Radiant heating and cooling systems are more energy efficient compared to traditional forced air systems for several reasons.  But let's start at the building occupant since their comfort is one of the main reasons we have the built environment.

BIM is the process of building a 3D data-rich model of all architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical systems in the building. The model is not only used to design the building and document it for construction, it's also used as the primary tool to create and coordinate design solutions.

Supermarkets, grocery stores and convenience stores have the second highest energy consumption of major building types in California, with electricity representing over 80% of this, and with energy-intensive refrigeration consuming the greatest fraction of electricity.

Data centers are driving the growth of many hi-tech industries but a consequence of their rapid increase in capacity is greater consumption of energy and resources, and increased greenhouse gas emissions.

The California building industry has a new challenge this year. All new building projects must incorporate sustainable design and construction requirements to meet the new California Green Building Code (CALGreen).

Building energy simulation programs have been used for decades to predict energy performance of buildings and the energy savings associated with energy efficiency measures.  Building codes allow the use of simulation programs to provide greater design flexibility in meeting energy performance targets. But what, exactly, is that "energy performance target" and how is it formed?

Solar thermal systems have been used for decades for domestic water heating and space heating. They provide a cost-effective alternative for water heating, and can be also used in larger applications from commercial systems to power plants.

Buildings are dynamic systems, with energy use driven by a significant number of variables that change with time, from the
weather, to usage patterns, to the attributes of the structure itself and the installed equipment. This issue of e-News details the measurement and verification (M&V) process for analyzing energy savings created through the design and operation of efficient buildings, applications of M&V in Energy Management Programs for existing buildings, and discusses measurement and verification via Building Automation Systems.

With the trend towards increasing complexity of the lighting and mechanical systems of today's buildings, there is a broad gap between the design intent and the actual operational performance of buildings. A technology that has emerged over the last few years to address this problem is fault detection and diagnostics (FDD).

Elevators in modern buildings are faster and more comfortable than their counterparts decades ago. But even when you are standing inside an innovative looking elevator cab, it is hard to identify the green features in the elevator and recognize their energy savings. This issue of e-News details major sustainable features in elevators and escalators and some design considerations.

The building industry has come to appreciate the value of commissioning as a part of the construction process, helping to ensure the proper installation and operation of building components. The value of commissioning is not always apparent to building owners since it is a fair assumption that equipment should be properly specified and installed as part of the standard construction process. Commissioning has proved its worth because that assumption is often false, costing builders and owners money, and wasting energy.

A building may contain a vast array of efficiency measures, or it may be old and inefficient. Either way, the electricity used in the building will likely be produced with inherent inefficiencies. The efficiency of fossil fuel based electricity production averages 34% (although new combined cycle plants can exceed 50% efficiency). The ultimate efficiency of any building pulling electricity from the grid is limited by that number.

A ground source heat pump (GSHP) is a heating and cooling system that transfers heat to or from the ground, using the ground as a heat sink in the summer and heat source in the winter. It can be significantly more energy efficient than an air source heat pump.

Is it chilly in here or is it just me? While the performance of a building is frequently reflected in informal comments like this or, sometimes, complaints from building occupants, more formal methods of evaluating building performance can be extremely beneficial. Although the term is not universally embraced, the process of evaluating a building's performance is generally known as Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE).

Evaporative coolers provide cool air by forcing hot dry air over a wetted pad. The water in the pad evaporates, removing heat from the air while adding moisture. Although the concept has been used in residential "swamp" coolers in the Southwest for decades, technology advances have made evaporative cooling a viable alternative to conventional cooling in commercial buildings and in other areas of the country.