Jim Crockett
Jim Crockett, PE, has 25 years of experience in the HVAC industry in general and 15 years specializing in energy efficiency. At Bernhard, Jim has been the senior engineer on HVAC Energy Efficiency projects around the world and has provided technical guidance in support of the engineering staff and Monitoring-Based Commissioning program. Jim holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Brigham Young University and an MBA with Finance Concentration from Southern Methodist University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in AZ, CA, FL, ID, KS, MT, NM, TX, UT, and WA and is the recipient of the 2021 AEE Region V Engineer of the Year Award. An accomplished speaker, Jim has presented at AEE World, AEE Arizona, APPA, and EMA webinars. His article on Science-Based Target has been published in Utah Construction & Design Magazine’s 2022 March/April issue.
Articles
Renewable energy certificates: The missing piece to solve the puzzle of clean electricity
There’s an inherent problem with committing to using more electricity from “clean” sources.
A Quick Rundown on ASHRAE 90.1
The first thing to keep in mind about ASHRAE 90.1 is that it is not exclusively an HVAC guideline. A joint standard by ASHRAE, the Illuminating Engineering Society and the American National Standards Institute, it is broken into 12 chapters: Purpose; scope; administration/enforcement; definitions; building envelope; HVAC; service water heating; power; lighting; other equipment (principly motors); energy cost budget method; and normative references. The purpose of the standard, according to Sachin Anand, P.E., LEED AP, a project manager and mechanical team leader for CCJM Engineers, Ltd., Chicago, is to provide minimum requirements for the energy-efficient design of buildings except low-rise residential buildings. Anand regularly conducts seminars on how to comply with the standard and recently participated in a webcast on the subject. The standard's goal, he said, is the implementation of efficient systems that minimize system losses, maximize equipment efficiencies and utilize free heating and cooling. A pair of compliance paths are acceptable: the simplified/prescriptive path and the energy cost budget method.
OSHA has a Short Fuse on Arc Flash
This year at National Manufacturing Week—in Chicago last week—one thing that stood out immediately was a commitment to addressing the subject of arc flash. In truth, it might have been the big red banner or the theme-park style video-motion ride that likely drew the attention of attendees to the show’s Arc-Flash Pavilion. Exhibitors at the pavilion were plentiful and eager to discuss their various roles in the process. According to Steve Kovach, with fuse manufacturer Cooper Bussmann, the big push for greater arc-flash awareness has to do with the tone being set by OSHA, which recently adopted NFPA 70E as the standard on the matter.