Coordinating Green Building Improvements
View PDF | Print View
by: Lucywo
Total views: 30
Word Count: 619
Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2010 Time: 6:30 AM
0 comments
If you are a commercial property owner considering making improvements to increase energy efficiency and potentially qualify for rebates or tax incentives, you may be tempted to jump in, choose one aspect of your facility that needs improvement and charge ahead. Lighting upgrades are a fairly low-risk investment that can result in substantial energy savings. So, why not have your own plant or facility personnel oversee a lighting upgrade? It's important to take a more comprehensive - integrated approach and plan for future improvements that may be impacted by the lighting upgrade. If an HVAC upgrade is next on your list, it makes sense to think ahead and coordinate all of the potential upgrades that make up your green building vision.
Whole-building (integrated) design is a growing trend in green building. This method of building or making improvements, analyzes the way a building's systems work together and affect each other, rather than trying to make improvements to systems or components individually. Whole-building design results in a more efficient design that maximizes energy efficiency and minimizes the building's impact on its environment.
Before making improvements to an existing building, it is important to establish the overall goals for the project and establish a green team that will design and coordinate an integrated plan. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has established the LEED Certification process in an effort to create the standard for what constitutes a green building. Having a project coordinator who understands the USGBC standards and/or other standards and can integrate them into the project is extremely beneficial.
In projects where an integrated approach is not taken, often plant or facility employees have little experience in evaluating equipment or systems and don't have up-to-date knowledge on green building codes and available incentives. They are typically looking for the cheapest install and may overlook important economic factors that will save the property owner money in the long run. An improperly installed system may not yield the expected energy savings and may have a negative impact on future upgrades to other building components.
An experienced consultant on your green team can facilitate coordination of the trades so that when looking at a lighting upgrade all incentives are reviewed. A lighting upgrade can also result in significant energy saving opportunities for subsequent building system upgrades. It's important to coordinate with the HVAC trade so that the new equipment may be sized to account for the reduction of heat from old lights to new lights. You'll also need to know if there are any potential incentives that may be available for the new HVAC system.
Additionally, a consultant who understands the wider-reaching impact of improvements that might include fenestration, roofing or insulation will provide the property owner the added benefit of their knowledge of integrated building systems and the effect of local environmental factors on the building. It is possible that with the right basic building materials in place, the building will be more energy efficient and require smaller and more energy efficient heating and cooling equipment. This could easily result in significant savings overall, improved productivity, as well as, establishing a more comprehensive - and improved environment within the facility.
Whole-building design takes into account the complexity of each building's structure and systems, creating a logical and cohesive design. Implementing an integrated design approach also allows property owners to follow professionally developed best-practices for creating lasting green improvements.
To learn more about Green Building Improvements, project coordination, or for an initial cost-free consultation, contact M.A. Moore, corporate sustainability advisor at Capital Review Group or directly at 602.741.7776.
About the Author
Rating: Not yet rated