TECHNICAL SESSIONS
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
"WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM EUROPEAN GREEN BUILDING DESIGN"
What do European green builders and engineers know and do that Americans and Canadians don't? You may be surprised at some of the answers.
Based on first-hand interviews with leading engineers in Germany and the UK, as well as extensive research carried out by Yudelson Associates, Jerry Yudelson will discuss how some of Europe's leading engineers approach design differently and what they come up with to respond to the growing demand for zero net energy solutions. You'll hear about chilled ceilings, double facades, innovative humidification and dehumidification systems, running air ducts through concrete and much more. This is fresh, realistic and intriguing detail you can put into practice right away.
TUESDAY SESSIONS
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"PERFORMANCE BASED BUILDING DESIGN AND OPERATIONS"
Presenter: Thomas Hartman
Tuesday, October 21
9:30 am - 10:30 am
Green building projects often fail to meet performance expectations because the design, construction and startup processes employed today often allow the design intent to be disconnected from many of the major decisions made subsequently during design, procurement, construction, startup and operation that profoundly affect final building performance. The result is that designers lose control of the performance aspects of their projects when decisions relating to value engineering, final equipment selections, control and operating procedures, etc. are made.
Although by contract, designers may have only limited influence over other elements of the design or the subsequent project phases, it is possible for designers to insert themselves in a performance assurance program to ensure projected performance is actually achieved, and get paid for doing it. This presentation discusses the new concept of performance based building design and operations and with real case studies and examples to show how designers can successfully introduce the concept to design teams and how we can all use it to maintain accountability for performance throughout the design, construction and turnover phases of projects.
"HOW THE LATEST ROOFTOP UNITS MAKE A BUILDING GREEN"
Presenter: Michael West
Tuesday, October 21
9:30 am - 10:30 am
Do green buildings require complex chilled water systems or can rooftop package units meet the need? How do they compare? Package units have evolved into sophisticated equipment choices, and with them a swarm of new questions about selection and performance. In this session, attendees will hear about variable-capacity compressors, evaporative cooling, refrigerant HCFC-22 versus HFC-410A, oversizing vs. rightsizing, maintenance, dehumidification, controls, zoning, economizers and fresh-air preconditioning. This session also will target questions on the latest crop of DX package unit technologies and how to apply them to green building projects.
"HIGH-EFFICIENCY RADIANT COOLING SYSTEMS"
Presenter: Greg Cunniff
Tuesday, October 21
9:30 am - 10:30 am
New technologies have made it possible to bring high efficiency cooling systems to the marketplace. The development and advancement of technology such as active and passive chilled beams, radiant cooling panels for ceilings and walls, variable speed and mixing circulators, innovative piping systems and smart controls have all made this possible. The presentation will explore these different elements and show how combining them can lead to the most efficient cooling system available today.
"CASE STUDY IN NEAR-NET ZERO COMMERCIAL LEED DESIGN"
Presenter: Peter D'Antonio
Tuesday, October 21
11:00 am - 12:00 noon
This session will be a case study of a high-profile medical office building in Pueblo, CO. This multi-award-winning building, which is the first LEED project in the Southern Colorado region, has received the LEED-Gold designation. Building systems feature a 30kW PV array, geothermal heat pumps with dedicated outdoor air and fully automated lighting/daylighting systems. 90% of the facility’s energy use is met by the PV system.
D'Antonio, who managed the commissioning, energy modeling and M&V activities on the project, will highlight the process used in the design, construction and operation of the building. Valuable tips and lessons learned will be discussed in the areas of design, commissioning, energy modeling, LEED consulting, and M&V activities. Attendees will take away valuable tips and strategies which can be applied in their day-to-day practice and your high-performance buildings.
"ULTRA-EFFICIENT ALL VARIABLE SPEED BUILDINGS - CASE STUDY"
Presenter: Ben Erpelding
Tuesday, October 21
11:00 am - 12:00 noon
An HVAC system serving an office and laboratory facility was converted into an ultra-efficient all variable speed system. The goal of the retrofit was an entire system that operates at an annual average efficiency (coefficient of performance) of COP = 4 (0.5 kW/ton chilled water plant, 0.25 kW/ton AHU system plus re-heat gas energy). A new benchmarking tool will be presented that introduces the “mile-per-gallon” equivalent for HVAC system performance. The case study will showcase how high performance is achieved and how a 4 COP annual HVAC performance is possible.
"WHAT IS AN ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDING?"
Presenter: Larry Spielvogel
Tuesday, October 21
11:00 am - 12:00 noon
How do energy efficient, green, high-performance, and sustainable buildings actually perform compared with otherwise similar new buildings? How do they ompare with older buildings? How do we know? What are the consequences when the expected or predicted performance is not achieved? What standard of care is or will be required? What implied liability is faced if performance expectations are not met, even despite changes? Or for compromised comfort, long term efficiency, or maintenance? Does Standard 90.1 envelope compliance shift that burden to engineers? If our energy analyses, estimates, and predictions are so good, why do utility companies still require meters? What does it take to make a high performance building perform? Buildings expert Larry Spielvogel answers these and similar questions in this session on energy efficient buildings.
"BRANDING AND POSITIONING YOUR GREEN BUILDING PROJECT"
Presenter: Jerry Yudelson
Tuesday, October 21
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Green buildings are here to stay. The rapid, even unprecedented growth of the green building movement puts extraordinary demands on the engineering design of high-performance, climate-neutral buildings. Learn what HVAC engineers need to know about new approaches to building design and performance. Yudelson's presentation will weave lessons from his latest book, "Green Buildings: Designing and Delivering High-Performance Buildings," with his research on new engineering techniques from European sustainable design approaches.
"SAVING ENERGY WITH AIR-TO-AIR HEAT EXCHANGER APPLICATIONS IN ADVANCED HVAC SYSTEMS"
Presenter: Mark Lentz
Tuesday, October 21
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
When used effectively, air-to-air heat exchanger technologies can open the technological door to a whole new world of building performance and will be critical to achieving “net zero” building energy use. Lentz will discuss several ways that these technologies can be used to provide high-quality environments while reducing HVAC system energy use by 50%, 70% or more over conventional HVAC strategies at directly competitive costs.
"VENTILATION ENERGY SAVINGS WITH LIQUID DESICCANT DEHUMIDIFICATION"
Presenter: Peter Demakos
Tuesday, October 21
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
With the rising prices and decreased reliability of electricity, building owners are evaluating cost-effective means to satisfy the stricter IAQ standards demanded by the government and industry. Due to the need for increased outside air, owners are realizing that traditional building air conditioning, which typically uses cooling coils with refrigeration for cooling, is an expensive process.
"ACHIEVING GREATER EFFICIENCY THROUGH CREATIVE THINKING AND BEST PRACTICES"
Presenter: Kent Peterson
Tuesday, October 21
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Peterson will emphasize innovation in the quest for sustainability in the built environment and discuss his philosophy that "energy efficiency should always be the elegant alternative to fuel consumption." Throughout his presentation, Peterson will encourage the industry to be more innovative in its thinking, more daring in its creativity and more dedicated to its pursuit of best practices that will dramatically improve building energy performance. He will also discuss the industry's role in helping to create a better, more sustainable world, as well as ASHRAE's bold new programs aimed at transforming the market toward establishing high-performing, net-zero energy buildings.
"MEASURING AND EVALUATING A BUILDING'S CARBON FOOTPRINT"
Presenter: Valentine Lehr
Tuesday, October 21
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
For environmentally responsive, sustainable design projects, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) registration has become a standard in the U.S. That evaluation procedure offers a balanced view of sustainable design. Elsewhere worldwide, alternate green building evaluation procedures are utilized, including BREAM in the United Kingdom and Green Star in Australia. These evaluation tools focus preliminary on carbon footprint.
This presentation will offer a comparison of various rating systems comparing their scope and focus. Additionally, the procedures for evaluating the real carbon footprint of a device, system or alternative will be reviewed together with the procedures for developing a carbon footprint evaluation tool.
Presenter: Michael Zatz
Tuesday, October 21
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
With the growth in interest in green building, and the realization that
many "green" buildings are not proving to be good energy performers, the blue ENERGY STAR logo is being seen as the first step to green in
commercial buildings, and the true indicator of top energy performance.
This presentation will report on the tremendous growth in the use of ENERGY STAR as an energy efficiency indicator, case studies of its use, and new initiatives for data centers and highrise residential buildings being planned by the program.
WEDNESDAY SESSIONS
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"THE ROLE OF BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING IN SUSTAINABILITY"
Presenter: Joe Schmidt
Wednesday, October 22
9:30 am - 10:30 am
"GREEN DESIGN IN SPECIAL HAZARDS FIRE PROTECTION"
Presenter: Frank Barstow
Wednesday, October 22
9:30 am - 10:30 am
Many fire suppression systems on the market today extinguish fires in commercial spaces by dispersing agents that can be toxic to human life or by releasing thousands of gallons of water into the space creating damage to vital equipment, particularly in critical spaces such as computer rooms, hospitals and data centers. Speaker Frank Barstow will discuss a revolutionary fire suppression system that breaks the paradigm of fire suppression technology and design. It is a green fire suppression system that extinguishes fire without the use of any toxic chemicals and with very little water and without damaging equipment. The system works by deploying an environmentally-friendly, non-toxic mix of nitrogen and water at supersonic velocity and without the need of a high-pressure delivery system.
"WATER REUSE FOR COOLING AND CONDENSING APPLICATIONS AT PROCESS FACILITIES"
Presenter: Peter Demakos
Wednesday, October 22
9:30 am - 10:30 am
Water availability and quality are becoming increasingly important in the design and operation of cooling systems. Many building designers are evaluating how to use less (fresh) water, are unable to acquire additional water for cooling, or are constrained by zero discharge restrictions.
"BUILDING AUTOMATION FOR GREENER BUILDINGS"
Presenter: William Swan
Wednesday, October 22
11:00 am - 12:00 noon
Energy demand and energy costs are not going down, and it is unlikely this will change anytime soon. Although the initial impetus for "green buildings" came from concerns over man-made global warming, energy costs will keep driving the need for ever-more energy efficient buildings. The U.S. Green Building Council is revising existing LEED standards and drafting new standards. ASHRAE, too, is revising existing standards and drafting new high-performance standards, as well as "Advanced Energy Design Guides" to reduce buildings' energy usage. This session will look at the role building automation systems will have in "greening" buildings.
"GREEN STRATEGIES FOR SAVING WATER AND IMPROVING EFFICIENCY"
Presenter: Doug Bennett
Wednesday, October 22
11:00 am - 12:00 noon
As energy and construction costs skyrocket, it is easy to overlook water efficiency opportunities in new and existing buildings. The choices made regarding equipment selection and design not only affect construction costs, but also long-term operating and maintenance budgets. Speaker Doug Bennett will shed light on the growing challenges of providing water for ever-growing demand. Attendees will learn about innovative strategies and products they can integrate into their facilities to improve water efficiency, reduce costs and obtain green building certifications. Bennett also will touch on some "green" strategies that may not be a good fit for specific environments.
"HOW R-410A CONTRIBUTES TO GREEN BUILDINGS"
Presenter: Karl Zellmer
Wednesday, October 22
11:00 am - 12:00 noon
This session will explore why accelerating the transition to newer refrigerants is best for buildings and facilities in terms of environmental impact, cost savings and system efficiency. Zellmer will discuss current and future legislative trends, HFC refrigerants, R-410A component system availability, recent survey data and R-410A training opportunities. This presentation will address non-residential and commercial building air conditioning markets.
Sponsored by ABB, INC.
"LAS VEGAS WAL-MART: A CASE STUDY IN EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY"
Presenter: Tony Pianalto
Wednesday, October 22
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
This presentation will highlight how Wal-Mart has developed a step-by-step process to develop a higher efficient HVACR system for their prototype design. Emphasis will be placed on the Las Vegas store high-efficiency design (HE.6) with its relatively low wet bulb temperatures utilizing a radiant cooling slab for the sales floor and the recovery of heat from the refrigeration systems to the HVAC system for the entire store.
TWO-PART SESSION: "HOW TO AVOID UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF BUILDING GREEN"
Presenter: George DuBose
Wednesday, October 22
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm (Part One)
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm (Part Two)
The great irony of building green is that the very concepts that are intended to enhance a building's performance over its lifetime are the same things that also make it susceptible to moisture and mold problems during the first years of operation.
Improved energy conservation, increased thermal insulation, and the use of innovative products are some of the ideas that make buildings green and sustainable. They are also some of the things that make buildings susceptible to future failure. This presentation identifies the specific reasons that green buildings are at risk and what can be done to avoid problems. In short, what “best practices” are being promoted as green but are also “higher risk” practices.
"ACHIEVING SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH MECHANICAL PIPING SYSTEMS"
Wednesday, October 22
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
With the cost to operate a facility rising more than 10% in the last four years it is critical for architects, owners and engineers to seek building solutions that offset these escalating expenses. Many engineers and designers of piping systems are discovering that one way to realize these benefits is not just by choosing more efficient equipment and achieving a LEED rating, but by designing and constructing a building with sustainable piping systems that maximize efficiency and reduce downtime throughout its life cycle. Speaker Gary Trinker will address the role of the LEED rating system as an important guideline for green building practices and as a foundation for a sustainable building. He also will provide a compelling case for designing a facility using a green mechanical piping system by providing evidence of increased equipment efficiency and life of equipment, ease of maintenance and retrofit, and increased benefits for jobsite workers and building occupants.
"WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LEED 2009"
Presenter: USGBC Presenter TBD
Wednesday, October 22
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm
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