Going Green: The Advent of Better Buildings

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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