Wednesday, December 21, 2011

AIA Seattle










AIA Seattle, the Seattle Chapter of American Institute of Architects, with partners BetterBricks, the City of Seattle, and Architecture 2030 present AIA+2030 Professional Series: Prepare for the New Energy Future.

The AIA+2030 Professional Series helps design professionals create buildings that meet the ambitious energy efficiency goals of the 2030 Challenge. Ten four-hour sessions offer strategies to reach 60% reduction in fossil fuel greenhouse gas emissions, giving design professionals the knowledge and leverage to create next-generation, super-efficient buildings—and provide firms with the skills that will set them apart in the marketplace.

Sessions assume participants have an intermediate understanding of the suite of energy efficiency strategies and technologies available to a design professional. Session information is cumulative and aims to provide an overall understanding of specific design strategies and how they can be integrated to provide optimal results. Regional and National case studies will illustrate concepts and lessons learned. Experts from both academia and active practice will lead the sessions. Participants will be provided tools to take back to their firms to help share and implement the knowledge and skills gained.


WHERE:     Seattle City Hall, Bertha Knight Landes Room, 600 4th Ave, Seattle, 98104

WHEN:       Jan 27, 2012  Session 1: The 2030 Challenge: setting + achieving energy goals with integrated design   
                        Feb 24, 2012  Session 2: Getting to 60: the power of targets + load reduction                          Mar 23, 2012  Session 3: Accentuate the positive: climate responsive design
                  Apr 20, 2012  Session 4: Skins: the importance of the thermal envelope   
                        May 25, 2012  Session 5: Passively-Aggressive: employing passive systems for load reduction  
                        Jun 22, 2012  Session 6: Illuminating savings: daylighting and integrated lighting strategies  
                        Jul 20, 2012  Session 7: Right-sized: equipment and controls for super-efficient building system  
                        Aug 17, 2012  Session 8: Site power: renewable energy opportunities  
                        Sep 14, 2012  Session 9: The hand-off + staying in shape: operations, maintenance + education  
                        Oct 12, 2012  Session 10: Putting it all together: achieving 2030 goals on the project and at the office

REGISTER BY:             January 18, 2011

TIME:                            All sessions: 8.30am-12.30pm

REGISTRATION
LINK:                            www.aiaseattle.org/aiaplus2030
    
COST:

10-session package (Note:  Classes are not available separately):
$800 AIA members
$400 AIA associates
$1,200 ASHRAE & CRGBC Members
$1,800 Non-members

In order to maximize group learning and information transfer, session attendance will be limited to 65 seats. 


Moderator:                     Tom Marseille, WSP Flack + Kurtz

CONTACT:                    Cassandra Delaune, (206) 448-4938 ext. 106, cdelaune@aiaseattle.org

MODERATOR
Tom Marseille, Managing Director of WSP Flack+Kurtz in Seattle.

Tom is a member of the USGBC/ASHRAE/IES Committee that published the first ANSI-accredited high performance green building standard. He sits on the International Living Future Institute Board of Directors. Tom has worked as an Energy Science researcher at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and an energy consultant in Chicago. As a Director at Honeywell, he developed an energy information services business serving clients with 1000s of buildings. His specialties include high performance design, HVAC, total cost of ownership analysis, existing building performance optimization.



MANY THANKS TO OUR AIA+2030 SPONSORS


Friday, December 16, 2011

ASHRAE - Government Affairs Update


Good day and welcome to ASHRAE's Government Affairs Update. Along with the Government Affairs Webpage, these periodic updates feature information on government affairs-related activities of interest to ASHRAE members and others interested in the built environment. Archives of previous updates are available from the Government Affairs Webpage (http://www.ashrae.org/advocacy). 
Please pass this information on to interested colleagues who also may subscribe from the ASHRAE Government Affairs Webpage. Should you wish to unsubscribe, information appears at the end of this Email.

If you have any recommendations regarding content, or have questions about or would like to participate in Washington Office activities, please contact ASHRAE Government Affairs staff at (202) 833-1830 or WashDC@ashrae.org

ASHRAE Government Affairs Update, 12/16/2011
  • Congress Nears a Down Payment on New CBECS
  • Congress Passes National Defense Bill – Requires New Report on Standards 189.1-2011 and 90.1-2010 for Military Construction and Repair
  • DOE Releases New Version of Energy Modeling Software
  • Workshop Held on DOE’s Proposed Commercial Building Energy Asset Rating Program


Congress Nears a Down Payment on New CBECS
Unless plans unravel, today (or shortly thereafter), Congress will pass a funding deal that combines several bills into a single package, and averts a partial government shutdown. Tucked away in this massive, near $1 trillion bill, which President Barack Obama is expected to sign into law, is a down payment to conduct the next edition of the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS).

Conducted about once every four years, CBECS is a national sample survey that collects information on the stock of U.S. commercial buildings, their energy-related building characteristics, and their energy consumption and expenditures. The Survey is administered by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and is a prime example of one of those little known programs that underpin several public and private sector buildings programs and activities. For instance, CBECS data help form the basis for understanding the patterns of energy use, are used by ASHRAE’s standards, and are utilized by the ENERGY STAR Buildings program, ASHRAE’s Building Energy Quotient (Building eQ) building energy labeling program, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Existing Buildings, Green Globes®, and many others.

ASHRAE and the building industry have been relying on CBECS data that is nearly a decade old (the latest data is from 2003), and without assistance from Congress, a new CBECS would not occur, and because there is no other survey like it, the needed information on building energy use could not otherwise be easily obtained. As a result, ASHRAE has been leading a coalition of building industry stakeholders to work with key Members of Congress to help ensure that a new CBECS is conducted.

For additional information, please contact ASHRAE’s Washington Office at WashDC@ashrae.org.


Congress Passes National Defense Bill – Requires New Report on Standards 189.1-2011 and 90.1-2010 for Military Construction and Repair
This week Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (NDAA). President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill into law. The NDAA requires the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to issue a new report on the energy efficiency and sustainability standards used by DoD for military construction and repair. This report will include a cost-benefit analysis, return on investment, and long-term payback for ASHRAE Standard 189.1-2011 Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010 Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver, gold, and platinum certification, as well as LEED volume certification. Other, non-specified, American National Standards Institute-accredited standards may also be examined in the report as well.

ASHRAE assisted the House and Senate Armed Services Committees in drafting the ASHRAE building standards section of this bill, and many of our recommendations were incorporated into the final bill. ASHRAE has already reached out to DoD staff to begin understanding how this report may be assembled, and will be involved with the report, to the extent possible.


DOE Releases New Version of Energy Modeling Software
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently released the latest version of its building energy modeling software EnergyPlus, which calculates the energy required to heat, cool, ventilate, and light a building. EnergyPlus is used by architects and engineers to design more efficient buildings, by researchers to investigate new building and system designs, and by policymakers to develop energy codes and standards. Advanced physics calculations within EnergyPlus allow it to model a wide range of residential and commercial buildings and HVAC system types, including passive building designs and low-energy systems.

EnergyPlus v7.0 features many enhancements and has 25 to 40 percent faster execution speeds on a wide variety of models. EnergyPlus is a part of DOE's strategy of Building Energy Modeling (BEM), a key technology that helps achieve DOE's mission of significantly reducing energy consumption in new buildings and retrofits. In addition to helping architects and engineers find low-energy building designs, BEM is used in the development of building energy efficiency codes and standards, in the creation of energy design guides, in the certification of building energy performance, and other applications. EnergyPlus v7.0 is available free of charge for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. Source code licenses are also available. For additional information, please see the DOE press release.


Workshop Held on DOE’s Proposed Commercial Building Energy Asset Rating Program
Last week the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) held a workshop on their proposed Commercial Building Energy Asset Rating (AR) Program. ASHRAE attended this two-day meeting, and previously submitted comments to an earlier request for comments from DOE. ASHRAE’s comments can be viewed at http://www.ashrae.org/advocacy/page/1348. Click on the link titled “ASHRAE Comments to DOE on DOE’s Development of a Voluntary National Asset Rating Program for Commercial Buildings”, under the Letters and Testimony section of the Webpage.

DOE expects to issue a request for information on the design of their pilot AR Program in late February/early March, and to begin the pilot in April, 2012.

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ASHRAE Washington Office
1828 L Street, NW * Suite 906 * Washington, DC 20036
(202) 833-1830 * fax: (202) 833-0118 * washdc@ashrae.org
http://www.ashrae.org/advocacy

Thursday, December 15, 2011

TEGA - January 2012


You are invited to attend the January ASHRAE TEGA presentation.  Register via http://tegajanuary12.eventbrite.com to reserve a place.



A Variable Refrigerant Flow Heat Pump System

Case Study
& Pointers for Future Designs

by Duane Lewellen


January 17, 2012
Noon to 1:00

901 5th Avenue, Seattle
5th Floor Conference Room

As part of a major renovation of a medium sized office building in Chehalis, Washington, split-system constant-volume air-to-air heat-pumps were replaced with VRF ductless, heat recovery heat pumps.  The existing air distribution system became a dedicated outside air system with heat recovery. 

Energy performance comparisons are now available from computer models of the existing and proposed systems, as well as submetering performed as part of an EPRI national study.  Five months of data are currently available.   This talk will offer the audience specific insights derived from the Chehalis project, as well as general guidelines designers will want to follow to avoid any common pitfalls in VRF retrofits.

Mr. Lewellen is Vice President of RICE Group, Inc., a Mechanical and Energy Engineering consulting engineering firm located in Lynnwood, Washington.  Mr. Lewellen has been with the RICE Group since 1992 and has 30+ years experience in commercial building energy management.  Mr. Lewellen is a member of the International Code Council, the Association of Energy Engineers, the Building Commissioning Association, and the US Green Building Council. Mr. Lewellen’s credentials include Certified Energy Manager, Association of Energy Engineers, LEED Accredited Professional, USGBC, and Energy/Mechanical Plans Examiner, International Code Council. Mr. Lewellen is Lead Instructor for the Building Operator Certification program administered by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council and is a part-time Instructor at Edmonds Community College.


Puget Sound ASHRAE Chapter
TEGA:  Technical Energy & Government Activities Committee

This event is free, and everyone is welcome. 
Lunches are not provided, but you may bring one with you if you like. 
There is a cafĂ© located off the lobby as you come into the building. 

Monday, December 12, 2011

Washington State Building Code Council

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Energy code TAG Meeting Scheduled



the next Energy Code Technical Advisory Group meeting is scheduled on Thursday, December 15, 2011, at 9:30 a.m. at the Seattle offices of NBBJ.



For information on how to join via telephone, please contact Krista Braaksma at (360) 407-9278.


The  Agenda can be viewed on our website at https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/apps/sbcc/default.aspx or through this link.


There is also a meeting scheduled for January 5, 2012 to look at hte commercial portion of the energy code, but a location has not yet been confirmed. An announcement on the location and and a meeting agenda will be sent out next week.


If additional information is needed, please contact staff at (360) 407-9280.  
  

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Washington State Building Code Council


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Mechanical, Ventilation and Energy Codes Committee reviews petition for emergency rule



At their December 12, 2011 meeting, the MVE Committee will be reviewing a draft response to Cascade Energy’s petition for repeal of the cold storage warehouse requirements in the 2009 Washington State Energy Code. A copy of that draft response can be viewed on the Council’s website here (https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/apps/SBCC/File.ashx?cid=1566).



For information on how to join via telephone, please contact Krista Braaksma at (360) 407-9278.


The MVE Agenda can be viewed on our website at https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/apps/sbcc/default.aspx or through this link.


If additional information is needed, please contact staff at (360) 407-9280.  
  

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Seattle DPD Energy Code and Conservation Advisor


As many of you know, John Hogan has retired from the City of Seattle DPD. He forwarded the following email regarding his replacement as the Energy Code and Conservation Adviser:

Below is an announcement from Jon Siu that I’m forwarding.
-          DPD will provide an e-mail address and telephone number for Duane when those are determined in January.

John (Hogan)

*************
DPD is very pleased to announce that we’ve hired Duane Jonlin to fill the position of Energy Code and Conservation Advisor.   This position (previously filled by the now-retired John Hogan) is responsible for helping formulate the City’s policies regarding the energy code, developing the Seattle Energy Code, and influencing the direction of the national energy codes.  

Duane is a licensed architect and (now former) principal at NBBJ Architects here in Seattle, where for the past 14-plus years his job has been to oversee the program that ensures the projects designed by the firm comply with the construction codes.  In coming to DPD, Duane knows his focus will be much more limited than his previous job, but he also knows there is a lot to be done in the energy code arena, and wants to make a difference, not just for now but also for the future.  From talking with Duane, we believe he brings a passion for this work with him, plus a great balance of vision and practicality—he wants to advance the code, yet also wants to make sure what is in the code will actually work, and brings plenty of ideas as to how to make that happen.

We’re very excited to have such a high-quality candidate in Duane joining us.  His first day with DPD will be January 4.

Welcome, Duane!

Monday, December 5, 2011

ASHRAE Government Affairs Update


Good day and welcome to ASHRAE's Government Affairs Update. Along with the Government Affairs Webpage, these periodic Email updates feature information on government affairs-related activities of interest to ASHRAE members and others interested in the built environment. Archives of previous updates are available from the Government Affairs Webpage (http://www.ashrae.org/advocacy). 

Please pass this information on to interested colleagues who also may subscribe from the ASHRAE Government Affairs Webpage.  

If you have any recommendations regarding content, or have questions about or would like to participate in Washington Office activities, please contact ASHRAE Government Affairs staff at (202) 833-1830 or washdc@ashrae.org

ASHRAE Government Affairs Update, 12/2/2011
  • National Defense Bill May Require Study of Standards 90.1 and 189.1 for Military Construction and Renovation
  • President Obama Joins Leaders in Announcing $4 Billion Investment in Public and Private Building Energy Efficiency
  • ASHRAE Comments on DOE Commercial Building Workforce Job/Task Analyses
  • DOE Seeks Comment on Residential and Commercial Building Energy Performance Data Taxonomy
  • U.N. Climate Change Talks Ongoing in Durban, South Africa


National Defense Bill May Require Study of Standards 90.1 and 189.1 for Military Construction and Renovation
After a week of debate, last night the Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, setting off a final round of negotiations between House and Senate leaders that could result in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) conducting a study in 2012 on the effects of using ASHRAE Standards 90.1 Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, and 189.1 Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings for DoD military construction and renovation.

The House version of this bill (passed in May) differs in many ways from the Senate-passed version. For instance, the House version would require the study of Standards 90.1 and 189.1, while the Senate-passed version does not. Over the past several months ASHRAE has been working with House and Senate Armed Services Committee staff to improve the study requirements of Standards 90.1 and 189.1 to help provide federal policymakers with the most accurate information on building energy efficiency and sustainability.

Over the weekend and through next week, House and Senate leaders will meet to decide what the final National Defense bill should contain, which could include the study on Standards 90.1 and 189.1. The House and Senate will vote on the final version of this bill following these negotiations, after which it will be sent to the President for his signature.


President Obama Joins Leaders in Announcing $4 Billion Investment in Public and Private Building Energy Efficiency
Today President Barack Obama announced a new commitment to invest $2 billion to improve the energy efficiency of federal buildings over the next two years at little or no cost to taxpayers, by using the long-term savings of energy performance contracts.

Former President Bill Clinton joined President Obama to add that 60 CEOs, local and labor leaders have also committed to invest about $2 billion in building retrofits and related projects to improve building energy efficiency by at least 20 percent by 2020 in 1.6 billion square feet of office, industrial, municipal, hospital, community college, and school buildings.

"Upgrading the energy efficiency of America’s buildings is one of the fastest, easiest, and cheapest ways to save money, cut down on harmful pollution, and create good jobs right now.  But we can’t wait for Congress to act.  So today, I’m directing all federal agencies to make at least $2 billion worth of energy efficiency upgrades over the next 2 years – at no up-front cost to the taxpayer.  Coupled with today’s extraordinary private sector commitments of $2 billion to upgrade businesses, factories, and military housing, America is taking another big step towards the competitive, clean energy economy it will take to win the future," said President Obama.

"Investments in building retrofits and energy efficiency can make a real difference in the American economy, by creating jobs, growing our industries, improving businesses’ bottom lines, reducing our energy bills and consumption, and preserving our planet for future generations," said former President Clinton.

The White House press release on this announcement can be found at http://1.usa.gov/uuoWJU

The President's memorandum to Executive departments and agencies can be found at http://1.usa.gov/uyb7vH


ASHRAE Comments on DOE Commercial Building Workforce Job/Task Analyses
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has developed a set of draft analyses for the minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities that a skilled worker should possess for six job classifications. The workforce job/task analyses are intended for use by federal, state, municipal and utility ratepayer-funded energy efficiency programs, and organizations and individuals involved with training and accrediting commercial building personnel.

The six job classifications examined are:
  • Commercial Building Energy Auditor
  • Commercial Building Energy Modeler
  • Commissioning/Retro-Commissioning Authority
  • Energy/Sustainability Manager
  • Facility Manager
  • Operating Engineer/Building Technician
According to DOE, the Job/Task Analyses will:
  1. Assist training providers in developing course content and curricula consistent with an industry-recognized suite of Job/Task Analyses. 
  2. Support increased workforce mobility up career ladders and across career lattices by establishing a clear set of knowledge, skills, and abilities upon which worker credentials should be based. 
  3. Lay the foundation for more robust private sector training programs.
In response to DOE’s request for comment on their draft Job/Task Analyses, ASHRAE’s volunteer subject matter experts developed comments and recommendations that were submitted to DOE in late November. ASHRAE’s comments can be found at www.ashrae.org/advocacy by clicking on the Public Policy Issue Briefs, Letters & Testimony link on the left hand side of the Webpage.

Information from DOE on their Job/Task Analyses can be found at http://1.usa.gov/w433mS


DOE Seeks Comment on Residential and Commercial Building Energy Performance Data Taxonomy
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking feedback from building industry stakeholders and the general public on a new scheme it has developed for organizing information on residential and commercial building energy performance data.

This taxonomy is part of DOE’s Building Performance Database project, and represents an attempt to provide a standardized, consistent method of classifying building energy performance data. The taxonomy is intended to be highly flexible and adaptable to a wide variety of uses and stakeholders, including policymakers, utilities, building owners, engineers, financial institutions, and others.

Comments are due to DOE by December 30, 2011. ASHRAE is planning to submit comments.

Additional information on DOE’s taxonomy, including how to submit comments, can be found at http://1.usa.gov/tJc5Nx and http://bit.ly/ugW2aI


U.N. Climate Change Talks Ongoing in Durban, South Africa
Building energy efficiency is one of the many issues being discussed at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa. Talks are ongoing amongst the over 190 countries and regions attending the conference, which runs from November 28 to December 9, 2011.

The conference features several opportunities for virtual participation, including Webcasts. These opportunities and related information on the conference can be found at http://unfccc.int/meetings/durban_nov_2011/meeting/6245.php

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To subscribe see http://www.ashrae.org/advocacy

ASHRAE Washington Office
1828 L Street, NW * Suite 906 * Washington, DC 20036
(202) 833-1830 * fax: (202) 833-0118 * washdc@ashrae.org
http://www.ashrae.org/advocacy

Thursday, December 1, 2011

AIA Seattle - Highlight of the Week

AIA Seattle
This Week in Design  
December 1, 2011


Highlight of the Week  


graphicThe AIA+2030 Professional Series™ helps design professionals create buildings that meet the ambitious energy efficiency goals of the 2030 Challenge®. Ten, 4-hour sessions offer strategies to reach 60% reduction in fossil fuel greenhouse gas emissions, giving design professionals the knowledge and leverage to create next-generation, super-efficient buildings-and providing firms with the skills that will set them apart in the marketplace.

The series runs once a month January 27-October 12 and offers 40LU/40HSW/40SD. All sessions meet 8:30AM-12:30PM at the Bertha Knight Landes Room in Seattle City Hall.

Registration deadline is January 18. Register early because this series has sold out for the past 3 years. For more information and to register, click here.

To visit AIA Seattle and see whats coming up, go to AIA Seattle

Living Future - For Deep Green Professionals



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Save Big on Living Future for a Limited Time

In the spirit of giving and warmth that embodies this time of year, full conference registration for Living Future 2012 has been reduced to the "Super Early Bird" rates that were offered this past summer. Enjoy an early taste of the unConference's spirit and resister to attend today. Don't wait, though, this discount is for a limited time only!


Visit the Living Future 2012 web page to learn more and to register, or simply click the button below to sign up today.


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And Speaking  of things that make you feel wonderful, why not consider joining the growing community of unConference sponsors. Take a look at our list of supporters below and then imagine seeing your logo getting its share of the spotlight! For more information, go here, or just shoot us an email at LFSponsorship@living-future.org and we'll help you explore the possibilities.

Trade Show


Each year, Living Future attracts decision makers from some of North America's most respected architecture, engineering and contracting firms. If you have a product or service that is as deep green as our community, this is your trade show.


Thank you to our current sponsors:

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Washington State Building Code council


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Mechanical, Ventilation and Energy Code Committee Meeting Scheduled

The Washington State Building Code Council has scheduled a meeting of the Mechanical, Ventilation and Energy Codes (MVE) Committee on Monday, December 12, 2011, at 2 p.m. at the DES Building in Olympia.

For information on how to join via telephone, please contact Krista Braaksma at (360) 407-9278.
The Agenda can be viewed on our website at https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/apps/sbcc/default.aspx or through this link.
If additional information is needed, please contact staff at (360) 407-9280.