Consulting-Specifying Engineer - November 2008 - (Page 10)

In The News CSE welcomes a new editorial advisory board member Financial incentives for homes that use geothermal systems Image Courtesy of WaterFurnace International Inc. C onsulting-Specifying Engineer welcomes Doug Evans, PE, to its editorial advisory board for the rest of 2008 and into 2009. Evans, a fire protection engineer, has been with the Clark County Building Dept. for more than 16 years. Evans’ knowledge of fire protection includes suppression systems, detection and alarm systems, elevators, fire-resistive construction, exiting, hazardous materials, fire testing, fire modeling, secondary power supplies, and an understanding of the appropriate codes and standards. His specialization is review of code alternates/performance-based designs, smoke management systems, grease duct enclosures, product listings/applications for use within structures, foam plastics as building materials, and unique interiors. In 1999, Evans authored an interpretative guide to the smoke control provisions outlined in Section 905 of the 1997 Uniform Building Code. That document has been updated to correlate with the 2000, 2003, and 2006 editions of the International Building Code. Evans wrote “Cities under one roof”, page 24, in the October issue of Consulting-Specifying Engineer, an article that discussed the coordination of active and passive fire protection systems for mega-projects. Evans has experience in review, comment, and approval of fire protection plans for a wide range of issues and building types, including malls, atria, arenas, mega-resorts, and office towers. He is a member of the NFPA and a fellow of the SFPE. Evans serves on several professional committees and is licensed as a Fire Protection Engineer in California and Nevada. ome and commercial building owners that install geothermal heating and cooling systems are now eligible for federal tax incentives under the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008. Passed in Congress at the beginning of October, the act is part of the economic recovery package. The act offers a one-time tax credit of 30% of the total investment for residential ground loop or ground water geothermal heat pump installations, with a maximum credit of $2,000 for a single residence. Additionally, the legislation provides a credit of 10% of the total investment, with no maximum credit for commercial system installations. In order to qualify for the tax credit, residential systems must meet Energy Star requirements. The legislation is retroactive to residential systems installed after Dec. 31, 2007, and to commercial systems installed after Oct. 3, 2008. Building owners must complete the Renewable Energy Credits subsection on their 2008 tax returns to apply for the credit. H New reports note the potential for millions of green jobs he global effort to combat climate change could result in millions of green jobs over the coming decades, according to a recent study conducted by The Worldwatch Institute, with funding from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Green Jobs Initiative. The study, “Green Jobs: Towards Decent Work in a Sustainable, Low-Carbon World,” discovered that the projected global market for environmental products and services will double from $1.37 trillion to $2.74 trillion by 2020, with half of the market dedicated to energy efficiency. The study also indicates that the energy supply sectors will have environmental, economic, and employment impacts, particularly the renewable energy sector and those related to buildings, transportation, industry, agriculture, and forestry. According to the study, 2.3 million people have been employed by renewable energy jobs in recent years. The projected investment of more than $630 billion by 2030 will translate into more than 20 million additional jobs. In October, the U.S. Conference of Mayors released a report that the U.S. economy generates more than 750,000 green jobs in the current market, and that number could grow to more than 4.2 million jobs. T A major concern described in the UNEP report is the lack of green jobs for the estimated 500 million youth who will need work over the next 10 years. The pilot “Green Collar Jobs Training Program” in Santa Fe, N.M., addresses the issue. The program enlists six at-risk youth to spend the summer working with local businesses to learn green skills such as retrofitting low-income housing, installing solar hot water heating systems, and applying innovative green building techniques. The City of Santa Fe, Santa Fe Business Alliance, and YouthWorks collaborated to create the program, which could serve as a model for other cities. Engineering, legal, research, and consulting jobs dominate green jobs in the United States. However, in the future renewable electricity production will create 1.23 millions jobs, alternative transportation fuels will add 1.5 million jobs, and building retrofits will create another 81,000 jobs. New York City, followed by Washington, D.C., Houston, and Los Angeles are the major metropolitan areas with the highest number of green jobs. 10 Consulting-Specifying Engineer • NOVEMBER 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Consulting-Specifying Engineer - November 2008

Consulting-Specifying Engineer - November 2008 Contents Viewpoint News M/E Roundtable Comissioning Lighting Controls Prevent Plugholing: Smoke Control Done Right Commercial Geothermal Heating and Cooling System Design Codes &�Standards Case Study New Products Equipment Lifecycles Advertiser Index Green Space

Consulting-Specifying Engineer - November 2008

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