Hi everyone.

I'm at the National Conference on Building Commissioning this week, at the Marriott Newport Beach Hotel and Spa. I won't be getting to the spa, but the beach view is nice and the gas-flame fire pits have already attracted us long-winter refugees like moths and incited some fun and interesting conversations. One Cx provider talked about being in Burundi to commission an embassy when, in the night, firefights and mortar fire broke out and she and her team had to be whisked out of the country. I asked if Hillary Clinton was with her...

I've been to five or six of the sixteen NCBC's and I have to say it's among my favorite conferences. The technical sessions are good, covering not only the commissioning process, but technologies such as wireless BAS, fault-detection and diagnostics, and real-time de...Read More

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Rest in peace, James E. Batz. Thank you for the great work you performed as an engineer, and for being a role model for engineers today and in the future.

Those were the words that crossed my mind when reading Mr. Batz's obituary today in the Chicago Tribune. The headline, "Engineer was an innovator" caught my eye for obvious reasons, so I read the sizable send-off to a man of apparently remarkable character and experience.

"He was one of those kinds of guys that did all those things that no one knew about but needed to be done," his son said.

Mr. Batz was born and raised in Chicago, and entered the Navy during WW II as a stepping stone to obtaining a college education. During his two-year stint, he became a communications expert and...Read More

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Scott Siddens, senior editor, sent me an email yesterday that linked to an article on engineering education on Wired magazine’s Website. The article, “Top 5 Reasons it Sucks to Be an Engineering Student,” by Aaron Rowe, a Wired editor, is categorized as being “humorous,” and to some degree it is, but there’s more than a modicum of truth in his snarky post. There were a few points that brought back some not-so-fun memories of my time in the trenches. I ended up earning a B.Sc. in mathematics and computer science, and a graduate degree in engineering, finding the research-based graduate school curriculum more compatible with my style of learning than the weed-them-out style of the undergraduate program that I had enrolled in.

 What’s makes the Wi...Read More

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Because Consulting-Specifying Engineer is publishing articles in its March issue on thinking differently, green schools, and semantics, I thought it would fun to discuss some research on how the brain works and the psychology of decisions. For any designer who has had a client choose Option C instead of the much preferred Options A or B, these findings should interest you. Also read on to gain insight to better manage your engineering staffs.

Scientists using magnetic resonance imaging technology to observe the brain in action have found that brains are much more aroused by “instant gratification” than longer-term rewards. Apparently, this is a hangover from our pre-history as “hunter-gatherers” when we faced scarcity more often. We would generally rather eat what’s available now rather than gamble on a bigger feast later. There&rsq...Read More

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Semantics, according to Merriam-Webster, is the study of meaning. Meaning is conveyed in words. The green movement needs to clarify its semantics—its words—if it is to lead us to sustainability.

To start, the words "green" and "sustainability" mean different things, but often are used interchangeably. With sustainability being more complex in meaning and difficult to attain, we’re green washing a green building when calling it sustainable, unless it truly is. But how are green and sustainability different?

Sustainability scientist and professor, James A. Wise, Ph.D., said, "Sustainability is a top-down framework of overarching principles that consider environmental, economic, and social measures based on an idealized model of what is sustainable. Green is a bottom-up approach, working to improve the environmental perform...Read More

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Is it a conflict of interest for utilities to be trusted to administer energy efficiency programs?

That's a question that consumers will increasingly be asked by others or themselves as energy prices increase, supplies get tighter, and efficiency and conservation programs proliferate. One person who is asking that question out loud is Tom Hartman, PE, an expert HVAC and controls designer who is passionate about energy, the environment, and the engineering profession. At several symposia that I’ve participated in with him, Hartman would express concerns that energy/power utilities could become the proverbial foxes in the henhouse of energy efficiency. His point is that they should not unilaterally be entrusted with control of energy efficiency programs when it’s their business model to sell energy.

Hartman has self-published a white paper...Read More

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Terry Brennan came into the Solar 101 classroom at Utica, N.Y-based Mohawk Valley Community College, in 1980, sat on the teacher’s desk, pulled off his sweater, looked around the room, noticed each of us, and said, “I’m going to teach you from the Book of Solar.” Thus began a typical teacher/student relationship that eventually became a mentor/mentee relationship, which evolved into a lifelong friendship that today is as strong as ever.

Terry’s career is remarkable. He went from working as a home builder to home designer, and then from a solar energy and energy-efficiency expert to a radon mitigation pioneer. In his current manifestation, he is an IAQ and sustainability guru. Here's a link to his company, Camroden Associates, in upstate New York.

I followed along, learning and contributing ...Read More

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Every year around this time, I’m asked what I want for Christmas. And every year I say the same thing—nothing. I don’t need a thing, which translates to, "trust the Force."

I’m not one to hawk products, but in sympathy for people cursed with shopping for engineers, especially environmentally conscious ones, let me present a list of gifts for Christmas, Chanukah, birthdays, anniversaries, or whatever.

First on the list is the HYmini hybrid wind and solar charging system that uses wind power and/or photovoltaic panel to recharge cell phones, MP3 players, digital cameras, and other 5-V devices. Order it at www.hymini.com. Armbands are available for sporting the HYmini while at the construction site, outdoor cocktail party, or ...Read More

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What follows is an annotated version of my November "Viewpoint" column for CSE on the topic of innovation. This post is the starting point for a blog series on innovation. Your views are encouraged and welcome. Thank you - Michael

     With green becoming as ubiquitous as denim in the fashioning of buildings, what’s the next buzz that will have substance and credible empowerment for engineers? Innovation. For this assertion, I have more reasons than space, so here’s a few and the rest are on my blog at www.csemag.com.

...Read More

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On midnight GMT December 31, 2007, Canada and Russia will face off on a hockey rink cleared from a patch of arctic snow with the North Pole at center ice. To the victor, what is believed to be 25 percent of the world’s undiscovered oil reserves and a rich cache of natural gas, minerals, and bragging rights. To the losers, nada. Access to the Arctic resources and transportation is made possible by anthropogenic climate change accelerating the melting of ice shelves and glaciers.

“We start it; we finish it,” said Russian president Vladimir Putin. We spoil for significant hockey game since Lake Placid, and, with no one standing up to bullying of internal dissen...Read More

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I have received so many Letters to the Editor stemming from the May issue's Viewpoint, Engineer Shortage: Employers to Blame? that we are moving the discussion to this blog. CSE will publish one letter in its June issue, which is already off to press, and several more exchanges in July, which I'll link to in the future. 

Meanwhile, I invite you to post your perspectives on why there is a shortage of engineers for buildings and what can be done about it. Is the problem K-12 education? Universities? Employers? Societal? Will higher salaries solve the problem? Recruiting more women and minorities? 

Some of you may even think there is no shortage and want to weigh in, too.

If you care to read more, below are some other online artic...Read More

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There are about 5 million non-residential buildings in the U.S. I have no idea how many there are in the world, but I would venture a guess the sum of all non-residential buildings in the world is a lot more than 5 million. And I believe it is safe to say that.the vast majority of these buildings are wasting a lot of energy. This wasted energy translates into unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide), which, whether you care more about energy than the GHG, or the other way around, means there's a lot of room for improvement.

So, how do we make them perform better? Where would the money come from to fund significant and lasting improvements?  Assuming we got the money, would we have the people -- the engineers, contractors, and other professionals to do the work?

Well -- first things first. No sense in talking about it if there's no...Read More

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