so what? efficiency is a good thing not without consequences need to think about comfort, health,...
TRANSCRIPT
So what?
• Efficiency is a good thing• Not without consequences
• Need to think about comfort, health, productivity
• How do we achieve it• Laws (energy codes)• Voluntary regulation
• What are the barriers to building efficient buildings? (Amory Lovin’s article on web page – please read first 20 pages)
• LEED critique also on web page
Regulating efficiency
• Appliance standards• http://
www.iamu.org/main/energy/applianc/guide.htm
• Energy codes• http://www.sbcc.wa.gov/docs/01WSEC.pdf
• General idea is that society benefits• Lower air pollution• Less distribution issues
Energy Codes
Austin energy code
Conventional Energy Code Compliance Checklist
Glazing percent of gross wall area: 15% 18% 20% 25%
Exterior walls R-13 R-13 R-13 R-13
Floors over unconditioned space R-11 R-11 R-11 R-13
Attics and knee walls R-26 R-30 R-30 R-30
Glazing U-factor (max) 0.75 0.65 0.60 0.52
1.Low-e glass with Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) of 0.40 or less must be installed on the windows; 2.Primary water heater and furnace equipment must not be an electric-resistant heating system and meet NAECA standards; 3.Duct connections must be properly sealed with mastic or approved UL-181A/B tape; and 4.Caulking and weather-stripping must be properly installed
Regulated efficiency
• Builders typically don’t like additional codes
• Save dramatic amounts of energy
• Improve quality of buildings
• Very cost effective
• Why aren’t building codes more widespread?
Voluntary Regulation
• People want to do the right thing
• Enhance corporate image
• Save operating costs
• Not as clearly demonstrated• More productive employees• Lower health care costs
Example – LEED v2.2
• The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings.
• Note recent upgrade from v2.1
http://www.usgbc.org/LEED/LEED_main.asp
LEED™ V.2 • Begins to define “green building”
• Tool to introduce, promote and guide an integrated building design process
• LEED will standardize green design in U.S. and institutionalize integrated design practices
• A compendium of green design elements
• Designed to capture environmental, economic, and human health benefits
• Created for and based on the US commercial market
• Self-assessing system for green buildings
LEED™ V.2
LEED Categories
• Sustainable Sites• Water Efficiency• Energy & Atmosphere• Materials & Resources• Indoor Environmental
Quality• Bonus Points
Certification Levels
• LEED Certified 26-32 pts.
• Silver 33-38 pts.
• Gold 39-51 pts.
• Platinum 52+ pts.
Innovation Credits 4 pts.
AccreditedProfessional 1 pt.
TOTAL POINTS 69 pts.
Examples of LEED™ credits
• Energy Efficiency (pg. 33 in PDF)
• CFC reduction (pg. 32 in PDF)
• Do you think a system like LEED™ is a good idea?
• What problems/issues do you foresee?
Challenges
• Multiple incentives in construction
• Greenwashing
• Substantial fraction of building impact comes from operation
Who conducts the orchestra?
Greenwashing
• A building that is less sustainable than it
appears to be.
• “Green” sells
Green design
• REI Flagship Store (Seattle, WA)• Many green design awards
• Energy efficient operation
• Sustainable material use
Greenwashing
• Does not meet state energy codes• 6 - 30 % above lighting code• Mechanical code violations
• Significant design errors
• Conventional materials for major construction components
• Overbuilt
Further questions
• How does LEED prevent greenwashing? • Can greenwashing be prevented?
• Do voluntary rating systems work?
Operation
• LEED doesn’t address operation and
maintenance issues:
• Scarcity of measured data
• Commissioning
• Pilot standards currently being developed
Predictions
• Energy and water use projections are often
significantly biased
• We overpredict savings/peak reduction
• LEED™ does not verify energy savings
• Take back effect
• Law of unintended consequences
Additional LEED Concerns
• Value engineering of LEED points
• Trading off between quantities that can’t be compared
• Who is at the table?