Greg Zimmerman - All Comments

re: Will You Lose LEED Certification for Poor Energy Performance?

Bernie Daily — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:18:45 GMT

I would perceive the INTENT of this process as optimizing the use and design of a building's operation.

If a system is in place to monitor energy usage it is more important that the building owner is losing money due to increased energy consumption.

Identified inefficiencies should be considered as "poor" performance and addressed as such. Correct the things which drain your money.

Identified changes of HVAC or building use use show a lack of insight on the part of the planners if it happens early. If a business plans a 9-5 operation and goes to two shifts the added consumption could hardly be called poor performance.

re: Will You Lose LEED Certification for Poor Energy Performance?

drewmcd — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:48:39 GMT

If LEED certification does not mean that a building is energy efficient, then why do we call it LEED (Leadership in Energy...Design)?

Seems to me that we totally missing the point of LEED. We're good salespeople selling a lousy product if we're not invested in energy.

re: Ten Lessons from Germany: Don't be "Energetic Stupid"

amy — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:23:34 GMT

I like the artical you have write, learned much in it. Thanks.

What can we do to save energy, and save the world? I believe that doomsday will come eventually, because human explode and destroyed too much in this world, but I hope it won't arrive soon.

Believe it or not, energy efficient buildings depends much on energy-saving lights, and LED light will be the first option.

I have a web, there are many different kinds of LED light there: www.fobsun.com .

re: What, Really, is a Net-Zero Energy Building?

Greg Zimmerman — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:02:13 GMT

@David, Mark - Thanks for your suggestions. I'll definitely look into both!

re: What, Really, is a Net-Zero Energy Building?

David_Katz — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:04:36 GMT

In addition to the energy efficency, on site renewable energy and purchase of the REC, the building needs an energy management system to manage it's load and participate in the Demand Response programs coming to our SMART GRID. The Continental Automated Building Association www.caba.org has two members now on the NetZero Building Initiative and we would be pleased to provide you with info on how our members building automation and information technology are all part of the solution.

re: What, Really, is a Net-Zero Energy Building?

MajorMark — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:25:04 GMT

Our local NAPE chapter (National Association of Power Engineers) hosted a presentation by Ed Brzezowski, President and Founder of Noveda Technologies, in December of this past year. Ed's company has some very innovative approaches when it comes to the compilation of energy measurement and validation data and serving it up in a useful format. One of the feathers in Ed's cap, was his development of the very first net-zero electric commercial building in the country. Read about it at this link: noveda.com/.../115.

A very open and entertaining guy, I am sure that Ed would like to hear from you on this.

re: What the heck is evidence-based design anyway?

SJO — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:36:40 GMT

We have been dealing with occupancy research and building performance since the 70's as the nation's only multi-disciplinary architectural consulting lab. in 1998, we founded a national workplace research group, called the Open Plan Working Group(OPWG), and in 2008, we founded an architectural research group called the Architectural Research Consortium(ARC). This was founded to support evidence based design. For many years, we have acted as owners reps and on architectural design teams to represent building performance and occupancy research. Our experience would suggest that about 1% of architecture is seriously interested in EBD and that most facilities managers and clients do not know of the concept, outside of the medical field, where it is quite popular, but not very well practiced.

I would be pleased to discuss this with you in more detail. I posted two notices on this site with regard to one of our research meetings and regarding ARC.

my.facilitiesnet.com/.../5302.aspx

re: Will You Lose LEED Certification for Poor Energy Performance?

Greg Zimmerman — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:39:44 GMT

No, but it doesn't NOT mean a building is energy efficient - and in fact, chances are pretty good that it is.

re: Will You Lose LEED Certification for Poor Energy Performance?

GGomez — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:34:53 GMT

A LEED certification does not mean that a building is energy efficient.

re: Will You Lose LEED Certification for Poor Energy Performance?

IEQ_Health — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:58:00 GMT

If you US GBC is moving towards requiring performance assessments of buildings, the ventilation and moisture management performance should be included as well to make sure that the intended healthy indoor environment is actually being achieved. This performance assessment can be achieved by simultaneously monitoring carbon dioxide and dew point at multiple locations in the building.

David W. Bearg, PE, CIH

re: House Passes Historic Climate Bill

John Christoffersen — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:59:26 GMT

Yeah, they passed it in the House. So lets hang on to our Muk Luks because if they pass it in the Senate we are all in for the biggest TAX INCREASE in the history of our country. I have read most of the finer sections of the bill and I am astounded in the lack of rational thinking. Building codes are about to be changed so rapidly that construction will screech to a halt. I truly believe in saving our planet, but lets be reasonable and let our country get back on an even keel before we do such drastic remodeling of our world. We here in California are saddled with some of the most unrelenting restrictions known to man when it comes to building and construction, and they want us to be a model?? We are broke, kaput, out of funds and mostly because of restrictions and laws regarding environmental concerns. Pray and Pray loudly that your states do not ever have to adhere to California building codes, just for the sake of the enviornment. If it wasn't for the earthquakes here, I would probably move out (kind of nice to feel the earth move once in a while). Watch this bill very close.

re: House Passes Historic Climate Bill

Ed Humble — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:46:36 GMT

They're fast tracking alright, here is why:

online.wsj.com/.../SB124597505076157449.html\

I believe we all know we MUST move away from fossil fuels regardless of your position on Global Warming. Let's do it through INCENTIVES rather that than taxation in an already crippled economy.

Let's not repeat the mistakes of the past:

en.wikipedia.org/.../Great_Depression

seekingalpha.com/.../105002-lessons-from-the-great-depression-and-one-of-the-biggest-tax-hikes-in-u-s-history

www.econlib.org/.../GreatDepression.html

re: AIA 2009: Behind Enemy Lines?

MikeJL — Mon, 04 May 2009 23:56:44 GMT

I have worked through several from the ground up building projects and numerous tenant improvements. In my experience the issues are more complex than owners or users knowing the right questions or having a feasible vision of the project. Often the issues that drive a facilities decision are only partly related to the physical plant, or involve a number of compromises that are considered before the architect is brought in to the project. There are also the variables that the architectural firm brings to the table. Working with a smaller firm often means working start to finish with a principal, with the ability to more easily have an evolving project definition and a more collaborative process. Working with a large firm, particularly one with the full spectrum of services under one umbrella may involve a number of different firm personnel involved throughout the project cycle. Unless there is a well considered and articulated vision with that type of process there seems to be a strong potential for miscommunication, high fees and lots of occasions when the perspectives of the different parties will need to be reconciled.

This doesn’t even begin to address an owners/users issues around land and building availability, employment base, transportation, the range of entitlement issues in different locations and decisions about initial capital investment versus lifespan costs (and for that matter, decisions about what any given lifespan may be). These factors, among many others, can create a big picture that leads to frustration for those parts of the team with a more specific focus.

In the best of all worlds, there is enough time to put together the project team, develop a vision, a basic time and event line, perform pre-project diligence and create broad metrics for performance and success. In that same ideal world, there will be an in-house, experienced project manager that will only have one job to do, and that job will be the new facilities. Unfortunately, it too often feels like playing catch-up on at least part of the process, and the project manager usually has at least their regular job to do in addition to the new facility project.

re: Tenants and Landlords: Piecing Together the Split Incentive

John Cockerill — Sat, 02 May 2009 16:23:55 GMT

You have hit one of the nails on the head. Every time I talk to a landlord with seperate tenants they have answered the problem with the 1970's solution. "Split the heating and let the tenant pay for it. What do I care?"

Now we have greenhouse gases. Will the government make them analyse that they are using more fuel with many heating plants in the buildings. Many of these plumbing dreams (for the contractors) will have to be rearranged to minimize the building efficiency objective.

The best way is to have the landlord minimize his energy use and then he is more competetive in the rental marketplace.

re: Tenants and Landlords: Piecing Together the Split Incentive

ScottZ67 — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:27:00 GMT

Their is no question that the focus around the country is on reducing expenses due to decreased revenue/profit. This is true in the business world as well as in the individuals own financial situation. So, it is a short step for tenants looking to save money to find locations that operate more cheaply (Read: more Energy Efficient). They can power this vehicle called "Energy Efficiency" by demanding real cost savings for space they lease and the landlords can steer it in the proper direction by doing what is necessary to provide a lower cost option. The quickest and most obvious way to lower tenant costs is to first use low/no cost options to lower lighting and HVAC utility expenses such as turning them off more regularly when not needed and purchasing more energy efficient items for these utilities than the ones already purchased for normal replacement and maintenance.(Flourescent, L.E.D. lighting and ballast, high efficiency motors for equipment and other energy efficient options) This concept of energy efficiency can be driven further by landlords doing larger upgrades and improvements by keeping their focus always on reducing the utility expenses in the building These are things the tenant sees a cost savings from without a reduction in services and amenities. The Landlord wins by attracting tenants in a highly competitive market. The advantage being, LOWER COST. The current economic conditions around our country present the ideal opportunity for tenants and landlords alike to utilize this new vehicle called: Energy Efficiency. It is an obvious choice that focuses on better decisions by the landlord and better decisions by the tenants. The outcome is a much more stable relationship that is beneficial to both.