Great Solutions: Technology

Only 20 geothermal boreholes were drilled at the WestJet complex because a majority of the piping was embedded in the building’s structural piles.

19. Hybrid Geothermal Technology

The team at Stantec saved $800,000 in construction costs by embedding geothermal piping into the structural piles at the WestJet office complex in Calgary, Alb., rather than drilling boreholes adjacent to the building site, which is the standard approach. Regular geothermal installation would have required about 200 boreholes, each about four-inches in diameter and 300–350 feet deep, but incorporating geothermal piping into 73 of the building's 105 structural piles before concrete was poured required only 20 additional boreholes to be drilled, each about 350 feet deep. The geothermal system, in concert with the $100 million project's many other sustainable features (rainwater collection, daylighting, recycled materials), should help the property save $200,000 annually on energy costs and earn it a

LEED Gold rating.

20. Kinetic Road Plates Power Purchases

Kinetic road plates installed in a parking lot at the Sainsbury's store in Gloucester, England. Kinetic energy captured as vehicles drive over the plates is channeled back into the store. The plates can produce up to 30 kWh of electrical power every hour, enough to power the store's checkout machines. "Customers can now play a very active role in making their local shop greener, without extra effort or cost," says Alison Austin, Sainsbury's environment manager. The syst

em was invented by Peter Hughes, of Highway Energy Systems, based in Somerset, England.

Graduate student Shawn Shields checks server performance while Dr.
Yogendra Joshi looks on at Georgia Tech’s simulated data center.

21. Cutting the Cooling Load of Data Centers by 15%

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, are using a 1,100-sf simulated data center to develop and evaluate new ways of controlling heat in commercial data centers, one of the fastest-growing building types in the country. The researchers, led by Professor Yogendra Joshi of the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, have found ways to cut energy center cooling costs 15% by rearranging servers and space for optimal airflow patterns. Their simulated data center uses several different cooling systems, partitions to change room air volumes, sophisticated thermometers attached directly to a server's motherboard, and both real and simulated airflow sensors to measure the output of fans and other systems. The research is sponsored by the U.S. Office of Naval Research and the Consortium for Energy Efficient Thermal Management.

To achieve the goals of sustainability and high performance, stakeholders in new construction and renovation projects must rein in energy consumption, including lighting. This course presents detailed information about lighting control strategies that contribute to energy efficient buildings and occupant well-being, as well as tips for lighting building exteriors effectively and efficiently.

| Apr 8, 2013

Most daylight harvesting schemes fall short of performance goals, says study

Analysis of daylighting control systems in 20 office and public spaces shows that while the automatic daylighting harvesting schemes are helping to reduce lighting energy, most are not achieving optimal performance, according to a new study by the Energy Center of Wisconsin.

| Apr 1, 2013

Half of building owners use 'smart' technologies, says survey

A survey of 291 building owners by IDC Energy Insights shows that 50% of owners use smart building technologies, such as HVAC controls, lighting controls, and analytics/data management.

Due to open in August 2013, the West Branch library in Berkeley, Calif., replace

| Mar 27, 2013

Small but mighty: Berkeley public library’s net-zero gem

The Building Team for Berkeley, Calif.’s new 9,500-sf West Branch library aims to achieve net-zero—and possibly net-positive—energy performance with the help of clever passive design techniques.

| Feb 16, 2013

BD+C April Cover Story: "Charter Schools: New Trends, New Opportunities"

| Feb 8, 2013

5 factors to consider when designing a shade system

Designing a shade system is more complex than picking out basic white venetian blinds. Here are five elements to consider when designing an interior shade system.

A new system helps Hudson Community Schools create a comfortable environment.

| Jan 16, 2013

Achieving Educational Excellence with Greater Comfort in Hudson, Iowa

Improving a problematic temperature control system at Hudson High School paves the way for enhanced comfort, greater energy efficiency, and significant savings.