Energy Savings: What Are We Really Saving?
Chris Leary, KlingStubbins
Phil Cunnigham, KlingStubbins
When a project team predicts that an innovative laboratory design is 25 percent more energy efficient, what are they really predicting? What is being measured, to what is the design being compared, and most importantly how does that methodology support recommendations and guide decisions in a sustainable design process?
Increasing awareness in sustainable laboratory design, and energy conservation in particular, have greatly increased the use of energy modeling by project design teams to predict building performance and to make informed choices. Initiatives such as the LEED® Green Building Rating System have also increased appreciation for quantifiable building performance metrics. Simultaneously, initiatives such as Architecture 2030 have increased awareness of the environmental impact of buildings.
This presentation will explore different methodologies for considering environmental performance and will illustrate, with real case studies, how project teams reach different conclusions based on specific environmental goals influenced by an informed understanding of the evaluation methodologies and results.
The goal of the presentation is to explore whether project teams would reach different conclusions with a better understanding of the methodologies and results of predictive energy models. For example, is the project goal to reduce energy cost or carbon footprint? When evaluating savings options, are the potential savings reported in reduced energy costs, reduced energy units, or reduced emissions? What role does the energy or fuel source have on the analysis? Do reduced energy costs always result in reduced emissions, or is it actually possible that a solution that reduces energy cost actually increases emissions?
The good news is that project teams are using sophisticated predictive energy models to guide design decisions. However, these sophisticated tools require equally sophisticated analysis to truly understand the results and to make informed choices to achieve a project's sustainable design goals.
Biographies:
Chris Leary, AIA, LEED AP, is a registered architect and principal who has served as a project director and project architect on many of KlingStubbins' large-scale projects, including the LEED for New Construction 2.1 Silver Certified MITRE Center, the LEED for Core & Shell 1.0 Certified 670 Albany Street, the LEED registered AstraZeneca R&D Boston Expansion, and the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mr. Leary's particular passion is in the area of building performance and sustainable design, and he frequently presents and writes about the subject. In addition, he is a leader in KlingStubbins Sustainable Design Group. Mr. Leary joined KlingStubbins in 1992, after earning a Bachelor's degree in architecture from Syracuse University.
Phillip Cunningham, EIT, LEED AP, joined KlingStubbins in 2006 after earning Bachelor's degrees in both architectural engineering and civil engineering from Drexel University. He has contributed to many of the firm's large commercial and laboratory projects in the areas of mechanical system design, LEED certification, and life cycle analysis. His efforts in building performance energy modeling and building information modeling have improved KlingStubbins' ability to fulfill its commitment to incorporating sustainable design practices into its projects.