Consulting-Specifying Engineer - August 2008 - (Page 14) In The News EDITED BY PATRICK LYNCH, contributing editor NEWS AT A GLANCE •U.S. Dept. of Energy Associate UnderSecretary for Energy Richard F. Moorer announced the launch of the EnergySmart Hospitals initiative to increase the use of energy-efficient technologies in hospitals across the United States. The EnergySmart Hospitals initiative will target 20% improved efficiency in existing hospital facilities and 30% improvement over current standards in new construction. • A team of scientists from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands have harnessed energy from the wind by doing what kids do best—flying kites. By flying a 10-sq meter kite tethered to a generator, they are producing up to 10 kW of power. Washington, D.C., rules in favor of full disclosure of Energy Star scores he DC Council unanimously passed the Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008, which includes the benchmarking mandate that building owners annually reveal Energy Star scores. The mandate officially makes the District of Columbia the first U.S. city to require annual energy benchmarking in buildings. The mandate will require commercial property owners to generate and Energy Star efficiency score for their building using free online tools. The District Dept. of the Environment then makes the score available to the public. “It’s the old Peter Drucker quote: ‘You can’t manage what you don’t measure,’“ said Cliff Majersik, the program director for the Institute for Market Transformation, Washington, D.C. In 2010, the benchmarking provision will take effect. Commercial buildings of 200,000 sq ft or more will report Energy Star scores, and the size T requirement will drop each year by 50,000 sq. ft until 2013, when all commercial buildings of at least 50,000 sq ft will require benchmarking. All district-owned buildings of at least 10,000 sq ft will begin reporting scores next year. Now, with escalating energy prices and a slumping economy, Washington’s benchmarking provision could be a harbinger of a greater national focus on energy efficiency, Majersik said. New York City is considering standard benchmarking legislation for commercial buildings, while Minnesota recently set a statewide goal to earn the Energy Star label for 1,000 commercial buildings in the next two years. Ohio and Denver, have both pledged to benchmark municipal facilities. And about the same time the Washington provision kicks in, California will require property owners to disclose Energy Star scores to prospective buyers, lessees, or lenders prior to a building sale or other transaction involving their property. EVENTS •Oct. 5-7: Building Commissioning Assn. Conference and Expo, Hyatt Regency Long Island at Wind Watch Golf Club, Long Island, N.Y. www.bcxa.com •Oct. 1-3: World Energy Engineering Congress, Gaylord National Convention Center, Washington, D.C. www.energycongress.com •Oct. 16-18: AMCA International 53rd Annual Meeting. The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa, Savannah, Ga. www FOR MORE NEWS STORIES GO TO: Flack + Kurtz reassembles several top positions at the firm W .amca.org SP Flack + Kurtz, New York, has announced a series of senior management transitions. David Cooper, PE, LEED AP, is the new president and CEO, replacing Randy Meyers, PE, LEED AP, who will return to his role as senior vice president in the San Francisco office. Previously the managing director of the New York office, Cooper will continue to lead the firm from that location. An employee of WSP Flack + Kurtz since 1981, Cooper’s management group brings more than 80 years of experience to the firm. In addition, Cooper is a member of Consulting-Specifying Engineer‘s editorial advisory board. Other changes at Flack + Kurtz include the expansion of the role of Mark Belgarde, PE, executive vice president, from the director of the San Francisco office and western region to firmwide COO. Susie See, PE, LEED AP, executive vice Cooper president, will become the managing director of the San Francisco office, and John Bredehorst, PE, LEED AP, will become the managing director of the New York office and be elevated to executive vice president with a seat on the board of directors. WWW.CSEMAG.COM 14 Consulting-Specifying Engineer • AUGUST 2008 http://www.bcxa.com http://www.energycongress.com http://www.amca.org http://www.amca.org
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