ENERGY PERFORMANCE OF CAMPUS LEED® BUILDINGS: IMPLICATIONS FOR GREEN BUILDING AND ENERGY POLICY

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 137-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Chen ◽  
Lauren Kleinman ◽  
Aparna Dial
Keyword(s):  
Green Building ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
University Campuses ◽  
Leed Certification ◽  
Leed Buildings ◽  
High Level

Many university campuses in the United States are working toward their sustainable goals by adopting energy or green building policies, which require Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification for new construction and major renovation projects. Because LEED certification heavily relies on whole building energy simulation to demonstrate building energy performance improvement, it is often assumed that the finished buildings will achieve the predicted level of energy efficiency. This paper presents a study that compares the energy model predictions with actual energy performance of three LEED buildings on a university campus. The study shows that one of the campus LEED buildings consumed twice the predicted energy usage while causing a high level of occupant dissatisfaction. Further investigation reveals a variety of contributing factors for these issues and provides insights to improve green building policy and practice. Not only are the research findings important for this particular campus (Ohio State University) on its way to sustainability, they also have widespread ramifications for other university campuses.

scholarly journals Building Design Strategies and Their Contribution to Energy Performance for LEED Certification

2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 67-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Kay Werthan ◽  
Mojtaba Navvab
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Computer Simulation Study ◽  
Leed Certification ◽  
Difficult Challenge

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a national set of standards put forth by the U. S. Green Building Council in 1994 that was intended to inspire building designers to plan greener, more sustainable buildings. LEED offers up to ten points for improved energy optimization performance. It should be noted that achieving these ten points is time consuming, complex, and expensive. This research is a case study that details the process of using a computer simulation study as a building energy optimizing tool in order to achieve these optional points. Determination is made as to how many LEED points can be obtained when basic strategies such as window performance and day-lighting are integrated into one energy optimized building design. The results show that well-established energy conservation methods achieve as few as two or three LEED energy points, thereby possibly offering a disincentive for designers to attempt this difficult challenge. These fundamental efforts to achieve energy optimized building design are the first steps toward high performance building design and offer a fundamental solution to the substantial, negative environmental impacts caused by buildings today.

scholarly journals Improving the Link Between the LEED Green Building Label and a Building's Energy-Related Environmental Metrics

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Christopher Wedding ◽  
Douglas Crawford-Brown
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Probabilistic Models ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Market Change ◽  
Leed Certification ◽  
Certification Programs ◽  
The Us ◽  
Leed Buildings

The US Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating program has grown from a little known tool for market change to a label and brand relied upon by many of the largest players in real estate. It now serves as an indicator of sustainability and an instrument for environmental management. While LEED-certified buildings tend to offer greater environmental benefits than their conventional counterparts, research and experience shows that the variation in and magnitude of these benefits varies, even among buildings of the same LEED certification level. In light of growing concerns about “greenwashing” and the liability associated with questionable environmental declarations, it is important to ensure that users of LEED and similar certification programs receive a set of benefits comparable to those expected. With a focus on energy-related issues, this research (1) highlights evidence of the inconsistency between the expected and actual benefits of LEED buildings, (2) suggests revisions to LEED's Energy & Atmosphere (EA) section to reduce the variation and magnitude in the energy-related environmental impacts from LEED buildings, (3) quantifies this reduction in variation and magnitude of impacts using Monte Carlo analyses and probabilistic models created specifically for this research, (4) compares carbon dioxide emissions from LEED buildings to the Architecture 2030 Challenge goals and (5) quantifies the importance of scoring LEED buildings on a per capita normalized basis. This research is a follow-up piece to the authors' previous work published in the Journal of Green Building (Wedding and Crawford-Brown 2007).

scholarly journals A Critical Review of Sustainable Energy Policies for the Promotion of Renewable Energy Sources

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 5078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuehong Lu ◽  
Zafar A. Khan ◽  
Manuel S. Alvarez-Alvarado ◽  
Yang Zhang ◽  
Zhijia Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Policy ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Sustainable Energy ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Energy Policies

Meeting the rising energy demand and limiting its environmental impact are the two intertwined issues faced in the 21st century. Governments in different countries have been engaged in developing regulations and related policies to encourage environment friendly renewable energy generation along with conservation strategies and technological innovations. It is important to develop sustainable energy policies and provide relevant and suitable policy recommendations for end-users. This study presents a review on sustainable energy policy for promotion of renewable energy by introducing the development history of energy policy in five countries, i.e., the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark and China. A survey of the articles aimed at promoting the development of sustainable energy policies and their modelling is carried out. It is observed that energy-efficiency standard is one of the most popular strategy for building energy saving, which is dynamic and renewed based on the current available technologies. Feed-in-tariff has been widely applied to encourage the application of renewable energy, which is demonstrated successfully in different countries. Building energy performance certification schemes should be enhanced in terms of reliable database system and information transparency to pave the way for future net-zero energy building and smart cities.

Simulated and Actual Energy Use of a Green Building: A Case Study on the Magic School of Green Technology

2013 ◽  
Vol 368-370 ◽  
pp. 1174-1178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tzu Ching Su ◽  
Yu Chung Wang ◽  
Hsien Te Lin
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Green Technology ◽  
Zero Carbon

This is a case study on the Magic school of Green Technology (MSGT), the first zero-carbon building in Taiwan. This study simulated the energy performance of the MSGT by using eQUEST, a tool for simulating building energy, before the construction was complete. This study compared the simulated energy use with the actual energy use of the MSGT in 2011, and determined that the actual energy use was lower than the simulated energy use. Based on this comparison, the study proved that the MSGT consumed 65% less energy than do similarly sized buildings with the same functions.

scholarly journals Architect Familiarity and Perceptions Surrounding Sustainable Design, LEED, and Engineered Wood Products in Arkansas

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 16-31
Author(s):  
Matthew Pelkki ◽  
Gabrielle Sherman ◽  
Tamara Walkingstick ◽  
Kenneth Wallen
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Design ◽  
Construction Material ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Leed Certification ◽  
Engineered Wood Products ◽  
Engineered Wood

The sustainable building design movement has gained momentum within the United States in recent years. This has led to a proliferation of green building certification programs like Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the development of engineered wood products (EWP) like cross laminated timber (CLT). Often, architects serve as the conduit between green building construction material and their use in construction. There is need to investigate the perceptions and practices of architects on the topic of green building certification and EWPs. In partnership with the American Institute of Architects (AIA), this study surveyed registered architects practicing in Arkansas to a) examine interest in and application of LEED certification and b) beliefs related to sustainability, affordability, and availability of EWPs. Results suggest a majority of architects surveyed have interest in the LEED program and have previously earned LEED-certification for a building design. Respondents rated the importance of improving human health and well-being as especially high but appear to doubt the ability of EWP to contribute to sustainable design. Analysis revealed that CLT use is significantly lower than that of more typical EWPs such as plywood panels and glue laminated timber. Architects also indicated that the affordability and availability of modern EWP represent significant barriers to their utilization within the state. To increase the rate of sustainable development, it will be necessary to highlight benefits to human and environmental health and generate interest amongst architectural clientele.

A Performance Comprehension of Various Numerical Estimators for Variance-Based Sensitivity Analysis in Building Energy Simulations

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasool Koosha ◽  
Fatemeh Shahsavari
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Computational Cost ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Test Case ◽  
Sensitivity Index ◽  
Energy Simulations ◽  
High Level

Abstract In the building energy performance simulation, the uncertainty analysis (UA) couples to the sensitivity analysis (SA) to handle ever-existing uncertainties; induced by the sources of uncertainty including random occupants behavior and degradation of building materials over time. As a building simulation tool reaches to a high level of complexity, it becomes more challenging for the sensitivity analysis to deliver reliable outputs; thus the accuracy of the SA results substantially depends upon the number of sample sets or the type of analysis performed. This paper describes a variance-based SA tool integrated into a building Resistance-Capacitance (RC) thermal model. Then, for a hypothetical residential building test case, three distinct first-order sensitivity index simulators and three total sensitivity index simulators are implemented and compared in terms of the dependency of results on the sample size, i.e., the demand for the computational cost.

scholarly journals Enhancing Green Building Rating of a School under the Hot Climate of UAE; Renewable Energy Application and System Integration

Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joud Al Dakheel ◽  
Kheira Tabet Aoul ◽  
Ahmed Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
System Integration ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
The Government ◽  
High Level

Similar to many fast growing countries, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) witnessed fast population and urbanization growth. The building sector accounts for a major share of its electricity consumption, reaching up to 70%. To encourage sustainable development and reduce energy consumption and emissions, the government introduced a sustainability initiative called “Estidama”, which employs the use of the Pearl Building Rating System (PBRS). Government buildings, which constitute 20% of the built environment, aim to lead the way, and are therefore required to attain a high level of achievement, based on their PBRS ranking (minimum of two out of five pearls). Schools, led by Abu Dhabi Educational Council (ADEC), are governmental buildings and aim to attain a higher level of achievement (three out of five pearls). The ADEC plans to build one hundred schools to be built by 2020, through its Future Schools Program. Over half of the schools have been completed, but only 20% reached the targeted rating (of three out of five pearls). The Renewable Energy (RE) application in the UAE is minimal, although it represents 25% of the local rating code. The objective of this paper is to explore the sustainable performance of one representative school that did not reach the desired green rating level, with the objective to assess opportunities for an enhanced performance. This is done through testing the performance and the application of three RE systems comprising of photovoltaics (PV) array, an absorption cooling system and a geothermal cooling system through Transient Systems Simulation (TRNSYS) software. Cumulatively, implementation of these options results in RE potentially contributing to 19% of the school’s annual energy consumption, enhancing the school’s performance by up to 14 additional credit points, and reaching the target level of achievement (a three pearl rating). Furthermore, system integration of RE into the existing school were also considered. Results indicate the significant potential of integrating RE systems in future schools in hot climatic contexts, for an improved energy performance.

Aqueous Alteration of Nuclear Waste Glasses and Metal Package Components

MRS Bulletin ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 32-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
George G. Wicks ◽  
Alexander R. Lodding ◽  
Martin A. Molecke
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
The United States ◽  
Waste Glass ◽  
World War ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Liquid Form ◽  
Isolation System ◽  
The Public ◽  
Technical Performance ◽  
High Level

The United States is at an important crossroads in its management of high-level radioactive waste (HLW). It is presently in the process of changing over from a strategy that was developed during World War II, which involves storing HLW in a relatively mobile liquid form, to a strategy of the 1990s, which involves removing and isolating potentially harmful radionuclides and immobilizing them into solid and inert forms, more specifically, borosilicate glass. The resulting waste glass products will then be permanently disposed of by deep burial, within stable geologic formations, where they become one element of a multibarrier waste-isolation system. This barrier system is designed to retain radionuclides so they can be permanently isolated from the public and from the accessible environment. Important contributing factors to the success of this strategy include the excellent stability and technical performance of waste glass forms and the ability of the glass, as well as waste package materials, to retain radionuclides even when exposed to potential leachants within a repository environment.

The Social Determinants of Health, COVID-19, and Structural Competence

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Robichaux ◽  
Jeanie Sauerland
Keyword(s):  
Social Determinants Of Health ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
The United States ◽  
Determinants Of Health ◽  
Nursing Profession ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Civil Unrest ◽  
The Social

The coronavirus pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations. As a result, the confluence of this pandemic, massive unemployment, and civil unrest has refocused attention on social determinants of health (SDOH), including racism, in the United States as a whole and specifically in healthcare. This article will discuss COVID-19 and the social determinants of health in the context of the historical focus and future directions of the nursing profession to consider these contributing factors, social justice in society, and the ethical mandate for nurses to address these issues. The authors provide recommendations to support the development of structural competence to address racism and inclusion of the SDOH information in education, policy, and practice. Suggestions for research to inform and prevent the inequities manifested in the current pandemic, and in the future, are included.

scholarly journals Susceptibility of Meningococcal Strains Responsible for Two Serogroup B Outbreaks on U.S. University Campuses to Serum Bactericidal Activity Elicited by the MenB-4C Vaccine

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 1227-1234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raffaella Rossi ◽  
Peter T. Beernink ◽  
Serena Giuntini ◽  
Dan M. Granoff
Keyword(s):  
Bactericidal Activity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Factor H ◽  
Vaccine Antigen ◽  
Sequence Variant ◽  
Heparin Binding ◽  
University Campuses ◽  
Vaccine Antigens ◽  
High Level ◽  
The University

ABSTRACTIn 2013 and 2014, two U.S. universities had meningococcal serogroup B outbreaks (a total of 14 cases) caused by strains from two different clonal complexes. To control the outbreaks, students were immunized with a serogroup B meningococcal vaccine (Novartis) that was not yet licensed in the United States. The vaccine (referred to as MenB-4C) contains four components capable of eliciting bactericidal activity. Both outbreak strains had high expression levels of two of the vaccine antigens (subfamily B factor H binding protein [FHbp] and neisserial heparin binding antigen [NHba]); the university B outbreak strain also had moderate expression of a third antigen, NadA. We investigated the bactericidal activity of sera from mice immunized with FHbp, NHba, or NadA and sera from MenB-4C-immunized infant macaques and an adult human. The postimmunization bactericidal activity of the macaque or human serum against isolates from university B with FHbp identification (ID) 1 that exactly matched the vaccine FHbp sequence variant was 8- to 21-fold higher than that against isolates from university A with FHbp ID 276 (96% identity to the vaccine antigen). Based on the bactericidal activity of mouse antisera to FHbp, NadA, or NHba and macaque or human postimmunization serum that had been depleted of anti-FHbp antibody, the bactericidal activity against both outbreak strains largely or entirely resulted from antibodies to FHbp. Thus, despite the high level of strain expression of FHbp from a subfamily that matched the vaccine antigen, there can be large differences in anti-FHbp bactericidal activity induced by MenB-4C vaccination. Further, strains with moderate to high NadA and/or NHba expression can be resistant to anti-NadA or anti-NHba bactericidal activity elicited by MenB-4C vaccination.

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