US Energy Dept.'s New Video on Energy Efficient Designs and Retrofits for Commercial Buildings

The U.S. Energy Department just put out its newest informational video release – Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings – as part of its Energy 101Video Series.

While the video focuses a lot on taking a holistic approach to energy efficient design planning in new constructions, it also has a lot of ideas that can be retrofitted into both existing commercial and residential buildings with little expense.

These ideas are important, especially for commercial buildings, because the department says that, “About 20 percent of all the energy we use in the U.S. today goes to power commercial buildings, like the offices and schools we use everyday.”

The Energy Department said that depending on the level of energy efficient design implemented in a new construction or retrofitted into an existing structure, these “buildings can be up to 70 percent more efficient than conventional commercial buildings.”

One of the easiest approaches that can be taken to reduce energy costs in both new constructions and existing buildings, whether commercial or residential, is daylighting – the practice of using natural light to illuminate building spaces. To make the most use of the concept, there are some important aspects of daylighting to understand.

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Report Shows Cost Benefits of Green Buildings Including Increased Productivity of Employees

Shattering the old myth that green buildings cost too much to construct and expenses are never fully recouped, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) has published a report highlighting just the opposite.

Image courtesy of arabianindustry.com.

The report explores the benefits of green building construction through looking at aspects of the industry including: design and construction costs, the perception gap, operating costs, green retrofits, asset value, and workplace productivity.

Jane Henley, CEO of WorldGBC, said in an overview of the report that, “Today, green buildings can be delivered at a price comparable to (or cheaper than) conventional buildings, and investments can be recouped through operational cost savings,” and with the right design features, can create more productive workplaces.

Most of the costs in the report related to architectural design and consultant fees, as well as construction costs, referring to building structures, not site acquisition.

Actual cost premiums have been taken from a wide variety of building types, including: offices, homes, schools, warehouses, banks, supermarkets, health centers, community facilities, academic buildings, and public buildings.

The report showed that increases in upfront costs have been found to be proportional to the increased level of environmental certification, with more aspiring projects, such as those that aim for ‘zero carbon’ performance, showing a 12.5 percent increase in design and construction costs compared to a conventional building.

But for the majority of green buildings, the cost typically ranged from less than zero percent to four percent higher based on studies published within the last ten years.

In addition, the report found that higher levels of certification (such as BREEAM Very Good, LEED Silver/Gold, and Green Mark Gold/Gold Plus) were shown to range from zero percent to 10 percent higher cost, while the highest levels of BREEAM Excellent, LEED Platinum, Green Mark Platinum, and ‘zero carbon’ ranged from two percent to 12.5 percent higher cost.

The report also suggests a number of ways to reduce the construction costs of green buildings, including hiring an experienced design and construction team and using an integrated design process, which goes from the pre-design phase through post-occupancy. This involves adopting green strategies and including them in the budget from an early stage to avoid more expensive bolt-on strategies.

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Ikea Grows Sustainability Initiatives with New ‘People & Planet Positive’ Strategy

Ikea, which has been working for a number of years to increase its energy efficiency, while at the same time preserve the environment, has just released a new sustainability strategy, People & Planet Positive.

The strategy incorporates a new set of goals expected to be achieved by 2020, including converting all lighting to LED that the company expects will last for 20 years and use up to 85 percent less electricity.

Ikea also says that it’s working on “becoming energy and resource independent, which includes producing as much renewable energy as is consumed in Ikea Group stores and buildings,” including allocating $1.8 billion (€ 1.5 billion) to wind and solar projects.

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Energy Efficiency Course For Owners/Operators of New York City Multifamily Buildings

It’s a little short notice, but starting this Thursday, April 26, a 10-part course on how to lower your building’s energy costs and water bills will be offered by GreenHomeNYC and the Urban Assembly for Green Careers in Manhattan.

Graphic courtesy of Solar1.org.

The classes will be held every Thursday night and can be taken individually or as a complete package, and it’s not too late to register.

Promoted at the Green Festival this past weekend, the course is ideal for building owners, managers, coop/condo member, supers, bookkeepers, comptrollers, or just anyone who wants to learn more about how multifamily buildings function, and steps they can take to reduce costs.

“Multifamily buildings in NYC use 3-6 times more energy and water per square foot than our single family counterparts, and very simple steps can help you reduce those costs.  This class is not designed to sell you products, but rather, to walk you through a sensible series of steps and make a plan to reduce your costs,” said GreenHomeNYC.

The classes are designed for attendees with introductory to mid-level knowledge of building operations. The classes will be instructed by building specialists who will teach the classes to high school students from 5-6 p.m., and then teach the classes again from 6-8 p.m. in a more advanced form.  

It’s advised that if you have no starting knowledge or need a refresher, then you should come to the early classes. If you already have some knowledge, then come to the 6 p.m. classes. 

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WTC Complex to be Largest Gold Certified Green Urban Project in United States When Completed

As construction on the World Trade Center complex continues, developer Larry Silverstein spoke at a recent B’nai B’rith real estate luncheon about the progress being made. 7 WTC is now the first part of the complex to be fully leased and occupied, after 9/11.

The financial firm MSCI just signed a 20-year lease for 125,000 square feet in the tower’s top floors. The building’s other tenants include: the Brain Trauma Foundation, the New York City Academy of Sciences, Moody’s Corp., and the German bank WestLB

7 WTC is the first building in New York City to receive the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Gold certification.

Some of 7 WTC’s green design features include:

1 WTC (Freedom Tower) under current construction. Stock photo.

• Direct daylight for more than 90 percent of its regularly occupied space, and daylight dimming controls.
• High-efficiency plumbing systems that reduce water consumption throughout the building by at least 30 percent.
• The use of paints that are low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
• No use of ozone-depleting HCFC refrigerants.
• A requirement that at least 50 percent of the building’s wood is certified as sustainably harvested.

Silverstein told those at the luncheon that “all of the buildings on the finished site will be LEED Gold-certified, and the complex will include a performing arts center by Frank Gehry, a new transportation hub, and public space covering 50 percent of the site.

“When completed, the WTC complex will be the largest sustainable and secure urban project developed in the United States.”

Right now, 80 of the 104 floors of 1 WTC (the Freedom Tower) are completed, and Silverstein said that “the project is single-handedly keeping the local construction industry afloat.”

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