Environment-Friendly Buildings Are Paying Marketplace Dividend
By S. Richard Fedrizzi
Often, when discussing the benefits of green buildings with any
particular group of people (most of them somehow related to the
building industry) there is an uneasy stance that seems to increase
in intensity directly proportional to the number of times that
the word "green" is mentioned.
There is a distance between the audience that can be reduced tremendously
by talking more about "better buildings" and the true
end user benefits of these "better buildings."
Now, it is not recommended that we eliminate the use of the word
"green," not by a long shot. It is much more easily
accepted as a descriptor when the implications of green design
is understood and, (maybe) more importantly, the issues related
to poor and inefficient design.
Issues like toxic air, hazardous waste, global warming, ozone
depletion, deforestation and a host of others, have always been
the "mantra" of groups such as Greenpeace, The Sierra
Club and The Audobon Society. But ASHRAE, who would have guessed?
We in the HVAC&R business have surrounded ourselves with the
issues of airflow, thermodynamics, pressurization and psychometrics.
But now, more and more we are bombarded with issues of energy
efficiency, indoor air quality, thermo-comfort, healthy and productive
workplaces or "green buildings."
Demand for green buildings is inexorably rising and comes from
many quarters. Building owners and managers want energy-efficient,
cost-effective and profitable buildings. Building occupants and
patrons, who make buildings profitable, simply want to be comfortable.
And recently, pressure on certain green building issues has come
from codes and legislation.
The environment is important not only for conservation and health,
but it is also a key marketplace influence and purchasing factor.
Consumers are genuinely concerned about the environment. Market
research bears this out. According to a recent survey,1
the top four environmental factors in the purchasing decision
(all mentioned by 70% or more of the respondents) are that a product
be: energy-efficient, non-polluting, recyclable and ozone-safe.
Many HVAC companies are marketing themselves as green these days
simply because they are in compliance with government regulations.
But manufacturers need to do more. They need to go beyond compliance
and become proactive. Why? Because going green is good business.
Greening your building provides a competitive advantage - workers
will be more comfortable, productive and profitable to your company
or to your tenant.
Being green means looking at every facet of your operation. It
means taking a holistic approach, going beyond product efficiency
or operational energy, to reducing a product's contribution to
a building's "embodied energy" - that is, the energy
used for resource creation, harvesting, product manufacture, and
building construction, demolition and disposal.2
The potential market for going green is vast and the potential
benefits are great. In short, businesses can't afford not
to design and upgrade their buildings to protect the environmental
and the tenants who occupy those buildings.
What is Green?
This article will define what is meant by green buildings, then
provide an overview of available green buildings' technologies
and materials. Finally, it will narrow the focus to environmental
issues facing the HVAC industry and how the industry is responding.
So, what is green? The American Society for Testing and
Materials (ASTM) defines green buildings this way:
"Green buildings" are structures, including all types
of residential, industrial and commercial, that are designed,
constructed, renovated and demolished in an environmentally sensitive
and responsible manner. Green buildings exhibit a high level
of environmental, economic and engineering performance. Areas
of importance include: energy conservation and efficiency, indoor
air quality, and resource and materials efficiency. Green buildings
concepts are applicable throughout the entire life-cycle of a
structure, including design, sitework, construction, operation
and demolition."
The process of examining the environmental impact of a building
design to demolition is called sustainable design. Architects
and engineers practicing sustainable design look to achieve maximum
building efficiency while making minimum use of natural resources,
such as energy and water, in building materials and systems.
In addition, environmentally responsible designers select products
and materials that are energy-efficient to produce and environmentally
safe.
Economics plays an important role in green building design. In
most cases, new products, systems and technologies to upgrade
the environmental characteristics of the buildings will pay for
themselves quickly, if not immediately. Energy-efficient buildings
do not usually, and should not, have higher first costs. What's
more, buildings designed for greater efficiency require smaller
mechanical systems which cost less to install and run.
Green Materials & Methods
There are many ingenious ways to go green. Several architectural
groups and building design centers are leading the way. For example,
the American Institute of Architects published its Environmental
Resource Guide, which covers a wide range of green building concepts
and materials. Just a sampling3,4 of green materials
include:
Carpets with low volatile organic compound (voc) emissions,
as well as carpeting made from recycled fibers and adhesives
with the lowest possible chemical content;
Drywall and ceiling tiles made from post-consumer recycled material;
Wood beams from sustainable forests rather than steel trusses;
Non-toxic paints and stains with low voc emissions;
Insulation made of materials other than chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)
based foam.
Of course, green buildings achieve higher than standard R-values
by using thicker insulation than codes specify. This is more
important in residential and light commercial applications than
in larger commercial and institutional buildings. In the larger
buildings, internal and equipment heat gains are more significant.
Windows also contribute to a building's environmental quality
and energy efficiency. Super windows - double glazed and coated
with specially selected films for light transfer and heat retention
or reflection - are essential. These coatings improve insulation
values and filter out ultra-violate rays.4
According to Amory Lovins and Bill Browning of The Rocky Mountain
Institute, Snowmass, Colorado, filling the space between two glass
window panes with a low-conductivity gas such as argon can further
improve the window's thermal performance and provide for a quieter
building. In fact, windows can be "tuned" to deliver
specified lighting and thermal performance for each exposure.4
Mechanical systems represent many green-building-related opportunities.
Because these systems are inter-related, green building designers
and consulting engineers look at lighting, plumbing and HVAC as
an integrated whole rather than as a series of independent systems.
Lighting plays a significant role in green buildings. Good lighting
promotes occupant comfort, worker productivity and a general sense
of well-being. Lighting efficiency is also an important component
of green buildings.
Lovins and Browning say, "In a typical large office building,
lighting accounts for about one-third of electricity used. The
heat that lighting generates is a building's largest cooling load.
So directly and indirectly, lighting accounts for well over half
of a building's electricity consumption.4
In some cases, it has been shown that upgrading florescent fixtures
can cut a lighting system's energy use by 70 to 90%. The retrofit
should include the more energy efficient and high quality T8 lamps
instead of the standard T12 cool white lamps, improved reflectors,
"tunable high-frequency ballasts and dimming and occupancy
controls."4
Daylighting - using skylights, windows and interior design to maximize the use of natural
light - generates significant benefits. Daylighting not only
reduces operating costs, but also provides a better working environment.
Studies show an increase in worker productivity and a drop in
absenteeism in daylit buildings.
As for plumbing systems, green buildings use low-flow water-efficient
toilets and faucets, appropriate pump sizing and, where possible,
water heating options such as solar heating.
Many of the green building principles outlined above were incorporated
by The National Audobon Society in the century-old New York City
building the Society recently renovated for its new headquarters.
The Audobon House is a showcase for advanced energy efficiency,
indoor air quality, resource conservation, recycling, and occupant
comfort.
Going Green Through HVAC
This last point - occupant comfort - is the core of the HVAC business
and provides an opportunity to discuss how the industry is responding
to green issues.
Indoor comfort has been a chief concern among some manufacturers
since 1902. Today, perhaps more than ever, HVAC impacts daily
lives in many different ways. It is far more than just a comfort
issue; environmental control means better productivity in the
workplace and a better quality of life at home.
At the same time, there is an urgent need for the HVAC industry
to seek a balance between occupant comfort and environmental responsibility.
Air conditioning impacts several key environmental issues. One
of the most discussed issues currently is the ozone depletion
potential of refrigerants. Chlorine in CFC refrigerants has been
shown to damage the ozone layer, which provides the earth with
a protective shield against ultraviolet radiation.
Refrigerants are also involved in another worldwide atmospheric
controversy - global warming and the much discussed greenhouse
effect. They are implicated by virtue of their direct effect
as a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. They are also involved
because of their indirect effect, which is a function of their
efficiency in converting energy into cooling. Today environmentally
responsible HVAC equipment must use either HFC (hydrofluorcarbon)
or HCFC (hydrochlorofluorcarbon) refrigerants with a low ozone
depletion potential.
Five Other Issues Facing HVAC
The refrigerant issues of ozone depletion and the global warming
are certainly key environmental concerns, but five other HVAC-related
parameters promote green buildings. Energy efficiency is an important
concern due to the cost of energy as well as the global warming
impact of producing that energy. Energy efficiency extends beyond
chiller efficiency to include sizing equipment for peak loads
while seeking the best possible partload efficiency. Equipment
reaches peak load only a small percentage of its operating time.
Other issues to consider include pumping systems, economizer
systems, high-efficiency boilers, and high-efficiency equipment
motors.
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is another important concern. Consumer
demand for more energy-efficient homes and workplaces has led
to the construction of "tighter" buildings and, at the
same time, the prevalence of indoor air pollutants which lead
to sick building syndrome.
Better insulation, double-paned windows and other efforts make
modern buildings tighter, but they can also create stale, stagnant
air with higher concentrations of indoor air pollutants.
IAQ Problems Are Costly
IAQ has become a major environmental issue and legal responsibility
for building owners, who cannot afford the financial consequences
of building-related illness lawsuits and the irretrievable loss
of reputation that accompanies a building's IAQ problem. Part
of the industry's response has been to broaden its definition
of comfort. Now, the ability to control the quality of the air
that an HVAC system delivers is as critical as its ability to
control temperature.
Poor indoor air quality has wide-ranging consequences and imposes
a staggering cost. In a 1989 report to Congress, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency estimated that medical care for major illnesses
resulting from indoor air pollution cost more than $1 billion
annually. Lost productivity from those illnesses cost between
$4.7 and $5.4 billion. Further, lost productivity and increased
sick leave time as a result of IAQ-related illnesses carried an
annual price tag as high as $60 billion.
Sound is an important part of the comfort equation. While quiet
operation may seem to pale in significance to these other issues,
it is one of the first things consumers ask about when shopping
for a new furnace or air conditioner.
Proper air distribution enhances comfort and air quality and also
saves energy. Zoning systems save energy, in part, by using air
flow whenever possible to maintain comfort levels without energizing
the equipment.
Material and resource efficiency, the fifth environmental concern,
encompasses product size, material reduction and recyclability.
For example, one industry manufacturer preaches recycling in
its manufacturing processes. That company recycles 81% of its
non-hazardous waste, such as wood, paper, cardboard, scrap metal
and other substances.
Green HVAC Products Available
HVAC manufacturers have developed a number of new products that
architects and builders may find useful in their green building
designs and retrofits. For example, chiller manufacturers have
all responded to the CFC phaseout with machines that use alternative
refrigerants; either positive pressure chillers that use R-134a
or R-22, or negative pressure chillers that use R-123.
In addition, to help building owners and managers responsible
for the 110,000-plus chillers operating today respond to the CFC
phaseout, the industry has developed a broad range of refrigerant
management, reclaim and recycling products. Further, manufacturers
also provide strategic refrigerant planning guidance and chiller
service and maintenance.
References:
1. Survey Source - Walker, Baker & Fiore, May 1990
2. The Sourcebook for Sustainable Design, Andrew St. John, AIA, Editor. Architects for
Social Responsibility, Boston Society of Architects, 1992
3. Environmental Resource Guide, 1992, American Institute of
Architects, AIA
4. Amory B. Lovins and William D. Browning, "Think Your Building Is Energy-Efficient?
Think Again," Building Operating Management,
Sept. 1993
Other References:
Paul E. Beck, "Energy Outlook," Consulting/Specifying
Engineer, Mar. 1991, pp.31-33.
Paul E. Beck, "Sustainable Design in the '90s', Consulting/Specifying Engineer, Sept. 1993
pp. 10-13.
Clark Bisel, "Energy Efficiency: New Incentives for the
'90s', Consulting/Specifying Engineer, Oct. 1991, pp. 74-82.
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