Optimizing Energy Use in Sustainable Corporate Interiors
The New York Urban Green Council held their monthly High Performance Green Building Salon this past Thursday, with topic being optimization of energy use in sustainable corporate interiors.
The presenters were:- Pat Sapinsley, AIA LEED AP, senior Associate, Good Energies,
- Steven South, LEED AP BD+C, Project Designer, Perkins and Will
- Shoshanna Segal, LC, IESNA, IALD, LEED AP, HLB Lighting Design
A major one of their investments has been Sage Electochromatics, on which I have a blog entry in late 2008 or very early 2009. Sage has perfected a superior gazing system that by the use of electronic changes to the glass tinting dramatically reduces solar gain when it not wanted.
The Sage product that was described in ASTM tested, and lets in heat when needed, while providing for a range of transmissible light as high a 62% down to as little as 3%. This has the effect of reducing and controlling glare, a major issue in occupant comfort, as well as a LEED credit factor in the area of Indoor environmental quality. This glazing system can be programmed to respond to the solar patters that effect the particular building it is used in. The glazing system does need some energy to perform its electro chromatic changes, as well as to retain them, when in operation. To initiate the change, .28 watts per square foot (S. F.) are needed; while to retain the change, only .10 watts per S. F. are needed. It is expected that by 2011, Sage will have this glazing system in sizes up to 60 inches by 120 inches. In terms of the ASTM tests, it has performed flawlessly at a range of 30 years with 90 cycles per day FAR MORE than any building would EVER need during its life cycle expectancy. Only one or two changes per day would be needed in reality. The air space is one-half inch with argon gas fill. The only drawback is that in areas that now require anti-ballistic glazing coatings in the post 9/11 era, the system cannot be used at the present.
The second area covered by the team was energy use controls. COFRA / Good Energies has invested in the area of Smart Grid and Meter controls. This application has been used in the residential area to alert homeowners to their energy usage and allow them to make wiser choices, as well a providing for remote control via an i-Pod like device.
A second area of investment has been the Tendril Product Interface. This system allows the utility to, upon customer enrollment, to communicate with the user's energy system main and actually dump loads during critical periods. In exchange, the customer gets a rebate from the utility. This system works via broadband communications, and can use thermostats, computers, outlets, or even mobile devices to execute the load dumping.
Ice Energy is another one of COFRA / Good Energies investments. I also have a blog entry on this dating back to July, 2009. This allows for cooling to be stored in the form of ice at night, during lower outdoor ambient temperatures, and lower periods of electrical demand. This allows a building to use only a fan to cool during the peak usage daytime periods, which in turn, shifts loads away from the critical peak periods. While not really intended to save energy, it does provide some savings, in that the ice creation is done at night, when the ambient temperatures are lower, meaning more BTU"s per kilowatt hour are obtained. This load shifting eases the peak demand, which in turn, has two benefits: less likely brownouts, and less of a need for new power plants to built. Also, it probably reduces smog, as it is during the sunlight hours that most smog is created when power plants are running, especially the dirty coal-fired ones.
COFRA / Good energies has all the above mentioned technologies in their projects, and also emphasizes daylight harvesting, perimeter office layout design, light sensors, re-directing up to 82% of construction waste from landfills, as well as 42% of materials obtained from locally manufactured sources and 98% FSC certified wood.
At this time, COFRA / Good Energies recognizes the value of LED lighting, but does not feel that the efficacy of them is strong enough for wide spread application; thus they have concentrated on the use of linear fluorescent, combined with light colored floors and walls, as well as the use of perimeter office layout with interior glazed partitions for daylight. Their experience has shown that daylight harvesting does NOT always guarantee a LEED daylight and view credit; one of their projects that they showed us, while seemingly very well lit was denied the credit, as it could NOT meet the strict 75% area coverage as prescribed by LEED.
Regarding the use of sensors, the placement at North, South, East, and West in the New York City area is NOT always adequate, as the factor of shadows from adjacent buildings is a major player here.
Lastly, but NOT LEAST was the mention of curtailable Ballasts. These ballasts, which control lighting fixtures, can communicate with the utility to respond to demand reduction needs from the utility. COFRA / Good Energies has invested in LUM Energy that produces such a product. Phillips also has a product on the market.
COFRA's / Good Energies projects come in with a .75 watt per S. F. power consumption, which is 24% BELOW present code. While this is very good, one member of the audience told me after the presentation, that this is now standard practice for sustainable design. In addition, we must also keep in mind ASHRAE Standard 189.1, the high performance building standard that aims for a 30% reduction from that of their Standard 90.1, which is the basis for almost all national and local codes.
Posted by Alan L. Englander at 3/21/2010 1:37 PM 
Categories: Ice Storage, Perimeter Office Floor Plan, Interior Gazing for Partions, Load Dumping, Renewable Energy, Utility Interface Controls, Light Sensors, Meter Controls, Electronic Glazing Systems, Smart Grid, Daylighting and Harvesting
Categories: Ice Storage, Perimeter Office Floor Plan, Interior Gazing for Partions, Load Dumping, Renewable Energy, Utility Interface Controls, Light Sensors, Meter Controls, Electronic Glazing Systems, Smart Grid, Daylighting and Harvesting
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