flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

New buildings can fall short of designed performance

Codes and Standards

New buildings can fall short of designed performance

Similar structures can produce different energy usage results.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | June 29, 2020

Courtesy Pixabay

Using modern building materials and a new building management system or control system doesn’t always produce a highly efficient building, a systems engineer tells GlobeSt.

New buildings don’t always perform as designed due to many variables. Energy loads and when the loads peak can vary no matter the design, and similar buildings can produce far different energy usage outcomes.

How the building is commissioned can impact energy efficiency, and different tenants can use energy differently. Building systems need to be fine-tuned, and controls have to be adapted for the specific building. You can’t “copy and paste” from another building even if it has nearly identical characteristics.

Newer technology can identify inaccurate readings in building management systems, and identify problems or savings opportunities in the building. That goes for new buildings as well as old structures.

Related Stories

| Dec 20, 2012

Valencia College shifts from LEED to Green Globes on new project for more flexibility

The Lake Nona campus of Valencia College in Florida shifted its sustainability standard to Green Globes largely to be able to use a bipolar-ionization system to treat its indoor air -- something LEED didn't allow.

| Dec 20, 2012

LEED-certified schools don’t have to cost more to build, save average of 33% on energy

On average, green schools use 33% less energy and 32% less water than their conventional counterparts, and save $100,000 per year on direct operating costs, according to the U.S. Green Building Council.

| Dec 13, 2012

New OSHA initiatives on tap at AGC safety and health conference

More than 150 industry professionals will discuss the development of regulatory and legislative activity on national and local levels at the Associated General Contractors of America’s health and safety conference.

| Dec 13, 2012

So-called fiscal cliff is already affecting construction jobs, AGC finds

In November, the construction industry shed 20,000 jobs and its unemployment rate reached 12.2%, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America.

| Dec 13, 2012

New York City poised to enact recycling mandate for multi-family dwellings

New York City lags behind other large cities in recycling with only 15% of residential trash being recycled. A new bill passed by the City Council aims to improve the rate by changing how new apartment buildings are constructed.

| Dec 13, 2012

Pima County, Ariz. officials say improved code enforcement scores will help lower insurance bills

Insurance Service Office, Inc. (ISO) recently analyzed building codes and enforcement and found that Pima County, Ariz., consistently outscored comparable jurisdictions in Arizona and the nation.

| Dec 13, 2012

D.C. aims to be a green leader with new building codes

The District of Columbia has released a revised set of building codes to make it a leader in green construction.

| Dec 7, 2012

Georgia court limits contractors’ ability to foreclose on liens

The Georgia Court of Appeals ruled in 182 Tenth, LLC v. Manhattan Construction Company that lien claimants such as contractors, subcontractors, and materialmen, may not foreclose on a lien that includes unpaid general condition costs.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




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