Power bankruptcies – assets are being sold off as you read this – 2011 served up some really interesting innovations. From the military and car manufacturers to solar and wind power, Earth Techling sheds a little natural daylight on the must-reads in its “2011 Green Technology Year in Review”.

What I find most interesting is that while wind and solar power definitely took their licks this year, they are far from being down for the count; just ask Walmart and Costco customers.

You may be surprised to find that [Walmart], which sells everything from shoes to shower curtains, also happens to offer a selection of renewable energy devices, including a 600-watt wind turbine. Costco members will soon be able to add solar power systems for clean energy solutions at home alongside power tools and pancake mix on their shopping lists.

The best part about these products is that they are cheap. For around $800, you can lower your electricity bill and increase energy efficiency for years. It will be interesting to see how the commercial market will react as the cost continues to drop for these types of technologies. If the residential market is any indication, solar and wind power might be more affordable than ever in the commercial sector. The sustainability goals and LEED certifications that many building owners and property managers seek might be a little easier to attain in 2012.

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Tags:2011, Building, energy, Green, IES, Renewables, Sustainability, technology

It’s true that the U.S. government’s investments in green technology haven’t always paid off – just ask those who picked up office furniture, industrial supplies and T-shirts last month at the Solyndra bankruptcy auction. But that doesn’t mean additional funding is gone, especially with President Obama and former President Clinton’s recently-announced plan to invest $4 billion in energy upgrades to public and private buildings nationwide.

A recent article on Politico.com explains the duo has teamed up for the latest installment of President Obama’s “Better Building Initiative.” Government officials say the plan, which is meant to spur job growth and energy efficiency, avoids many of the problems of previous loan guarantees. How? By relying on both government and private investments; $2 billion from each over the next two years, to be exact. But what’s perhaps most interesting about this plan is what it says about the United States’ dedication to green technology and more energy-efficient commercial and industrial buildings.

Obama [was] joined by Clinton during a Washington, D.C., event Friday to sign a memorandum for a minimum of a $2 billion commitment from federal agencies over the next 24 months. The money will go toward hiring contractors to perform energy efficiency and other green upgrades at federal facilities. There also will be a $2 billion private-sector commitment, covering up to 1.6 billion square feet of commercial and independent property and involving roughly 300 manufacturing plants.

In this case, the U.S. government’s decision not to dwell on past mistakes certainly appears to be a good thing for the green building and energy efficiency industries at large. Here’s looking to a greener and more efficient future!

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Tags:Building, energy, Green, Obama, US Government, Washington

This month, our Founder and CEO Don McLean published an article with Area Development titled, “Building a Strong Energy-Efficient Foundation”. In the article, he explores the value of quantifying and incorporating building performance analysis into the earliest stages of the architectural design process.

Why is early-stage performance analysis so important? To answer that question, here are a few take-aways from the article:

•    When it comes to designing sustainable buildings, building performance analysis is key. After all, by using performance analysis software, architects and engineers can not only virtually test the feasibility of different energy-saving strategies, but they can also make much better decisions on elements that play an important role in reducing the energy consumption of a building.

•    Performance analysis helps to understand how a building will perform under predictable circumstances, which is required for a sustainable, energy-efficient design. What’s more, the biggest impact in terms of designing a sustainable building can be made by using performance analysis software from day one and through every step of the way.

•    With performance analysis, realistic energy goals can be set and reached. How? Analysis can identify and understand the big issues related to building energy use and performance, which supports the setting of goals and the ability to choose and design strategies to achieve them.

At the end of the day, it’s all about achieving true sustainable design. As architects and engineers act on performance analysis metrics and identify the key drivers for an energy-efficient foundation in the earliest stages of the design process, we can expect to see much more sustainable design in the years to come.

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Tags:Architects, Building, building performance, design, IES, software, Sustainability

Last week, we headed to the land down under for the 12th International Conference of the International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA). From November 14th to 16th in Sydney, Australia, simulation researchers, mechanical designers, government legislators and more came together with the local simulation user community for Building Simulation 2011, co-hosted by IBPSA Australasia and the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air-conditioning and Heating (AIRAH).

At the conference, we showcased and provided live software demos of VE-Pro, our suite of building performance simulation tools, and VE-Gaia, our architectural analysis tool. Our experts also had the opportunity to present a couple of research papers, one of which involved a case study of the William McCormack Place Stage 2 building, a government office building in Cairns, North Queensland. This paper explored key strategies used in the HVAC systems and discussed the thermal and CFD modeling involved during the earliest stages of the building design to optimize the building’s environmental performance.

The second paper we presented described two new indices to assess and benchmark building energy performance – the Climate Energy Index (CEI) and the Building Energy Index (BEI). In a nutshell, these globally-applicable energy indices were developed as a means of quantifying the climate impact on building energy performance, and distinguishing climate-related and climate-unrelated energy end uses. Our paper specifically described the derivation of the indices calculation methods, and presented some case study results based on two types of building models.

Overall, our team had a great time at the show meeting with others involved in the building performance simulation field. Regarding the papers we presented, they will be available on our website shortly – stay tuned!

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Tags:Australia, Building, climate, design, Modeling, VE-Gaia, VE-Pro

New York City’s Department of Design and Construction (DDC). As the City’s primary project manager for construction projects, they build many of the civic facilities New Yorkers use every day.  And recently, the DDC has been designing and refurbishing libraries, firehouses and museums, bringing new life to old buildings and reviving the city with a renewed look at architecture.

One recent project is the Queens Central Library, referenced in the NY Times article, “New York’s Public Architecture Gets a Face-Lift.”

What I find interesting is the reference the editor makes to Starbucks and Barnes & Noble. These seem like the most un-architecturally appealing buildings, and certainly not a place for intellectual stimulation.

Libraries have also learned from retailers like Starbucks and Barnes & Noble about what people expect when they leave their homes to go someplace public to sit and read. Libraries have become modern town squares and gathering places; they offer millions of New Yorkers employment counseling, English-language classes and, crucially, Internet access.

But the inspiration certainly worked for the library in Jamaica, Queens. Its architectural design is fresh, unique and inspiring, but still fits in with the surrounding low-rises in the area. Looking at this project an architectural eye, I think this revival of sorts demonstrates what can happen when architects, even without a whopping budget, can do if they have an innovative agenda and a supportive client. Applying the basics and designing with the future in mind is something we can’t take for granted – NYC’s DDC is a great example of what a little updating can do to bring buildings into the 21st century.

This sums it up quite nicely.
And it’s the small things, after all — some greenery, good lighting, well-maintained sidewalks and well-made buildings — that shape our perceptions of where we live, whether or not we’re always conscious of them.

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Tags:Architects, Building, design, New York

Salvador Dalí, best known for his surrealist work, was a versatile artist. Some of his more popular works are sculptures and other objects, and he is also noted for his contributions to theatre, fashion, and photography.

And one of the most comprehensive collections of Dalí work is now housed in the newly redesigned museum bearing his name in St. Petersburg, FL.

So what does Dalí have to do with architecture? Well, this museum was designed with not just the interior in mind. Built to withstand extreme weather conditions (it is Florida, after all) as well as decrease its ecological footprint, The Dalí Museum serves not only as a home for some of the artist’s greatest works, but his art inspired much of the design of the structure itself.

The rough, unfinished concrete walls of the main structure deliver a stark contrast to the sleek elegance of the glass sections, which use geodesic triangulation to imitate the flow of liquids in nature. The reinforced concrete walls and the glass sections can withstand hurricanes (up to a category 5). Hurricane-resistant skylights allow natural light to enter the third-floor gallery space, and the glass atrium brings natural light into the lobby. Automated artificial lighting shuts off when the rooms are unoccupied, reducing unnecessary electricity use, while the exterior lighting is provided by high-efficiency LEDs.

Sustainability played a key part in the redesign of this museum. It serves as a model that design can be functional AND beautiful, while still incorporating energy efficient features. This museum could serve as a model for other buildings that are looking to make upgrades but are afraid of losing their uniqueness.

AOL Travel News named the museum as “One of the top buildings you have to see before you die.” Guess I better plan a trip to Florida!

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Tags:Architects, Art, Building, design, Sustainability

Now that Green Building Week has drawn to a close I thought I’d take this opportunity to reflect on the event we held last Monday – Environmental Modelling for a Low Carbon Scotland.  Our ‘thought trees’ certainly got the discussion started (I’ll go into the feedback received later on) and the after seminar question & answer session was fierce.  But what was clear, was the huge interest in better understanding how computer modelling (or building performance simulation) can deliver more sustainable buildings, and even cities.

We started the evening with a kind introduction from Lori McElroy Sust. Programme Director for Architecture+Design Scotland, followed by a short presentation from Dr Don McLean Founder and MD of IES.  Covering the current state of play in the use of simulation for low-carbon design, Don started by celebrating the world leading status of the UK – “From recent trips to the US I’d say they are at least 5-10 years behind us in terms of thinking and they certainly turn to those companies with a UK presence for experience.”  Then looking to the future he explored some of the research areas IES is currently involved.

David McNeill, Technical Director of Buro Happold gave the main presentation of the evening.  Kick started with a look at how Victorian design techniques used many passive elements such as central circular openings high up to vent heat and introduce daylight.  He then took us an a whistle stop tour around the Riverside Museum, the Burns Museum, Queens University Belfast and Saudi Arabia, looking at how different areas of simulation were used on each project to prove or disprove concepts and stretch design boundaries.

Quote of the night from him “Sometimes you do a model and it proves things don’t work but better to do it then than find out when you build it in real life.”

A lively question and answer session followed the presentations which we eventually had to wind down in order to give us some time to enjoy the wine and canapés.  The interest in where the future of performance analysis could take us was exciting; with concepts around analysis for eco-cities being discussed through to how to effectively bring design and operational modelling closer together and integrate this with FM process and building controls.

The prize for controversial question of the evening goes to Colin Donald of the Glasgow Herald.   Referring to the Riverside Museum he asked; “So did Zaha Hadid have any kind of idea the impact a 30m high glass wall would have?”  The answer?  In essence, shortening a long response down, the clear vision and understanding of the curators regarding the internal conditions required and computer modelling allowed the design vision to be effectively created to perform well.

You can watch a video of the seminars here and review some of the tweets from the evening using the event hashtag #lowCO2scot11.

So that just leaves us the ‘Thought Trees’ which were dotted around the venue asking key questions about sustainability in Scotland.  A big thanks to Urban Realm which supplied one of the questions.  A selection of the responses received are below.  What are your thoughts?  Please add your comments below and keep the discussion going.

What’s the biggest sustainably challenge you’re facing?
-    The gap between design and operational targets and modelling.  Although IES can do operational modelling, Building Standards still claim that they specify all assets, whereas they only specify elements of the assets - the specification gap arises.  The emphasis of all those talking about projects they have done should be to discuss the actual energy in operation, not the design targets; I have yet to see an architect quote actual energy consumption.  Bring on DECs.
-    The expectations of the people within them.  We have seen a dramatic inflation in people’s expectations of the environment in a building.  While the demands are for 23-25 C so that people can walk in their shorts at home at any time of year is excessive.  Halogen lights on everywhere, a fridge in the kitchen and beer fridge in the garage and so on.

What’s your top sustainability goal?
-    Educate your building users to operate buildings efficiency and to take ownership and interact
-    To have buildings designed and built to last – not just low energy or sustainable for the current day

Tell us something about Scotland which you think makes it easier achieve energy reductions in buildings?
-    Our temperate environment
-    We wear jumpers inside
-    Wind power

Urban Realm Question: How best can Scotland’s existing buildings be retro-fitted to meet 21st century environmental standards?

-    I see lots of new/refurbished buildings consuming more energy than before due to: dark ceilings or ceilings not lit so people increase light levels to make it feel brighter; higher light levels than needed; daylighting not being used to optimally offset artificial lighting requirements (floor to ceiling)- leading to higher heat losses in winter and solar gains in summer; high solar gains in summer leading to air conditioning; high external light levels; high distribution heat losses and standing losses of boilers; underfloor heating designed to operate at too high a temperature and without heavy weight building; controls that do not allow a deadband – so it’s either heating or cooling; no means of heat escape at high level, with windows opening lower down, leading to A/C requirements; server rooms having A/C as standard and so on.  These are all asset issues, not due to occupation.

-    The challenge for refurbishment is understanding the whole building. We need to learn the lessons across the new build to understand the limitations of a refurbishment.

Here’s looking forward to next year’s event…

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Tags:Building, education, event, IES, Modeling, Scotland, Sustainability, sustainable

Just adding a few LED lightbulbs and a low flow toilet does not a sustainable building make. Yes, you will save energy and money over the course of time with these eco-friendly choices, but the most important choices are the ones you make before you even break ground on the building.

Consider this:
During the lifetime of a building, the initial investment of construction represents 20 percent of overall cost. A company will incur the heft of the building’s expense — 80 percent — through its operating cost, says Cary Gampher, of AIA and principal architect with The Architects Alliance. To minimize the weight of that 80 percent, utilizing sustainable design for a commercial remodel or construction is about more than making a few environmentally friendly choices.

{Taken from Jefferson City Magazine}

Looking at these numbers, it’s clear that the actual cost to construct a building is small compared to the lifetime of expenses a building owner will incur. Take, for example, natural light within a building. The impact of lighting on energy usage is enormous. Visual comfort, glare, solar irradiance – these are all factors to consider when positioning a building.

Using an early-stage analysis tool such as our VE-Pro can show you the results of positioning at different times of the year, at different times of day under multiple conditions. Looking at daylighting is also an important consideration to LEED requirements (EQc8.1).

Using advanced simulation and incorporating energy analysis into the entire design process, changes to the design of the building can be made early and often. And that’s how building owners will save on the 80% of the building expenses over the lifetime of the building. But you’ve got to do it from the very beginning.

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Tags:Building, daylighting, design, Sustainability, VE-Pro

It is now only 3 days until the first and only World Green Building Week event taking place in Scotland this year. If you have been following IES across any of our social media then you will know that we have been hard at work preparing for the “Environmental Modelling for a Low Carbon Scotland” event. Well now the programme has been finalised, the wine has been ordered and the thought trees have been built (don’t worry, we’ll get to that later).

We have also started to receive feedback from the questions posted in our previous blog that previewed our event taking place next Monday (16th Sep). One delegate believes the main challenge facing sustainable building in Scotland is “the gap between design and operational targets and modelling.  Although IES can do operational modelling, Building Standards still claim that they specify all assets, whereas they only specify elements of the assets - the specification gap arises.  The emphasis of all those talking about projects they have done should be to discuss the actual energy in operation, not the design targets, I have yet to see an architect quote actual energy consumption.  Bring on DECs”

When responding to the question put forward by Urban Realm (How best can Scotland’s existing buildings be retro-fitted to meet 21st century environmental standards), the delegate answered - “The challenge for refurbishment is understanding the whole building. We need to learn the lessons across the new build to understand the limitations of a refurbishment”.

There will also be plenty of opportunity to express your views at the event itself. Dotted around the venue you will see five ‘Thought trees’ which ask key questions to get the debate flowing. It’s easy to get involved – write your views on the tags and hang them on the trees. Each ‘Tree’ poses a different question, with each of your answers forming a crucial part of the post event discussion.

Any other questions or issues you’d like to discuss? Let us know by using our #tag #LowCO2Scot11 or drop us a line at events@iesve.com.

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Tags:Building, DECs, design, Discussion, event, IES, Modeling, Scotland, Sustainability

Following John’s recent blog post about LEED 2012, I wanted to weigh in with my 2 cents. I find anything written about LEED fascinating. Everyone’s got an opinion, and it’s what keeps our industry fresh.

I recently came across this ed+c article - Middle East Architecture — LEEDing nowhere – and found myself applauding the author on multiple occasions.

For example, this particular line really got me.
“Green wants to embrace everything, and everyone wants to embrace green.”

Romi continues, “But when a definition becomes so overarching, it loses all significance. Architects now depend much on intelligent service systems to make up for their folly and neglect in basic building design. It is unfortunate that these rating systems like LEED, BREEAM; have converted architecture into an accounting exercise.”

Is this what architecture and design have become? Merely an accounting exercise? I think that’s taking it to an extreme. I believe that we are now more aware of the orientation of a building or the CO2 output, and can make changes that are positive for the future tenants of the building. Whether or not it is to achieve LEED status is a non-factor. Our awareness when it comes to the way in which we design buildings is what matters.

I thought Romi’s closing brings us to an interesting point.
“The world needs green buildings a lot more than green buildings need LEED certification. If certifications such as LEED, BREEAM continue to cost too much money, time and effort — we will not stop building green projects; we will just stop certifying them.”

What is/was the goal of the USGBC’s LEED program? If it was to increase awareness, well then regardless of whether or not a building is LEED certified, a better building is a better building.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the topic. I’m always up for a good debate!

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Tags:Architects, BREEAM, Building, design, LEED, sustainable, USGBC