New Building Commissioning: 4 Things to Do After You Open
Think your new building is energy efficient? Think again! World Green Building Trends says new buildings could be wasting 8% annual expenses in energy and operational costs. In buildings that have been in operation for years, there can be up to 55% savings in utility...
The Importance of Properly Charging HVAC Refrigerant
Charging a refrigeration system is one of the most challenging tasks a service technician will face. A bad charge will make your AC work harder and will increase your electricity bill by 20 to 40 percent. Charging your AC unit at the recommended levels at installation...
4 Things Owners Need to Consider When Budgeting for Solar PV
Assessing costs for future projects in California with a three year code cycle change is causing deal makers to miss critical budget forecasts. For example, a lack of understanding of code standards could add $2 million or more in envelope or HVAC system design for a...
Top 5 Ways a Project’s Location Affects LEED Certification
When pursuing LEED certification, it’s important to understand the positive or negative impacts the project’s location can have on your final LEED score. LEED’s Location and Transportation (LT) category focuses on taking advantage of existing infrastructure,...
Top 5 Things Developers & Designers Should Know About the California Solar Mandate
Several factors impact the amount of solar that new low-rise residential construction projects will have to install under the new 2019 California Energy Code, and knowing how these factors affect solar budgets may result in more efficient and cost-effective design....
Top 4 Things Architects Should Know about CALGreen
It can be difficult for architects to make sustainable building goals a priority while coordinating with other disciplines in a project. An inability to navigate California’s Green Building Code (better known as CALGreen) could lead to unforeseen costs at the end of a...
Hidden Challenges of Heat Pump Water Heaters
Complying with heat pump water heaters in California is more difficult than it may seem. The technology can be 2.5 to 3 times more efficient than natural gas, but that does not always make compliance easier. The proposed Joint Appendix JA13 would change that and allow...
4 Strategies for Setting Effective Energy Performance Goals
Implementing energy efficiency strategies doesn’t just benefit the Earth: it also benefits your pockets. Buildings utilize 70% of the electricity generated in the U.S. and emit over one-third of carbon emissions, which is more than any sector of the economy. Many...