Welcome to the March edition of the Green Building Journal. While the Green Building Pro team enjoyed a day off to celebrate our heritage and all things green, we are now looking forward to spring and a new outlook on fresh ideas for green and sustainable building.

This month’s journal is focused on Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, also known as HVAC. This broad subject covers a range of important topics including renewable energy, indoor air quality, and thermal comfort. All of these elements are key components to consider in your next project, whether it’s a school, office, or even your home.

When considering heating and cooling solutions, maximizing efficiency leads to practical and cost-effective systems. The first article this month covers hydronic heating and its role in fluid comfort and energy efficiency. Steve Clark discusses the split between HVAC engineering and plumbing engineering, and how important it is to get heating and cooling right, the first time. Learn how to lower the footprint of your next project and reduce your connected load.

Following up on the mechanical side of things comes our next article by Louis-Nicolas Hamer. In this piece he discusses how merging HVAC and lighting controls can lead to more cost-effective green buildings. Mr. Hamer outlines how traditional building automation systems separate lighting and HVAC controls, despite the fact that they can often be found next to each other. Mr. Hamer will also be presenting a live webcast on this subject on April 13th, at 10am PST. Following this presentation, Mr. Hamer will be available to answer any questions you may have in a live Q & A session. Attendance is free, and you can register here.

In this month’s episode of Green Talk we find out more about geothermal heating and cooling. Mitchell Funk chats with Mark Mizrahi, President and CEO of EnLink Geoenergy, about the application of renewable energy in green building. This type of energy can be harnessed to drastically reduce water and energy use in any new or retrofit construction project, all powered by the stable temperature of the Earth. In this interview, Mark offers a few tips for those looking to implement such a system into their next project.

While this is a snapshot of what you can find in the journal, dive in and enjoy the articles, blogs, videos and news. Explore the Green Building Pro social media community, engage with other members, and contribute your expertise to collaborate and communicate with other green building professionals.

While we are well into 2011, we welcome your input regarding our Green Building Expo Online Event Series. Each month we offer a new live multi-hour event to educate the community and highlight the latest green products. By participating, you will reach a community dedicated to the green building and design industries. From panel discussions and individual presentations, to the networking lounge and sponsorship hall, the Green Building Expo environment provides a space to learn and connect with like-minded professionals.

We welcome you to join us in our community and attend our monthly online series, either as an attendee, sponsor, speaker or all of the above. Feel free to contact me with your input on our community and Journal editions. I look forward to joining you online in the Green Building Pro community.

Jenica Egan
Editor in Chief
Green Building Journal
Jenica.Egan@SparkInteractive.com
Follow us on Twitter @buildgreenpro

In North America, we do not heat or cool buildings; we heat or air-condition them. Is the temperature too cold? Crank up the heat. Is it too hot? Crank up the air-conditioning.

This method of temperature control is ingrained in our language and in the names of our systems, our companies, and our organizations. It is ingrained in our thought process. Few in the United States can even conceive of other ways of making interior spaces comfortable than by being blasted by refrigerated air.
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Building automation systems (BAS) allow building managers or their service providers to remotely control HVAC, lighting and other applications, in turn maximizing occupant comfort while typically reducing energy consumption by 15% to 30% (it can go as high as 50%). But there has been a traditional split in the BAS industry between lighting and HVAC controls, despite the fact that lighting and HVAC equipment can always be found next to each other in any room of any given building.
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Broadcast Date: Wednesday, April 13th, 2011
Time: 10:00 AM PT / 12:00 PM CT / 1:00 PM ET
Duration: 50-55 Minutes

Speaker:
Louis-Nicolas Hamer, Vice-President, Product Strategy, SCL Elements Inc.

HVAC accounts for a significant portion of the energy consumption of commercial buildings. Building automation systems (BAS) allow for the remote control of HVAC, lighting and other applications, in turn maximizing occupant comfort while typically reducing energy consumption by 15-30% (it can go as high as 50%). However, there has been a traditional split in the BAS industry between HVAC and lighting controls, despite the fact that both types of equipment can be found next to each other in any room of any given building.

In this presentation, Louis-Nicolas Hamer will discuss new technology today that is bridging the gap between HVAC and lighting, providing better payback for energy efficiency projects. Join him in exploring this topic and engaging in a discussion surrounding the building industry. A live Q&A portion will be conducted at the end of the presentation where attendees may interact with the speaker.
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This month we’re taking a look at a specific subset of the Journal topic, and diving into hydronic heating for residential and commercial work. John Siegenthaler’s book Modern Hydronic Heating has just released its third edition this past January, and updates an already stellar resource on hydronic heating methods.

The book itself is jam-packed with information, and can be used as a self-study resource or on the job reference. Whether you’re instituting a simple application all the way to multi-load and multi-temperature systems, the text provides recent methods and hardware to create those systems. We like when a book includes illustrations and installation photos, and this edition does not fail to deliver. By taking engineering-level design information and turning it into practical tools for technical students and heating professionals, the subject becomes more approachable.
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For the University of Florida, improving energy efficiency is the most important step toward achieving sustainability in its buildings. That’s why the university turned to Johnson Controls to implement a comprehensive retro-commissioning plan that included service and training of university staff in an effort to optimize the operation of its existing buildings. As a result, the university saw a 22 percent return on its initial investment and improved the level of expertise of its Physical Plant Department personnel.
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With 23% of carbon dioxide emissions generated by the heating and cooling of residential buildings in the United States, smart choices of technologies that maintain indoor air quality and create a comfortable environment could significantly reduce the greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

In 2007, when I was CEO of Kingspan Century in Ireland, we developed and launched Europe’s first net-zero energy home, which we named “Lighthouse,” through innovative uses of available technologies combined with integral design considerations.
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Hotel Indigo Athens is located five blocks from the University of Georgia in the historic city of Athens, Ga., 75 miles east of Atlanta. One of 33 upscale boutique brand hotels developed by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Hotel Indigo Athens (Hotel Indigo) is one of only five hotels in the nation to achieve LEED Gold. It is also the first LEED Gold certified hotel in IHG’s extensive portfolio of 4,500 hotels in 100 countries and territories around the world.
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In this episode of Green Talk, Green Building Pro Editor, Mitchell Funk talks with Mark Mizrahi, President and CEO of EnLink Geoenergy. Mark goes over geothermal heating and cooling and its application in the green building industry. Geothermal energy can be harnessed to drastically reduce water and energy use in your project, all powered by the moderate and stable temperature of the Earth. By utilizing geothermal pumps (GHPs), you can tap into one of the most efficient energy sources available. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that GHP systems can range from 300 to 600 percent efficient, outputting more units of energy than are put in. Mark talks about the range of applications he has seen for the system including schools, commercial buildings, and homes. He concludes with valuable tips for those looking to implement a system in their next project.
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