Latest Building Envelope News and Industry Best Practices

Energy Saving Tasks in All Office Renovations

December 5, 2013August 2, 2019 by Jennifer Hermes

Renovating an office space can be a lengthy and costly process for everyone involved. Energy-saving materials and new green products are a great way to make any space more comfortable, but projects can run into thousands of dollars. Energy saving changes in the work place can be particularly effective, especially ... Read more »

ASHRAE Recognizes Top Energy Efficient Buildings

December 4, 2013August 2, 2019 by Linda Hardesty

ASHRAE will bestow energy efficiency awards on a net zero facility, a historic building, a cheese factory, and an agriscience farm, among other winners at its 2014 Winter Conference in New York City, Jan. 18-22. Some of the winning projects include: Packard Foundation Net Zero Energy Headquarters – The 49,000-sq-foot ... Read more »

Prop 39 Monies Flow to California Schools

December 3, 2013August 2, 2019 by Linda Hardesty

Last year, California voters approved Proposition 39, which will provide as much as $500 million annually for energy efficiency upgrades at California public schools, and some of those projects are gearing up, reports the Business Journal. Proposition 39 was passed in November 2012 to close a corporate tax loophole that ... Read more »

Building Automation Systems Revenue to Reach $100.8 Billion in 2021

November 26, 2013August 2, 2019 by Leon Walker

Global commercial building automation systems revenue will grow from $58.1 billion in 2013 to $100.8 billion in 2021, according to a study by Navigant Research. Commercial building automation systems continue to evolve from point solutions built from proprietary products toward open and integrated systems based on modern digital information technologies. Integrated ... Read more »

Connecticut Town Signs $10M Energy Savings Performance Contract

November 14, 2013August 2, 2019 by Linda Hardesty

Honeywell won a contract to retrofit buildings in the town of Tolland, Conn., and the revitalization project is expected to save the city nearly $600,000 a year in utility and operating expenses, funds that will be used to make energy-efficient upgrades across multiple municipal buildings and four public schools. Tolland will ... Read more »

Mechanical Air Circulation Does Heating, Cooling in Passivhaus

November 5, 2013 by William Opalka

A concept for residential construction in Europe is becoming more popular as heating costs rise. The Passivhaus could be considered a close cousin to its American counterpart, the net-zero energy building movement. As reported in The Guardian, the institutional looking Passivhaus standard was developed in Germany in the early 1990s ... Read more »

Shopping Center, Hotel, Warehouse Make Energy Upgrades via PACE

October 28, 2013 by Linda Hardesty

Figtree Financing, a provider of Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing, issued its third bond on October 22. The $478,100 bond includes four projects in the California cities of Chico, Bakersfield and Palm Springs to fund solar and cool roof improvements to two retail facilities, a commercial warehouse and a ... Read more »

NREL Develops Energy Audit Tool

October 24, 2013August 2, 2019 by William Opalka

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Denver-based software developer concept3D have developed the simuwatt Energy Auditor, a tool that could replace clipboard-style audits with a computer model that could save money for building owners. The tool that pinpoints potential energy savings could cost 35 percent to 75 percent less than ... Read more »

Building Energy Benchmarking and Window/Curtainwall Retrofit, Part II

October 16, 2013 by Jennifer Hermes

This is part II of the article Building Energy Benchmarking and Window/Curtainwall Retrofit Part 1 I am excited about a little-known approach for window or curtainwall retrofit that can create dramatic improvements in building performance at a far lower cost with no down-time, showing energy paybacks in as little as ... Read more »

To Save Energy, College Bans Mini-Fridges

October 14, 2013 by Leon Walker

Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts has banned the use of dorm room mini-fridges in its new residence as it targets higher LEED ratings, reports The Atlantic Cities. The George A. Weygand Hall, designed by architecture firm Perkins+Will, was mandated by the state to achieve at least a LEED Silver rating. ... Read more »

Major Changes to Energy Standard Announced

October 11, 2013August 2, 2019 by William Opalka

The energy standard for most buildings underwent an overhaul that is significant compared to recent versions and up to 50 percent more demanding than the 2004 revision. ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2013, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, incorporates 110 addenda. These reflect changes made through the public review process ... Read more »

University of Illinois at Chicago Upgrades 5 Buildings for Energy Savings

October 3, 2013August 2, 2019 by Linda Hardesty

The University of Illinois at Chicago has signed a $63.6 million energy savings performance contract (ESPC) with Ameresco. The project is expected to save the University more than $1.8 million in avoided energy costs annually for the 20 year term, and includes energy efficiency and infrastructure upgrades to UIC’s Science ... Read more »

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