Engineered Systems - November 2008 - (Page 6)

Editor’sNote BY ROBERT BEVERLY THE BAILOUT BUYS Into Efficiency Change we can believe in: Congress, Bush extend energy-related incentives. “The light in this place is really bad Any minute now, I expect to wake up from a dream …” That’s what Bob Dylan was singing as I started working on this month’s column (the song is “Dreaming Of You” from the Tell Tale Signs outtakes set; enjoyable if you like late-era Dylan). Maybe Bob’s in some bar. Or maybe he’s peering around, trying to put his eyes on the now-evaporated chunk of his stock portfolio. (I’d say 401k, but I’m thinking “troubadour / rock icon” is probably more of an independent contractor position.) What’s for sure is that as of this writing, the Dow is down 2,000 points since I wrote last month’s column, although that doesn’t really being to convey the full drama of the story, does it? Neither of us needs a full recap of what became H.R. 1424, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. But you should know that for those in the business of helping buildings perform better, the measures tacked on to guarantee H.R. 1424’s safe passage through Congress included a silver lining in the way of extended tax credits and other incentives. EXTENDING CREDITS, SPEEDING DEPRECIATION This law extends a bunch of federal tax credits that originally were part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and makes other modifications, affecting both commercial and residential properties. Beyond credits that encourage upgrading the most traditional equipment, the bill contains specific incentives for CHP systems, biomass, and geothermal heat pumps. Smart meters and smart grid systems also get a welcome boost. For a good summary of what building owners will find most interesting, the “Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Tax Deduction,” here’s a bit from www. redgreenandblue.org: Extended through December 31, 2013. Section 179D(a) is a deduction for commercial building owners whose buildings meet certain energy standards. The deduction is as much 6 En gi neer ed Sy stem s as $1.80 per square foot for buildings that achieve a 50 percent energy savings target. Section 1331 provides that a building owner may claim a tax deduction for expenditures made as part of a building designed to reduce the total annual energy used in the operation of the building. Building owners can claim a tax deduction of up to $1.80 per square foot of building area for the installation of systems that reduce the total energy and power costs by 50 percent or more when compared with a reference building. The building systems eligible to secure the tax deduction include: 1. Interior lighting systems. 2. Heating, cooling, ventilation, hot water systems. 3. Building envelope systems. That’s pretty good stuff. Owners and everyone who works for them should know about these opportunities and dig around to see how they might be plugged into upcoming projects. LIGHTING THE WAY Then again, maybe Dylan was singing about a character who works in an office that is in woeful need of a new lighting strategy. That’s the kind of situation our latest Green Intelligent Building supplement intends to correct. This time around, we’ve devoted the supplement to lighting and assembled a few industry experts to weigh in on certain subtopics. Lighting controls in daylight areas, how to best integrate lighting control in the BAS portion of the project, retrofitting older buildings with wireless sensors, and scaling systems for different building sizes … these are key ideas, and together they offer a nice mosaic within the big picture of lighting capabilities and building performance. ONLINE EXTRAS When you’re done with this issue’s GIB, don’t forget to check out our additional Web-only GIB content. Larry Leete of Light Corporation was a presenter at our Dallas conference, and this month, he contributes a column about the hidden benefits of upgrading from the common 19th-century wiring topography to a 21st-century lighting scheme. It’s another component in the illuminating argument for efficiency, so drop by www.greenintelligentbuildings.com and take it in. ES ES Webinars All webinars are free. Registration and archives at http://webinars.esmagazine.com DECEMBER 17 Back2Basics, Vol 5: 3-Story Dormitory Howard McKew, P.E. and Amanda McKew Sponsored by Danfoss Industry Calendar NOVEMBER 12-13 AFEC Conference 2008 Advanced Facilities Management & Engineering Conference Denver. For info, visit www.afec.biz. NOVEMBER 16-18 AHRI First Annual Meeting Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute Carlsbad, CA. For info, visit www.ari.org. White Papers Available at www.esmagazine.com “Green-Up HVAC & Cooling Tower Systems While Obtaining More LEED NC & EB Credits” from Air Solution Company “Grease Ducts Will Never Be The Same: Major Code Changes” from Metal-Fab, Inc. November 2008 http://www.greenintelligentbuildings.com http://www.greenintelligentbuildings.com http://webinars.esmagazine.com http://www.afec.biz http://www.ari.org http://www.esmagazine.com http://www.redgreenandblue.org http://www.redgreenandblue.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Engineered Systems - November 2008

Engineered Systems - November 2008 Contents Editor’s Note HVAC Challenge Back2Basics Case In Point Commissioning Building Automation HVACR Designer Tips Show Me The Motor Money The IAQ Top 10 Putting A Damper on Tragedy Special: Lighting Controls Computers & Software Products Glossary Classifieds Advertiser Index Tomorrow’s Environment

Engineered Systems - November 2008

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