A new bill in Congress compliments the Biden administration’s push for IAQ improvements by offering tax credits for IAQ assessments and air-filtration and HVAC system upgrades in many non-residential buildings.
Everyone involved with IAQ knows about the 1970s, when excess energy use became Public Enemy No. 1 for commercial building designers. Saving energy was the critical goal: Air leaks were being hunted like wild animals, and windows and doors were sealed so tightly that not a breath of conditioned air could seep out.
Johnson Controls developed the LEAN energy analysis technology over the past eight years and has used the tool to analyze retrofit opportunities in over 700 buildings. Berkeley Lab is working with Johnson Controls to automate and improve the LEAN energy analysis tool and create an open-source version of the tool for public use.
The design, layout, and building features in new and existing buildings can have an impact on both safety and security. Safety and security touches a myriad of code regulations as well as considerations which go beyond code compliance.
According to the AEA, nonresidential buildings consume more than half the building energy use in Alaska, and the majority of these buildings are privately owned. The Commercial Building Energy Audit program is designed to pay up to 75 percent of the cost of an ASHRAE level 1+ energy audit performed on privately owned commercial buildings.
While smart thermostats are certainly on the rise for the residential market, the commercial side has experienced a much slower adoption rate. While a residential building has fewer people to heat or cool and a smaller space, commercial buildings aren’t as simple. Larger spaces and more people can make for a difficult heating and cooling process.