Government Affairs

Attention Puget Sound ASHRAE Members:

Mark Wills, ASHRAE Manager – State and Local Government Activities, forwarded the following email regarding opportunities for STEM engagement coming up for discussion next week in Olympia.  Please click on the links for HB 2209 and SB 6041 below to read the bills in their entirety.  These 2 bills directly impact the upcoming workforce in our industry and you are encouraged to respond to your legislators.

Thank you,

Leslie Jonsson

Puget Sound ASHRAE Advocacy Chair
______________________________________________________________________________

Washington State chapter leaders-

I have been reviewing legislation introduced in the first few days of your state’s legislative session and two bills speaking to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education are coming up for committee discussion next week:

·         If enacted, HB 2209 (being heard in the House Education Committee at 1:30  p.m. on the 20^th) would add STEM-related curricula as mandatory for credits in alternative learning environments.

·         If enacted, SB 6041 (being heard in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee at 8 a.m. on the 18^th) would allow elementary schools to serve as “lighthouse” schools as exemplars of best practices in the teaching of STEM subjects. In addition, the bill would establish a dedicated state account for these schools at all levels (it appears to me that, currently, the “lighthouse” program has no specified funding mechanism).

I don’t know if you have an interest in being engaged on this issue, which is a high-level advocacy priority for ASHRAE, but if you’d like to to learn more about ASHRAE’s position on STEM-related issues or wish to become involved in more direct advocacy on either (or both) of these bills, please let me know at your earliest convenience.

Thanks in advance for your attention.

Regards,

Mark Wills, Manager - State and Local Government Affairs

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.
1828 L Street N.W Suite #810 Washington, DC 20036
Direct Line: 202-833-1830 ext 2003     

Fax: 202-833-0118    

eMail: MWills@ashrae.org     

Web: www.ASHRAE.org

ASHRAE - Government Affairs Update

Happy Friday the 13^th 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. 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.
ASHRAEGovernment Affairs Update, 1/13/2012

·         State Legislatures Convene, Address Top-Line ASHRAE Policy Concerns

·         U.S. House and Senate Members Return Later this Month; Congressional Staff Peer Into Legislative Crystal Ball for 2012

State Legislatures Convene, Address Top-Line ASHRAE Policy Concerns

There is a buzz in state capitols right now as legislatures from coast to coast are beginning their 2012 sessions. To date (January 13), 33 of the 47 legislatures (including the District of Columbia’s Council) meeting in regular session this year – the legislatures in Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Texas are not slated to meet in 2012 – have convened and are already discussing measures of import to ASHRAE at both a Society and chapter level.

As has been reported in past Updates, at ASHRAE’s Annual Meeting last summer in Montreal, the Board of Directors voted unanimously to develop grassroots advocacy programs at the state, provincial, and local levels within the Society’s membership. We are working to mobilize ASHRAE chapters and members in encouraging adoption of ASHRAE standards in their states, provinces, cities, and counties, as well as other public policies in line with ASHRAE advocacy priorities, including (but not limited to):

·         Building energy codes;

·         Building energy disclosure;

·         Engineering licensure (e.g., “Master’s or Equivalent” [as outlined in the November 18 Update], continuing education requirements, etc.)

·         Measures related to a higher-performance built environment; and

·         Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education initiatives.

By utilizing a new legislative monitoring service, ASHRAE Government Affairs staff has already identified nearly 400 state-level measures that address the above issues, with a view toward acting as a centralized resource and clearinghouse of legislative information to ASHRAE regions, chapters, and members so that all can help to shape positive public policy.

If you would like to be kept up-to-speed on the policy issues that matter the most to the HVAC&R professional in your state or region, please contact ASHRAE’s Government Affairs Office at washdc@ashrae.org or call (202) 833-1830 and ask for Mark Wills (Manager, State and Local Government Affairs).

U.S. House and Senate Members Return Later this Month; Congressional Staff Peer Into Legislative Crystal Ball for 2012

U.S. House and Senate members are back in their states and districts, meeting with constituents and campaigning, while their congressional staffers back here in Washington, DC are trying to see through the political fog and find a path to a legislative win for their bosses. Clouding their view are the upcoming U.S. Presidential and House and Senate elections, and President Barack Obama’s upcoming State of the Union address and his budget request to Congress, both of which will outline the President’s 2012 legislative priorities.

Given the high degree of partisanship within Congress and between the President, there will likely be few chances for large-scale legislation to pass, and yet there will be opportunities. For instance, some Senate leaders would like to block out time to debate energy efficiency legislation on the Senate floor, and are meeting to discuss this in greater detail in the coming weeks. The exact legislation is yet to be determined, but there is a fair likelihood that it could resemble the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (S.1000), which ASHRAE and a large number of technical societies and organizations have been working on since April, 2011.

2012 is shaping up to be an interesting year, and even legislation that doesn’t pass will help set the stage for 2013.

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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

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

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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

(http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/news_detail.cfm/news_id=17948)

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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Washington State Building Code Council

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.

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

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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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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

ASHRAE - GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

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. 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, 9/9/11


v  Senate Committee Advances Energy & Water Funding Bill

v  Importance of Resuming Work on the 2011 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey Spotlighted by Senate Funding Subcommittee

v  President Obama Calls on Congress to Pass Legislation that Would Repair & Modernize 35,000 Schools

Senate Committee Advances Energy & Water Funding Bill
Earlier this week the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Energy & Water Development Appropriations Bill. This $31.6 billion act would provide fiscal year 2012 funding for several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Energy, and Energy Information Administration. A comparison of highlighted programs important to the building industry is below:

	Senate	House	Difference Between Senate and House
Building Technologies Program	$210.5 million	$150 million	-$60.5 million
State Energy Program	$50 million	$25 million	-$25 million
Weatherization Assistance Program	$174.3 million	$33 million	-$141 million
Energy Information Administration	$105 million	$105 million	$0

The next action on this legislation will likely be inclusion in a large, “omnibus” funding bill that will include most other federal appropriations bills for the 2012 fiscal year, which begins October 1.

Prior to final action on the Senate Energy & Water funding bill, Members of Congress will negotiate to work out the differences between the House and Senate measures, with the final amounts likely somewhere between the House and Senate versions.

Importance of Resuming Work on the 2011 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey Spotlighted by Senate Funding Subcommittee

The Senate Energy & Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee issued a report earlier this week that accompanies that Senate Energy & Water Development Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2012, and calls on the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) to resume work on the 2011 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS).


The Energy & Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee is the Senate funding committee that drafts the Senate’s annual Energy & Water Development Appropriations Bill.


CBECS is a nationally representative survey of commercial building energy consumption and expenditures, and their energy-related characteristics in the United States. The Survey has been conducted about once every four years. “Commercial buildings” in the CBECS context includes all buildings in which at least half of the floor space is used for a purpose that is not residential, industrial, or agricultural; thus it includes building types that might not traditionally be considered “commercial”, such as schools, correctional institutions, and buildings used for religious worship .


The most recent CBECS data available are from the 2003 edition of the Survey. The 2007 data are flawed and unusable due to data collection errors that have since been corrected for the 2011 edition of the Survey. Work on the 2011 CBECS has been halted due to appropriations reductions in fiscal year 2011 to EIA, which oversees the Survey.

The specific language from the Senate report is below, but what this boils down to is that because of this report language (which helps convey Congressional intent), EIA is more likely to use funds they receive in the coming fiscal year to resume work on the 2011 CBECS, however this action is still dependent upon the level of funding EIA receives from Congress for fiscal year 2012.

ASHRAE has been leading a large coalition in support of encouraging the resumption of work on the 2011 CBECS.

The Senate report language follows:

ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION

Appropriations, 2011 .............................................................................1 $95,409,000

Budget estimate, 2012 ........................................................................... 123,957,000

House allowance .................................................................................... 105,000,000

Committee recommendation ................................................................. 105,000,000

1 Does not include rescission of $86,300,000 under Public Law 112–10.

The Committee recommends $105,000,000 for the Energy Information Administration. The Committee notes that the Energy Information Administration has announced that it will not release the 2007 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey [CBECS] due to data and sample flaws resulting from the survey method employed. The 2003 CBECS remains the most current survey of commercial building efficiency used as the baseline for The Energy Star program at U.S. EPA, the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design [LEED] program, and Green Globes. In light of the age of the 2003 survey and the failure of the 2007 study, the Committee recommends that the Energy Information Administration complete a new Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey during fiscal year 2012.

President Obama Calls on Congress to Pass Legislation that Would Repair & Modernize 35,000 Schools

Addressing a joint session of Congress last night, President Barack Obama laid out a proposal called the American Jobs Act, which is designed to spur America’s economy and job growth – much of which would be done through infrastructure projects, including building construction and modernization.

Details of the proposed legislation are not yet available, however the White House has released an overview of what the President would like to see in this bill. Below are highlighted building-related sections of this plan. The full overview is available at http://1.usa.gov/mT2Nok

Modernizing Over 35,000 Schools – From Science Labs and Internet-Ready Classrooms to Renovated Facilities: The President is proposing a $25 billion investment in school infrastructure that will modernize at least 35,000 public schools – investments that will create jobs, while improving classrooms and upgrading our schools to meet 21st century needs. This includes a priority for rural schools and dedicated funding for Bureau of Indian Education funded schools. Funds could be used for a range of emergency repair and renovation projects, greening and energy efficiency upgrades, asbestos abatement and removal, and modernization efforts to build new science and computer labs and to upgrade technology in our schools. The President is also proposing a $5 billion investment in modernizing community colleges (including tribal colleges), bolstering their infrastructure in this time of need while ensuring their ability to serve future generations of students and communities.

Establishing a National Infrastructure Bank: The President is calling for Congress to pass a National Infrastructure Bank capitalized with $10 billion, in order to leverage private and public capital and to invest in a broad range of infrastructure projects of national and regional significance, without earmarks or traditional political influence. The Bank would be based on the model Senators Kerry and Hutchison have championed while building on legislation by Senators Rockefeller and Lautenberg and the work of long-time infrastructure bank champions like Rosa DeLauro and the input of the President’s Jobs Council.

Project Rebuild: Putting People Back to Work Rehabilitating Homes, Businesses and Communities. The President is proposing to invest $15 billion in a national effort to put construction workers on the job rehabilitating and refurbishing hundreds of thousands of vacant and foreclosed homes and businesses. Building on proven approaches to stabilizing neighborhoods with high concentrations of foreclosures, Project Rebuild will bring in expertise and capital from the private sector, focus on commercial and residential property improvements, and expand innovative property solutions like land banks. This approach will not only create construction jobs but will help reduce blight and crime and stabilize housing prices in areas hardest hit by the housing crisis.

ASHRAE - Government Affairs Update

Dear ASHRAE Member,

ASHRAE respectfully requests your help and voice.

It has often been said that you can’t manage what you can’t measure. Data from the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) have important direct and indirect impacts on the building industry and U.S. economy. CBECS is a nationally representative survey of commercial building energy consumption and expenditures, and their energy-related characteristics in the United States.

The Survey is conducted about once every four years. “Commercial buildings” in the CBECS context include all buildings in which at least half of the floor space is used for a purpose that is not residential, industrial or agricultural, so they include building types that might not traditionally be considered “commercial,” such as schools, correctional institutions and buildings used for religious worship.

CBECS data are used by ASHRAE standards, and the Society’s Building Energy Quotient building labeling program. Without the current, comprehensive picture of building energy consumption in the United States that CBECS provides it would be harder to identify opportunities to increase efficiency and to assess progress towards energy efficiency goals.

Work on the 2011 CBECS was suspended due to a lack of priority in fiscal year 2011 for the U.S. Energy Information Administration, which oversees the Survey. The last edition of the Survey is from 2003, and if the 2011 Survey is not conducted, consulting engineers, manufacturers, building owners and operators, utilities, research and educational institutions, policymakers and others will be forced to rely on data that is nearly a decade old to help make their building energy efficiency-related decisions.

ASHRAE leadership strongly believes that having the up-to-date information on U.S. building energy consumption that the 2011 CBECS would provide is important. If you agree, we are asking you to please contact your U.S. Senators to ask them to support resumption of work on the 2011 CBECS.

For your convenience, ASHRAE has provided a suggested letter to send to your Senate members. ASHRAE has also included step-by-step instructions for identifying and contacting your Senators.

After sending letters to your Senators, I ask that you please send an email to washdc@ashrae.org, letting ASHRAE know that you have sent these letters. This will help ASHRAE leadership gauge member participation and whether the Society should send future requests for member participation.

Thank you in advance for your time and efforts to support building efficiency.


Sincerely,
Ronald E. Jarnagin
2011–12 ASHRAE President

________________________________________

MODEL LETTER

Dear Senator:

As a constituent and member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Inc. (ASHRAE), I respectfully encourage you to support the prompt resumption of work on the 2011 edition of the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS).

CBECS is a nationally representative survey of commercial building energy consumption and expenditures, and their energy-related characteristics in the United States. Work on the 2011 CBECS was suspended due to a lack of support for the U.S. Energy Information Administration in fiscal year 2011.

CBECS data have important direct and indirect impacts on the U.S. building industry and economy. Without an updated comprehensive picture of energy consumption in the U.S. it would be harder to identify opportunities to increase efficiency.

Retrofitting buildings to increase efficiency helps drive the manufacturing industry, which supplies more efficient building equipment and technologies. Greater building efficiency also helps reduce waste and conserve natural resources.

A 2009 McKinsey & Company study stated that energy efficiency retrofits could generate between 500,000 and 750,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs through 2020.

Thank you in advance for supporting efforts to increase building energy efficiency.


Personal regards,
[Your First and Last Name]

________________________________________
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR IDENTIFYING AND CONTACTING ASHRAE MEMBERS’ TWO U.S. SENATORS

Senate
Most people in the United States are represented by two Senators. To contact yours, follow these easy steps…

1) Visit http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
2) Select your state from the dropdown box
3) Click on the link next to “Web Form.” This will take you to a Webpage where you will be able to contact your Senator and will provide you with either an email address or a place where you can cut and paste the letter above and submit your letter to your Senator online
4) Remember to do this twice (for each of your Senators)


Sincerely,
Ronald E. Jarnagin
2011–12 ASHRAE President

ASHRAE - News Release:

For Release:
July 20, 2011
Contact: Amanda Dean
Public Relations
678-539-1216
adean@ashrae.org

ASHRAE Supports Funding for Important Building Data Survey on the House Floor

ATLANTA—ASHRAE received Congressional support from co-chairs of the High-Performance Buildings Congressional Caucus regarding the Society’s call to the federal government to resume work on the 2011 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS).

On July 13, Representatives Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) and Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) delivered a colloquy on the House floor in strong support of funding and resuming work on the 2011 CBECS. Joining in the colloquy, the chairman and ranking Democrat of the House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, Representatives Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) and Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.), also lent their support to the importance of CBECS data.

Carnahan quoted a letter from ASHRAE issued in May, strongly urging Congress to include funding for CBECS in the Fiscal Year 2012 appropriations bills to allow work on the 2011 edition of the Survey to continue. The letter was submitted to the Congressional Record. “If funding is not provided, work on the 2011 CBECS data will likely not continue, and the government and industry will be forced to rely on data that is nearly a decade old, resulting in potential missed opportunities to increase building efficiency,” Carnahan read from the ASHRAE letter on the House floor.

Earlier this year the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) announced it would not be releasing the results of the 2007 CBECS due to data collection errors. As a result of funding reductions, EIA also announced that it would halt work on the 2011 edition of the Survey. Currently, the latest version of CBECS data is from 2003.

“Many members of the High Performance Building Coalition have come to us to express their concern about an updated CBECS since the latest data is nearly a decade old,” Biggert said while addressing the House. “Substantial investments in the commercial building sector have been made since the last CBECS was published in 2003. The updated data is not only valuable to building owners looking to make improvements, but also necessary to inform the Annual Energy Outlook that we, in Congress, rely on.”

ASHRAE led the establishment of the HPB Congressional Caucus in 2008 to heighten awareness and inform policymakers about the major impact buildings have on our health, safety and welfare and the opportunities to design, construct and operate high-performance buildings that reflect our concern for these impacts.

DOE - Case Studies

DOE Releases Five New Case Studies of Innovation in Energy Efficiency

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced the release of five case studies from a series spotlighting some of the most innovative projects funded under the Department's BetterBuildings program. BetterBuildings is a national program that is working to transform the marketplace for energy efficiency upgrades in homes, businesses, and institutions. More than 40 state and local governments and partnering organizations received over $500 million to lay the foundation for a sustainable energy efficiency market in the United States. The case studies will help program administrators and their partners develop and optimize energy efficiency programs to help consumers and businesses save money and reduce their energy use by making affordable energy-saving improvements.

For information on these five case studies, visit http://1.usa.gov/lZrjQW.

The link below is for the Seattle case studies.

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/betterbuildings/cs_seattle_gettingstarted.pdf

ASHRAE - Urges Congress to Continue Funding

May 10, 2011

Contact:
Amanda Dean
Public Relations
678-539-1216
adean@ashrae.org

ASHRAE Urges Congress to Continue Funding for Important Building Data Survey

ATLANTA—The recent announcements regarding the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) decision to not release the results of the 2007 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS), and to halt work on the 2011 edition of the Survey, have prompted ASHRAE to request action.

EIA has opted not to release the 2007 CBECS results— a national sample survey that collects information on the stock of U.S. commercial buildings, their energy-related characteristics, energy consumption and expenditures—and has suspended work on a 2011 Survey due to statistical issues and funding cuts, respectively.

ASHRAE has issued a letter strongly urging Congress to include funding for CBECS in the Fiscal Year 2012 appropriations bills to allow work on the 2011 edition of the Survey to continue. This is particularly important in light of the 2007 CBECS data discrepancies.

“Information from CBECS plays a critical role in building energy efficiency through the many federal and private sector programs that use the Survey’s data in their efforts to establish benchmark levels and promote energy efficient practices, including ASHRAE’s Building Energy Quotient (Building eQ) program,” Lynn G. Bellenger, P.E., ASHRAE president, said. “Additionally, many of ASHRAE's committees depend upon CBECS to help develop some of the standards in use by the federal government, states and local jurisdictions.”

Currently, the latest version of CBECS data is from 2003. If funding is not provided, work on the 2011 CBECS data will not continue, and the government and industry will be forced to rely on data that is nearly a decade old and in need of revisions and enhancements, resulting in potential missed opportunities to increase building efficiency and reduce energy use.

City of Seattle - Open House

Join our Open House to obtain free tools to help your building save on energy costs. Click on the image below to find out more information:

2009 Seattle Energy Code

2009 Seattle Energy Code takes effect today for nonresidential spaces

The 2009 Seattle Energy Code is now in effect for nonresidential spaces. The revised requirements for residential spaces will take effect on 1 January 2011. For determining the 2009 Seattle Energy Code requirements, you need to look at both the 2009 Washington State Energy Code and the Seattle ordinance. Wherever the Seattle ordinance contains modifications to a section, the ordinance language supersedes the 2009 Washington State Energy Code. There is no one document at this point that folds all the text together.

Work is underway to prepare code insert pages with the Seattle amendments, and to update the Seattle Energy Code website, compliance forms, CAMs and Director’s Rules. See the “2009 Seattle Energy Code Update” link in the upper right hand corner of the Seattle Energy Code homepage: www.seattle.gov/dpd/energy . New material will be posted as it becomes available. DPD will schedule public training sessions after the updated materials are available.

John Hogan, AIA, P.E., LEED Accredited Professional
Seattle Department of Planning & Development (DPD)
700 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2000
P.O. Box 34019
Seattle, WA 98124-4019
(john.hogan@seattle.gov)

voice: 206-386-9145
fax: 206-386-4039

ASHRAE Government Affairs Update, 11/19/10

• Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act (H.R.5112) May Pass in House of Representatives
• DOE Launches New Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Advisory Committee
• Building Envelope Program Launches Blog to Better Communicate with Stakeholders
  
  

Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act (H.R.5112) May Pass in House of Representatives
Expect the unexpected is a good rule to follow with Congress. In the waning days of the 111th Congress, one of ASHRAE’s priority bills – the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act (H.R.5112) has a real chance of passing the House, but only if two Representatives from Florida pull their opposition.

The Representatives in focus are John L. Mica (R-FL), the senior Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), the senior Republican on the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the committee with jurisdiction over H.R.5112.

The Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act would help the federal government meet its ambitious safety, security, energy and water savings, and greenhouse gas reductions goals by identifying core competencies and providing relevant courses, certifications, degrees, licenses, and registrations for federal personnel performing building operations and maintenance, energy management, safety, and design functions.

If Representatives Mica and Diaz-Balart allow this bill to be considered, there is a good chance it will pass in the House, and possibly the Senate in the next couple of weeks, before the 111th Congress concludes.

For more information on the bill, please contact Mark Ames, ASHRAE Manager of Government Affairs at mames@ashrae.org, or by phone at 202-833-1830. To view the text of the bill, visit http://thomas.loc.gov/, click the “Bill Number” button, and search for H.R.5112.

DOE Launches New Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Advisory Committee
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced the establishment of the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Advisory Committee (ERAC). ERAC is a federal advisory committee whose members will report directly to the Secretary of Energy with advice on the portfolio of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The 19 members selected have experience in a variety of sectors and will bring a range of technical expertise and perspectives to the committee.

“We are fortunate to have such knowledgeable people volunteering their time and efforts to the Department's clean energy endeavors,” said DOE Secretary Dr. Steven Chu. “They will be contributing their expertise and experience to help address the energy challenges faced by our nation.”

ERAC will periodically review EERE's portfolio and provide advice to the Secretary of Energy on a variety of areas, including: completion of long-range plans, priorities and strategies; program funding; and any issues of specific concern expressed by the Secretary of Energy or the Assistant Secretary for EERE. ERAC is expected to meet twice a year; the meetings will be open to the public. The Committee is being established in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). DOE also expects to organize various subcommittees under ERAC.

ERAC will hold its inaugural meeting on Tuesday, November 20, 2010 at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20585. This meeting is open to the public, and ASHRAE will be in attendance. For more information, including the agenda, please visit http://bit.ly/aa1XLC.

For more information on ERAC members visit the EERE Advisory Committee Web Site at http://bit.ly/bFWlZh. To view the press release, visit http://bit.ly/8YeTbP.

Building Envelope Program Launches Blog to Better Communicate with Stakeholders
The Building Technologies Program under the U.S. Department of Energy recently announced the launch of the Building Envelope and Windows R&D Program Blog (http://www.eereblogs.energy.gov/buildingenvelope/), which will serve as a new resource for up-to-date information on the Building Envelope and Windows R&D program, and will include updates on activities ranging from Cool Roofs to the Windows Volume Purchase Program (http://bit.ly/br5LxB). This new blog will engage program stakeholders for feedback on program activities and reports, as well as provide information on upcoming meetings and workshops.

This blog will also be a resource for archived information, including past presentations and posts with comments included (found under the "Archive" tab). Some time next year, EERE's Building Envelope R&D Program's Web site (http://bit.ly/cHRSlg) will undergo a re-vamping; more details will be posted on the blog. Please e-mail Walt Zalis (wzalis@energetics.com) if you have any questions or concerns.

For more information, please visit http://bit.ly/95tED0.

2009 WSEC Implementation Date

WA State Building Code Council Sets 2009 WSEC Implementation Date

The Washington SBCC has set January 1, 2011 as the implementation date for the 2009 Washington State Energy Code. The new code was originally set for implementation on July 1st this year but was delayed at the request of Governor Chris Gregoire. Projects permitted after this date will be covered by the new code. NEEC has an electronic copy of the 2009 WSEC on its web site ( http://www.neec.net/energy-codes ) for free download as well as updated compliance forms for the 2009 version. Code trainings are also being sponsored by NEEC (current series underway) with more expected in early 2011. In addition, the Seattle Energy Code has been approved by the Seattle City Council this month. The following information is courtesy of John Hogan at Seattle DPD;

The 2009 Seattle Energy Code, as recommended by the Mayor, has now been approved by the City Council:

• The Seattle City Council's Committee on the Built Environment took up the 2009 Seattle Energy Code ordinance at a meeting last week and recommended approval. The 2009 Seattle Energy Code ordinance was then considered and approved by the full Seattle City Council on Monday of this week. We are now awaiting the Mayor's signature, expected very shortly.
• The ordinance can be downloaded under the "2009 Seattle Energy Code Update" link in the upper right hand corner of the Seattle Energy Code homepage. The ordinance adopts the 2009 Washington State Energy Code by reference and then contains the multiple Seattle amendments. So, in order to have the entire code, you need to look at both the 2009 Washington State Energy Code and the Seattle ordinance. Wherever the Seattle ordinance contains modifications to a section, the ordinance language supersedes the 2009 Washington State Energy Code. There is no one document at this point that folds all the text together. (We are in the process of preparing the Seattle insert pages for the 2009 Washington State Energy Code.)
  

Effective dates:

• For nonresidential spaces, the intent is to have a grace period for the 2009 Seattle Energy Code that would end so as to coincide with the end of the grace period for other Seattle code updates. The last date on which DPD will be accepting applications using the 2006 codes will be 22 November 2010.
• For residential spaces, the 2009 Washington State Energy Code (WSEC) requirements will take effect on 1 January 2011, as decided by the Washington State Building Code Council (WSBCC) at their meeting last Friday.

Seattle Energy Code Update - September 30, 2010

In late August, the Mayor forwarded the 2009 Seattle Energy Code ordinance to the Seattle City Council. This afternoon, the Seattle City Council (SCC) Committee on the Built Environment began consideration of the 2009 Seattle Energy Code ordinance. However, the Committee on the Built Environment was not able to complete their review, as the meeting was cut short.

Consequently, the Committee on the Built Environment will continue their discussion of the 2009 Seattle Energy Code at a future meeting later this fall. However, no date has been set yet. For additional information on the full Seattle City Council and for the Committee on the Built Environment, the meeting calendar can be viewed at http://www.seattle.gov/council/calendar/default.htm# and agendas can be found at http://www.seattle.gov/council/com_assign.htm .

In terms of implementation dates:
- For nonresidential spaces, as a result of today’s continuation, the effective date of the 2009 Seattle Energy Code is unknown.
- For residential spaces, the 2009 Washington State Energy Code (WSEC) requirements would take effect on the date specified by the Washington State Building Code Council (WSBCC). Since the 2009 WSEC requirements for residential spaces were finalized on 20 November 2009 (more than ten months ago at this point), there would not be any additional grace period. It is expected that the WSBCC would make a decision on the effective date at their meeting on 15 October 2010.

Seattle Energy Code Update!!

Attached are the revised staff recommendations for the 2009 Seattle Energy Code. (Note: changes from the staff recommendatins discussed at the CCAB meeting on 20 May 2010 are highlighted in yellow in the draft). Click here to view the draft(note: this draft version has been superceded. Go to http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/codes/energy_code/overview/2009_ecupdate.asp to access the most current version).

The revisions are grouped into two categories and summarized below.

This document has been forwarded to CCAB. The CCAB meeting to discuss the revised draft 2009 Seattle Energy Code is scheduled for 12:00 noon - 2:00 pm on Thursday, 15 July 2010, in room 2240 (22nd floor) of the Seattle Municipal Tower at 700 Fifth Avenue. The meeting is open to the public.

Again, thank you all for your participation and contributions to the 2009 Seattle Energy Code,

John (Hogan)


1. Incorporation of CCAB recommendations from 20 May 2010 meeting

Seattle Envstd:

• 701: reference updated to 2009 version of Seattle EnvStd
• 1331, exception: added Seattle EnvStd back in as a compliance option, except for projects using footnote 2 to Table 13-1 and for Group R occupancies.
  
  

Table 13-1, fenestration U-factor:

• 0-30% fenestration area: added in footnote 2 for metal frame fenestration products.
• 30-40% fenestration area: changed metal frame fenestration to U-38 (instead of U-0.35) added in footnote 2 for metal frame fenestration products, added requirement for a minimum VT-0.51 for all fenestration products.
• Footnote 2: revised to clarify when this footnote could be used, when it could not be used, and what calculations were necessary.
  
  

Fenestration VT:

• See Table 13-1 above.
• 1323.4: added new section that references Table 13-1.
• 1335: added new section for trade-offs, with equations.
  

2. Other:

• 1310: deleted proposed amendment as RS-29, Section 1.1, specifies that the standard is for the total building including all of its systems, so nonresidential/residential trade-offs are allowed.
• 1314.6.2: revise to specify confidence interval, to more carefully specify test pressures and ranges, and to add another reference to the informative note.
• 1410: add references to 1470 and 1475.
• 1412.6: deleted proposed amendments as combustion heating equipment > 225,000 Btuh is regulated by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA).
• 1433: edited informative note for exception 1; deleted proposed amendment for exception 9 but added a word to clarify, also provide waiver of third-party certification for ASHRAE Standard 127 equipment until 2012.
• 1475: delete proposed amendment for Energy Star efficiencies for commercial solid door refrigerators and freezers, commercial ice machines, and refrigerated beverage vending machines, as these are regulated by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA).
• 1513.6.1: clarify application to stairwell lighting.
• 1621: delete proposed amendment that renewable energy systems be located within Washington State.
• RS-29, title: modify title to specifically include multifamily residential buildings.
• RS-29, Table 3.1 #5: air leakage criteria revised to be the same for both the Standard Design and the Proposed Design.
• RS-35: renamed (formerly Appendix A).
• RS-36: renamed (formerly Appendix B).
  
  

The adoption schedule is still a bit uncertain because some dates depend on schedules of the Mayor and City Council. But, DPD is expecting the legislation adopting the codes to take effect in late August or early September. The effective date will be followed by a 60-day period during which permit applicants can choose whether to use the 2006 or 2009 codes.

June 12, 2009

Washington State Adopts AIA’s 2030 Goals
How do you . . . bring a coalition together to enact AIA-generated law?
Summary: On Friday, May 8, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the Efficiency First Bill, S.B. 5854, which sets the goal of carbon neutrality for all new public and private new buildings and major restorations by 2031. The new state law is due in large part to the efforts of AIA members in Washington State. The bill was drafted by the AIA Washington Council, along with a coalition from the environmental community.
“Architect support of the bill was critical to its passage,” says AIA Washington Council Executive Director Stan Bowman. “Architects ensured that the bill was reasonable in its provisions and acceptable to the larger business community. The AIA Washington Council is pleased to be the first state to legislatively adopt the AIA’s 2030 goals for carbon neutrality in statute for all public and private buildings in Washington State.”
“The national AIA component extends its congratulations to the AIA Washington Council for bringing the 2030 goal for carbon reductions to the forefront of their governor’s sustainability agenda,” says AIA Executive Vice President/CEO Chris McEntee. “This effort on the part of AIA Washington is an impressive example of what AIA members can accomplish when they act in concert and in coalition with other organizations.”
Emphasizing her long-term commitment to environmental protection, on May 21, the governor additionally issued an executive order directing state actions to reduce climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions, increase transportation and fuel-conservation options for Washingtonians, and protect the state’s water supplies and vulnerable coastal areas.
Provisions of the lawThe law will gradually raise standards for new building construction, while improving energy efficiency in existing public buildings through insulation, better windows and improved heating and cooling systems.
Although specific emissions reduction percentages aren’t set, the bill requires the state energy code to be designed to accelerate construction of increasingly energy-efficient buildings that help achieve the broader goal of building zero fossil-fuel greenhouse gas emission homes and buildings by the year 2031. It also requires the state building code council to adopt state energy codes from 2013 through 2031 that incrementally move toward achieving a 70 percent reduction in annual net-energy consumption. As such, this legislation will make Washington a leader in environmental building methods. Washington is the first state to legislatively adopt the AIA 2030 goals into its building code.
To that end, the State Building Code Commission recently voted to adopt the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code by 2011, replacing the existing state energy code.
The measures also will require utilities to track and disclose energy use data in large commercial and public buildings they serve through the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. The requirements will be phased in to include buildings larger than 50,000 square feet starting January 1, 2011 and buildings larger than 10,000 square feet starting January 1, 2012.
The promise of jobs and economic growthAnother benefit of the bill, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal, is that the impact of this legislation could create many jobs for architects. The Journal quoted the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy that a 20 percent increase in buildings energy efficiency nationwide by 2020 could create 800,000 jobs.
“There’s a real opportunity here to do two critical things—save money and grow our economy,” said Sen. Derek Kilmer (D-Gig Harbor). “Energy efficiency is one of the few bright spots in these tough economic times. This bill will help lower utility bills for consumers across the state while putting people to work using skills they already have.”

Copyright 2009 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved. Home Page
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Caption:Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire signs the Efficiency First Bill into law surrounded by AIA members—including AIAWA Executive Director Stan Bowman and AIAWA Board members Timothy Buckley, AIA, and Marc Jenefsky, AIA—and members of coalition environmental groups.
See what the AIA COTE is up to.

NYC Geothermal Heat Pump Manual sets a Lofty Goal

In August of 2002, the City of New York Department of Design and Construction published a Manual guiding engineers through the design and installation of geothermal heat pump systems in their city. This manual covered the basics of geothermal heat pump designs, the intricacies of the complicated NYC geology, and the intricacies of the complicated NYC permitting process. As such it was a positive step by a government agency to facilitate the adoption of high-efficiency building systems. And it was a somewhat counter-intuitive move, since ground-loop heat-pump systems are often considered prohibitive in dense urban areas.

This manual sets an intriguing example for other local or state governments--especially ones where the underlying geology of their areas of jurisdiction are complicated or where strict building or energy codes exist. In cities like Seattle, where both are the case, a similar manual would be of great utility to local designers.

A link to the manual can be found here:

New York City DDC Geothermal Heat Pump Manual

There is probably much of benefit to any designer working in areas of jumbled glacial deposits as are found in the Puget Sound region.