Going Green in Commercial Construction - More Ideas Than Ever!
GoingGreenResources.com
• The US may soon see its first "green" production studio in Santa Fe. The plans call for the use of recycled building materials, water conservation processes for the interior and exterior, passive heating and cooling, and native landscaping.
• Artificial turf can be found on airport tarmacs in New York, Baltimore, Detroit, Atlanta, Chicago O'Hare and Midway, Boston and Toronto. It is even being used instead of green paint and yellow X signs to mark taxiways. It is great on virtually all unpaved areas and doesn't attract birds and other unwanted animals that might harm planes.
• In Canada wood framed construction may soon be used for six story residences. In the past, shrinkage in the thickness of floor joists tended to compound with each additional story. New technologies, such as engineered wood, can resolve these issues. In Europe, wood-framed condos go up to eight stories. In a recent speech, Premier Gordon Campbell, of British Columbia, told mayors that he wants to support the province's forest industry by allowing the construction of wood-framed condominiums above the current four-story limit. He noted that wood is a sustainable product.
• Orly Airport in France is planning to use geo-thermal energy to cut heating expenses. Two 1,700 foot shafts will be drilled on the perimeter of the airport. Natural pressure will deliver water heated at 74 degrees and then used in the airport heating system. It will go back into the ground at 45 degrees. An estimated 7,000 tonnes of annual CO2 emissions should be saved.
• CBS News reports that Father Charles Morris "spends many afternoons on the roof of the rectory where he sounds more like an electrical engineer than a man of the cloth. He has taken his rectory in Wyandotte, Mich off the power grid and installed high-efficiency light-bulbs and special sun-blocking screens over the windows of his church." Father Morris explained, "What we have right here are eight 80 watt Kyocera solar panels and a 400 watt Southwest air wind turbine."
• All Souls Interfaith Gathering in Shelburne, Vermont "prides itself on being one of the greenest churches in the greenest state." USA Today reports its new sanctuary is "a model of ecological correctness: locally harvested wood, bamboo flooring, compact fluorescent lights and a furnace that will heat the facility using grass, corn or wood pellets. Even the air conditioning is provided by using water from an artesian well."
• Lexus of Las Vegas wasn't satisfied with offering hybrid vehicles. They have implemented many of the principles of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). In the past, up to 45 gallons of water were used to wash each of 150 cars daily. Today, a modern water reclamation system will use only 9 gallons of city water and 36 gallons of reclaimed water. Excess vegetation has been removed. Innovative air conditioning improvements have been made as well. The cooling system goes into "ice mode" meaning that storage tanks full of ice that was generated during the cool night will allow one compressor to run at 50% capacity. Lights have been changed from 32 to 25 watts and motion detectors have been installed in little used areas. An emphasis has been put on reducing or recycling waste such as cardboard, wood pallets and windshields, formerly diverted to landfills. Another resource for going green are the eco-friendly cleaning and liquid products used in the service department.
• The William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum has a "green roof" which is topped with strawberries, ferns, switch grass, roses and other greenery. The layer of soil will also provide insulation and capture rainwater that would otherwise run off. The building recently won a platinum LEED rating. No gasoline powered equipment will be used in maintaining the garden roof, nor will there be any harmful pesticides or fertilizers. It's all organic.
In California, the Deer Park Monastery has a new 66 kilowatt, sun powered electricity system that will provide virtually all the electricity required to keep the lights on and air conditioning humming in its living quarters, meditation hall, dining hall and offices. The monks also have three diesel powered cars that run on 100% vegetable oil.
Fact or Fable? It Is More Economical to Leave Fluorescent Lights on Throughout the Day
The idea of leaving fluorescent lights on rather than frequently turning them on and off no longer holds true. The actual minimum time period between switching is still the subject of great debate, with some stating two to three minutes, and others pointing out that 15-minute intervals should be recommended. The question comes down to actual operating conditions, and if the end user has longer periods of “off” time between uses. The most popular electronic fluorescent ballast today is the instant start ballast, a ballast type that suffers some loss of life with rapid switching. Even with this fact, there are still proponents of turning the lights off for energy savings. According to a 2003 National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) lighting study, “studies have concluded that, even at significantly shortened life, the total life cycle economics may favor frequent switching, especially where energy rates are high.”
The purpose of a ballast is to strike and control the arc within a fluorescent lamp. In addition to instant-start ballasts, there are also rapid-start and program-start ballasts that do not cause as much wear and tear during the short time period needed to strike the electric arc. For older lamps, it may be preferable that these lights be left on for longer, perhaps setting an occupancy sensor for a minimum of 20 minutes in these cases. This would result in a one- to two-year lamp life for a ballast rated at 10,000 to 15,000 start cycles. Newer T8 lamps with electronic rapid-start and program start ballasts have 15,000 to 50,000 start-cycle lives, and should be turned off more frequently for energy savings as stated above.
With regard to energy use during lamp startup, there is a steady low-current draw that is necessary to initiate and sustain the arc for rapid- and program-start ballasts, resulting in an extra 1.5–2 watts of energy consumption per lamp. Leaving a fluorescent light on for an extra two hours will result in higher energy use, and is not recommended when it is not necessary for illumination.
RESULT - Fluorescent lights should be turned off when leaving a room. In specific situations where there is constant entry/re-entry into a room (e.g., a restroom), NEMA recommends occupancy sensors should be set at 15 minute “on time” intervals
Going Green in Commercial Construction - More Ideas Than Ever!
GoingGreenResources.com
• The US may soon see its first "green" production studio in Santa Fe. The plans call for the use of recycled building materials, water conservation processes for the interior and exterior, passive heating and cooling, and native landscaping.
• Artificial turf can be found on airport tarmacs in New York, Baltimore, Detroit, Atlanta, Chicago O'Hare and Midway, Boston and Toronto. It is even being used instead of green paint and yellow X signs to mark taxiways. It is great on virtually all unpaved areas and doesn't attract birds and other unwanted animals that might harm planes.
• In Canada wood framed construction may soon be used for six story residences. In the past, shrinkage in the thickness of floor joists tended to compound with each additional story. New technologies, such as engineered wood, can resolve these issues. In Europe, wood-framed condos go up to eight stories. In a recent speech, Premier Gordon Campbell, of British Columbia, told mayors that he wants to support the province's forest industry by allowing the construction of wood-framed condominiums above the current four-story limit. He noted that wood is a sustainable product.
• Orly Airport in France is planning to use geo-thermal energy to cut heating expenses. Two 1,700 foot shafts will be drilled on the perimeter of the airport. Natural pressure will deliver water heated at 74 degrees and then used in the airport heating system. It will go back into the ground at 45 degrees. An estimated 7,000 tonnes of annual CO2 emissions should be saved.
• CBS News reports that Father Charles Morris "spends many afternoons on the roof of the rectory where he sounds more like an electrical engineer than a man of the cloth. He has taken his rectory in Wyandotte, Mich off the power grid and installed high-efficiency light-bulbs and special sun-blocking screens over the windows of his church." Father Morris explained, "What we have right here are eight 80 watt Kyocera solar panels and a 400 watt Southwest air wind turbine."
• All Souls Interfaith Gathering in Shelburne, Vermont "prides itself on being one of the greenest churches in the greenest state." USA Today reports its new sanctuary is "a model of ecological correctness: locally harvested wood, bamboo flooring, compact fluorescent lights and a furnace that will heat the facility using grass, corn or wood pellets. Even the air conditioning is provided by using water from an artesian well."
• Lexus of Las Vegas wasn't satisfied with offering hybrid vehicles. They have implemented many of the principles of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). In the past, up to 45 gallons of water were used to wash each of 150 cars daily. Today, a modern water reclamation system will use only 9 gallons of city water and 36 gallons of reclaimed water. Excess vegetation has been removed. Innovative air conditioning improvements have been made as well. The cooling system goes into "ice mode" meaning that storage tanks full of ice that was generated during the cool night will allow one compressor to run at 50% capacity. Lights have been changed from 32 to 25 watts and motion detectors have been installed in little used areas. An emphasis has been put on reducing or recycling waste such as cardboard, wood pallets and windshields, formerly diverted to landfills. Another resource for going green are the eco-friendly cleaning and liquid products used in the service department.
• The William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum has a "green roof" which is topped with strawberries, ferns, switch grass, roses and other greenery. The layer of soil will also provide insulation and capture rainwater that would otherwise run off. The building recently won a platinum LEED rating. No gasoline powered equipment will be used in maintaining the garden roof, nor will there be any harmful pesticides or fertilizers. It's all organic.
In California, the Deer Park Monastery has a new 66 kilowatt, sun powered electricity system that will provide virtually all the electricity required to keep the lights on and air conditioning humming in its living quarters, meditation hall, dining hall and offices. The monks also have three diesel powered cars that run on 100% vegetable oil.
Fact or Fable? It Is More Economical to Leave Fluorescent Lights on Throughout the Day
The idea of leaving fluorescent lights on rather than frequently turning them on and off no longer holds true. The actual minimum time period between switching is still the subject of great debate, with some stating two to three minutes, and others pointing out that 15-minute intervals should be recommended. The question comes down to actual operating conditions, and if the end user has longer periods of “off” time between uses. The most popular electronic fluorescent ballast today is the instant start ballast, a ballast type that suffers some loss of life with rapid switching. Even with this fact, there are still proponents of turning the lights off for energy savings. According to a 2003 National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) lighting study, “studies have concluded that, even at significantly shortened life, the total life cycle economics may favor frequent switching, especially where energy rates are high.”
The purpose of a ballast is to strike and control the arc within a fluorescent lamp. In addition to instant-start ballasts, there are also rapid-start and program-start ballasts that do not cause as much wear and tear during the short time period needed to strike the electric arc. For older lamps, it may be preferable that these lights be left on for longer, perhaps setting an occupancy sensor for a minimum of 20 minutes in these cases. This would result in a one- to two-year lamp life for a ballast rated at 10,000 to 15,000 start cycles. Newer T8 lamps with electronic rapid-start and program start ballasts have 15,000 to 50,000 start-cycle lives, and should be turned off more frequently for energy savings as stated above.
With regard to energy use during lamp startup, there is a steady low-current draw that is necessary to initiate and sustain the arc for rapid- and program-start ballasts, resulting in an extra 1.5–2 watts of energy consumption per lamp. Leaving a fluorescent light on for an extra two hours will result in higher energy use, and is not recommended when it is not necessary for illumination.
RESULT - Fluorescent lights should be turned off when leaving a room. In specific situations where there is constant entry/re-entry into a room (e.g., a restroom), NEMA recommends occupancy sensors should be set at 15 minute “on time” intervals