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To be truly sustainable, a building needs to last in excess of 100 years, and current design regulations and sustainability rating systems only require you to design against weather data that represents at best the next decade or so. Sustainable designs really need to make some assessment of the impact of climate change on determining built form suitability for the long term.

Therefore, I thought I’d take this opportunity to expand on my recent Weather Design and Data blog.

IES cannot tell you what is going to happen, however there is huge consensus around a 3oC global warming target as you will have no doubt heard. What does this mean to building design?  It seems reasonable to assume investors and insurers will consider this target and what it might mean for buildings in the future.

Let us take the CIBSE published UK weather predictions for a medium-high climate change scenario, which represents about a 3oC rise, and consider London, by far not the worst location in climate change terms, over the next 70 years.

Just glancing at the headline information you see that:

• The summer is extending and getting hotter in the Mahoney analysis (monthly average);

• The reduction in heating degree days -31% from now to 2080;

• The growth in cooling degree days + 65% from now to 2080;

• The climate classification shift – mixed humid to warm marine;

• How built form design focus shifts to be dominated by summer issues.

Just from this brief overview you can start to see how selecting and comparing weather data, especially climate change impacts, can allow you to assess fundamental built form suitability and its ability to adapt to climate change over the long term.

For locations outside of the UK this analysis is possible using morphed data from any epw weather file; a free tool allows you morph climate change scenarios worldwide.

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Tags:Building, CIBSE, climate, free, IES, Sustainability

In Architecture there is a persistent organic theme of using the environment to inform both urban and built form; obviously vernacular architecture is a demonstration of this, but in the latter half of the 20th century people have explored this theme in more detail, such that cause and effect is well explained.

In the past, greatest interest in this theme has occurred at times of energy crisis and now with climate change high on the global political and social agenda, there is a real demand for solutions that are climate responsive and adaptive to climate change.  Some of this is taught in Universities and so has a familiarity especially to Architects.

The main reason why Bio-Climatic analysis has not been applied extensively in the past is due to the breadth and depth of the subject and the fact that the logic is somewhat fuzzy.  Manually doing it properly is complex, difficult and very time consuming.  Thus few have been able to master it and turn it to everyday use.  However, the desire to utilise Bio-Climatic analysis is still alive and kicking.

Over the past few years, IES have researched this subject globally and developed the logic to a level where we can automate it, and have consequentially developed a Bio-Climatic tool, which we recently launched.

As part of the evolving VE Gaia product, Bio-Climatic analysis is used in conjunction with other Gaia tools to provide a rich source of knowledge about weather / climate data and the built environment.  It delivers complex knowledge and analysis about what may be appropriate design strategies by providing a detailed list of suggestions appropriate to the specific climate data chosen.

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Tags:Architects, bio-climate, Building, climate

Recently I have been looking at the weather data we use for dynamic simulations using the Gaia rapid analysis tools. When you consider what we used 10 years ago these datasets are a huge increase in resolution, but ….

The attached graphic shows a Mahoney analysis (this looks at monthly trends) of the CIBSE current & climate change weather files for London; you can easily see the progression over time in the climate …. the change in heating and cooling degree day data (HDD & CDD) and the increasing summer season is stark …. but there are inconsistencies in the data, the 2050 data being a case in point.

Overall this should be sufficient cause for building professionals to at least carry out a risk analysis on the robustness of their designs for + 50-80 years hence i.e. the correct fundamental form plus the ability to adapt, but we must accept that the data we use is much closer to the raw edge of science than it ever used to be and it will evolve with the science !

Richard Quincey

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Tags:Building, CIBSE, climate

On April 22, 2010, the ‘Global Day of Conversation’ engaged more than 500 mayors and locally elected officials around the world in separate conversations within their local communities on issues of climate, energy and sustainability. This Global Day of Conversation illustrates the commitment of millions to make the natural environment a priority for 2010 and beyond.

However, with the arrival of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, the United States has failed to enact a comprehensive climate bill. The Earth Day Network insists Congress enacts climate and clean energy legislation in 2010.

On Sunday, April 25, Earth Day Network and partner organizations organized a massive climate rally on the National Mall, Washington DC. With the participation from thousands, The Climate Rally is a chance to be heard on climate legislation and tell Washington;

“It’s time to enact climate and clean energy legislation.”

The Climate Rally also featured live music from Sting, John Legend, The Roots, Jimmy Cliff, Passion Pit, Bob Weir, Willie Colón, Joss Stone, Robert Randolph and many more.

The White House Response
Washington, D.C. – On the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, Vice President Biden announces the selection of 25 communities for up to $452 million in Recovery Act funding to “ramp-up” energy efficiency building retrofits. However, more than $3.5 billion in applications were received for the just over $450 million in Recovery Act funds available, an eight-fold difference, indicating significant demand for investment in energy-saving and job-creating projects like these across the US.

The selected projects for a retrofit ramp-up are available by clicking here.

On a final note, Earth Day 2010 is a pivotal opportunity for individuals, corporations and governments to join together and create a global green economy. Please get involved and let every day be an earth day!

Liam

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Tags:Building, climate, earth day, Environment, Sustainability

There is a great diversity of climate zones across the planet. Each climate zone presents its own particular challenges for the architects and engineers of the design team. High humidity year round with a small diurnal range presents a challenge to human comfort in the humid equatorial climate zone. At the other extreme, sub zero temperatures in cold regions present an entirely different obstacle. Looking to the past, at the indigenous architecture in each region, we see a remarkable level of ingenuity in design. Before the luxuries of central heating and air conditioning, people used the very form of the building as their only means to control conditions inside the building. The traditional igloo allowed people to survive in an inhospitable climate which offered little in the way of building materials. Utilising the principal that hot air rises, the sleeping area was situated on a raised platform inside the igloo. The thick snow walls insulated the occupants from the sub zero temperatures outside and protected them from the biting wind.

No less ingenious is the traditional Malay house which has an entirely different set of challenges to overcome. Large levels of openable area help keep the house well ventilated, while the overhanging roof functions as a solar shade.

All across the world, the vernacular architecture shows a wonderful degree of congruence with the climate in which it is found. Contrast this with the modern urban skyline where generic high rise apartment and office blocks replace the highly specialised, climate specific designs of the past.

Building form is now more a result of function than climatic conditions. The inventions of central heating and air conditioning represent a great achievement in allowing us greater levels of indoor comfort and flexibility in design.

However, the energy used to condition our buildings represents a significant portion of global C02 emissions. Whilst technological advancements have delivered ever more efficient heating and cooling solutions, there perhaps remains scope for improvement in the external form of the buildings themselves. Lessons can be learned from the climate specific designs of our ancestors. With the benefit of tools and technology which did not exist for the indigenous builder, we can take inspiration from their designs to create buildings better suited to their environment. If we can control climate as much as possible utilising the form of the building alone we reduce the energy expended using mechanical methods, thus helping us towards the goal of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.

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Tags:Architects, Building, climate, Engineers, Environment, reduce

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

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

Yesterday, the UK Green Building Council’s chief executive Paul King urged architects and builders to reduce carbon emissions as a result of the built environment by 50 percent by the year 2020 (BD Online). At the annual conference in London yesterday, he said, “We have the technology and the know-how in the industry, but we haven’t managed to mainstream these yet.”

According to the UKGBC, buildings are responsible for 44 percent of the UK’s CO2 emissions, a number that needs to be drastically reduced if we hope to solve the global climate crisis. Following our recent attendance at Greenbuild , we know people are on board with change. But what is it going to take to get us there?

Read our PDF research paper on “Building Simulation as an assisting tool in designing an energy efficient building: a case study” to understand our take on how you can start to incorporate these techniques and technologies into the design process right from the early stages.

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Tags:Architects, Building, climate, Environment, Greenbuild, reduce

‘Sustaining our Future by Rebuilding Our Past’ – The title of the presentation given by ASHRAE President Gordon Holness, and the highlight of the recent annual ASHRAE Presidential event in the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Westminster, London. This was a joint meeting with CIBSE, ASHRAE Group and the IMechE CBSD.

The current ASHRAE President firmly believes that energy efficiency in existing buildings is the key to a truly sustainable future… and with existing buildings being responsible for 40% of primary energy consumption in the US, you can see why. 

One of the most fascinating things about this presentation was the ability of Gordon Holness to produce detailed facts & figures at will. He has clearly been preaching the role of the existing buildings and their impact on our environment for quite some time now… Kudos!

Personally I believe to achieve an energy efficient existing building; we must first understand its complexity. I also believe that along the critical path to achieving an energy efficient existing building, we must first encounter its ‘virtual building’. Once calibrated, the virtual building with BIM will be the key to the design, redesign or retrofit. The existing building landscape as I see it is as below.

Bottom line: In this economic climate, achieving an energy efficient existing building can make all the difference to maintaining commercial survival or increased financial prosperity.

By the way, it is said that 75 – 80% of all buildings that will exist in 2030, exist today! I wonder how much of an issue carbon tax will be in 2030!

Liam

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Tags:BIM, Building, climate, Engineers, Environment, Sustainability

As a regular visitor to the west coast of Ireland on the pursuit of catching some of the finest surf on the planet I have experienced firsthand the potential for wave generated energy in Ireland. Just so as not to confuse any of our US west coast bloggers surfing in Ireland isn’t the glamour’s Kelly Slater version you would be more accustomed too, I’m talking 5mm wetsuits, gloves & even face masks!…

Due to Ireland’s geographical location, on the downwind side of the Atlantic Ocean in the region of prevailing south-westerly winds, Ireland’s coastline is exposed to one of the most vigorous wave climates in the world. This climate gives the Irish west coast, from Malin Head to Cape Clear, among the highest coastal wave power levels in the world.

Over the last 2 years many companies/research bodies have tested wave energy technology on the SEI (Sustainable Energy Ireland) wave energy test site off the coast of Co. Galway. testing has lead to the conclusion that wave energy generation is commercially feasible, test results have shown that the Irish governments wave energy generation target of 500mW by the year 2020 is achievable. Test results show that when a single full-scale turbine is connected to the national grid it would generate sufficient power to provide electricity for over 1,200 houses per year. Apart from the obvious green benefits associated with wave generated energy the harnessing of wave energy will create a considerable amount employment in those parts of Ireland scourged by unemployment.

On a final note wave/tidal energy technology is not a new idea in Ireland as I have recently discovered, it can be traced back as far as 601A.D where tidal energy was used in a simple mechanical system to grind wheat for making bread, so I guess you could say we haven’t really come that far  in the last 1400 years!

Keep the slabs coming!

Kieran

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Tags:climate