Recently in Energy Efficiency Category

LEED certification and standards have taken the building design and building fields by storm. While not a perfect system by a long shot, LEED is the leading system that is used by government construction, large corporate construction and even a growing number of residential developers. 

As electricians become "energy contractors" who balance upfits of electrical systems with new renewable energy loads, additional training and duties apply.

Here are some of the LEED standards that point to the role of electricians and energy contractors in the green building sector.  ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standards are growing in importance for electricians and energy contractors.

Title	Credit	Requirements
Alternative Transportation -- Low-emitting and Fuel-efficient	Sustainable Sites (SS) Credit 4.3	Install alternative-fuel fueling stations (e.g. stations for charging electric cars) for 3% of the total vehicle parking capacity of the site.
Light Pollution Reduction	Sustainable Sites (SS) Credit 8	Internal lighting - Reduce input power (by automatic device) of interior lights by at least 50% between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Electrician will select and install fixtures and controls to meet requirements. External lighting - Light areas only as required for safety and comfort. Lighting power densities must not exceed ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007 and must meet lighting control requirements from ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007. Electrician will perform photometric analysis to validate compliance of credit requirements.
Optimize Energy Performance	Energy & Atmosphere (EA) Credit 1	Demonstrate a percentage improvement in the proposed building performance rating compared with baseline building performance rating. The higher the building energy efficiency level, the more LEED points are awarded. Electrician will work with utility company to assess energy performance and identify most cost-effective energy efficiency measures.
On-site Renewable Energy	Energy & Atmosphere (EA) Credit 2	Install and use on-site renewable energy systems (solar, wind, etc) to offset building energy costs.
Green Power	Energy & Atmosphere (EA) Credit 6	Engage in at least a 2-year renewable energy contract to provide at least 35% of the building's electricity from renewable sources (wind, solar, wave, geothermal, or biomass). Calculation of two-year expected energy use is required, along with kWH cost of the green power from the serving electric utility. Electrician should provide projected monthly cost required to obtain this point.
Controllability of Systems--lighting	Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Credit 6.1	Provide individual lighting controls for 90% (minimum) of the building occupants to enable adjustments to suit individual task needs and preferences. Provide lighting system controls for all shared multi-occupant spaces to enable adjustments that meet group needs and preferences.

Electricians Must Prepare for Tightening Standards
With so many green building and renewable energy opportunities on the horizon, electrical and energy contractors need to make sure they're ready to win jobs. To get started, they must gain the skills and knowledge to take on green projects. Both the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) offer education programs for green electrical work. And standards organizations such as ANSI, ASHRAE, IESNA  also offer informtion and training opportunities.

Biomimicry Institute, Autodesk Announce World's First Database of Nature-Inspired Design Strategies

Imagine if buildings were as self-sufficient as living organisms: if they could gather water, filter air, and adapt to local climate conditions. Imagine if the natural world could teach us everything we need to know about sustainable, efficient design.

AskNature.org

Now for the first time, a new online database called AskNature.org will bring nature's best design ideas to design tables around the world. The new project, created by the Biomimicry Institute and sponsored by Autodesk, was announced on Nov. 21 at the Greenbuild 2008 conference in Boston.

AskNature.org is a free, public-domain online library of nature's best design ideas, organized by function and explained with illustrations and in language relevant to designers.

AskNature.org is a project of the Biomimicry Institute, founded by Janine Benyus, the renowned author of the book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. AskNature.org is collaborating with the Smithsonian Institute of Natural History and E.O. Wilson's Encyclopedia of Life as a source of data for the portal.

The portal explains in nontechnical language and enhanced with illustrations to explain how things work. The portal helps architects, designers, and engineers access and understand sustainable design concepts so they can use them in their own products and projects.

Biomimetic Information

Autodesk believes that biomimicry, as a design paradigm, can provide our customers with design intelligence to help them make smarter design decisions - whether they are designing a building, a train, a shoe or a city. Looking ahead, Autodesk's goal is to make biomimetic information accessible to a wide range of users globally. Autodesk product teams are investigating technology intersections, including those with the Autodesk® Seek web service, which has already made select biomimetic products available to designers.

Architects, designers and innovators can use this resource to study life's approaches to sustainable design--for example, how butterflies create pigment-free color, or how plants split water to release hydrogen.

"The core idea is that there is no need to reinvent the wheel. After 3.8 billion years of evolution, nature has already found the solutions to the sustainability challenges humans face," said Janine Benyus, founder of the non-profit Biomimicry Institute and author of Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature.

AskNature.org--part search engine, part social network--is a place where biologists and innovators can meet, exchange information and design together.  The site also has a feature called "Thank a Genius," which encourages the investment of a portion of profits derived from bio-inspired innovations to go toward preserving the organisms and ecosystems that inspired the breakthrough.

AskNature.org is sponsored by Autodesk, a world leader in design innovation technology. With a user base of 9 million architects, designers and engineers around the world, Autodesk sees biomimicry as a revolutionary design concept that can help influence better design decisions.

A growing number of businesses are using biomimicry to solve their design challenges. As one example, the architectural firm HOK is planning a community development in India that seeks to mimic tree roots with its foundation structure, as a way to deal with soil stability problems. They are also designing roofs that shed water during monsoon season and also store water for use in the drought season--just like trees do in that environment. 

Biomimicry at Greenbuild 2008

Janine Benyus, along with renowned Harvard biologist E. O. Wilson  announce the launch of AskNature.org. on November 21, 2009.  Wilson's Encyclopedia of Life is integrated with the AskNature.org database.

For more information about the Biomimicry Institute: www.biomimicryinstitute.org.

For more information about Autodesk's role: www.autodesk.com/biomimicry

Earth: Blue Beauty

Practice Greenhealth is the nation's leading membership and networking organization for institutions in the healthcare community that have made a commitment to sustainable, eco-friendly practices. Members include hospitals, healthcare systems, businesses and other stakeholders engaged in the greening of healthcare to improve the health of patients, staff and the environment.

Learn the easy way, with Webinars from Greenhealth

Some samples of Greenhealth webinars for healthcare professional development include:

• Getting Started with Practice Greenhealth
• Design & Construction Series: Innovations in Energy Demand Reduction
• Greening Operations Series - Blue Wrap Recycling: From Dream to Reality in Less Than a Year

Teleosis also offers the "Leadership in Green Health Care Program"

This Interactive Course trains health professionals for the Green Economy. "Leadership in Green Health Care" is an online training program for health professionals who want to promote sustainability and protect our limited environmental resources. Course materials provide strategies that inspire environmental action in communities and workplaces. Register online at www.teleosis.org

Additional resources includ:

Energy Impact Calculator

This tool calculates the health impacts of a facility's energy use.

Greenhealth Tracker™ 

The environmental data tracking tool that helps you manage your waste.

Practice Greenhealth Forums

A place to ask questions, post articles, network with other members, and expand your knowledge.