The quest to have projects LEED®-accredited continues to grow each year. For some building owners, the goal is to simply reach "certified" status, while others strive for silver, gold, or platinum level certification. We are sailing uncharted waters in this process, so Engineered Systems magazine and I are going to help you stay the course. As a part of the new ES Blog, we are going online with a "Sustainable & Attainable" series to provide a practitioner's guide to energy and environmental achievement.
The wireless storm that blew out of the windy city at this year's AHR Expo is forming connectivity clouds on our horizons. Is this a change in the weather? I am not sure. A change in our industry? Absolutely. The excitement that was in Chicago is spreading across the country, following the crowd to BuilConn in Palm Springs.
Like your math teacher may have told you, it’s important to show your work. After all, nothing’s more frustrating than doing all the work for a LEED certification, only to be declined because you can’t demonstrate that you did one piece of the work. Here's one tip, plus a downloadable sample stamp from RDK's own process.
The largest ever AHR Expo 2006 in Chicago was a kaleidoscope of change, powered by the windy city itself. The energy and feeling of the transition into a new era was everywhere. Industry synergy abounded and the feeling of all the pieces fitting together was never greater. When I returned from this event, I wrote down 10 observations that I formulated at the show, which I call "My 10 Takeaways from AHR Expo, Chicago," and which appear on the AutomatedBuildings.com website
When designing an energy conservation system, it is important to be able to collect the operating data so that actual ROI can be monitored and measured against the estimated ROI. The design engineer needs to work closely with the facility engineer to determine what metering and control components are required in order for the facility engineer to do his job efficiently. The same can be said for specifying the expansion of an existing CMMS system so that planned maintenance workorders are available on day one of occupancy.
For years, consulting engineers would blame the ATC contractor when systems did not operate as designed or as hoped. Blaming the ATC contractor seemed like an easy target, since the design engineer probably used the ATC firm's standard sequence of operation within their contract specification and abdicated the responsibility for the system to work to the ATC contractor in the construction phase.
Sustainable & Attainable - Issues & Concerns. Welcome to Sustainable & Attainable, our effort to open up communication with our readers about sustainable design, responsible construction, and maintainable facility operation in the spirit of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, commonly known as LEED®.
Engineered Systems' next big venture is their first ever Building Automation Conference in Baltimore, March 8th and 9th. For the last sev-eral years, there has been a growing interest in printed articles, supplements, and columns like this one about building automation.