Sustainability Is Survivability
Greenhouse Solar Plan, June 24, 2007
....Sustainability can offer significant proven savings in energy costs, water costs, building costs, lifecycle costs, running costs and labour costs whilst greatly improving value with a minimum initial outlay. Research by the BCA for the new regulations coming into force in May 2006 indicates the following: The building sector is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse emissions 21% of Total (RIS for increasing Energy Efficiency of Housing, Feb 12 ,2006) The DTS provisions of the BCA add relatively little to construction costs- between .06% - 2% (RIS for increasing Energy Efficiency of Housing, Feb 12 ,2006)... more..

Energy efficiency begins as you build
The Record (Ontario, Canada), June 23, 2007
Outside cold can easily travel through the typical wood-framed wall to create uncomfortable cold spots inside, called 'thermal bridging'. To achieve maximum energy efficiency, there is technology to substantially reduce energy costs and consumption. As importantly, there are also advancements to achieve even temperatures by eliminating drafts, cold spots and dampness throughout your home. "The answer is in the attention-to-detail as you build," says Todd Blyth at Nudura Corporation, a leading name in building systems. "Technology does exist to reduce the temperature exchanges that cause thermal bridging and this detail starts with concrete walls, not wood..." more..

Going Green: Architect says, "Look at geothermal"
Michael Jones, Gaylord Herald Times, June 23, 2007
When asked which energy-efficient features he would include in his dream house, without hesitation Gaylord architect Tad Latuszek tells you a geothermal heating and cooling system would be at the top of his list. “If you do one thing, I would say look seriously at geothermal. The savings will be the equivalent of taking two cars off of the road for each year of use. It’s kind of a win-win situation for the homeowner.” Born and raised in Gaylord, Latuszek graduated from Lawrence Technological University’s School of Architecture, then 18 years ago made his way back to Gaylord. For the past six years he has been incorporating “green building” features into his residential and commercial designs for customers. more..

Build green for many benefits
Dan Farrell, The Olympian, June 18, 2007
Green building is about creating healthier, more comfortable and more efficient places to live, work and learn. It’s about thinking carefully about the materials and resources we use to build and operate our homes. Green building also is about saving money, which everyone agrees is important. Today, many green buildings and homes don’t look different from conventional buildings. While it’s more important than ever to save energy and use recycled materials, indoor environmental quality, durability and market value also are important considerations. Rather than consider these as separate goals, green building is an integrated approach that can improve performance in all of these areas. more..

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Solar Commercial Market Applications Become Viable
TodaysFacilityManager.com, June 18, 2007
According to a new report from Energy Business Reports entitled, "Solar Power Commercial Market Applications from Energy Business Reports," more and more industries are adopting solar power projects to reduce their energy usage and costs. The report outlines 14 case studies of commercial uses of solar power, and features profiles of major industry participants. This report on Solar Power Commercial Market Applications looks at the various applications of solar power in a range of industries. This report examines the future use of solar power in commercial applications including transportation, solar towers, agriculture, and outer space. more..

"Help me, don’t tell me …."
Christian Kornevall, EEB Blog, June 18, 2007
I was delighted to be invited to be one of the opening speakers at the recent General Assembly of EURIMA in Budapest. Eurima is the European Insulation Manufacturers Association. It represents the interests of all major mineral wool producers throughout Europe. Their products have very good thermal properties and are therefore key to improving energy performance in buildings. I was asked to present a global perspective on energy efficiency in buildings and set this in the context of the stalled international climate negotiations, stressing the urgency for action to tackle climate change. The issue has moved so fast during last year and we seem to have reached a tipping point. I pointed out that the present CO2 emission curve is already to the left of the famous business-as-usual scenario curve. In other words the task of achieving target carbon dioxide concentrations is even bigger than we thought. more..

BASF Announces the Launch of High-Performance Communities Website
The A to Z of Building, June 11, 2007
BASF announces the launch of www.highperformancecommunity.com, a website designed to define and present a BASF High-Performance Community by chronicling the lives of the Jones family -- proud new owners of a high-performance home in a sustainable neighborhood. Through interactive animated vignettes, visitors learn about the benefits of living and working in a community that is optimized by BASF chemistry. These benefits include affordability, energy efficiency, resistance to natural disasters, environmental responsibility, healthier indoor environments and design freedom. more..

Incentives give Edmonton builders reason to go green
Business Edge, May 4, 2007
It's becoming cheaper for Edmonton builders to go green. New incentives from the City of Edmonton are geared to defraying permit costs and spurring builders to become a part of the environmentally friendly Built Green program. The rebates, part of a three-year program, will vary depending on the Built Green level achieved. Though the amounts are small - $100 for a bronze-certified single-family home, $200 for the silver level and $450 for gold - officials believe it will make a difference. "We believe it will help to remove any objections from a builder as to why they should become a part of this (program)," says David Bengert, president of the Calgary-based Built Green Society of Canada...more..

New Technology in the Window Industry
Double Glazing Insulating Glass Blog, March 31, 2007
The window industry survives and grows as a result of advances in various areas, particularly those that are related to the design and manufacturing of windows. The definition of "new" technology is arbitrary; however this paper will review developments in the window industry that resulted from advances in physics and engineering. Several advances have occurred that have an impact on the thermal resistance, surface temperature, solar characteristics and structural performance of windows. Because of the importance of windows in the building envelope, considerable attention has been given to improving their design and performance. more..

Building Envelope
USDOE - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, July 8, 2004
The building envelope is a critical component of any facility since it both protects the building occupants and plays a major role in regulating the indoor environment. Consisting of the building's roof, walls, windows, and doors, the envelope controls the flow of energy between the interior and exterior of the building. The building envelope can be considered the selective pathway for a building to work with the climate-responding to heating, cooling, ventilating, and natural lighting needs. For a new project, opportunities relating to the building envelope begin during the predesign phase of the facility. An optimal design of the building envelope may provide significant reductions in heating and cooling loads-which in turn can allow downsizing of mechanical equipment. more..

Integrated design intent: remember the big picture when you do your DID
Heat Exchangers Information, March 23, 2007
The basis of a strong commissioning program has always been a strong design intent document (DID). Commissioning has also been a process focused on building "systems" as opposed to individual pieces of equipment. As such, most of the DIDs I've seen over the past few years have been organized in terms of systems--i.e., one section for the HVAC system, one section for the fire alarm system, one section for the lighting system, and so on. This is a great improvement over the first generation of DIDs, which were organized around pieces of equipment--fans, pumps, heat exchangers, generators, transfer switches, light fixtures, etc. more..

Building a low-impact life of plenty
Globe and Mail, March 23, 2007
Tom Knezic and Christine Lolley pushed sustainability to the limit on their first project together. In the process, the architects also decided to get married -- GANANOQUE, ONT. -- Tom Knezic waves at every passing car as he drives up to the house in Gananoque he built with fellow architect Christine Lolley. "You have to wave," says Mr. Knezic, smiling about the obligatory small-town gesture. "But Christine is better at it." The Toronto-based pair are certainly not unknown in the Eastern Ontario town; they lived here for a year while working on the project -- a new home for Ms. Lolley's parents, James and Brenda. It was the first built project for the two architects, who focus on designing homes with tiny environmental footprints. more..

Building Science Basics
By Kenton Shepard, ActiveRain Corp, March 22, 2007
Your Home is Alive and Breathing -- IT HIDES BENEATH YOUR FLOOR: It's always down there under the floor. Most of the time it's quiet and leaves you alone, but every once in a while, especially if you've ignored it for a long time, it may seek a way to remind you that hey! It needs a little occasional attention! It's that word "occasion" that gets to most of us, because it's often not a happy occasion, that reason which forces us to go down into... the crawlspace. Since solutions to crawlspace problems vary according to location, rather than try to provide one explanation which will apply to all crawlspaces, we'll discuss the forces that effect crawlspaces and through them... the living space. Your goal in approaching the subject of crawlspace conditions is to manipulate moisture, temperature and environmental hazards to create a safe, comfortable home environment. more..

Building Envelope Testing: Move cursor over photo to view thermographic image.

Facts - Insulation
House renovation on a budget, March 18, 2007
Insulation can be one of the most important factors in achieving energy efficiency in a building. It works primarily to slow the flow of heat through a building envelope, but it also can seal the envelope, preventing outside drafts and air leakage from unconditioned spaces, thereby maintaining indoor air quality. Insulation not only saves money by reducing heating and cooling loads but also is a key factor in achieving comfortable living and working spaces....All insulation is rated according to its resistance to heat flow, measured in units of R-value in the United States. The inverse of thermal resistance is conductance, referred to as the U-value (U = 1/R), which in the US is measured in units of Btu/square foot-°Fahrenheit-hour. more..

Building Envelope checklist for managers
Journal of Commerce, March 19, 2007
Expectations: Building managers have the unenviable task of balancing the capital reserve with all the costs associated with today’s complex building envelope systems. As presented by the authors at this year’s Buildex show in Vancouver, the best tool for today’s building managers is a building-specific capital plan that is correlated to a database housing the key information for each building, including: Capital plans should have all major building envelope components delineated, complete with installation date (if not original), estimated service life, and logging of any problems; Maintenance, with the associated cost & scope of work, should be captured for each major building envelope component; Warranty coverage and expiry dates (such as waterproofing or thermal panes); Water leakage, if it occurs, should be documented in detail, including... more..