More often than not, even when individuals have the spirit and
the determination to preserve and protect the environment,
they do not have the know-how. Thus the question, “What can we
do?”. It is in answer to this question that
we propose ‘ 88888 Lights Out’ on the 8th
of August, 2008 at 8 pm for 8 minutes.
An ‘eight minute’ public display of unison, when everyone will
switch off their lights for 8 minutes in support of the fight
against ‘Global Warming’. In the run up to August 8th,
we intend to build awareness on various
environmental issues caused due to human activities.
Where ever you are on August 8th, kindly join the campaign by
turning off your lights for 8 minutes at 8 pm. We request you
to pass on the message to all your colleagues, friends &
relatives and make this campaign a resounding success.
Between ISHRAE and the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI)!
A done deed!
A group photograph
A happy moment!
The signatories
Agreement Helps Facilitate Trade and Promote Better Performance. Arlington, VA - As part of a long-term partnership, the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has agreed to share its equipment and component performance standards with the Indian Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE) to facilitate the development of harmonized standards that address India's specific needs and conditions. The two organizations signed the agreement June 23 during a ceremony held in Salt Lake City. "This agreement is consistent with the spirit of the HVACR industry's goal to reduce regulatory differences and facilitate international trade while maintaining high levels of performance," said AHRI's Executive Vice President Mark Menzer. "We are pleased ISHRAE is focused on strengthening their country's HVACR performance standards and we are willing and ready to help them achieve this monumental task." According to ISHRAE's President Ashish Rakheja, India has a rapidly growing need for solid, respected HVACR equipment performance standards. "Our country has become a hub for multinational companies and we are experiencing major growth, especially in the construction of multi-million square foot buildings," he said. "The engineers responsible for these projects are bringing with them an awareness of the importance of standardization and international best practices. In addition, India is becoming a major force in the green movement led by the Indian Green Building Council and supported by a LEED rating system and the launch of the Energy Conservation Building Code last year. For these reasons, we need to strengthen our equipment performance standards, which is why we turned to AHRI for assistance in this area through this agreement." The agreement sets forth a framework that promotes a process for effectively sharing AHRI's standards. The agreement provides ISHRAE with the ability to more widely disseminate AHRI's standards among the nation's standard developers; it establishes a process to ensure ISHRAE is notified when AHRI standards are revised and updated; and it provides ISHRAE greater access to AHRI's standards developers to assist them with technical issues relating to India's specific needs and conditions. The full agreement can be viewed on www.ahrinet.org. The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) is the trade association representing manufacturers of air conditioning, heating and commercial refrigeration equipment. An internationally recognized leader in developing standards for and certifying the performance of these products, AHRI is also a major advocate for the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) industry both domestically and abroad. Visit AHRI at www.ahrinet.org, or go to www.ahridirectory.org for free information about ARI Performance Certified™ equipment.
ISHRAE Ahmedabad Through Sit and Draw Competition for Children: 01 Jun 08 A 'K-12 Initiative' of ISHRAE Kolkata Chapter and Ahmedabad chapter.
ISHRAE Kolkata In association with West Bengal Pollution Control Board, ISHRAE Kolkata chapter as part of the 'K-12 Initiative', commemorated the World Environment Day on 1st June, 2008 at Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata. The program was steered under stewardship of Mr Basab Ghosh President Kolkata Chapter by Mr Vishal Kapoor, Mr Asis Sarkar and Cdr Gaurav Pande . Simultaneously, ISHRAE Ahmedabad chapter also held a Children's Painting Event, which you can see in the photos.
ISHRAE Ahmedabad Background: We all know that we are part of the environment we live in. And the solution to many environmental problems lie in our attitude towards environment. Be it awareness to keep our surroundings clean or the realisation to conserve natural resources by re-using and recycling wherever possible, they all are attitudinal. The best way to attempt to bring about a change in the attitudes in the society is through children. They have no vested interests. They are impressionable. They are our future. They are the single most important influence in any family who can drive home the message of ISHRAE.
ISHRAE Kolkata Initiative: In association with West Bengal Pollution Control Board, ISHRAE Kolkata chapter as part of the 'K-12 Initiative', commemorated the World Environment Day on 1st June, 2008 at Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata. A gathering of 1900 children from schools of Kolkata and surrounding districts came and participated in a Sit & Draw competition from 10 AM to 11.30 AM on a warm Sunday morning. The topic of the competition was World Environment, Global Warming, Energy Conservation. The whole objective of this ISHRAE Kolkata, co-sponsored event was to inoculate among the children, the "Save Your Environment" concept.
ISHRAE Ahmedabad Execution: The ISHRAE Kolkata chapter worked on the aim to educate children about their immediate environment and impart knowledge about the eco-systems by means of pictorial sketches. The brief that K-12 team at Kolkata worked on, was to mobilise youngsters by graphical displays of banners posters and caps for instilling in them the spirit of inquiry into environmental problems and involving them in the efforts of environmental preservation. A deliberate attempt was made not to sound too preacher like in manner. Simple punch lines of 'Global warming is So uncool', 'Reduce ur carbon footprint' and 'Save Energy' was delivered to the children through powerful images / sketches splashed across banners and posters. Also a Sun cap with a small ISHRAE motif and the K-12 message, was presented to each and every child who attended the event, these caps the children happily adorned in the blazing summer heat. The environment friendly theme of ISHRAE was repeatedly conveyed to the audience by means of 10 feet X 3 feet size banners and 2 feet X 31/2 feet size standing posters strategically placed at the entrance and the prize distribution stage of the halls. Also an eco friendly jute bag with ISHRAE logo for advocacy of our organization was distributed to all the participating students. Since the whole gamut of environment covers a lot of subjects, The K-12 squad at Kolkata conscientiously narrowed down on the agenda of energy conservation, global warming and carbon footprint, because these three contents have a co-relation to the core business of HVAC.
ISHRAE Kolkata
ISHRAE Ahmedabad
ISHRAE Kolkata
ISHRAE Ahmedabad Conclusion: The pioneering K-12 initiatives at Ahmedabad Chapter and Kolkata Chapter was a grand success in terms of not only spreading the altruistic message of 'Tender steps towards a greener future'. The event got a overwhelming response from the 1900 children their accompanying parents, who despite the absence of any big commercial brand or blitzkrieg of media publicity thronged the venue and participate with gung-ho and jest out of pure passion for the social cause. The concept of advocacy of ISHRAE also got a spinoff from the event, since the platform at the venue was shared by ISHRAE with West Bengal Pollution Control Board and Paschim Banga Vigyan Manch, both these scientific-organization have a Standing to reckon-with on the issue of environmental-friendly growth in society. This agenda of 'Infrastructure growth within environmental constrains' is an activity that today crosses path of all mega size MEP projects of the HVAC industry within ISHRAE domain.
The Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating And Air-Conditioning Engineers Mumbai, Goa Sub Chapter (ISHRAE) in association with American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) western India Chapter, a society of professionals, has been conducting the expositions and seminars with the aim to disseminate technical knowledge for the advancement and betterment of the arts and sciences in the air conditioning and refrigerating industry.
We are delighted to announce that we are hosting yet another TECH-FEST. The location shall be the Park Hyatt hotel at Panjim on 4th & 5th September,2007.
The forthcoming event promises to be a mega event for the HVAC industry in the state of Goa. . Corporates like Trox GmbH, Anergy Instruments, Maico Ventilation, Manor Enterprises, Voltas, Clivet TFA, Citizen Industries, Thermaflex Insulation, Sevcon, Desiccant Rotors, Cristopia Energy Systems, ALM Engineering, Coil Company, Spectrum Industries, Grundfoss Industries, Zeco Aircon, Rolastar to name a few have already confirmed their participation .
Those interested in participating in this event should send in their payment by DD/Cash/Cheque drawn in favour of Ishrae Mumbai Chapter based on following charges,
Non-Members Rs 950/- Per Day or Rs 1800/- for two Days
ISHRAE Members Rs 600/- Per Day or Rs 1100/- for two days
We would require your confirmation along with the advance payment latest by August 22, 2007. Early bird discount 10 % shall be applicable for payment received in FULL by August 15, 2007.
Cheques can be drawn in favour of "ISHRAE Mumbai Chapter" and Sent to the following Address:
ISHRAE Mumbai Chapter
214,Turf Estate,Off Dr.E.Moses Road
Shakti Mill Lane,Mumbai
Tel : +91 22 2493 2611
Attn : Ms. Vandana / Ms.Pallavi
email: ishrae_m[AT]vsnl[DOT]net
Please visit http://ashraewic.org for details including hotel information.
ASHRAE-WIC shall host the Sixth Chapters Regional Conference (CRC-2007) of Region-At-Large which is shall be held from 2nd to 5th September 2007 at Goa, located on the picturesque western coast of India.
The CRC provides a forum for the dissemination of information pertaining to chapter and regional activities.It also provides a medium for:
1. Chapters to report their previous year's activities and establish goals for the coming year.
2. Regional officers to report their activities and plans.
3. Society officers to address the region with the Society plans, review chapter activities within the region and participate in workshops.
4. Members and chapters to submit motions to the region and society for proper review
5. Delegates and Alternates to present nominees for Society and regional officers and candidates for honors and awards in caucus and executive sessions.
6. Conducting technical sessions to educate the attendees.
7. Recognising and presenting awards to chapter and regional members.
8. Attracting attendance and building camaraderie engaging in informal activities with other members.
Caucus and Executive sessions are also held at the CRC. In the caucus, the delegates and alternates discuss nominees for the Society Nominating Committee and propose recepients for regional honours and awards. During the executive session recommendations are made for future officers of the Society.
Please visit http://ashraewic.org for details including hotel information.
    Just like a star explodes into a super-nova, we are witnessing in real-time, the birth of a new chapter. Yes, there is still part of the road to be tread, but there are all indications, apart from the chapter strength exceeding 55, that the Goa sub-Chapter is due to become a full-fledged Chapter in the near future. The installation ceremony at INSTALLEX 2007 held at Cicade-de-Goa on 5th May 2007 of the Sub-Chapter Working Committee bears witness to their meteoric rise. The installition ceremony was complemented by the holding of a small exhibition comprising of 5 stalls populated by ALM, Grunfoss, Neutech Ducting Solutions, Danfoss, and ISHRAE. The inauguration of the exhibition was done by a bevy of well-known personas, including Pankaj Dharkar, President of ISHRAe, Vikram Murthy, President of the Mumbai Chapter, Milind Sardesai, Past President of the ISHRAE Goa Sub-Chapter, Nitin Naik, President of the Goa Sub-Chapter and last but not least, Adarsh Kaul, Patron member, Goa Sub-Chapter (ISHRAE Mumbai CWC). This was followed by a technical lecture from Jagdeep Singh of DRI, manufacturers of Dessicant Rotors. Pankaj Dharkar - Society President delivered the Key Note Address on Sustainability. Siddarth was sworn in as the President of the sub-chapter for the society year 2007-2008. RK Das was sworn in as Secretary and Suraj as the Treasurer. Other CWC Members taking oath of office were : Nitin Nayak, YS Rao, Milind Sardedsai, Noel C, Rajeev Indurkar, Ashok Joshi and Shane D'Cruz. Siddarth addressed the gathering and outlined his plans for the year ahead. The Goa Sub-Chapter has grown in strength, from a membership strength of 17, to 55 Members today. The Sub-Chapter plans to add on a Student Chapter very soon.
 ACREX 2008 was launched with much fanfare today on 15th December 2006, at Le Meredian, Mumbai, after a very successful launch in Delhi around 15 days back. ACREX is the International Exposition held by ISHRAE, currently every two years in the major cities of Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. ACREX 2008 is being jointly held by the ISHRAE chapters of Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad. ACREX 2008 is slated to be held on 15th to 17th February 2008 at Bangalore. The exposition is expected to be the largest so far, with an expected attendance of 30,000 visitors. Stalls are being booked fast. The exposition has eleven sponsors, with Caryaire being the Platinum sponsor. Simultaneous half-day twin parallel seminars shall also be held, with the best-of-class speakers from around the world. For futher information, please visit: http://acrex.org.in
ATLANTA - ASHRAE has been recognized by the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council for the Society's educational efforts related to sustainability. Last week, ASHRAE received a Best Sustainable Practice Award in the Educational Initiatives category, which recognizes the best products, processes, educational tools and outreach initiatives. The award centered on the presidential challenge made by Terry Townsend of ASHRAE's promise for a sustainable future. To fulfill that challenge, ASHRAE is using its expertise and tools to provide cost-effective solutions in designing, operating and maintaining energy efficiency and sustainable buildings. "The sustainability initiative is stimulating conversation inside ASHRAE about what it means to be sustainable and the importance of protecting today's natural resources for future generations," Townsend said. "We are pleased to be recognized by the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) for our efforts." The Awards program was established in 2001. "The Best Sustainable Practice category recognizes the excellent innovations and unique contributions SBIC members are making toward building a sustainable future in America," Douglas K. Schroeder, associate director of SBIC, said. "This year's competition was exceptionally competitive, but for the second consecutive year, the SBIC jury recognized the valuable contributions ASHRAE is making to the buildings industry." Realizing that sustainability cannot be accomplished without measurable goals, ASHRAE has put in place some 35 specific challenges, ranging from a proposed water conservation standard, development of building performance metrics, research and design guidance resulting in net zero energy use buildings and greening of ASHRAE meetings. To generate excitement and increase member awareness, ASHRAE created a three-part DVD, featuring a video of Townsend fishing with his grandchildren illustrating the importance of sustainability, Townsend's recorded presidential speech, and a short video highlighting why ASHRAE is taking on this challenge. The DVD is part of a total communications package from ASHRAE to inspire members and the industry about the challenges and opportunities related to sustainability. Other aspects include a promotional slide chart explaining the benefits of sustainable design measures, a Website, www.engineeringforsustainability.org, featuring sustainability guidance from ASHRAE; creation of a page on ASHRAE.org, www.ashrae.org/building, focusing on ASHRAE's planned renovation of its Headquarters building as sustainable; and use of ASHRAE publications and other outreach vehicles to spread the word about the Society's work. The award is the second for ASHRAE from SBIC. Last year, the Advanced Energy Design Guide for Small Office Buildings published by ASHRAE and the ASHRAE Journal supplement, "Building for the Future," were recognized with honorable mention in the educational initiatives category. ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of 55,000 persons. ASHRAE fulfills its mission of advancing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education.
Date: 21st to 25th Nov. 2006 Time: 0930 to 1730 hours Venue: Tropical AC & R Institute, Arch No 11, Mahalaxmi, Jacob Circle PO, Mumbai 400011, Tel 23003579/9453/1969 Maximum participants: 30 Course fees: Rs. 4,000/head. Course fee includes tea, snacks, lunch and course material. Cheque to be drawn in favour of "Ishrae Mumbai Chapter" and couriered/ handed over to: Ishrae Mumbai Chapter 214 Turf Estate Off Dr. E Moses Road Near Mahalakshmi Station Mumbai 400 011 Phone 24932611 Telefax 24933701 e-mail ishrae_m@vsnl.net Discount to ISHRAE and ASHRAE members: 20% Cancellation charge:Rs. 500/- till 14th November 2006, thereafter no refund. APPLY WITH:Name: Sponsor (Company) name: Contact telephone numbers: Mobile number: Fax number: email ID: Course Contents:Overview of HVAC -Various Basic Psychrometrics - Rajeev Kakkar The
psychrometric chart * concept of dry bulb, wet bulb temperatures *
absolute humidity and relative humidity * Enthalpy * Sensible heat
factor * psychrometric processes * Examples. Practical Heat Load Calculation - Rajeev Kakkar Simple
Heat Load Calculation Procedure * Temperature Design Conditions &
Weather Data * Thermal Properties of Materials and Dead Air spaces *
Heat Transfer Through Roofs,Walls & Floor * Zoning * Overhangs *
Infiltration * Fresh Air & Treated Fresh Air * Heat Load from
Windows *Internal Loads * Examples. Ducting and Duct Layout - Vikram Murthy Planning
a single Line Duct Layout * Ducting & Duct layout Design Criteria *
Equal Friction * Equal Friction Method * Ductulator * Plenum Design *
Return Air Considerations * GSS Ducting Standards & Methods
ofConstruction * Types of ducts * Measurement * Duct Accessories *
Examples. Air Distribution for Constant AirVolume Systems - V Krishnan Human
Comfort * Noise Criteria * Types of Air Outlets * Performance
Characteristics * dampers * Installation * Ordering Grilles and
Diffusers * Examples. About the faculty: Rajeev Kakkar
is a B.Tech., Mechanical engineering, from I.I.T. Kharagpur, and has
worked in Voltas, Batliboi and Carrier Aircon and is now an eminent
HVAC consultant. He is the webmaster for hvacindia.com. and is in the
Technical Advisor for the ISHRAE hourly load calculation project, HLCP. Vikram
Murthy is a B.Tech., Electrical engineering, from IIT Kanpur and has
Worked in Voltas, Utility and Genpower. He is now the Director, Univac
Systems and Trustee, Tropical AC&R Institute. He is the President
Elect, ISHRAE Mumbai Chapter. V Krishnan is a B.Tech.,
Electrical Engineering, BHU and has worked in Voltas and is a Director
of Dynacraft for the past 14 years. He was President, Ishrae Mumbai
Chapter and is currently President, Ashrae Western India Chapter.
Nominations are now open for the 2nd "Bry-Air Awards for Excellence in HVAC&R" for the year 2006. Please note that you can send more than one nomination. As you would be aware, Bry-air has instituted the "Awards for Excellence in HVAC&R" to encourage, motivate and award excellence in innovative thinking, that enhances India's competitiveness in the HVAC&R industry worldwide. The deadline for receiving the nominations is now 31st October 2006.Please log on to http://www.bryairawards.com or email sdutta[AT]pahwa[DOT]com for further details, or download the Nomination Forms for Product Design and System Design. (pdf) The Bry-Air awards are presented annually to individual or a corporate that have made an outstanding contribution in the following two (2) categories: New/Innovative Systems Design New/Innovative Product Design There are two awards in each category: 1. Most outstanding and innovative systems and product design. In each category, the winner will take away the Trophy and a cheque of Rs. 1,00,000.00 2. Next best innovative systems and product design. In each category, the Runner-up will take away a Trophy and a cheque of Rs. 50,000.00
Eid Mubarak!
hvacindia.com and members of the CWC ISHRAE Mumbai Chapter wish all visitors a very happy and prosperous year ahead!!!!
hvacindia.com and members of the CWC ISHRAE Mumbai Chapter wish all visitors a very happy and prosperous Diwali!!
Conducted by ISHRAE EDUCATION & RESEARCH FOUNDATION.
On the repeated demand of HVAC&R Practicing Engineers from India and neighboring countries and members of ISHRAE & ASHRAE, IERF announces a Distance Learning Programme in the field of Air Conditioning & Refrigeration.
We have developed two modules in Distance Learning Programme:
Module 1: Certificate Course in AC & R.
Module 2: Advance Diploma Course in AC & R.
Module 1: Certificate Course
Eligibility: Qualification no bar. Any educated person having more than 3 to 4 years working experience in HVAC&R industry can apply. (Fresher are not eligible).
Duration: 6 Months.
Procedure: IERF will dispatch 2 Subject Modules every month along with Question Papers. Which candidate has to solve and dispatch it to us every month. After receiving the answer sheet of 1st module, the 2nd module will be dispatched (Total 12 – 13 modules will be dispatched.) The candidates who successfully complete all the modules will be provided with a Certificate.
Evaluation: Each candidate have to obtained about 50 % marks.
Full term one time Fee:
INR 12000.00 (Lumpsum inclusive of postage)
$ 300.00 for foreign student one time.
In Installments:
INR 5000.00 at the time of admission.
INR 2000.00 per month next 4 months.
Module 2: Six Month Advance Diploma Course in Air conditioning & Refrigeration.
This Diploma Course is meant for qualified working professionals in HVAC&R industry.
Eligibility: Degree/Diploma holder engineers in any discipline having minimum 2-3 years working experience in a reputed HVAC&R company/industry can apply.
Full term fee:
INR 18,500.00 (Lumpsum inclusive of postage).
$ 450.00 for foreign student one time.
In Installments:
INR 5,000.00 at the time of admission.
INR 3,000.00 per month, next 5 months.
(Note: There will be provision for 22-24 weekend classes for Delhi & NCR students. Those students willing to join these classes will pay 5000.00 extra at the time of admission).
Examination: The Terminal Test Papers will be sent to students for Practice. The final exams will be conducted in Delhi along with Diploma holder regular students. The candidates who will successfully pass the exam will be awarded the Diploma.
The interested candidate may send their application form along with photocopies of certificates, stating their qualifications and experience along with DD/Banker’s cheque in the favour of ‘ISHRAE Education & Research Foundation’ payable at Delhi for the confirmation of their admission.
The Session will start from 3rd / 4th week of October, 2006 and Diploma exams will be conducted during the month of March 2007.
Application Form for Distance Learning can be received from our office on the payment of Rs. 100.00 by pay order / Bankers cheque issued in the favour of ISHRAE Education & Research Foundation payable at Delhi. Local candidate can get it by cash payment.
For Application Form and details please contact at the following address,
Or download this document and the Application form.
Distance Learning- Application Form.doc (397.5 KB)
Mr V.K.Seth
Coordinator
ISHRAE Education & Research Foundation (IERF)
A-132, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi-110016
Tel. No.-011-26602642
E-mail: ierf05@bol.net.in ; ierf05@ierfeducation.org; ierf05@sify.com;
Web : http://www.hvacindia.com; http://www.dcishrae.org
Nominations are now open for the 2nd "Bry-Air Awards for Excellence in HVAC&R" for the year 2006. Please note that you can send more than one nomination. As you would be aware, Bry-air has instituted the "Awards for Excellence in HVAC&R" to encourage, motivate and award excellence in innovative thinking, that enhances India's competitiveness in the HVAC&R industry worldwide. The deadline for receiving the nominations is 30th September 2006. Please log on to http://www.bryairawards.com or email sdutta[AT]pahwa[DOT]com for further details, or download the Nomination Forms for Product Design and System Design. (pdf) The Bry-Air awards are presented annually to individual or a corporate that have made an outstanding contribution in the following two (2) categories: New/Innovative Systems Design New/Innovative Product Design There are two awards in each category: 1. Most outstanding and innovative systems and product design. In each category, the winner will take away the Trophy and a cheque of Rs. 1,00,000.00 2. Next best innovative systems and product design. In each category, the Runner-up will take away a Trophy and a cheque of Rs. 50,000.00
The earlier forums on hvacindia, i.e, " Ask A Question" and" Buy, Sell, Collaborate" were being heavily spammed by internet bots, and it had become virtually impossible to manually delete the comment spam. We have commissioned new forums which use CAPTCHA, (an acronym for " completely automated public Turing test to tell computers and humans apart"). CAPTCHA requires that the user type the letters of a distorted image, sometimes with the addition of an obscured sequence of letters or digits that appears on the screen. That way, internet bots (hopefully) will be unable to post comment spam. While we would have preferred to transfer all relevant postings from the old forums to the new forums, it's a task which really does not justify itself, and therefore have commissioned the forums afresh. The new forums have many new features which were not available in the old one, and we do hope that you have an enjoyable experience. Do let us know if you desire any new forums to be created or for that matter, whether we should create sub-forums within these forums for ease of use. Suggestions and any listing of sub-forum suggestions would be useful. We apologise for the inconvenience caused to the forum users, on account of this barrage of comment spam.
For V. K. Seth, Coordinator of IERF (ISHRAE Education & Research Foundation), the Indian HVAC&R market "is vibrant". Nevertheless, the Industry needs to develop better R&D in their manufacturing and introduce innovative products. V. K. Seth is one of the members who founded in 2001 IERF, a body of ISHRAE (Indian Society of Heating, Refrigeration & Air conditioning Engineers). He talked with Refrige.com about the Indian HVAC&R market, the Association, its main activities and plans for the future. Read more here.
Once the narrow province of hippies in beads and Birkenstocks, the green-building world has in the last five years blossomed and taken on a professional sheen. That's thanks in large part to the U.S. Green Building Council and its flagship program for rating commercial buildings' environmental performance -- LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
"Green building" was once all in the eye of the claimant, but LEED changed that, creating a national standard for green buildings where none existed before, meeting pent-up demand for reliable information with a rigorous rating system and a checklist for going green. The USGBC has been enormously successful at publicizing the need for, and benefits of, greener buildings. Interest in green building is exploding, with some municipalities, states, and corporations adopting LEED as a standard. Thanks to the USGBC and LEED, we now have momentum, media attention, motivated clients, and a broad understanding of green building.
In The Same Vein
Also check out Constructive Criticism, by Ted Smalley Bowen. LEED's leaders respond to critics and talk about what's next for the program.
LEED is a design process that should, in theory, produce buildings that conserve resources, reduce operating costs and pollution, help address global warming, improve marketability and durability, preserve the ozone layer, protect occupant health, and improve worker productivity. When the program was launched, the hope was that it would transform the design and construction of commercial buildings.
But LEED's early bloom is fading. Green building has a robust future, but this certification system may not. LEED is broken.
The program's results thus far have been sorely disappointing. Since 2000, LEED has certified only 285 buildings. By contrast, over the same time period, the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America program helped builders design and erect more than 20,000 new homes, with a minimum 30 percent reduction in energy use for heating, cooling, and hot water at no net cost.
We're concerned that LEED has become expensive, slow, confusing, and unwieldy, a death march for applicants administered by a soviet-style bureaucracy that makes green building more difficult than it needs to be. The result:
mediocre "green" buildings where certification, not environmental responsibility, is the primary goal;
a few super-high-level eco-structures built by ultra-motivated (and wealthy) owners that stand like the Taj Mahal as beacons of impossibility;
an explosion of LEED-accredited architects and engineers chasing lots of money but designing few buildings; and discouraged cadre of professionals who want to build green, but can't afford to certify their buildings.
Show Me the Money
An avalanche of reports insist that green building -- and LEED certification in particular -- doesn't cost more than conventional building. These reports are wrong. The second you start a green-building project, it costs more than conventional construction. In the real world, LEED certification typically adds 1 to 5 percent to the budget. The myth that going green costs nothing is damaging to clients who discover the reality deep into the process. Instead of using fuzzy math to show that green building doesn't add costs, let's acknowledge that these buildings cost more and are worth it.
The danger is that LEED certification will cannibalize funds that otherwise could be used to improve a building. Developers face a choice: pursue LEED -- or purchase a photovoltaic system, daylighting, or efficiency upgrades.
Chris Field, director of the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology, which recently built a new facility on the campus of Stanford University, said, "We decided we would rather take money required for LEED certification and spend it on other sustainability features. ... [I]nvesting in LEED certification would have meant that we wouldn't have been able to invest in heat-rejecting windows."
Milwaukee's new Urban Ecology Center is one of the greenest buildings in the upper Midwest. Certified? No, "because it could have added as much as $75,000 to the cost, just for the paperwork," said Ken Leinbach, the center's executive director.
In LEED, you need 26 of 69 possible points to get certified, and all points are weighted equally, even though some have far greater environmental benefits than others.
Point-mongering is what happens when a design team becomes obsessively focused on getting credits, regardless of whether they add environmental value. And "LEED brain" is a term for what happens when the potential PR benefits of certification begin driving the design process. Unfortunately, if you know how to scam LEED points, you can get the PR benefits without doing much at all (other than mountains of paperwork) to make a project green.
A perfect example of LEED brain comes from Boulder, Colo., where a recreation center received one point for installing an electric-vehicle recharging station. Only problem: there are about six electric vehicles in Boulder that could be charged at that site, and the charging station gets used less than once a year.
Said a respondent to a 2004 survey on LEED conducted by the Green Building Alliance, "In a recent building, we received one point for spending an extra $1.3 million for a heat-recovery system that will save about $500,000 in energy costs per year. We also got one point for installing a $395 bicycle rack." While this is an extreme case, it points to a real problem: Why install new HVAC equipment for a few extra points when you could get the same points by changing the color of your shingles at no cost?
One solution would be to make more critical credits mandatory. That way, credit-mongering would be played with the cheap cards like low-VOC paints or sealants, not the face cards like energy and water conservation and sustainably harvested wood.
Yes, I Have My Credits, Sir!
LEED credit reviews feel like Navy SEAL boot camp, where the goal is to fail as many applicants as possible. The reviews are humorless, severe, even confrontational. Green building is hard, and the USGBC should be aiding and abetting green projects, not crushing them with a faceless technocracy.
"The review process is heavy-handed," noted another respondent to the Green Building Alliance survey. "It's as if the review contractors are trying to impress the USGBC with their thoroughness and nitpicking. ... Review comments are brief and impersonal, without the slightest hint of support."
The review process needs to be dramatically streamlined, and injected with a serious dose of humility and humanity. USGBC consulting engineers are well-trained and should be given more discretion and some latitude for subjective decision making. Does an application meet the spirit of the credit? If so, allocate the point.
For example, LEED awards one point for providing employees in non-perimeter areas the ability to control temperature, air flow, and lighting. We did one better while working on the Snowmass Golf Clubhouse in Aspen, designing it so that there were no non-perimeter workspaces, thus providing every employee with access to views, daylight, and fresh air. But by eliminating non-perimeter workspaces, we didn't get extra credit; we lost our shot at the credit entirely.
What Now?
The idea behind LEED is laudable. The execution, so far, has been disappointing. In the final analysis, the world needs green buildings a lot more than green buildings need LEED certification. If LEED continues to cost too much in dollars, time, and effort, we are not going to stop building green projects, we'll just stop certifying them.
We need green building to triumph, to take over our culture like computers did. We need LEED -- or something like it -- to accelerate that transition. Let's roll up our sleeves, get to work, and reinvent LEED -- for our future, for our children, and for our planet.
By Auden Schendler and Randy Udall, 26 Oct 2005
This piece is excerpted from the essay "LEED Is Broken; Let's Fix It." The full essay can be found here.
http://www.grist.org/comments/soapbox/2005/10/26/leed/index1.html
Sustainability and Technical Systems in Buildings Case study: CII: Green Business Centre, Hyderabad, India Rajesh Gupte June 2005. Note: This article is meant for project managers, architects. Some Technical terms are therefore simplified for better understanding. Efforts have been made to make it interesting for HVAC Engineers as well. This article provides a brief overview about the Techno-commercial aspects of use of Wind towers in Green Business Centre, Hyderabad, India and a possible application of similar Technology for Modern Residential / commercial Buildings in Indian sub-continent 0.1 Brief Facts: • Green Business Centre, Hyderabad is recognized as a World’s Greenest Building and has a Platinum rating (version II) from LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental design, USGBC) • Wind towers at GBC fall under of Energy and Atmosphere saving / conservation systems of LEED rating. LEED rating system awards 27% importance to Energy and atmosphere. • Two Wind towers are a part of Air conditioning system of a 300 seat Auditorium at GBC (Green Business Centre, Hyderabad) • It is unique mix of ancient Indian Air cooling methods and Modern Air conditioning Technology. • This is an excellent use of Zero-energy Technique (or passive cooling) for Lowering the Fresh air temperature in Air conditioning system 0.2 Thermal comfort: Right click and save the pdf file from: here
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