31 TANNERY: THE NATION'S FIRST NET-ZERO-ELECTRIC COMMERCIAL BUILDING

Presenter: EDWARD H. BRZEZOWSKI, PE, LEED AP

Serving as the corporate headquarters of Ferreira Construction, The Ferreira Group, and Noveda Technologies, 31 Tannery in Branchburg, N.J., is the first fully documented net-zero-electric commercial building in the United States. It includes nine miles of radiant heat (80 zones), high-performance rooftop units, a 96-percent-efficient condensing boiler plant, a 223-kw direct-current solar photovoltaic system, solar domestic hot water, an integrated Web-based direct-digital-control system, and a pervasive voice/data/video system with kiosk displays.

Since opening in May 2006, it has served as a learning tool for energy efficiency and renewable energy and maintained a perfect 100-point Energy Star rating. It has become a power plant, generating all of the electricity it needs on an annual basis, with a one-month surplus sold to the utility grid under “net metering.”

Edward H. Brzezowski will discuss the building he engineered while serving as Ferreira’s director of engineering, drawing on the firm’s experience in building design, sustainability, construction management, commissioning, and renewable energy.

HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC RETROFITS: ACHIEVING 40% TO 70% ENERGY SAVINGS

Presenter: BEN ERPELDING, PE, CEM

Ben Erpelding, who has performed more than 500 detailed HVAC energy assessments, will discuss several cases from a wide range of U.S. climates (tropical, temperate, and transitional) in which 40% to 70% reductions in energy use were achieved by retrofitting chilled-water plants and variable-air-volume air-handling systems.

Photographs, scope of work, quantified energy savings (internal rate of return, dollars per year, kilowatt-hours per year, kilowatts, net present value, etc.), implementation costs, and “before and after” measurement and verification data will be presented for each project

EVAPORATIVE COOLING: THE GREENEST OF HVAC PROCESSES

Presenter: MARK S. LENTZ, PE

The mere mention of evaporative cooling usually evokes a strong—and rather negative—response from design professionals, something along the lines of, “Do you mean swamp coolers?,” “What about Legionnaire’s disease?,” or, “That is for hot and dry climates only.” Facts, however, differ substantially from perceptions. When properly applied, evaporative technologies can be beneficial in all climate regions—from the arctic to the equator. What’s more, evaporative cooling plays a critical role in opening the technological door to net-zero-energy building performance and provides a wide range of benefits, from precise humidity control and load shedding to gaseous- and particulate-contaminant control.

Mark Lentz, former vice chairman of the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) technical committee on evaporative cooling, will discuss several ways evaporative cooling can be used to provide high-quality environments while reducing HVAC-system energy use. The presentation will feature examples of evaporative cooling’s use in the humid Southeast United States.

BUSTING THE MYTH THAT GREEN COSTS MORE

Co-Presenter: PAUL MCCOWN, PE, LEED AP, CEM, CxA

Co-Presenter: JAMES QUALK

Green building commonly is believed to cost more than traditional strategies and techniques of building design and construction. A Davis Langdon study, however, found “no significant difference” between the construction costs of buildings for which certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System was sought and buildings for which it was not. Independent studies by the State of California and the U.S. General Services Administration similarly concluded that cost premiums are minimal.

First cost, however, is only a small part of the total cost of building ownership; 90% comes in the form of operation and maintenance—two areas in which designing for LEED certification can save enormously. On average, any additional costs for building green are recouped within one to two years, with exponential cost savings thereafter.

COMMISSIONING: A BASIC INGREDIENT FOR A HIGH-PERFORMANCE SCHOOL

Co-Presenter: JIM SECKEL, PE, LEED AP, CxA, CBCP

Co-Presenter: COLLEEN S. SMITH, PE, LEED AP, CxAP

Historically, K-12 school buildings hardly have been known for innovation, imagination, or environmental friendliness. Tightening budgets, increasing energy costs, and pressure to improve learning environments are changing that, focusing attention on sustainable buildings with multiple “high-performance” characteristics, all of which add a level of complexity not seen in more traditional facilities. Jim Seckel and Colleen Smith, who have been the principal commissioning agents on more than 20 K-12 school projects between them, will discuss the important role commissioning plays in validating the performance and functionality of building systems and ensuring anticipated monetary and resource savings are realized.

THE ROLE OF CONTROLS IN COMMISSIONING GREEN BUILDINGS

Presenter: RON WILKINSON, PE LEED AP

The best single tool for commissioning a sophisticated green building is the control system installed in the building itself. Although a building-management system (BMS) does not completely replace a commissioning authority's instrument, it is s powerful tool in measuring and recording building performance.

Ron Wilkinson, author of the first commissioning training program for the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for New Construction and Major Renovations Green Building Rating System, will discuss hoe a BMS can be used to expedite the commissioning process for a green or sustainably designed building and train operation-and-maintenance personnel in BMS operation at the same time.

THE GREENHOUSE-GAS IMPACT OF VARIOUS CHILLER TECHNOLOGIES

Presenter: GERALD J. WILLIAMS, PE, LEED AP

To date, more than 600 college and university presidents have signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, pledging to eliminate their campuses’ greenhouse-gas emissions over time. With such a daunting goal, a basic knowledge of the engineering fundamentals behind carbon-dioxide (CO2) production is essential.

This presentation will set forth analytical tools for determining the greenhouse-gas production of various central-chilled-water-plant technologies. The CO2 produced in burning common heating fuels will be discussed and extended to the CO2 produced in generating electricity. Additionally, techniques of determining regional values for CO2 produced in the generation of electricity will be described. Lastly, using basic full-load energy-flow diagrams, tons of CO2 produced per ton-hour of refrigeration will be identified for various central-chilled-water-plant technologies, including electric centrifugal, low- and high-pressure steam-absorption, direct-fired two-stage gas-absorption, and engine-driven centrifugal chillers.

Consideration also will be given to the greenhouse-gas contribution of an electric centrifugal heat pump generating chilled water and low-temperature hot water where simultaneous cooling and heating is required.