Michael Ivanovich, Editor-in-Chief

Couching lighting design issues

In my study, there is a sleeper couch tucked into a nook defined by opposing partial walls. Above the armrests of the couch, and at just the right height for reading while lying down, are antique lights that I rewired with plug-in cords and mounted onto quarter-sawn-oak plaques. (I made them in the woodshop so we didn’t have to pay an electrician to route new circuits through the wall and...

Dual VFDs versus bypasses: engineers weigh in

Dual VFDs, bypasses, and spare VFDs: a look at costs, benefits, and design considerations.

Energy savings on a silver platter

As I moderated the Energy Star for Engineers webcast last month, it occurred to me how easy it is nowadays for building owners and engineers to save energy compared to 10 or 15 years ago. I like how Jean Lupinacci, chief of the Energy Star buildings program , put it during her portion of the webcast: She said that Energy Star distills the wisdom of its partners who have experience saving energy in thousands of buildings. Energy Star has benchmarking software (Portfolio Manager) for existing buildings, design analysis software (Target Finder) for buildings still on the books or without 12 months of performance data, a seven-step program for developing and implementing energy management plans, a resource guide for engineers who validate input and perform site surveys for Energy Star label applicants, marketing materials for partners, and statistics and information to help convince owners to think about energy and budget for savings measures and proper operations.

What’s new at CSE

Self-renewal is important at individual and corporate levels. Otherwise, products and processes get stale and moribund with repetition.

For 2010, it’s the economy, energy, and the environment

In July 2009, I wrote that building performance data is golden said that, consequently, there would be a greater call for retrocommissioning and ongoing commissioning services, a greater call for dashboard software for reporting status and trends to owners and occupants, and a continued shift in consulting engineering services toward improving the performance of existing buildings. Since then, enough has happened that I’m escalating my assessment that building performance data will be platinum in 2010. The new construction market continues to muddle through economic concerns such as high unemployment and tight financing restrictions.

Get shovel-ready for the new economy

View the full story, including all images and figures, in our monthly digital edition The term “shovel-ready” became popular after the Obama administration announced that billions of dollars would be injected into the construction market to help resuscitate a dying economy. Shovel-ready projects —those that municipalities had on their books and were ready to begin after the dollars were secured—were given priority. While some economists are pointing to data indicating the national economic recession might be over, the commercial construction industry is far from feeling the impacts of recovery.

Trane converts unitary products from R-22 to R-410A ahead of schedule

Trane, a business of Ingersoll Rand, completed a global conversion effort from hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) R-22 to the non-ozone-depleting hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) refrigerant, R-410A, for its entire unitary product line in the Americas. Trane accomplished this to ensure full compliance with federal U.

Bentley announces major product releases, subscription refinements, and acquisitions/partnerships

Bentley Systems Inc. released a series of announcements at its invitation-only "Be Inspired: Infrastructure Best Practices Symposium and Awards event" in Charlotte, N.C.

A microcosm of mentoring

Don’t you love it when a plan comes together, especially when the plan is realized in hindsight? In this issue, David Peters, PE, publishes his last technical article before retiring with 54 years in the HVAC industry. His article on page 20 describes a 700,000-sq-ft underfloor air distribution (UFAD) design for a headquarters office building for the Defense Information Systems Agenc y (DISA), which is within the U.S. Dept.

The voice of schools

View the full story, including all images and figures, in our monthly digital edition A school is the voice of a community’s outlook and commitment to its future. One can determine how healthy a school is by listening to it. Are children playing and laughing on the school playground? Are there well-attended performances in its theaters and the buzz of excitement in its hallways? Are the grounds being actively used by students for learning and physical education, and being routinely maintained by buildings and grounds staff? MEP systems have voices, too—the sound of air moving through a grille, the start-up of a boiler, the alarm of a fire or security event.