Setpoint Systems receives Xcel Energy 2016 Efficiency Partner Award

Every year Xcel Energy recognizes their top performing commercial Trade Partners based on energy saving projects completed. They review commercial projects by total rebate dollars paid, kWh and Decatherm savings by program. Setpoint Systems was one of 28 Trade Partners who qualified for the awards.

Setpoint Systems helped clients earn $145,047 in rebates, saving 2,123,155 kWh. We strive to assist our customers in reducing operating costs and improving their bottom line.

We partner with Xcel Energy to improve your energy conservation program with energy-efficient equipment and systems. When you update your system, there are often rebates available. To help you avoid confusion, we assist you in finding all savings and rebates from Xcel Energy.

Energy efficiency helps us manage our resources wisely, while taking care of the planet.

New Setpointers

Setpoint Systems Corporation is proud to announce some new employee additions to our already exemplary team. All four new team members have already earned their Master Certification in George U in an impressive 3-1/2 weeks.

Please welcome them to our team.

Jeff
Construction Account Manager, Colorado

Jeff has worked in construction for 16 years, primarily as a General Contractor. Most of his career has been in estimating. Some of the projects he’s worked on include the Colorado capitol building, the Children’s Hospital, plus several other hospitals, schools, and most major universities throughout the metro area.

During his freshman year in college, he went to Nebraska for one year on a baseball scholarship. However, he missed the mountains and returned to Colorado to get his degree at Colorado State University in Construction Management.

Jeff is a native Coloradan who enjoys snowboarding, camping, softball, and gardening. He has been married for eight years to Shaana. They have two kids, a 7-year-old girl named Adasen and a 4-year-old boy named Ethan. They keep him pretty busy.

Jeff enjoys interacting with people and is looking forward to selling for Setpoint Systems. He is also looking forward to meeting Mechanical Contractors from a different angle.

 

Jerome
Account Manager, Minnesota

Jerome successfully completed our five-week Setpoint Systems training as well as achieved his Delta Control’s George University Master Certification, and has joined our office in Burnsville, Minnesota as the Service Account Manager.

Prior to joining Setpoint Systems, Jerome worked in electronic component distribution for 16 years.  Five years as a Tech Support Rep, five years as an Interconnect Product Manager, and the last six years as the Interconnect and Electromechanical Product Group Manager, where he and his team managed over 175 suppliers.  Prior to that, Jerome was an electronic communication and security system technician in the Air Force. He has earned associates degrees in both Electronics and Business Management, and has also completed  his Internal ISO Auditor Certification.

He has been married for 22 years to Susan. They have one daughter, Emily, and two stepdaughters, Erica and Erin, plus eight grandkids. In Jerome’s free time, he enjoys woodworking, target practice, ice fishing, cooking, plus making beer and wine. Jerome, how about some samples?

 

Rance
Account Manager, Colorado

Rance has spent most of his career selling electronics recycling and end-of-life asset management recycling services with a local firm and as an independent consultant. During that time he spent one year in the technical training side of refineries and chemical plants out of Houston before deciding to return to Colorado.

He holds a BS from Texas State University in Applied Sociology (research degree), as well as an MBA. He is an avid reader and has always been a geek when it comes to learning about new technologies and advancements in the science world.

 

He currently lives on the west side of Lakewood with his seven-year-old boxer rescue dog and enjoys spending the majority of his free time snowboarding, hiking, camping, and fishing in the mountains.

He is excited to join the Setpoint team as a Service Account Manager in Denver because the most rewarding part of his career has been establishing and maintaining meaningful relationships with clients, becoming a resource in solving their problems, and being a vendor who has made a positive impact on their organizations.

He believes that he will be able to not only continue this career path here at Setpoint but expand and improve upon it for years to come.

 

Buster
Application Engineer/Estimator, Colorado

Buster is supporting the sales staff with estimating and will then roll into engineering projects.

He has been in the temperature controls business for 23 years. During that time, he worked in purchasing, built panels, created job drawings in AutoCAD, designed and engineered projects, and estimated jobs. He also assisted in temperature controls installation, plus performed check tests and start up of systems.

Early in his career, he worked for a defense contractor as an electronics technician on a missile program. Prior to that, he was in the Air Force as an electronics technician working on fighter/bomber aircraft.

Buster has been married for 27 years to Elizabeth. They have a daughter, two sons, and two grandkids. He enjoys woodworking and gardening. He recently completed remodeling his kitchen and bathroom.

Buster is excited to learn the Delta Controls System and is happy to be part of Setpoint Systems.

Announcing Two Like-Minded Delta Organizations Joining Together

Article from Delta Controls web site

April 29, 2016

Delta Controls is extremely pleased to announce that Delta Controls Inc. based in Vancouver, Canada, has been acquired by Delta Electronics (Netherlands) B.V. (DEN), a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Electronics.

The owners of Delta Controls have been mindful of securing the long-term future of the Delta Controls family, including the employees, stakeholders and the worldwide Delta Partnership. They have been searching for the right partner: one who complements the business, has the same cultural fit, and has the resources to grow the organization in this ever-changing world. The plan is to continue to manufacture and develop products in Vancouver and enhance the Delta Controls brand name worldwide.

It is not just the names that are similar. Delta Electronics has a culture that aligns with Delta Controls’ “Do it Right” and Earthright™ philosophies. Delta Controls brings a new market for Delta Electronics and helps them with their vision of developing technologies aimed at reducing global warming and ensuring a sustainable future for mankind. Delta Electronics Inc. is a $7+ billion USD worldwide organization with a reputation for quality that enables them to be a major ODM supplier to many of the high-tech Fortune 300 organizations.

The two organizations will bring many technical and synergistic opportunities to both parties. Delta Electronics was founded in 1971 and is the global leader in switching power supply solutions and DC brushless fans. They also specialize in a comprehensive range of variable frequency drives, industrial automation, UPS, visualization displays, LED lighting and renewable energy solutions. These complementary products, and Delta Electronics’ track record of investment and growth, will help us move forward to a more exciting future.

Founders Brian Goodchild and Raymond Rae will continue to be involved in the business. CopperTree Analytics, ESC Automation and Delta Connects will remain independent organizations with the continued involvement of Goodchild and Rae.

Advancing Sustainability Through Innovation

A recent Ceres report analyzed 613 of the largest publicly traded corporations in the United States to reveal that while a growing contingent of companies are steadily building sustainability into their business operations, the vast majority are not. As detailed in the report, hundreds of companies are taking steps to reduce their green house gas emissions, but most have not set clear time line goals for these programs. Ceres’ corporate program vice president Andrea Moffat summarized the report by saying, “We’re seeing a change, but not fast enough and not to the extent that we think is really possible for US companies. We are not seeing the scale of change that we really need.”

The intention and action is there, but many corporations still struggle to advance the sustainability of their products and production methods. Many companies who make sustainability a priority have turned to eco-labels to provide third-party accreditation to validate their sustainability efforts. Yet, nearly all eco-labels focus solely on identifying performance within a specific product or service category and therefore cannot offer a holistic sustainability platform or incentive for continual improvement. Other problems with traditional eco-labels can lead consumers to question the true meaning of the label, for example when the certification is self-identifying.

Corporations need a neutral third party who can both provide a path forward for sustainable innovation, as well as ensure they are continuing to make substantial progress and improve their impact on the world. The Cradle to Cradle Certified Products program provides companies with a verified continuous improvement sustainability platform that addresses the five most crucial aspects of corporate sustainability: water use, energy consumption, material health, material reutilization and social fairness.

The program helps corporations choose safer alternatives for ingredients in their products and set clear goals and deadlines for the improvement of the five core areas moving forward.

To get on the path toward making safer products with the Cradle to Cradle Certified program:

1. Determine if your product is appropriate for certification.

–Does it comply with the banned chemicals lists?

–Is there a commitment to continuous improvement and product optimization?

2. Select an Accredited Assessment body for testing, analysis and evaluation of your product.

3. Compile initial application forms.

4. Work with you assessor to compile and evaluate data and documentation.

–Collect information on your supply chain.

–Work with assessor to develop optimization strategies.

–Submit a Certification Summary Report assembled by your assessor to the Institute for final review.

5. Receive Certification Summary Report Review: The Institute issues a certificate, conferring use of the mark.

6. Apply for Recertification (every two years under version 3).

–Work with assessor and supply chain to gather any new data.

–Assessor evaluates data and progress on optimization strategies; evidence of progress is required for re-certification. The progress is context specific.

The Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard provides a continuous improvement pathway toward the development of safe and recyclable products. Product certification is available at five different levels (Basic, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum), with each higher level addressing a more rigorous set of requirements.

The Basic certification level is a “provisional” level designed to help companies “get on the path” toward the development of safe and sustainable products, recognizing the difficulty of transition and honoring human intention as an important part of any successful protocol for continuous product improvement. Certification at the Basic level requires a commitment to future assessment of the chemical ingredients in a product, and optimization of the product by phasing out harmful substances, implementing reutilization strategies, increasing the use of renewable energy, and implementing water stewardship and social fairness programs.

Up to this date, 205 companies have participated in the program and currently there are 306 active certificates representing an estimated 2,139 product variations. We have witnessed some amazing product breakthroughs occur through the certification process. After Puma’s 2010 Environmental Profit and Loss Account linked 57 percent of its impact with the production of raw materials (leather, cotton, and rubber, included), the brand turned to “clever raw materials” such as biodegradable polymers, recycled polyester, and organic cotton. Puma’s Incycleline was released in 2013, and a Cradle to Cradle Certified fashion product line represented a first in the fashion industry. In addition to improving the sourcing of their raw materials, Puma also improved the material health of these products through pigment positive lists and instituted an in-store take-back program to claim used Puma-ware for industrial composting and upcycle.

The Cradle to Cradle Certified approach is spreading worldwide. The Alcoa Foundation recently awarded a grant to the Institute to develop a new web-based education program that focuses on sustainable practices and designs for product designers. Following the course, participants have the opportunity to get their product certified and recognized as part of the Innovation Challenge. Learn more about this program here.

With the expansion of sustainability initiatives through company innovation and product development, we can build the new economy – one where products have a positive impact on people and planet.

Bridgett Luther is president at the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.

Reference: environmentalleader.com

This Building’s Facade Literally Maps Out a Sustainable Future

If all buildings lit up with signs and indicators of how much energy is being consumed and where that energy is going, we’d all be a little more sensitive to our power usage. No one wants to broadcast how wasteful they’re being, right?

Perhaps energy-shaming isn’t the answer but it is something to delve deeper into and address — at least some of the guesswork would be taken out of environmental impact — as the conversations around terms and phrases such as “sustainable,” “eco-friendly,” “green,” and “environmental footprint” multiply year after year. Although these terms mean many things to different people, and we have yet to specify a universal definition for them, we can still use the concepts as tools for discussing the greater vision of using more than we produce.

 

 

Take a look at Peter Hogg + Toby Reed Architects’ design for the Dandenong Precinct Energy Project (P.E.P.) in Australia. The P.E.P. produces electricity and heating thermal energy to surrounding buildings in the form of hot water. This supplies both high-efficiency energy for heating and cooling, as well as low carbon emissions. However, the remarkable aspect about this project is the fact that it provides the community with valuable information via the structure’s façade: a dot matrix on the front displays information about power production, consumption, and the building’s greenhouse gas savings; the rear has engineer schemes for the internal machinery; a large light switch and power socket, circuit diagram, as well as a cogeneration diagram all decorate the exterior walls.

 

 

At first glance, all of this data doesn’t exactly make sense. But, the guessing game you play with the structure (there’s even a Rorschach splatter image!) helps to facilitate public curiosity and knowledge. Even the most nonchalant of passersby will be curious and this inquisitiveness nods toward the general confusion surrounding energy production and consumption as a whole.

 

 

 

 

Image via ArchDaily, photo by John Gollings

 

 

Though the sculptural, ready-made quality of the building is straightforward enough to give pause for inquiry and education, what if buildings in heavily trafficked, public nodes of the future did more to engage and blatantly spell out what we’re doing to our environment. What if all (or even just commercial) buildings indicated on their façades the amount/type of energy they are producing and consuming? Maybe then, building-owners everywhere would take responsibility for their environment and examine the waste they’re producing — the publicly revealed numbers just may inspire a call to action. Or, possibly, that’s just wishful thinking.

Source: http://architizer.com/

Quick Reads on LEED

1. Challenges Seeking LEED Status in Older Buildings

Pursuing certification through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system can create major challenges for maintenance and engineering managers. The task is even greater when the institutional and commercial facilities date back to the days of Thomas Jefferson.

“It certainly presents a challenge for us to access the HVAC and lighting systems to repair and replace them without causing any further damage to the building,” says Ryan Taylor, zone maintenance superintendent for central grounds at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, whose responsibilities include many of the original buildings designed by Jefferson. “We have to work closely with our historic preservation team to make sure we’re following the appropriate procedures and using proper materials for the repairs. We work closely with them to identify major problems that we need to focus on and make sure we’re taking the right steps to prepare them properly so those buildings can be preserved.”

The university has 23 LEED-certified buildings — including one building at the platinum, four at the gold, and 12 at the silver levels — and infuses sustainability and LEED into its capital development process, from pre-planning to post-occupancy. The maintenance department plays a central role in the LEED-certification process from the development stage.

“On the maintenance side, we are involved in the design review process and work with the architects and engineers to make sure the systems being installed are maintenance-friendly,” Taylor says. “It’s a combination of looking at LEED and looking at maintenance-friendly systems that we can continue to maintain once the building is constructed or renovated.”

2.  Is LEED Broken?

Today’s tip of the day is about what we can learn from LEED’s critics.

Oftentimes, the natural response to criticism is to get defensive, dig in your heels, and then counterattack. But that is usually less productive and more polarizing. To avoid such a reaction and instead open a dialogue is the key finding common ground and moving forward.

With that in mind, one of the more fascinating sessions at Greenbuild 2013 was titled “What We Can Learn From LEED’s Critics.” The session, presented by Tristan Roberts of BuildingGreen, Rob Watson of ECON Group (and who carries the “Father of LEED” moniker), and Pamela Lippe of E4 Inc., broke LEED criticisms into three main categories, and then examined the validity of each, and how USGBC has responded.

The first criticism is that the LEED process is broken — this covered both the rating system development process, as well as the certification process. To address the first, USGBC says it has maintained an open, iterative process to the rating system development process, as evidenced by the more than 20,000 public comments over six comment periods, and then the 86 percent approval when LEED v4 was put to a vote. They‘ve also drastically cut down on the time between submission and certification — 85 percent of projects are ruled on within 25 days of submission. That’s a vast improvement.

The second criticism is that LEED is not vigorous enough. You hear this one a lot from the vocal critics who say a LEED certified building isn’t any better than a traditional. USGBC is working diligently to compile more LEED data — now requiring all LEED registered projects to submit five years of water and energy data — to show that LEED buildings are, indeed, more environmentally responsible than traditional. During this discussion, Rob Watson unleashed the quote of the conference: “If your building isn’t performing, it’s your fault. Not LEED’s.” How true.

The third criticism is that LEED is too complex and too expensive. You commonly hear this from folks who think LEED certification is simply “buying a plaque” and that the constant updates to LEED make it impossible to keep up. No one would deny that LEEDv4 is a giant step forward in terms of rigor, but that’s what is needed to move the market, says USGBC. And as for “buying a plaque,” reasonable minds can disagree on the value of certification itself, but USGBC has always said that a third-party review is what really motivates projects teams to stay the course and follow through.

3.  LEED Dynamic Plaque May Lead To Better LEED Performance

Today’s tip of the day is about the performance of LEED certified buildings, and the new LEED Dynamic Plaque.

One of the hallmarks of a high-performance building is one that performs, highly. If that sounds to you like some sort of Jedi Mind Trick of circular reasoning, you’re not totally wrong. But there’s still much to unpack there — especially when you consider the long-standing snipe about supposedly high-performance, LEED-certified buildings that they were more about the checklist, and less about the actual performance.

Last year, at Greenbuild, concurrent with its roll-out of the new LEEDv4 system, which emphasizes performance and human health, U.S. Green Building Council also re-introduced its new vision for how buildings will be scored and monitored in the future: the LEED Dynamic Plaque. (Video of USGBC’s Scot Horst’s presentation is here.)

The LEED Dynamic Plaque — the concept was first introduced at Greenbuild 2012, but now, there is actually a real, live plaque being piloted in USGBC’s own Platinum space — gives users a real-time display of how the building is doing in the areas of water, waste, energy, transportation, and human experience. So now longer will LEED be a set-it-and-forget-it proposition – every user of the building from Day 1 forward will be able to see how the building is performing. And therefore, everyone will know whether or not it truly is a high-performance building as a LEED certification seemingly promises.

While transparency of data for all seems like a great idea in theory, the idea of the LEED Dynamic Plaque may make more than a few facility managers nervous. What if the building isn’t actually performing as intended? Who gets the blame?

But progressive facility managers see any data as an opportunity, especially when that data specifically shows opportunity. The LEED Dynamic Plaque will show occupants and upper managers alike — far outside the confines of a budget-request power point or an energy data spreadsheet — that the organization has a building it can be proud of.

4.  What Is High-Performance Building?

Today’s tip of the day is about the meaning of the term “high-performance building.” “High-performance” is actually a much more encompassing, and frankly, more accurate, term than “green” when it comes to describing the buildings facility managers own, manage, and maintain. But what does “high-performance” actually mean? Does it mean LEED-certified buildings that are energy and water efficient? Facilities that are people-friendly and get high marks from occupants for creature comforts? Highly automated, integrated buildings that turn big data into big efficiency gains with smart analytics? The answer, of course, is yes. A high-performance building is all of those things and more. The key to a high-performance building is optimization and integration of all things — whether fan speeds or fire safety, whether landscaping or lighting efficiency. It means thinking on both a micro and macro level about how building systems interact, and how building occupants interact with those systems. Yes, “high-performance” does tend to have a bit more to it than the traditional definition of green (a building that is environmentally responsible). Thinking about making a building “high-performance” means considering aspects of the building— fire/life-safety, ADA compliance, communication plans, even art work or other occupant-focused “bonuses” — that were certainly also considered in a green building, but may not have been emphasized. “High-performance” is how those in the industry will think about and define successful buildings in the future.

Source: Facilitiesnet

How To Realize Actual Savings From Green Renovation Projects

Here’s how to realize actual savings from green renovation projects.

You’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars on a renovation with the goal of raising a building’s Energy Star score from 60 to 75 because your CFO wants an Energy Starcertification. Will it work? How will you know? Was the initial goal a real-world possibility based on experience, or just wishful thinking?

The idea of bridging the gap between a goal (or design intent) and actual efficient operation (i.e., achieving that goal) is just as critical to keep in mind for green renovation projects as it is for new construction. Setting realistic goals, commissioning all work (and recommissioning it down the road), and measuring and verifying that the work is meeting the goals on a long-term basis are three steps facility managers should take to ensure success with green renovation projects.

Defining the scope of the renovation — whether a relatively simple lighting retrofit or a full gut rehab — is the first step to setting realistic goals once the renovation is complete. According to Peter Strazdas, associate vice president, facilities management, Western Michigan University, this is often the most difficult part. Setting the scope, and thus the goals, is akin to setting the project program on new construction. But with renovations, it’s often more difficult to keep the intended focus.

“The program tends to get diluted, so we concentrate a lot on staying the course with renovations,” he says. “We carefully document the program for the renovation at the beginning, and more importantly, we document why we are employing certain strategies.” Strazdas says the reason for careful documentation is to show both his customers — the faculty and students who use the buildings — as well as his facility managers and technicians precisely why decisions were made at the front end. This limits changes and keeps the scope manageable. It also helps with ongoing efficient operations as the technicians know and understand why decisions were made.

“They may understand the technical stuff, but they don’t understand why, for instance, we chose LEDs or occupancy sensors. It’s terribly important to start this explanation at the beginning with the project program.”

Strazdas says Western Michigan currently has more than 300 renovation projects in the works, so it’s easy to see why it’s important to keep each project on target — in terms of both facility management goals and what the customer wants. At the end of the day, those are the two most critical factors that define whether a project is successful or not.

But how do you set realistic goals, then ensure that they‘re followed through to success? With new construction, an energy model is the go-to strategy for setting efficiency goals — and that strategy could work for renovations, as well. If the project is big enough, says Strazdas, the few extra bucks up front to model is worth it. “The model helps identify strategies that we could not have come up with on our own,” he says. “You can’t just work on the back of a napkin anymore.”

But a full-scale energy model for most renovation projects isn’t realistic. Jim Cooke, national facilities operations manager for Toyota Motor Sales North America, says his organization sets goals for renovations by comparing expected results with new construction. He says the first question is: “How close can we come with a renovation project to how efficient we are with new construction? Our goals for renovations definitely revolve around being able to apply lessons learned from new construction.”

Source: facilitiesnet

Budding Success with Green Roof Incentives

The silver city townhomes in Milwaukee, WI, earned a $172,278 grant from the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District toward its green roof project.
PHOTO CREDIT: XERO FLOR AMERICA LLC

If you want your next roofing project to come up roses, you might consider growing some up there – and if you really want to gild the lily, plant some incentive funding into the plot.

“There is a lot of curiosity and apprehension about green roofs. Building owners have heard about them and only just begun investigating costs and support packages,” says Clayton Rugh, general manager and technical director of system supplier Xero Flor America. “Suppliers can help in the financial argument, but it’s important to go to your local utility to see what’s available.”

Where there was once little local, state, or federal funding for green roof projects, many incentives are sprouting up across the country.

“During negotiation, have a dialogue about what can be done for you in order to get the project approved. Municipalities recognize that these projects cost developers money, and in their quest to attract new development, they’re willing to play ball,” explains Dick Hayden, garden roof department manager at system supplier American Hydrotech. “Green roofs have real value, so utilities use incentives as part of the financing puzzle.”

Knowing what is available and what works will make your project a lush undertaking.

MUNICIPAL INCENTIVES AT A GLANCE
Below is a crash course on types of incentives available in different regions, according to the non-profit organization Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. If these aren’t advertised or available in your neck of the woods, do some digging or lobbying.

“Incentives come in various forms, but a lot of entities don’t advertise them,” Hayden says. “They want to promote the green component, but the dollars are based on stormwater management. Replacing sewer infrastructure can cost billions.”

Even if you can’t collect monetary motivation, lowering the amount of impervious space on your property can give you an added floor on your building or extra parking space in your lot. Consider the possibilities:

• Chicago, IL: Green Roof Permit Program – In addition to monetary incentives for stormwater and reducing the urban heat island effect, another bonus is an expedited building permit program.
• Milwaukee, WI: Regional Green Roof Incentive – Earn $5 per square foot of approved green roof space.
• Minneapolis, MN: Regional Green Roof Initiative – A discount of up to 100% on stormwater utility fees rewards properties that manage their stormwater quality and quantity with strategies including green roofs.
• Nashville, TN: Green Roof Credit – Earn a $10 rebate for each square foot of green roof space.
• New York, NY: Green Roof Tax Abatement – Earn a $5.23 rebate per square foot of green roof space, capped at $200,000 per project.
• Philadelphia, PA: Green Roof Tax Credit – Earn a credit of up to 25% of all costs incurred to construct a green roof, with a maximum of $100,000 per project.
• Portland, OR: Floor Area Ratio Bonus – Earn extra space based on the percentage of green roof area: 10-30% earns 1 extra square foot of floor area, 30-60% earns 2, and 60%+ earns 3.
• Syracuse, NY: Green Improvement Fund – Moneys are available for projects utilizing green infrastructure. Nearly $4 million has already been awarded to 37 projects.
• Toronto, ON: Green Roof Bylaw/Procurement – Earn $7 per square foot of green roof space.
• Washington, D.C.: Green Roof Rebate Program – There is base funding ranging from $7-10 per square foot of green roof area depending on the project’s sewage shed area.

LEARN FROM SUCCESS STORIES
The World Wide Fund for Nature remodeled its headquarters in Washington, D.C. The facility added a green roof with the primary goal of reducing the first flush and/or peak flow of water during major storm activity. The project also coincided with an aggressive renovation to earn LEED-EB 2009 Platinum.

Its 28,000-square-foot green roof treats and retains about 416,250 gallons of stormwater annually, meeting both municipal and LEED guidelines. As a result of the reduced stress on the city sewer infrastructure, the project earned tax abatement of almost $200,000.

The Silver City Townhomes in Milwaukee, WI, are five structures housing 20 rent-to-own three- and four-bedroom units. Each building has a green roof, with the area totaling 11,577 square feet. They were funded with a $172,278 grant from the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District.

Sources like these can be earned for your project, even if funding doesn’t appear readily available. The onus is on you to pursue and advocate for them.

“Push for policy in your area. Lobby and get representatives on board with green roofs and infrastructure,” suggests Andy Creath, owner and founder of Green Roofs of Colorado, a green roof designer and installer. “Just get involved.”

Source: buildings.com

10 Smart Building Myths Busted

Smart buildings are a no-brainer and more affordable than most building owners and investors realize.

Smart buildings have been proven to save energy, streamline facilities management and prevent expensive equipment failures. Yet, to many property owners and investors, the value of smart buildings remains a mystery. The fact is, in most buildings, we can demonstrate a strong business case for strategic investments in smart building systems and management technologies.

Not everyone is aware that the tremendous advantages of today’s affordable smart building management technologies easily justify the cost. The following are 10 myths about smart buildings, along with the facts:

Myth #10: Smart Building Technologies Are Expensive.

Myth Debunked: Smart building technology investments typically pay for themselves within one or two years by delivering energy savings and other operational efficiencies. One smart building management pilot program we worked on, for example, generated a positive return on investment within several months.

Myth #9: Smart Buildings are Only About Energy.

Myth Debunked: A smart building management system often can detect when a piece of equipment is close to failure and alert facilities personnel to fix the problem. Knowing the right time to repair or replace equipment extends machinery life, and reduces facility staff, operations and replacement costs. More dramatically, smart building management systems can prevent full-scale building system failures—potentially embarrassing to a Superbowl stadium host, but life-threatening in a hospital or laboratory.

Myth #8: Smart Buildings and Green Buildings are the Same Thing. Myth Debunked: Smart buildings maximize energy efficiency from building systems and ensure air quality, while a complete “green” sustainability program includes strategies beyond building automation systems. So, while “smart” and “green” features may overlap, they are not identical concepts. The Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) explains the difference in Bright Green Buildings: Convergence of Green and Intelligent Buildings, a comprehensive report authored with Frost and Sullivan.

Myth #7: Industrial Facilities or Laboratories Can’t Become Smart Buildings.

Myth Debunked:  All types of buildings—whether residential or commercial—can be built or retrofitted to become highly automated and smart. Even highly specialized facilities such as laboratories can be outfitted with smart building technologies.

Myth #6: Smart Buildings Can Only Be New Buildings.

Myth Debunked: Some of the smartest buildings in the world are not new at all, but have demonstrated the return on investment in smart technologies. The Empire State Building, for example, has exceeded projected energy savings for the second consecutive year following an extensive phased retrofit begun in 2009.

Myth #5: Smart Building Technologies are Not Interoperable.

Myth Debunked: In the past, building automation equipment and controls were designed as proprietary systems. However, affordable new technologies, such as wireless sensors, now make it possible to gather data from disparate systems produced by any manufacturer.

Myth #4: Smart Systems Don’t Make a Building More Attractive to Tenants.

Myth Debunked:  Anything that improves energy efficiency, reduces occupancy cost and improves productivity is valuable to tenants, as numerous studies and surveys attest. Tenants and their advisors increasingly expect smart building features such as zoned HVAC, sophisticated equipment maintenance alert systems, and advanced security systems. As reported in JLL’s October 2012 Global Sustainability Perspective, smart systems provide benefits for tenants—and tenants recognize the benefits.

Myth #3: Without a Municipal Smart Grid, a Building Can’t Really Be Smart.

Myth Debunked:  It’s true that smart buildings gain functionality when supported by advanced electrical grids installed by municipalities and their utility company partners. But even without a smart grid, owners and investors can draw a wide range of benefits from smart buildings and a smart building management system that can monitor entire property portfolios.

Myth #2: Smart Buildings Are Complicated to Operate.

Myth Debunked: Combined with a smart building management system, a smart building is often easier to operate and maintain than a building that lacks automated systems. A smart building management system can integrate work-order management applications; pull equipment repair and maintenance data into performance analytics; and pinpoint equipment issues to a degree not humanly possible. For example, a smart building management system can diagnose a programming problem that has been undetected for 15 years, enabling facility managers to resolve a recurring equipment malfunction.

Myth #1: Smart Buildings Are a No-Brainer.

Myth NOT Debunked: This myth isn’t a myth at all — it’s actually true. As affordable new technologies are adopted, tenants are beginning to expect smart building features—and owners and investors are beginning to realize the return on investment in smart systems.

Leo O’Loughlin is senior vice president of Energy and Sustainability Services at JLL, the global professional services and investment management firm offering specialized services to clients that own, occupy and invest in commercial real estate. With 20 years of energy and sustainability management expertise, Leo helps clients incorporate energy and sustainability concepts into operations and project management, reducing energy consumption, utility expense and carbon emissions. He specializes in creating and analyzing project structures for energy efficiency, central utility plant and energy services outsourcing programs, managing the multi-disciplinary development of energy infrastructure assets and retrofit projects. He also manages business development, commercial structuring, financial and technical analyses and implementation of energy-related projects. Previously, Leo was an executive at several leading California energy companies. He holds an MBA from San Diego State University and a BS in mechanical engineering from Purdue University. 

Source: http://www.energymanagertoday.com/10-smart-building-myths-busted-0100847/

Overlooked Low- and No-Cost Energy Effiicent Opportunities

What is an often overlooked low- or no-cost technique for saving energy in building systems?

Tenant engagement is a valuable tool to educate and get occupants on board with a building wide energy and sustainability program. How a space is designed and occupied plays a big role in the overall building energy performance, which is reflected in a building’s Energy Star rating. We are also working on Tenant Star, which will recognize energy efficient leased space and provide a voluntary platform to benchmark tenant spaces. Another building wide solution to consider are demand response programs which reduce peak energy demand through pre-cooling and load shedding and which are incentivized through many utility programs.

Answers provided by Wendy Fok, project director, High Performance Demonstration Project of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Center for Market Innovation.

Source: http://www.facilitiesnet.com/energyefficiency/article/Overlooked-Low-and-NoCost-Energy-Effiicent-Opportunities–14996?source=part