ATLANTA - Engineers across the country have begun assessing the energy use of selected buildings as part of a pilot program using the Building Energy Quotient program administered by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), which is designed to encourage the building industry to reduce energy use.
The Building Energy Quotient program, known as Building EQ, includes both As Designed (asset) and In Operation (as operational) ratings for all building types except residential. It also provides a detailed certificate with data on actual energy use, energy demand profiles, indoor air quality, and other information that will enable building owners to evaluate and reduce their building’s energy use.
ASHRAE said 17 provisional assessors have been named to assess energy use, which is then provided in an easily understood scale to convey a building’s energy use in comparison to similar buildings, occupancy types, and climate zone. Building owners also are given building-specific information that can be used to improve building energy performance.
Under the pilot program, new buildings are eligible to receive an As Designed, or asset, rating, which provides an assessment of the building based on the components specified in the design and is based on the results of building energy modeling and simulation. An In Operation rating is available once the building has at least one year of data on the actual energy use and is based on a combination of the structure of the building and how it is operated. Existing buildings would be eligible to receive both an As Designed and In Operation rating.
“The process of checking a building’s EQ is not just a grading process,” said Matthew Dwyer, P.E., Dwyer Engineering, who is one of the building assessors. “The engineer not only examines building energy use and carbon footprint, but tests and measures the building environment and meets with building engineers on site. After spending time onsite, we then work with the building owner to understand the building systems and provide goals and suggestions on future improvements. The intent is to create a path so that more and more buildings can move from a low grade to a top grade.”
Provisional assessors and the buildings they are assessing are:
• Stephen Kretzmer, P.E., The Fulcrum Group, 4 Times Square, 1 Bryant Park and 1155 Avenue of the Americas, all in New York City, owned by the Durst Organization.
• Jim Newman, ASHRAE-certified operations and performance management professional, Newman Consulting Group, Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, Detroit, Detroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority.
• Gerald Kettler, P.E., Facility Performance Association, Sarofim Research Building, Houston, BNIM Architects.
• Peter D‘Antonio, P.E., PCD Engineering, 200 Market Building, Portland, Ore., Russell Development; and Liberty Centre Building, Portland, Ore., Ashforth Pacific.
• Matthew Dwyer, P.E., Dwyer Engineering, building managed by Hines in Washington, D.C.; and Plymouth Trial Court, Plymouth, Mass., Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.
• Hoy Bohanon, P.E., Working Buildings, building managed by Hines in San Francisco.
• Robert Watson, P.E., NOI Engineering, building managed by Hines in Houston; and 1201 Third Ave. and King Street Center, both in Seattle, Wright Runstad and Co.
• Paul Johnson, P.E., Sebesta Blomberg, building managed by Hines in Minneapolis.
• John Dunlap, P.E., Dunlap and Partners Engineers, building managed by Hines in Atlanta.
• David Eldridge, P.E., ASHRAE-certified high-performance building design professional, Grumman Butkus Associates, building managed by Hines in Boston.
• Umit Sirt, P.E., ASHRAE-certified high-performance building design professional, and Steve Baumgartner, P.E., ASHRAE-certified high-performance building design professional, Buro Happold Consulting, Ted Weiss Federal Building, New York, U.S. General Services Administration.
• Dick Pearson, P.E., Pearson Engineering, U.S. Courthouse, Hammond, Ind., U.S. General Services Administration.
• Walt Dindoffer, Green Team Collation, Jackson State Office Building, Jackson, Mich., Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.
• Duane Paul, P.E., Nexant Inc., Jerome T. Hart Building, Saginaw, Mich., Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.
• Abbe Bjorklund, P.E., Sebesta Blomberg, Crimson Residence Hall, Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, Mass.
• Ruairi Barnwell, ASHRAE-certified high-performance building design professional, Building Momentum Group, John W. McCormack Building, Boston, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.
For more information, visit www.buildingeq.com.
Publication date:06/07/2010
