flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Can energy hogs still be considered efficient buildings? Yes, say engineers at Buro Happold

Can energy hogs still be considered efficient buildings? Yes, say engineers at Buro Happold

A new tool from the engineering firm Buro Happold takes into account both energy and economic performance of buildings for a true measure of efficiency. 


By Buro Happold | December 20, 2013

Dissatisfied with the one-dimensional nature of defining energy efficiency as it relates to commercial buildings, international engineering firm Buro Happold developed a metric that links energy use to economic performance. The Building Economic Energy Coefficient (BEEC) could help many commercial building owners whose properties use a lot of energy (input), but add economic value to their cities and regions (output). This metric can also be a game changer that influences how local governments create policy to monitor the energy use of buildings.

(Download Buro Happold's white paper on the subject.)

Most systems of measurement deem a building efficient or inefficient based solely on how much energy it consumes. By contrast, BEEC measures a building’s energy use against economic performance indicators to give a more complete picture of a building’s productivity -- hence its overall efficiency. For example, a building might use less energy, but its tenants do not contribute as much to the regional economy. By this definition, another building that uses more energy might have an exponentially greater economic performance, making it more efficient.

When observed from this more comprehensive vantage point, some buildings that were previously thought of as energy hogs are revealed to be using energy more efficiently than many low-energy buildings. Buro Happold used proprietary research from CoStar Group to determine economic performance of commercial buildings in New York. 

“Energy efficiency is framed in a very black-and-white way – either a building has low energy intensity or it is considered wasteful. With this research, we can now see whether or not commercial buildings are putting energy to good use. It allows us a much more nuanced and complete picture of what’s really going on with energy use,” said Steven Baumgartner, PE, CEM, HBDP, LEED AP, associate at Buro Happold, who led the research team, along with Jim Coleman and Amelia Aboff of Happold Consulting, Buro Happold’s strategic consulting arm.

City officials, building owners, and members of the AEC industry measure a building’s energy use on a per square foot, per year basis. This is known as its Energy Use Intensity (EUI). EUI is a very useful metric in determining a building’s performance but it only tells half of the story.

“Buro Happold has been a pioneer in sustainability for decades, and now we are intensively involved in the challenges of the 21st century,” said Craig Schwitter, PE, BSCE, MSCE, principal. “We are a multidisciplinary firm that brings a comprehensive approach to problems at multiple scales – from the individual building to the region. This groundbreaking research will have a major impact on the way that energy use is discussed and regulated as we meet the ongoing challenges of an increasingly complex world.”

BEEC data is currently limited to New York City commercial buildings. With more funding, Buro Happold hopes to expand the scope of the research to include more cities, and with greater detail. “This is a huge first step toward redefining energy efficiency,” added Baumgartner, “and we’re excited to take this research to the next level.”

Related Stories

| Jul 9, 2012

Oakdale, Calif., Heritage Oaks Senior Apartments opens

New complex highlights senior preferences for amenities.

| Jul 3, 2012

Trimble to acquire WinEstimator

Acquisition adds estimating software solutions to Meridian Systems’ portfolio.

| Jul 3, 2012

Summit Design+Build completes Emmi Solutions HQ

The new headquarters totals 20,455 sq. ft. and features a loft-style space with exposed masonry and mechanical systems, 17-ft clear ceilings, two large rooftop skylights, and private offices with full glass partition walls.

| Jul 3, 2012

TOLK now called Dewberry

The renaming indicates a simplification in Dewberry’s corporate naming conventions.

| Jul 2, 2012

Bernards building mixed-use project in Beverly Hills

The project includes 88 luxury apartment homes atop a 14,000-sf Trader Joe’s market and a new coffee shop.

| Jul 2, 2012

San Francisco lays claim to the greenest building in North America

The 13-floor building can hold around 900 people, but consumes 60% less water and 32% less energy than most buildings of its kind.

| Jul 2, 2012

Plumosa School of the Arts earns LEED Gold

Education project dedicated to teaching sustainability in the classroom.

| Jun 29, 2012

SOM writes a new chapter at Cincinnati’s The Christ Hospital

The 332,000–sf design draws on the predominantly red brick character of The Christ Hospital’s existing buildings, interpreting it in a fresh and contemporary manner that fits well within the historic Mt. Auburn neighborhood while reflecting the institution’s dedication to experience, efficiency, flexibility, innovation and brand.

| Jun 29, 2012

Benjamin Moore Paints announces new CEO

Robert S. Merritt comes to Benjamin Moore with over three decades of management experience in the restaurant and food preparation and distribution industries

| Jun 29, 2012

Guardian launches industry’s first glass visualizer for interior design

Online tool allows designers to explore the possibilities of glass.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




Museums

UT Dallas opens Morphosis-designed Crow Museum of Asian Art

In Richardson, Tex., the University of Texas at Dallas has opened a second location for the Crow Museum of Asian Art—the first of multiple buildings that will be part of a 12-acre cultural district. When completed, the arts and performance complex, called the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum, will include two museums, a performance hall and music building, a grand plaza, and a dedicated parking structure on the Richardson campus.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021