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Fastrack March 12, 2008

April 11, 2008
March 12, 2008   District-Steam Design for University CampusesBy Vincent A. Sakraida, PE, LEED AP A logical, step-by-step process, from data collection to detailed engineering...   The Return of Johnny Tundra, Another Engineering Whodunit ...
March 12, 2008
District-Steam Design for University Campuses
By Vincent A. Sakraida, PE, LEED AP

A logical, step-by-step process, from data collection to detailed engineering...[MORE]

The Return of Johnny Tundra, Another Engineering Whodunit From the Frozen North
"Your heating problem isn't in that cast-in-place sheet metal, it's in these mixing-box damper blades!"--Johnny Tundra

Troubleshooting MEP systems in cold climates can be an urgent matter. Fortunately, there are engineers such as Johnny Tundra roving the northern-tier states and tackling the flintiest of facility problems. Join Johnny through his travels in wintertime Montana, and match wits with him as he looks to keep the frozen northland outside, where it belongs...[MORE]


Free HPAC Webinar Series: Energy-Recovery Ventilation: an Overview of a Critical Technology for High-Performance-HVAC-System Design
Wednesday, March 26, 2 p.m. ET
Sponsored by SEMCO

The subject of energy-recovery ventilation is filled with myths and disinformation. To be viable in an energy-starved future, HVAC systems must efficiently process ventilation and make productive use of low-grade energy resources ignored or discarded by conventional HVAC strategies. That means air-to-air energy-recovery technologies will be critical and central elements of high-performance HVAC systems that achieve cost-effective "net-zero" building design. As such, they will revolutionize HVAC-system design. Air-to-air energy-recovery technologies take numerous forms, each offering unique capabilities that are superior for specific applications. Each also has unique limitations, and there are challenges to their effective application. The HVAC industry is only beginning to learn how to use these important technologies...[MORE]



Take the Water-Use Quiz
Do you know how many gallons of water are wasted by leaks or standard faucets and toilets? Take this fun and eye-opening quiz provided by Waterless Co. LLC to find out. ...[MORE]




Proposed Standard for High-Performing Buildings Open for Public Review
Proposed Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, is open for its second public review until April 7. The proposed standard will provide minimum requirements for the design of new high-performance commercial buildings and major renovation projects, addressing energy efficiency, a building's impact on the atmosphere, sustainable sites, water-use efficiency, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. It is being developed by ASHRAE, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)....[MORE]


Renewable-Energy Tax Package
A coalition of more than 100 retailers, manufacturers, trade groups, and advocacy organizations called on the U.S. Senate to pass bipartisan legislation that extends renewable-energy and efficiency tax credits that have expired or will expire at the end of this year. The tax incentives would strengthen the renewable-energy industry and expand the market for energy-efficient products, which would reduce residential and commercial energy costs, generate jobs, and boost the economy...[MORE]


CABA Working With Green Mechanical Council
The Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) recently entered into a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Green Mechanical Council. The agreement calls for the organizations to cooperate in educating contractors and field technicians about creating and maintaining environmentally sound residential and commercial mechanical systems...[MORE]


Solar Project to Cut Energy Costs

The City of Hillsboro, Ore., is working with Honeywell on a solar project that is expected to cut the city’s energy costs and greenhouse-gas emissions. Under the agreement, Honeywell will install ground-mounted solar panels next to the Hillsboro Evergreen Reservoir water-storage facility and sell the electricity the panels produce to the city for use at the reservoir. The panels are expected to generate more than 104,000 kwh of electricity annually, almost 20 percent of the power needed for the 15-million-gal. Evergreen Reservoir...[MORE]


EGB to Return to Vegas in 2008
Renowned green-building-industry leader and author Jerry Yudelson will present the keynote address for HPAC Engineering's fifth annual Engineering Green Buildings (EGB) Conference and Expo, which will be held Oct. 21 and 22 at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The EGB Conference and Expo is a green-design event focused on green engineering applications as they apply to mechanical systems for commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings. The 2007 event attracted more than 300 participants, including mechanical-system designers and specifiers and manufacturers demonstrating the green characteristics and applications of their mechanical systems, components, equipment, products, technology, and services....[MORE]
  • Register by April 15 and receive a complimentary copy of Jerry Yudelson's latest book, "The Green Building Revolution"!

  • The Business Case for Green
    By Jerry Yudelson, PE, MBA, LEED AP
    With multiple benefits, green buildings make good business sense...[MORE]