Engineered Systems - February 2008 - (Page 64) Issues&Events Commercial Building Initiative gains speed, support The Commercial Building Initiative, a new public/private consortium dedicated to achieving zero net energy commercial buildings by 2030, drew a standing-room-only crowd for its informational meeting at the New York Hilton on January 22. The CBI vision for supporting and driving industry technology, policies, and practices toward this goal was laid out in presentations by Steve Selkowitz (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, LBL), Paul Ehrlich (founder of Building Intelligence Group and ES advisor/author), and Bruce Hunn (ASHRAE director of research and technology). Selkowitz acknowledged the challenge of CBI’s ambitious target but cited the group’s dedication to emphasizing the opportunities in such work, citing the Henry Ford quote, “If I had asked people what they want, they would’ve said faster horses.” The group, which has received some funding from the 2007 Energy Bill, will work on taking the pulse of the industry, creating a sustainable practices argument driven by the business case for such behavior, making performance visible and understandable, and focusing on the facility owner and operator perspective in motivating the industry. The CBI was technically founded in 2006 as a joint exploration involving the Alliance to Save Energy, ASHRAE, LBL, the USGBC, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. The group welcomes owners, financiers, manufacturers, regulators, engineers, and other industry stakeholders to participate and invites all to learn more at http://buildings.lbl.gov/cbi. Industry News Rupp Industries, Inc. announced a change in ownership and a change in its name, TEMP-AIR, Inc., after an investment group purchased the 42-year-old company following several months of negotiation with Rupp Industries’ previous owners. Big Ass Fans donated $22,757 to ASHRAE research focused on ASHRAE Standard 55 – Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy. The Grundfos Group, with headquarters in Denmark, acquired Peerless Pump Company, an Indianapolis-based manufacturer of pumps and fire protection systems, effective December 1, 2007. buildings can re-certify annually if feedback on building performance reviews and budgets is necessary. The LEED-EB O&M improvements include expanded sections on energy efficiency, water efficiency, and green cleaning, with ratings sections organized by type of green issue. Opitz said the goal of the revision was to further realize the USGBC’s vision of creating healthier buildings that are better for employees, less costly to operate, and less taxing on natural resources, making green building benefits go straight to the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profits. Nordyne wins AHR Expo Product of the Year Nordyne’s 23-SEER air conditioner with iQ Drive™ was honored as “Product of the Year” at the 2008 AHR Expo. The unit is designed to continuously monitor and modulate capacity to match the cooling requirements and provide comfort, quick response, low noise, and maximum efficiency, according to the manufacturer. The iQ Drive system’s inverter technology continually adjusts to the outside temperature to provide efficient, quiet operation. A panel of judges consisting of ASHRAE members selected for their exceptional knowledge of the industry and its products, reviewed, and evaluated all submissions. Product entries were judged for innovation, application, value to user, and market impact. ASHRAE pursues sustainability standard, offers Design Guides for free download The New York City winter meeting included a “sneak peek” of a high-profile work in progress, ASHRAE/USGBC/IESNA Standard 189.1P, a sustainability standard providing minimum requirements for the design of green high-performance new commercial buildings and renovation projects. At a press event at the Javits Convention Center, ASHRAE president Kent Peterson, P.E. and others put the project in context within the organization’s larger effort to encourage net zero energy in commercial buildings. Standard 90.1 vice chair Steve Skalko said, “Foremost is ASHRAE goal of improving the energy efficiency requirements in Standard 90.1,” work that aims to provide guidance for achieving 30% energy reduction over current levels. As for Standard 189.1, it goes beyond typical Standard parameters by addressing elements such as site selection and transportation options in the vicinity. After receiving 900 public comments in the first public review period, ASHRAE expected that the Standard’s second public review would commence shortly after the Winter Meeting’s conclusion. More immediately, the Society announced that in addition to selling hard copies, it will make all of the Advanced Energy Design Guides available for free download at www.ashrae.org. The new guide for K-12 schools joins earlier installments for small offices and warehouses. Scheduled topics for these guides toward 30% energy reduction include highway lodging, health care, and existing buildings. ES LEED®-EB O&M retools, revamps After a year’s effort by the LEED®-EB core committee, a new and improved version of LEED-EB O&M is now available, according to Mike Opitz, P.E., LEED AP, director of LEED implementation for the USGBC, at an educational session held at the AHR Expo in New York City on January 22. The new rating system features streamlined reporting, fewer prerequisites, greater focus on O&M rather than construction, ease of scale for use in greening larger building portfolios, and more rewards for environmental performance. According to Opitz, the new version has moved from prescriptive credits to performance credits and is an ongoing certification process. “This LEED element is unique to LEEDEB because it is a measurement of how green you are doing,” Opitz said. Recertification is required at least once every five years, although 64 En gi neer ed S y stem s February 2008 http://buildings.lbl.gov/cbi http://www.ashrae.org
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