Edited by Eli Kaberon, Editorial Intern

When LEED isn’t achieved, who’s to blame?

When building owners anticipate tax relief and promise certain sustainable features to tenants, not earning the projected U.S. Green Building Council LEED rating becomes a financial and legal problem, according to a Nashville Post article. The liability involved in beached LEED ambitions is new legal ground, largely because there's yet to be a court judgment on the books to set a precedent.

Unemployment up for engineers

Electrical engineers have been hit hard by the struggling economy and increased overseas competition, as a report from the U.S. Labor Dept.'s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that the unemployment rate for that field hit a record high in the second quarter of 2009. According to USA Today, the BLS study stated that 8.

Changes to ASHRAE 90.1 open for comment

Proposed changes designed to improve the energy efficiency of buildings covered by ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007 are open for public comment. The standard provides minimum requirements for the energy-efficient design of most buildings. Currently, 18 proposed addenda to the standard are open for public review.

Education center seeks first Living Building certification

The 6,200 sq ft Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL) on the Omega Institute campus in Rhinebeck, N.Y., is not only on track to achieve U.S. Green Building Council LEED platinum, it may be the first building in America to meet the requirements of the Living Building Challenge (LBC), according to an article on JetsonGreen.

DOE and Treasury Dept. announce guidelines for ARRA money

The U.S. Dept. of Energy and the U.S. Dept. of Treasury announced the guidelines and terms of conditions for renewable energy project developers to apply for the billions of dollars set aside in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). According to GreenBiz.com, the federal stimulus package allows developers to earn a tax grant to grow and expand their renewable energy ideas, eliminat...

Study quantifies economic benefits of comissioning

Evan Mills, PhD, staff scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), has released an important report quantifying the costs and benefits of commissioning: "Building Commissioning: A Golden Opportunity for Reducing Energy Costs and Greenhouse Gas Emissions." Based on data from 37 commissioning providers representing 643 buildings comprising 99 million sq ft of floor space from 26 st...

News At A Glance – 2009-08-01 – 2009-08-01

EVENTS

CSE adds two editorial board members

Consulting-Specifying Engineer is pleased to welcome two new members to our Editorial Advisory Board, Brian Rener (left) and Gerald Versluys. The two new members assist editors in reviewing magazine content for technical accuracy and consistency. Rener, PE and LEED AP, is the senior design manager for Chicago-based M+W Zander US Operations.

Cooper Bussmann joins IEEE and NFPA to research arc flash

Cooper Bussmann has contributed $500,000 to the Arc Flash Collaborative Research Project organized by IEEE and NFPA. The company's platinum level sponsorship will help expand the knowledge of the electric arc flash phenomena and enhance worker safety through advances in the codes and standards relating to safe employee work practices.

AHRI opposes clean energy bill

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has announced its opposition to H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES Act), in its current form. If the bill is passed into law, it would, among many other onerous provisions, eviscerate the federal preemption provisions of the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act (NAECA) and the Energy Policy ...

ASHRAE 90.1 book combines codes

The International Code Council and ASHRAE have teamed to publish the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and the ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, in one book. The new publication is a powerful document that the government can use to qualify for federal energy grants, and a guide for the construction industr...

Solar power deal may be largest

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) and BrightSource Energy of Oakland signed an agreement that might be the world's largest solar deal. The deal will create a string of seven solar power plants, which will generate enough electricity for 530,000 homes. California law requires the state's electrical utilities to get 20% of their power from renewable...

Obama’s plan provides energy boost

President Barack Obama has announced plans to expand and accelerate the development, deployment, and use of geothermal and solar energy throughout the United States. Taking more than $467 million from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, the funding represents a down payment that will assist the solar and geothermal industries overcome technical barriers, demonstrate new technologies, an...

News At A Glance – 2009-06-01

· In celebrating their 125th anniversary, IEEE has created the Engineering Your World contest. Combining engineering and creativity, the contest asks people to create a piece of technology that makes a personal space more livable or convenient. Each entrant will record their creation and send their video to IEEE at www.