GreenClips.186 02.27.02 SUSTAINABLE HVAC OPTIONS FOR LARGE BUILDINGS Green buildings with mechanical HVAC equipment can provide superior comfort and do not have to cost more than conventional buildings. But sustainable design requires an integrated, whole-systems approach to succeed. The palette of HVAC options is more expansive than the typical suite of measures now used in most green buildings. In principle, it's best to use passive measures (such as heating by solar gain) rather than active ones (such as heating by burning fuel). But climate control strategies need not be based entirely upon passive approaches to be sustainable. Sustainable HVAC system features include these seven approaches: 1) the NightSky radiant/evaporative cooling system, which can provide 50 percent or more of the cooling in areas where night skies tend to be clear with temperatures well below daytime peaks; 2) free cooling in buildings that have constant chilled water requirements; 3) Acutherm's Therma-Fuser, which provides individual temperature control; 4) radiant heating and cooling, including slab radiant systems and radiant chilled ceiling panels; 5) low-cost/low-energy pumping systems that eliminate the use of all secondary pumping and save considerable energy; 6) low-face-velocity air handlers that reduce pressure drop and decrease the required fan power; and 7) dedicated outside air handlers that maintain a fixed flow of outside air into occupied zones. Environmental Design & Construction, Jan-Feb 2002, p 26, by Peter Rumsey and Chris Lotspeich. [Full text: "Reinventing HVAC Design for Green Buildings" at http://www.edcmag.com. Email: prumsey@rumseyengineers.com or chrislot@earthlink.net] VANCOUVER THINK TANK NOTABLE FOR ITS SUSTAINABLE DESIGN The Liu Centre for the Study of Global Issues, a 1,750-square-meter campus building at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, seeks to establish a new benchmark for sustainable design at UBC. To minimize impact on UBC's strained campus infrastructure, the Liu Centre was required to be 50 percent more energy efficient than the guidelines in the Model National Energy Code for Buildings. The University is so concerned about this that its Land and Building Services department has established the position of Director of Sustainability, currently occupied by architect Freda Pagani. The Liu Centre, which was designed by Architecture Planning Architecture Interiors Inc. in collaboration with Arthur Erickson, makes extensive use of salvaged materials from demolished buildings both on and off campus, including glulam beams and structural wood decking. The project includes such staples of green building as operable windows, high performance low-E argon-filled glazing and free span structure for flexibility of office layouts. It also provides covered bicycle stalls and showers to facilitate an alternative to car commuting. Building occupants are provided with a "users' manual" to familiarize them with the building's approach to creating a comfortable work environment. Canadian Architect, Jan 2002, p 22, by Marco Polo. [More: http://www.liucentre.ubc.ca/liu/about/facilities.htm] TWO COMPANIES RECLAIM OLD WOOD FOR FLOORING AND FRAMING AsiaRain in McCloud, California, has begun selling flooring milled from railroad ties salvaged in Thailand. The Thai government is replacing millions of old wooden sleepers -- or ties -- with concrete ties on the nation's railways. "There are roughly 3 million old ties in the country," says Don Banducci of AsiaRain, "and they're all virgin tropical hardwood -- teak, ironwood, rosewood, merba, padauk, narra, many others. It's beautiful stuff." The flooring will retail for $6.50 to $8.50 per square foot, depending on the quality. Because so many different woods are involved, AsiaRain sells by color rather than species. "We can't even identify some of these trees involved," Banducci acknowledges. Meanwhile in Baraboo, Wisconsin, Susan and Tom Holmes of Glenville Timberwrights are building timber-framed homes with beams from deconstructed buildings. Timber-framed construction consists of long wooden beams connected by mortise and tenon joinery. Glenville Timberwrights uses only reclaimed timbers; no new trees are cut for frames. All reclaimed timbers not used for frames are used for flooring, stairs, railings, door and window casings, base moldings, cabinetry and furniture. The company has built more than 100 homes. AsiaRain article: San Francisco Chronicle, 19 Feb 2002, p B1, by Glen Martin. [More: http://www.asiarainhardwoods.com] Glenville Timberwrights article: In Business, Jan-Feb 2002, p 27, by Susan Holmes. [More: woodones@chorus.net.] NYLON 6: TRANSFORMING THE CARPET INDUSTRY Textiles can be reconceived so that they become either mulch for the soil (a biological nutrient) or rematerialized ingredients for industry (a technical nutrient), according to the eco-effectivenss paradigm developed by McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC). Nylon 6 is an ideal material for use as a technical nutrient. It is highly stable, and carpet yarn made from nylon 6 is easily depolymerized into its precursor, caprolactam, which in turn can be made again into nylon 6. In contrast, nylon 6,6, a popular carpet material, is made of two constituent elements that can't be separated for reuse. The chemical company BASF uses nylon 6 to make a carpet material called Savant, which can be depolymerized and used again and again. But for all its promise, Savant is not yet a pure technical nutrient because not all of its elements are retrievable nutrients. Working with MBDC, BASF will begin to actively select and develop pigments and additives that, like nylon 6, can be used again and again. Ultimately, the company could perhaps become a nylon bank, leasing nylon and guaranteeing its reuse. BASF is inviting the design community to come up with a host of new, innovative products made of nylon 6 and designed as technical nutrients. To contribute ideas, contact BASF's Bob Armstrong at 704.423.2376. [More on Savant: http://www.basf.com/businesses/fibers/carpet/6g.html.] Green@Work, Jan-Feb 2002, p 42, by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. FLORIDA COMPANY DEVELOPING FUEL CELLS FOR RESIDENTIAL MARKET Apollo Energy Systems in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is developing a new fuel cell system for powering homes and hopes to have prototypes for testing by year's end. Apollo's fuel cell uses an alkaline electrolyte, which boasts several advantages over the proton exchange membrane (PEM) systems developed by companies such as H-Power (Clifton, New Jersey) and Plug Power (Latham, New York). Unlike PEM devices, alkaline fuel cells require neither an air compressor for supplying air to the fuel cell stack, nor a humidifier to ensure proper moisture content in the membrane. Because they require less of the platinum catalyst that most fuel cells use in their electrodes, alkaline fuel cells also have the potential of being produced at lower cost. And alkaline fuel cells operate at a higher efficiency (50 to 60 percent) than PEM devices (35 to 40 percent). Once they are in mass production, Apollo's fuel cells are expected to cost $300 to $350 per kW, with complete power plants selling for anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000. The company hopes to enter the residential market through utilities, which would distribute and maintain the systems for residential customers. Prototypes will range in size from 3 kW to 25 kW. More: http://www.electricauto.com. Energy Design Update, Feb 2002, p. 5. DESIGNING COUPLE MAKES MODERN FURNITURE FROM RECYCLED MATERIALS The two designers who make up MetaForm Studio, a one-year-old furniture company in Haverstraw, New York, combine modern design with recycled materials. For them, pipes become the sturdy frame of a sofa. Reinforcing bars for concrete work become a sculptural coat rack. Wooden crates used to ship produce and plants become sculptural pendant and wall lights. "He would be happy to have a van and drive from one Dumpster to another," says Chris Randolph, describing her partner, Khader Humied. Jelly Roll, a low cabinet that can hang on a wall or stand on legs, is a multicolored storage cabinet that utilizes galvanized metal shelving brackets, pegboard, plywood and a fluorescent light screen as its doors. While the couple uses fabric and high-density foam to make their upholstered pieces, recycled materials will likely always be part of their philosophy. "We can't be wasting raw materials," Humied says. More: http://www.metaformstudio.com. The Journal News (Rockland, Westchester, and Putnam, New York), 23 Feb 2002, p 1E, by Joanne Furio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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