Posts Tagged ‘LEED’
Florida’s new commercial energy codes
Florida's 2010 Energy Code-Part II Here are my notes from reviewing the new 2010 Florida Energy Code. Just like the new residential energy code, the commercial energy code for 2010 calls for significantly more energy efficient buildings. This trend will likely continue in subsequent codes as well. For new construction here are the values in Table 502.1.1.1: Roof insulation-R-40 Walls: R-30 (quite a jump from before!!!) Walls are required to have an absorptance of 0.3 or less. Floors above grade: R-30 Windows: U- value of 0.45 or better (the lower the U value, the better). This means quality double pane windows. Window Tinting (SHGC): 0.25 or less for 1% to 40% window/wall ratio (that is a high level of tint) 0.19 or better for 40% to 50% window to wall ration (examples of 0.19 tint would be dark tint or reflective tints) window to wall ratios above 50% are not allowed without specialized modeling to prove ...
How Geothermal is Different in Florida
As geothermal air conditioning and heating gains popularity; a large and sometimes confusing amount of data is surfacing regarding geothermal techniques. I get asked a fair amount about what types of geothermal systems and I also hear a few reports of geothermal-gone-bad. To help clarify why Florida has a unique geothermal system compared to other parts of the US-- let's start above ground. Climate-wise, Florida has far more cooling demand than heating demand. This has a double impact. First, geothermal systems during a Florida summer pump more heat into the ground than they take out in winter (for space-heating purposes). This tends to make geothermal systems relying on surface temperatures unstable through time. Second, the winters in Florida are short and mild to the point that they are not able to "recharge" the ground temperatures. This is not to say that there aren't a few buildings in Florida with relatively matched heating and cooling loads though. I am referring here to buildings that use a lot of hot water for industrial processes or domestic purposes (such as factories, heavily used kitchens, and laundrymats). Cases like this warrant special consideration. Now, let's look below ground and see what else makes Florida different geothermally. The second thing that makes Florida unique geo-thermally ...
Benefits of Geothermal Heatpumps
Lower energy bills. Longer equipment life. No condensing units or cooling towers exposed to outside conditions. No noisy outdoor fans (or cooling towers). Tax incentives and rebates (Section 179, Business Energy Tax Credit, Energy Star). The ability to put waste heat directly to use. Bragging rights for a Green building. The more hours a week a building spends heating and cooling at the same time, the faster geothermal systems pay for themselves. Since there are many types of geothermal heating and cooling available, and because each type has specific local conditions that it works best in; consult a local engineer as your first step in going geo. Guy Van Meulebrouck PEconsulting engineerguy@guyvanmconsulting.com10947 US 98 NorthLakeland, 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.
My Green Office
It occurred to me recently that the office which I have now is the greenest office that I have ever had. This means my ambitions of having a green office have become a reality. My home office now features: 1. double pane windows and insulation conforming to Florida Energy Codes's more rigorous new standard. 2. Gas instantaneous water heater. 3. Heat pump. 4. 60% of my printer paper is 100% recycled. 5. Solar powered attic ventilation. 6. 2+ acre nature preserve on the premises. 7. By focusing my efforts from a home office, commuting by car is eliminated. My carbon footprint is greatly reduced. 8. Dual flush water closet (saves about 5,000 gallons per year). 9. Two rain barrels for watering garden and lawn. 10. Air conditioning system has now been tested and balanced for correct airflow-correcting several comfort problems in the process. 11. I am able to rely on daylighting for most of the day. 12. semi pourous driveway made of recycled materials. I don't have any exact costs but suspect to certify my office with Green Globe would be around $3,500 and to certify through LEEDS maybe $9,000? Does anyone have some better cost data?
How Does Geo-thermal Work?
In Florida, geothermal heat pumps work similarly to common air conditioning heat pump equipment except that during cooling heat is rejected into the aquifer (75°F) instead of the air (90°F) and during heating, heat is drawn out of the water (75°F) in the aquifer instead of the air (40°F). It turns out that air conditioning equipment can operate as much as 23% more efficiently under these improved conditions. Guy Van Meulebrouck PE consulting engineerguy@guyvanmconsulting.com10947 US Highway 98 NorthLakeland, Florida 33809-1087Would you like permission to reprint/link this article? Please send a request and be sure to include your name, title, company, contact info, the name of the publication/website, and the parts you wish to reprint. Thanks!
Geothermal Myths
1. Geothermal is completely sustainable. (Depends). Geothermal in Florida uses the stable temperatures of the earth to benefit (not eliminate) mechanical cooling and heating processes. There will always be electricity needed for compressors and pumps ( in Florida). As geothermal grows in popularity, the effect on the ground water temperatures remains to be seen, but the vastness of the Floridian aquifers and the fact that they drain out into the sea has to be factored in. Geothermal in other parts of the country can be completely sustainable. 2. Geothermal is always the best system. (false). Geothermal has an undisputed advantage where heating and cooling occur at the same time. Cooling towers, for example can boast better performance during Florida winters. Multiple ductless systems at times have the advantage. Geothermal is not as conducive to high outside air as other types of systems. 3. Well drillers are experts who should be allowed to do their own thing. (False). While well drillers are the local experts on the aquifer systems, they are not engineers and have no workable knowledge of interfacing the well pump with the controls or the connected equipment. 4. Variable Frequency Drives solve all pumping problems. (false). Used correctly, VFD’s are powerful ...
What is Geo-thermal?
What is Geo-thermal? Geo-thermal is a process of using the stable temperatures within the earth to benefit heating and/or cooling processes. In some parts of the world, where there is volcanic activity (relatively near the surface), geo-thermal means boring deep down into the earth and pumping very hot water to drive power generation. This is not the same thing as geo-thermal in Florida. In similar parts of the country, geo-thermal can mean boring 1000 feet deep to pump out reasonably warm water to use in selected heating processes. This is not the same thing as geo-thermal in Florida. In many parts of the country, geo-thermal means burying large quantities of piping just below the surface of the earth or below the surface of a lake. Water is pumped through these pipes and used by heat pumps. This is not the same thing as geo-thermal in Florida. Geo-thermal is Florida is taking reasonably cool water in the state wide aquifer system and pumping it through heat pumps, which heat and cool buildings and pools. The water is returned back into the aquifer. It is easy to read or hear of geo-thermal being used successfully in one part of the world and assuming that is what people are ...
geothermal hybrid systems in florida
While geothermal has distinct advantages over cooling towers (no makeup water, less scaling in chiller and tower, better efficiency during hot months), there is one time in Florida where cooling towers outperform geothermal. During cooler weather, cooling towers can produce water below 74F, which adds even more energy savings. For cooling plants considering replacement of it's cooling towers, it is worth a study to determine the feasibility of refurbishing the best tower to serve the chiller which normally handles the winter cooling loads. The remaining chillers can operate from geothermal. For cooling plants that operate extended hours (like 24/7 for example), this could be even more attractive to a straight geothermally cooled chiller plant. Guy Van Meulebrouck PEconsulting engineerguy@guyvanmconsulting.com10947 US 98 NorthLakeland, 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.
solar powered exhaust fan
[caption id="attachment_107" align="alignright" width="300" caption="installed fan"][/caption] I just installed a photovoltaic exhaust fan on my attic. I bought it from Lowe's for $230. I wished it moved more air than it does but definitely noticed a lower pressure and temperature in my attic which means better indoor air quality plus reduced air conditioning bills. Even with code required attic vents already present, pressure in the attic climbs dramatically in Florida to the point where hot dusty attic air pushes it's way into the house through tiny openings in the ceiling. This is even worse when a bathroom fan or dryer is operating. The quality of the fan housing was very good. It was easy to install. I did have to install it upside down in order to get the best angle for Florida's summer time sun.
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 ...
