Job Posting - EEI

eei

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER – SEATTLE, WA

Engineering Economics, Inc. (EEI) is seeking a Senior Project Manager to join our team in Seattle, WA.

EEI is a national leader in the facility systems consulting industry, and we seek candidates who are passionate about the performance and energy efficiency of facility systems. For this position we are seeking a candidate who is a leader in the mechanical engineering field.  We specialize in Building Commissioning, LEED® Commissioning, Retro-Commissioning, Energy Auditing, Facility Assessments, and other energy efficiency evaluation services for commercial building projects. EEI is not a design firm, although many aspects of our work require extensive knowledge of commercial mechanical systems design, construction, and performance.

We are looking for a proven, experienced, hands-on Sr. Project Manager who is willing to take ownership of their projects, to get involved by rolling up their sleeves, and strive for nothing less than excellence to provide real value to our clients.  You must be a proven leader, and a highly motivated self-starter.  If you have the skills and drive to be successful, we will provide an environment in which you can flourish, with rewards commensurate with your success.

QUALIFICATIONS

•       8+ years experience in mechanical systems design, construction, testing and/or commissioning.

•       Experience testing, validating and troubleshooting complex mechanical and control systems.

•       Experience in recognizing, developing, evaluating, and recommending energy efficiency measures.

•       Proven project management and technical skills.

•       Experience conducting coordination/progress meetings with owners, designers, and construction personnel.

•       Experience working with mechanical sub-contractors and other field personnel.

•       Building Commissioning, LEED® Commissioning, and/or Retro-Commissioning experience (a plus).

•       Hospital and laboratory facility experience (a plus).

•       LEED® and/or Building Commissioning certifications (a plus).

•       Demonstrated team-building skills.

•       Strong communication, technical writing and computer skills required (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PDF).

•       Successful experience networking at business events, targeting potential clients, delivering    presentations and creating business opportunities.

•       Engineering degree (preferred)

•       Licensed PE (preferred)

•       Ability to travel up to 25% of the time outside the local area on a periodic basis.

To apply for this position, send your resume and cover letter, along with your salary requirements

 via e-mail to:

Human Resources

 e-mail: HR@eeiengineers.com

Subject: Sr. Project Manager – Seattle, WA

Engineering Economics, Inc. is an EEO/AA Employer M/F/V/D

No phone calls or faxes please.  

ASHRAE - Press Release

For Release:

March 27, 2012

Contact: Jodi Scott

Public Relations

678-539-1140

jscott@ashrae.org

Public Input Sought on Alternative to ASHRAE Standard 62.1 Ventilation Rate Procedure Proposed

ATLANTA – A proposed change to the ventilation rate procedure in ASHRAE’s indoor air quality standard is open for review after changes were made based on public input last year.

ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2010, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, sets minimum ventilation rates and other requirements for commercial and institutional buildings.

The ventilation rate procedure provides a prescriptive method for determining minimum ventilation requirements. It accounts for pollutant sources from both the building and its occupants, and allows the designer to account for the efficiency of different ventilation systems when delivering outdoor air to the breathing zone.

Proposed addendum f was first released for public comment in September 2011 after some users of Standard 62.1 indicated the ventilation rate procedure was “too complicated,” according to Standard 62.1 chair Roger Hedrick. He said the 62.1 committee agreed that application of the multiple-zone recirculating system equations described in Section 6.2.5 and Appendix A can be complex.

“When designing multiple zone recirculating ventilation systems, Table 6-3 provides a default value of Ventilation Efficiency (Ev) based on the largest value of the zone primary (Zp) outdoor air fraction, for all the zones served by the system,” he said. “However, if Max (Zp) exceeds 0.55, then Appendix A must be used to design the system outdoor airflow.  Addendum f attempts to simplify the design process by providing a simplified default approach for cases with Max (Zp) greater than 0.55.”

The earlier review draft set the default value of the zone primary outdoor air fraction based on a default minimum zone primary airflow set as 30 percent of the zone design primary airflow.

“The public review comments pointed out that this formulation did not work mathematically under certain conditions,” Hedrick said. “This new public review version instead simply allows Ev to be set to 0.6, unless a higher value is provided by Table 6-3 or by using Appendix A.  Use of a relatively low value of Ev will result in higher outdoor airflow rates, but using the default will simplify the system design process.”

Also open for review is addendum i, which would add limits for low humidity. Recent studies have shown that excessively low humidity may result in unacceptable indoor air quality. The Standard 62.1 committee is interested in the appropriateness of the relative humidity limit and the climate zones where the requirement applies.  The addendum is open for an advisory public review, meaning comments received allow for constructive input and need not be resolved or formally acted on by the project committee.

In addition to addenda f and i, three additional addenda are open for public review from March 23 until April 22. For more information, visit www.ashrae.org/publicreviews. They are:

•       Addendum h –Table 6-1, includes ventilation rates for “Sports arena (play area)” and “Gym, stadium (play area).” Both space types have ventilation rates based on floor area only, the per person rate is zero. Users of the standard have expressed interest in applying demand controlled ventilation to these space types, which is effectively prohibited by the lack of a per person component to the ventilation rate. This proposed addendum replaces both of these space types with “Gym, Sports Arena (play area)”, with Rp = 20 cfm/person and Ra = 0.06 cfm/ft² and assigns this new space type with an air class of 2 rather than class 1 from the first publication public review version.

•       Addendum k adds an exception to the recirculation limits on Class 4 exhaust airstreams from laboratory hoods which would allow use of heat wheel energy recovery in some cases.  The exception defines several criteria which the airstream must meet before such heat recovery can be used, and the heat recovery system must limit recirculation airflow to less than 0.5 percent of the outdoor air intake flow.

•       Addendum l adds a refrigerated warehouse space type to Table 6-1, providing revised ventilation rates for these spaces. These rates include a “People Outdoor Air Rate, Rp” which will require ventilation during periods of expected occupancy, but do not include an “Area Outdoor Air Rate, Ra” which will allow the ventilation rate to be zero for refrigerated warehouses with no occupants.

In addition, addendum j is open for public review from March 23 until May 7. The proposed addendum would add requirements to the Indoor Air Quality Procedure (IAQP) for determining minimum ventilation rates which require consideration of the combined effects of multiple contaminants of concern on individual organ systems. This “additive” effect is already implicit in the Ventilation Rate Procedure. This proposed change is intended to improve the IAQP by requiring consideration of these additive effects that are well established in the literature for many organ systems, according to Hedrick.

ASHRAE - Government Affairs Update

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 (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, 3/23/2012

• From Coast to Coast and Across Borders, ASHRAE Grassroots Sprout
• ASHRAE Provides Suggestions to EIA for Improving the 2012 CBECS
• Prominent House Republican Releases Budget – Is There Any Relevance for ASHRAE?
• High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus Holds Briefing on SBIC’s Beyond Green Awards
• Pentagon Seeks Less for Construction, More for Conservation
• Lawsuit Prompts Smart Meter Opt-Outs for Opponents in Hawaii

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From Coast to Coast and Across Borders, ASHRAE Grassroots Sprout

ASHRAE’s new grassroots government activities initiative is growing day-by-day. As noted in the last edition of Government Affairs Update, ASHRAE members in California weighed-in in force on a proposal, which, if adopted, would prohibit engineers, commissioning agents, and other licensed professionals from performing acceptance tests, while allowing only testing, adjusting, and balancing (TAB) agents and electrical contractors to perform such tests. Though the outcome of member input in still in question, it underlies the importance of ASHRAE members getting involved when appropriate.

How else is ASHRAE expanding its advocacy scope at the chapter level?

• An ad hoc Society subcommittee is crafting training materials – an “Advocacy 101,” if you will – so that the message of member involvement may be easily disseminated and put to good use.
• Those materials will be put to the test at upcoming Chapter Regional Conferences (CRCs) in Regions II (covers eastern Canada) and XI (covers the Pacific Northwest and western Canada) and, thereafter, will be made available to North American regions and chapters through various avenues.
• Also speaking to Canadian chapters, Government Affairs staff is working with leaders in Regions II and XI to develop a “gap” analysis to see where member engagement – particularly as far as adoption of ASHRAE standards (e.g., iterations of Standard 90.1, Standard 189.1) – is most needed.
• Government Affairs staff is in conversations with the Southeastern Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) – one of the now six regional energy efficiency organizations – to ascertain where their efforts on promoting efficiency in the built environment through high-performance codes and standards may gel with what Regions III, IV, VII, and VII members are trying to do on that front as well.
• Members in the Central Florida chapter are starting the process of banding together with other engineering societies in the Sunshine State to fight any efforts by the state engineering licensing board to impose “master’s or equivalent” requirements on individuals seeking PE licensure.

These are just a handful of initiatives ASHRAE is undertaking to expand its reach in the grassroots arena, so should you want to become part of the movement toward a vibrant network of engineer-advocates:

• Continue reading Government Affairs Update for the latest news from Capitol Hill and beyond;
• Review advocacy resources available on the Government Affairs Website;
• Contact your chapter leaders about your interest in promoting and preserving the profession;
• Follow us on Twitter (@ASHRAEGovAffs, @ASHRAE_Ames) for regularly updated streams of articles and information related to advocacy, standards, and many other topics; and
• Contact ASHRAE’s Washington, DC staff to learn more.

ASHRAE members cannot stand on the sidelines while public policy is made without their technical expertise, so get in the game and make a difference!

ASHRAE Provides Suggestions to EIA for Improving the 2012 CBECS

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is moving full steam ahead with the 2012 edition of the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) – a national survey of U.S. commercial building energy consumption, characteristics, and expenditures. The first step in rolling out the 2012 CBECS is designing the questionnaire for the Survey.

In an effort to improve the Survey, EIA reached out to ASHRAE and several other building community stakeholders, and asked us to submit suggestions for improving the questionnaire. ASHRAE’s comments can be found at http://ow.ly/9P7CX.

EIA is now collecting comments from interested individuals and groups on the 2012 CBECS. A formal request for comments will soon appear in the Federal Register, however interested individuals and groups are encouraged to email Joelle Michaels, CBECS Survey Manager (Joelle.Michaels@eia.gov), and request additional information prior to the announcement to give yourself more time to respond.

In-depth information on the 2012 CBECS and prior Survey editions can be found at www.eia.gov/emeu/cbecs.

Prominent House Republican Releases Budget – Is There Any Relevance for ASHRAE?

Earlier this week U.S. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan released his budget proposal in a document titled “The Path to Prosperity: A Blueprint for American Renewal”. This plan would slash spending for a large list of programs to help reduce the federal deficit. This plan is getting a lot of press – and it recently won approval by the House Budget Committee (albeit narrowly – the vote was 19 to 18, with two Republicans voting against it). A key question for ASHRAE is, does it have much relevance for the Society?

The short answer is ‘no’ – at least not directly. Chairman Ryan’s budget does not directly address building energy efficiency, indoor air quality, climate change, water conservation, or science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. (These are areas that ASHRAE pays particular attention to.)

The absence of these issues does not mean that they aren’t considered important by House leaders, rather that they are not main political targets in Chairman Ryan’s budget plan.

For more information on House Budget Committee Chairman Ryan’s budget proposal, including summary tables, charts, and video, visit http://budget.house.gov/fy2013Prosperity.

High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus Holds Briefing on SBIC’s Beyond Green Awards

The High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition held a briefing on Capitol Hill this past Thursday showcasing the winners of the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council’s (SBIC) Beyond Green High-Performance Building Awards. Winners presented case studies from a wide variety of building types from across the country, which highlight the successful integration of sustainability and energy efficiency with cost-effectiveness, safety and security, accessibility, historic preservation, and aesthetics.

Additional information on the Beyond Green awards can be found at http://sbicouncil.org/beyond-green.

Pentagon Seeks Less for Construction, More for Conservation

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is making an effort to increase energy efficiency and conservation while pushing down costs. Here are a few interesting excerpts from a recent press release on the Pentagon’s FY 2013 budget request:

• The budget request includes $547 million to replace or renovate 11 Defense Department schools that are in poor or failing condition, mostly overseas. By the end of fiscal 2018, more than 70 percent of DOD schools will have been replaced or undergone substantial renovation.
• DOD is the owner of 300,000 buildings. The Department has a $4 billion energy bill for its installations that comes almost entirely from commercial power grids. DOD is trying to change that through energy conservation programs and innovations in alternative energy.
• The Department has created 70 test projects on innovations in areas such as microgrid and storage technologies, advanced lighting controls, high performance cooling systems, waste heat recovery and on-site generation, she said.

Check out the full release at http://ow.ly/9Q43g.

Lawsuit Prompts Smart Meter Opt-Outs for Opponents in Hawaii

Privacy and security concerns in Hawaii have resulted in a lawsuit that has halted the installation of smart meters in Hawaii for those that oppose the devices. More information is available at http://ow.ly/9Q5m4.

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ASHRAE Washington Office
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http://www.ashrae.org/advocacy

ASHRAE - News Release

Subject: Operation and Maintenance Guideline from ASHRAE Now Available

For Release:

March 22, 2012

Contact: Jodi Scott

Public Relations

678-539-1140

jscott@ashrae.org

Operation and Maintenance Guideline from ASHRAE Now Available

ATLANTA – A newly published guideline from ASHRAE gives facility managers and building operating staff a strong foundation on which to improve performance of all buildings.

ASHRAE Guideline 32-2012, Sustainable, High Performance Operation and Maintenance, provides guidance on optimizing operation and maintenance of buildings to achieve the lowest economic and environmental life cycle cost without sacrificing safety or functionality.

“The guideline will assist those who operate and maintain buildings to achieve high performance: safe, productive indoor environments; low economic life cycle cost; low energy, water and resource use; and low impacts on the environment,” Michael Bobker, chair of the Guideline 32 committee. “The guideline applies to all buildings, not just new ones. We believe that all buildings can move toward sustainable high performance in their operations and maintenance.”

The guideline applies to the ongoing operational practices for buildings and systems with respect to energy efficiency, occupant comfort, indoor air quality, health and safety. These systems include the building envelope, HVAC&R, plumbing, complementary energy systems, and utilities and electrical systems.

“Modern air conditioning systems protect the health, comfort and productivity of building occupants,” ASHRAE Presidential Member Bill Harrison, whose presidential theme focused on the need for operation and maintenance, said. “Unfortunately, they consume a lot of energy while providing these benefits.  When these systems are not operated properly, the energy they use can increase by 50 percent or more.  ASHRAE Guideline 32 helps building owners and managers evaluate and eliminate the wasted energy caused by poor operating procedures.  The elimination of non-value producing energy helps protect our environment while saving the building owner money.  Guideline 32 provides a no regrets path to improving energy efficiency in our buildings.”

The guideline contains recommendations for three levels of building oversight: senior managers, facility managers and technicians.  Checklists for tracking that appropriate steps are being taken to move toward high-performance operation and maintenance are included for each.

Among the items on the checklist are:

•       Technicians

o       Develop an HVAC system maintenance program using ANSI/ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 180,       Standard Practice for Inspection and Maintenance of Commercial Building HVAC Systems

o       Maintain access and code required clearances to all HVAC and electrical equipment

•       Facility managers

o       Develop and implement protocols for good facility/system documentation

o       Establish performance baselines and targets. Institute a system for regular reporting and evaluation.

•       Senior managers

o       Assess buildings, workforce, practices, management tools and systems

o       Measure and report on building performance as part of regular business analytics

The cost of ASHRAE Guideline 32, Sustainable, High-Performance Operations and Maintenance, is $69 ($59, ASHRAE members).  To order, contact ASHRAE Customer Contact Center at 1-800-527-4723 (United States and Canada) or 404-636-8400 (worldwide), fax 404-321-5478, or visit www.ashrae.org/bookstore

City of Seattle - Media Advisory

MediaAdvisory

City of Seattle

SeattleCityCouncil

Councilmember Mike O’Brien

Contact:

JoshFogt, Councilmember O’Brien’s office,206-684-8800

LauraLockard, Council Communications,206-684-8159

EVENT DATES:

March 19 and 20, 2012

6:30 to 8 p.m.

Input needed on Seattle City Light’s 2013-2018 Strategic Plan

Public encouraged to attend meetings in South and North Seattle

Seattle – City Council Member Mike O'Brien, Chair of the Energy & Environment Committee, and the City Light Review Panel are seeking public input to help set the course for the future of Seattle City Light. Since early 2010, the utility has been developing a six-year strategic plan with guidance and input from the Review Panel.

“City Light has been around for more than 100 years and today faces some monumental decisions about how we prepare for the next 100 years. As a customer-owned utility, we need to hear from the public to help guide our decisions about energy efficiency, renewable energy, needed infrastructure investments, new technology, and most importantly for many of our customers, rates,” said Councilmember O’Brien. “These two public meetings in South and North Seattle are important for helping us gather some of this feedback and I encourage everyone to attend.”

Who:     Councilmember Mike O’Brien, City Light Review Panel and Seattle

residents

What:    Public hearings to gain customer input into City Light’s proposed 2013-2018 strategic plan

When & Where:  

March 19: 6:30 – 8 p.m. in South Seattle
New Holly Gathering Hall
7054 32^nd Avenue South, Seattle, 98108 (map)

March 20: 6:30 – 8 p.m. in North Seattle

                          Northgate Community Center

              10510 5^th Avenue Northeast, Seattle, 98125 (map)

Seattle City Council meetings are cablecast and Webcast live on Seattle Channel 21 and on the City Council’s website. Copies of legislation, Council meeting calendar, and archives of news releases can be found on the City Council website. Follow the Council on Twitter and on Facebook.

# # #

Laura Lockard

Communications Director

Seattle City Council

206-684-8159 (office)

206-650-6692 (cell)

laura.lockard@seattle.gov

www.seattle.gov/council

ASHRAE - Government Fellowships

ASHRAE leaders-

We are looking for your help in getting the word out to ASHRAE members of a unique and challenging opportunity for growth in Washington, DC.

ASHRAE is sponsoring a 12- to 18-month fellowship program with placement at the Department of Energy in the Office of Building Technologies, Building Energy Codes Program in Washington, DC. This fellowship provides the traditional ASHRAE Member with exposure to the area of public policy. This assignment will enable a selected ASHRAE member to assist DOE in one of the following code deployment activities:

1.                  Code Compliance;

2.                  Residential Duct Test Training;

3.                  Assessment of the Impact of Updating State Energy Codes; or

4.                  Advanced Energy Code Training.

Federal government fellowships provide a valuable public service to the nation while, at the same time, providing engineers and scientists with a unique opportunity to participate directly in the policy-making process. This is an exciting, rewarding, and educational period in their professional careers. This enriching experience enables ASHRAE/DOE Fellows to bring back to their employers an insider's perspective on government decision-making that can contribute significantly to the mission and vision of the organization.

If you know of any members in your regions and/or chapters who might be a good fit for this opportunity, please have them contact Doug Read email, our Director of Government Affairs, at their earliest convenience.

Thanks for your attention - and we look forward to interest from your members to play an integral role in growing the relationship between DOE and ASHRAE.

Regards,

Mark Wills

Mark Wills, Manager - State and Local Government Affairs

ASHRAE
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

Register today for ASHRAE's 2012 Annual Conference, Jun 23-27, San Antonio, Texas