Posts Tagged ‘Energy Star’
energy independence is America’s future.
Happy 4th of July!Celebrate Your Personal Energy Independence Energy Star sent out promotion on personal and residential energy independence. Commercially, there are almost always unused opportunities waiting to be tapped. With 4th of July celebrations upon us—as well as the summer heat—no one wants their energy bills to rise with the temperature. Now is the time to think about how to manage your home energy use effectively, practically, AND economically. So, to coincide with our nation celebrating its independence, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ENERGY STAR® program is bringing you cooling tips for every budget, as well as some tips for travel if you're getting away—small steps that can help make a big difference in saving energy, money, and fighting climate change. Cooling Tips for Every Budget Summer Travel Tips Take the ENERGY STAR Pledge Cooling Tips for Every Budget Staying cool this summer doesn't have to mean cranking up the AC and spending a lot of money. A typical household spends almost 20 percent of its utility bill on cooling. EPA's ENERGY STAR program has some low-to-no cost energy-saving tips to beat the heat and save money, too. No-Cost Program your thermostat to work around your family's summer schedule—set it a few degrees higher when no one ...
Energy Star Ratings
LEEDs has been in the forefront of green building design for years and is skyrocketing in popularity. LEEDs is also complex and sometimes leads to more expensive buildings. Green Globe arose as an alternative to LEEDs. But there are more options... Meanwhile, Energy Star ratings have quietly been gaining popularity on their own. Why? They are simple. One enters their energy bills for the past year or so into a data base of similar buildings. If the building's anual energy bills are a specified percentage less than typical; one qualifies for an Energy Star rating from the U.S Department of Energy/EPA. Once done, the IRS recognizes this award as verification for certain types of tax credits for energy efficiency. Energy Star is far simpler than LEEDs and can be obtained for new construction or for existing buildings that have undergone energy conservation measures. An independent engineer's report is required to make sure the low energy bills are for the right reasons (for example: a half empty building uses less energy but doesn't represent eneryg conservation measures, same goes for sealing off all of the outside air or making the space so dark that people can barely see). Did I mention that the Energy Star plaque looks great ...
Energy Saving Designs
In 2004, ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers) published booklets explaining how combined efforts between architects, electrical engineers, and HVAC engineers could easily save 30% on a new building's energy bills. Here is a link to the free guidelines : http://aedg.ashrae.org/ (or email me for a copy). I am proud to announce that the HVAC portion of the booklet contained design features I had already been incorporating in my designs for years. ASHRAE's next target is for 40% and 50% less energy bills in new buildings. I enjoy opportunities to review affordable new methods of achieving this and utilize them in my new designs, as technology advances. Energy independent buildings loom as science fiction on the horizon, but we all know how fast technology can leap forward sometimes. This is an exciting time to be an HVAC engineer! Guy Van Meulebrouck PE consulting engineer guy@guyvanmconsulting.com 10947 US 98 North Lakeland, Florida 33809-1087 Want permission to reprint this article? Please email with your: name, title, company, the publication you are reprinting, the parts of the article you are reprinting, and your contact info.
