Multifamily
Beyond Utility Bills: Energy Data Collection
The use of utility bills to benchmark building performance is a critical first step in any approach to energy conservation. However, utility bills can only tell you so much about how to improve building performance. Five multifamily buildings received circuit level electricity, temperature, and CO2 monitoring equipment. The data identified inefficient mechanical designs, incorrect installations, poor maintenance and individual apartments with high energy use. We will review what we measured and what we learned, including energy savings as a result of this monitoring strategy.
Installing commercial windows and curtain walls without thermal bridges, air or water leaks
This session will look at the basic shapes of aluminum and fiberglass products used for frames, and identify the basic principles to be used to develop functional details for both new and retrofit construction. We will isolate the heat, air, and water control layers in windows and connect those in precast, solid masonry, and framed walls. Issues of structural support, construction sequencing, building movement, and high humidity interiors will be addressed. Numerous examples and case studies rich with photographs and drawings will be used.
Multifamily Ventilation 302
Central ventilation systems in multifamily buildings are a vital building system that often compromises overall building performance (ie they don’t perform to code almost 100% of the time). Correcting ventilation problems can produce significant energy savings in multifamily buildings while also improving occupant comfort and health. Central ventilation system restoration is an emerging energy retrofit that has had its bumps along the way.
Drivers of Building Efficiency: Learning from the Data
Over years of collecting and analyzing building performance data, these experts have gained key insights into drivers of building energy and water usage. How big of a problem are split incentives? What engages owners and tenants in efficiency? Are there disparities between modeled and actual usage? How well do scoring systems reflect performance? How much can retrofits really save? The presenters will address these questions and more, and invite you to pose your own questions.
3 AIA, BPI, GBCI Continuing Education Units Available.
H2-Uh-Oh: Moisture Risks and How to Manage Them
Do you understand moisture dynamics? Do you have a comprehensive plan to control moisture in your buildings? If you answered no to either question, then you run the risks of occupant discomfort, mold growth, excessive maintenance and/or premature building failure. This session will help you avoid these risks. A veteran building scientist and co-author of the EPA Moisture Control Guide will share key measures—from design through operations—for controlling water and moisture in buildings.
Enlightened Structures: Reducing Material-Based Carbon Emissions
The role of a building's structure, and of the structural engineer, in achieving sustainability goals is frequently marginalized. Yet it represents a majority of a new building project's material mass and embodied energy, and is responsible for a large portion of its CO2e emissions. It can also play a role in the annual energy usage of a building, both in good ways (i.e. thermal mass) and bad (i.e. thermal bridging).
Recent Research in Behavior: Boosting Energy Performance in Buildings
Why do we need to pay attention to behavior in buildings? You can design a building to the highest energy efficiency codes and specifications, but once it’s occupied, what happens to affect the baseline? People who have done deep retrofits and ZNEB projects can find these efforts undermined if occupant behavior is not addressed. Occupant engagement should ideally address several stakeholder groups, including landlords, facilities management, lessors, and tenant employees. Each of these falls under the label of “engagement” but requires a different approach.