GreenClips.251 10.27.04 CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS! Don't stop reading at the last news Clip! Watch our sponsors' announcements below for information on conferences, products, services, and other useful resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A TALK WITH INTERFACE'S RAY ANDERSON Since 1994, Ray Anderson, founder and chairman of Interface, Inc., a floor covering manufacturer based in Atlanta, has preached the gospel of sustainability while pursuing an ambitious effort to transform Interface's products, processes and business models to reflect his environmental ethics. In an interview, Anderson takes stock of the past decade's ups and downs: "We've been through the toughest business cycle in our history and we've survived, thanks to sustainability and commitment we've made in this direction. I don't think we would have made it otherwise... The marketplace in which we operate declined fully 30 percent... over a five-year period, and it's only just now bottoming out... We've actually gained market share in that decline and that has come about because of better products and market support... And better products have come about because our product design people have taken to biomimicry in a big way...[P]robably close to 40 percent of sales are based on products derived from the biomimicry thought process... We can probably point to at least 20 percent of our sales where we know we got the business because of the sustainability commitment... Our costs have gone down not up because of sustainability. The waste elimination effort alone has saved us... [c]lose to $250 million over this nine-plus years." The Green Business Letter, Oct 2004, p 1. A LOOK AT HVAC FILTER EFFICIENCY Good indoor air quality (IAQ) depends on numerous factors, including effective filtration -- the primary defense against particulate pollutants for building occupants and HVAC equipment. The higher the filter efficiency, the higher the removal of particles (independent of particle size). Low-efficiency filters are typically used to keep large particulates such as lint and dust from clogging the HVAC system's heating/cooling coils. Medium and high-efficiency filters are more effective at removing smaller particles and may be employed to remove bacteria, pollen, soot and other small particulates. Filters also protect air distribution systems from airborne contamination. There is considerable evidence linking poor filtration performance to contaminated air handling systems. To maintain proper airflow and minimize the amount of additional energy required to move air through higher efficiency filters, pleated-type extended surface filters are often recommended. In buildings designed to be exceptionally clean, the A/E may specify the use of both a medium-efficiency pre-filter and a high-efficiency extended surface filter. ASHRAE has two standards that measure efficiency: ASHRAE 52.1, which measures arrestance (i.e., the amount of synthetic dust a filter is able to capture, and ASHRAE 52.2, which measures the HVAC filter's fractional particle size efficiency, an indicator of its ability to remove airborne particles of differing sizes. The Construction Specifier, Oct 2004, p 66, by David Myers. CORN-BASED PLASTICS GROW MORE APPEALING AS OIL PRICES RISE When Dow Chemical Co. and agricultural giant Cargill Inc. began a major push two years ago to market a plastic made from corn instead of oil, they thought they were tapping into consumers' growing worries about the environment. As it turns out, makers of the alternative plastic may get their biggest boost from soaring oil prices and fears of global energy shortages. Sales of the corn-based plastic resin manufactured by Cargill Dow rose 60 percent in the first nine months of 2004 from the year-earlier period. The company reduced the costs of manufacturing the biodegradable plastic known as polylactic acid, or PLA, 65 percent from the first quarter of 2003 to the second quarter of 2004, says Kathleen Bader, chief executive of Cargill Dow. Its product -- which she would only say is "well under" $1 a pound -- still is pricier than its petroleum-based competitor, polyethylene terephthalate, or PET. However, Cargill Dow gains a penny-a-pound advantage for every $5-per-barrel increase in the price of oil, she says. Other manufacturers are getting into the act. In May, DuPont Co. teamed up with British food-industry giant Tate & Lyle PLC to make a corn-and-petroleum-based fabric called Sorona that it says is superior to polyester and nylon because it feels softer and has better stretch recovery, among other qualities. The Wall Street Journal, 12 Oct 2004, p B1, by Thaddeus Herrick. INTEGRATED DESIGN EXPANDS THE TRADITIONAL LIMITS OF HVAC DESIGN For mechanical engineers, integrated design offers opportunities to expand their horizons and think beyond the traditional limits of HVAC design. However, several barriers to achieving cost-effective integrated design derive from the typical sequencing of design activities. Some of the ways this occurs includes: 1) HVAC capacity is usually calculated and equipment selected before electrical lighting design is done or glass choice is finalized, so the equipment is typically oversized. 2) HVAC is oversized to accommodate estimated lighting power densities and plug loads that are determined during T/I design phase. 3) HVAC and electrical systems are not given adequate space, so ductwork may be undersized to fit, resulting in higher pressure drops and increased noise levels. To overcome these barriers, several steps can be taken, including: 1) Ensure different design disciplines are coordinating on process as well as on technical details. 2) Make sure that each discipline understands its roles and responsibilities in achieving the project's performance goals. 3) Share and communicate design assumptions such as lighting power densities set by the lighting designer that affect HVAC loads, and occupant loads set by the interiors architect that affects HVAC ventilation rates and loads. 4) Task someone, such as the architect, with the design integration management role. ASHRAE Journal, Sept 2004, p S22, by Malcolm Lewis. [More: http://www.ctg-net.com/energetics/EnergeticsHome.htm] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GreenClips is free of charge thanks to individual members and these sponsors: SEARCHING FOR GREEN HOMES IN ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTIES. Green Home Tour organizers seek homes built or remodeled using green building techniques and materials. Qualifying homes will be located in Alameda and Contra Costa County and must demonstrate a variety of green building features and techniques. For more information visit www.stopwaste.org or www.greenresourcecenter.org. Application deadline: November 12, 2004. (The Green Home Tour will take place on Sunday, May 1, 2005.) ARMSTRONG CEILING SYSTEMS http://www.armstrong.com/commceilingsna/article10790.html Armstrong offers an expanding portfolio of sustainable ceiling products. Through the Ceiling Recycling Program, an industry first and only one of its kind, old tiles are shipped to an Armstrong plant, not a landfill; 20 million square feet recycled to date. ECOSA INSTITUTE http://www.ecosainstitute.org/ Offering educational programs in sustainable design for the general public, students, builders, and architects. Featuring the Spring Pre-Professional semester in sustainable design. Jan. 10 - April 29, 2005. Guest speaker's include Steve Badanes, Hunter Lovins, David Orr, John Todd and others. Now accepting applications. EPA'S ENVIRONMENTALLY-PREFERABLE PURCHASING PROGRAM Greening the government, one purchase at a time. http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/epp GREEN BUILDING SERVICES http://www.greenbuildingservices.com Green Building Services offers environmental design and energy efficient consulting services to help you design, build and market high-performance commercial buildings, through design charrettes, energy analyses and the entire LEED certification process. HEALTH, EDUCATION + RESEARCH ASOCIATES, INC. www.herainc.com HERA is a nationally recognized laboratory planning, programming, and design firm promoting high performance and sustainable laboratories for public and private organizations including our work with the Croxton Collaborative on the City of Philadelphia PD Forensic Science Center. LEED BASICS FOR OWNERS ENGINEERS, AND DESIGN/BUILD CONTRACTORS HPAC Engineering is hosting a webcast on LEED basics on December 1, 2004. The free event will focus on LEED credits for mechanical and engineered-plumbing systems, tips for achieving desired levels of LEED certification, and LEED's commissioning requirements. Presenting are Brendan Owens, USBGC; Ronald Wilkinson, Dome-Tech Commissioning Services; and Hernando Miranda, Soltierra LLP. More information: http://www.hpac.com/LEED-Basics WSU ENERGY PROGRAM http://www.energy.wsu.edu Providing objective research, information and solutions. Washington State University Extension Energy Program in Olympia, Washington. Subscribe to GreenClips and other mailing lists on energy and the environment at http://listserv.energy.wsu.edu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GREENCLIPS NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT! Twice a month GreenClips is distributed electronically to over 10,000 readers interested in sustainable building design. But we can't do it without the financial support of our sponsors and members. If you find GreenClips valuable, please consider becoming a sponsor or voluntary member. Email chrishammer@greenclips.com for details. ABOUT THE PUBLISHER: Sustainable design consultant Chris Hammer publishes GreenClips in San Francisco. Ms. Hammer helps her clients with environmentally responsible approaches to urban planning and development, and to building design, construction, and operation. GreenClips is edited by Jennifer Roberts, author of "Good Green Homes: Creating Better Homes for a Healthier Planet" (http://www.goodgreenhomes.com). To CONTACT THE PUBLISHER: Email chrishammer@greenclips.com or call 415.928.7941. BACK ISSUES Two Internet sites host GreenClips archives for reference and research: http://listserv.energy.wsu.edu/read/?forum=greenclips (keyword search) http://www.greenclips.com (browse contents) REDISTRIBUTION Please do not redistribute or post copies of GreenClips regularly. 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