ASHRAE Journal- September 2008

only for what they can produce. And the cheaper and the faster, the better. As Mr. Harrison notes, experts have concluded that the burning of fossil fuels is permanently and adversely affecting the climate. It follows that agreeing to work on projects that only add to the energy demand (and, thus, to the burning of fossil fuels) strikes me as a hypocritical position. One cannot be against the adding of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere (through the burning of fossil fuels) in the morning, and then in the afternoon work diligently on designing a new 38,000 ton cooling plant that will run on electricity produced by burning fossil fuels. As for the large stock of buildings we already have, it will only make economic sense to retrofit and redesign these buildings to make better use of energy when the work involved has a reasonable payback period. As much as it is desirable to mandate that buildings (and people who own and operate them) use less energy, people will respond most quickly when it is financially advantageous to do so. This may happen when the financial penalties (from fines) are high enough, or when the cost of energy is high enough that increasing the energy efficiency makes it financially ad- vantageous to retrofit and redesign buildings. Just wishing it to happen only wastes time and energy and money. And, as Mr. Lstiburek’s article on “Energy Flow Across Enclosures” points out, not every seemingly obvious retrofit is a good idea, as the insulation that was added to a house led to damage to the building in short order. A one-size-fits-all solution is not likely to be the best idea. Problems require solutions that are well thought through by talented and experienced engineers who are aware of all the factors at a particular building. As much as engineers like to solve problems and work toward elegant solutions, we need to remember that we are almost always spending someone else’s money, and the golden rule applies: he who has the gold makes the rules. Douglas A. Brinkman, P.E., Member ASHRAE, Gaithersburg, Md. Errata In August’s “Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation: Current Best Practices,” Figures 3 and 4 were reversed. A corrected version is available at www.ashrae.org/ashraejournal.                    We Have Big News!! Now available from Fantech: • Power Roof Ventilators • Wall Fans • Air Circulators Fantech Has Acquired Emerson Ventilation Products       Improved Delivery Times Larger Quick Ship Program For more information visit your local Fantech Distributor or call 800-747-1762.       www.fantech.net I M P R O V I N G I N D O O R A I R Q U A L I T Y T H R O U G H B E T T E R V E N T I L AT I O N www.info.hotims.com/19354-36 www.info.hotims.com/19354-24 September 2008 ASHRAE Journal 13 http://www.ashrae.org/ashraejournal http://www.fantech.net http://www.info.hotims.com/19354-36 http://www.info.hotims.com/19354-24

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal- September 2008

ASHRAE Journal- September 2008 Section: Contents Contents Section: Commentary Options for Sustainability Section: Industry News The Silk Route for Energy Solar Thermal Is Unrealized Opportunity Industry Groups Sue City of Albuquerque Section: Letters Letters Section: Meetings and Shows Meetings and Shows Section: Feature Articles Article-Radiant Floor Cooling Systems Article-HVAC Design for Sustainable Lab Article-Mixed Mode Ventilation Article-Single- Design Considerations For Active Chilled Beams Article-Acoustic Design In Green Buildings Article-Teams, Contracts & BIM Section: Building Sciences Some Old Lessons Distilled Section: Washington Report Energy in Federal Buildings Section: Products HVAC&R Product Showplace Section: Emerging Technologies Toplighting & Lighting Controls For Commercial Buildings Section: Special Products Fans & Blowers Section: Classified Ads Classified Ads Section: Advertising Index Advertising Index

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