Thursday, 02 September 2010

Design Briefs

Design Briefs: Design Review

published Sunday, June 02, 2002   7525 Views :: 0 Comments

Through design review, owners can maximize a building’s energy efficiency and save both capitaland operating costs.

Energy-efficient design can be improved by design review. A process of review both enhances design and fosters communication between designers, owners, and builders.As a result, design review helps ensure that an energy-efficient design is implemented correctly in the field. Design review may entail:

  • Internal checks of calculations, specifications, and drawings by the project engineer.
  • Peer review of the calculations, specifications, and drawings.
  • Construction phase review of coordination drawings and shop drawings.

In one sample office, an internal check of cooling load calculations resulted in more efficient design. The project engineer revised loads based on actual observed occupancy and hours of operation rather than hypothetical extremes.The new load profile revealed energy savings to be gained by reducing the terminal equipment minimum flow setting to match actual ventilation and cooling requirements.In a 15,000 square foot office building, this internal check could eliminate over $1,000 per year in unnecessary fan and reheat energy, while increasing occupant comfort. Through design review, owners can maximize a building’s energy efficiency and save both capital and operating costs.

Download the full Design Brief (258 KB)

Related Resources

Related External Links



Rate this Article  



Follow EDR on
Print current page.  Print
Email current page.  Email
Add current page to Favorites.  MyEDR
  Digg This
  del.ico.us
  Slashdot
  Newsvine
  Reddit

Copyright (c) 1999 – 2010 Energy Design Resources. All Rights Reserved.