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Reinventing the first BRIGHT idea:

Thomas Edison’s 19th century invention of the incandescent light, which has an electric current running through a wire filament and heating it until it starts to glow, has been phased out by federal legislation.

So, what's the right answer for YOUR business? Is it CFLs? LEDs?

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You want an energy efficient building - Let these bulbs light the way!

Although they are cheap to produce, incandescent bulbs aren't very energy efficient. Many businesses saw this as being a problem years before government intervention, and initially replaced them with the compact fluorescent lamp (CFLs), which has an electric current driven through a tube containing argon and a small amount of mercury vapor.  

Now, the trend in lighting is focusing on the use of LEDs (light-emitting diodes) that are illuminated solely by the movement of electrons in a semiconductor material.

 

1. WHY LED

LEDs provide light nearly equivalent in quality and color to the old incandescent bulbs, while offering both efficiency and lifetime improvements over CFLs. For example:

• CFLs usually take some time after switching them on for them to become fully bright
• Disposing of CFLs is cumbersome due to the environmentally harmful mercury they contain
• While some people see the fact that LEDs only emit light in a specific direction and may not spread as evenly CFLs, this directness allows for more efficient light and energy use
• They also are completely programmable and will allow for smarter management of lighting in your building

 

2. Why Not LED

The drawback to LED lighting, for the moment, is sticker shock. A typical LED bulb can cost more than $20. CFLs are certainly cheaper, but the good news is that the rapidly evolving LED technology is coming down in price.

 

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MORE LIKE THIS: Green Building Materials You Probably Don't Know About

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3. How Energy Efficient Are They?

Although once known mainly for indicator and traffic lights, LEDs in white light, general illumination applications are one of today's most energy-efficient and rapidly-developing technologies.  

According to ENERGY STAR, CFLs use 25-35% less energy than incandescent bulbs, but if you really want to make the biggest environmental impact, choosing LEDs is the way to go. Some LEDs, especially those rated by ENERGY STAR, use 75% less energy than incandescent lighting.

But energy efficiency isn't just about how much electricity it takes for them to be effective... what about lifespan? The less we have to manufacture, the less energy we use there too!

The average life span of a LED bulb is 50,000 hours and the CFL bulb lasts an average of 8,000 hours. Your incandescent bulbs? 1,200 hours.

 

4. Big Picture Implications

According to the Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), lighting in industrial and commercial buildings accounts for close to 71 percent of overall lighting electricity use in the U.S. and consumes nearly 35 percent of the electricity used in the nation's commercial buildings - and still much of this lighting is comprised of those inefficient linear fluorescents

Among all energy efficient measures available to a commercial facility, lighting is one of the biggest energy hogs, so making changes here offers the shortest payback and strongest return on investment over any other change you could make with your existing structure (followed closely by HVAC measures).

 

5. Other ways it's awesome

They're cool:

LEDs emit very little heat. In contrast, CFLs release about 80% of their energy as heat, according to Energy.gov. Incandescent bulbs can reach temperatures of over 330 degrees Fahrenheit! But LEDs operate at a cool 87 degrees. Savings here can be seen in the amount of A/C your business uses in order keep the work environment cool.

 

They create value:

Converting an existing building to LED lighting or installing LED lighting in a new building creates a compelling value proposition for the building owner. Along with reduced electricity consumption and lower cooling costs, the economics of LED lights can result in recovery of the cost of the investment in less than one year in some cases. LED fixtures can now generate more lumens per watt, meaning more bang for your buck.

 

Maintenance is cheaper:

There are hidden savings in maintenance costs. Many LED fixtures are rated for lifetimes upward of 100,000 hours, without any need for maintenance.

 

You hate paying taxes:

And did I mention Tax Rebates? Yes, there are deductions for Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings through a program called 179D. The IRS needs a certification that a licensed engineer or contractor can provide to you by using a software program that is approved by the IRS for making the 179D energy savings calculation.

This tax deduction is based upon your building’s square footage, so the bigger the building, the bigger the potential savings.

 

6. How to get started

There are many factors to consider when you plan a conversion of an existing facility. A conversion can range from simple lamp replacement to complete fixture retrofit and is highly dependent on your overall goals.

If you feel the need, there are lighting design companies available to help you once you make a decision to convert your building LED lighting.  There are also calculators online to assist you with determining your ROI. In many cases, LED solid-state lighting (SSL) will work with conventional wiring and dimmers.

You should make sure the LED lighting is compatible with your emergency lighting requirements, and you may want to phase its installation in your building. LEDs are more efficient at directing light where it is needed and often do not require a one-to-one trade-off.  That said, a slower conversion may be best in order to ensure that your end result meets your expectations regarding user experiences.

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CONCLUSION:

 

It’s hard to beat the value offered by modern LEDs. Not only are their prices getting more affordable every day, they also last up to decades longer than the competition.  

Speaking of competition, our firm can help you become a competitive differentiator by having a LEED certified building.  According to the USGBC, US Green Building Council, LEED-certified buildings that have lower operating costs and better indoor environmental quality are more attractive to a growing group of corporate, public and individual clients.

Owners of green buildings reported that their ROI improved by 19.2% on average for existing building green projects and 9.9% on average for new projects.  LEED-certified buildings are also demonstrating increased recruitment and retention rates and increased productivity benefits for employers.

Schedule a free consultation today!

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Change is coming:

If you do not yet sense an urgency for change, you will soon.

Sure, there's market resistance, and there will continue to be, and so far, it doesn't seem to have moved very fast. But that's because the market will only transform so fast without a crisis.

The sweet spot for now may be where both sides are angry:  The market is uncomfortable with the required rate of change, and those that understand the current and pending risks are angry that change is not happening fast enough.  

The question today: Why do something different?  We are all pretty good at what we do, so why change?

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When the risk of NOT changing exceeds the risks of change, change becomes inevitable... so long as everybody sees and believes it. 

Change involves risk and creates tension, so we must keep that in mind.

 

Currently we face many threats and opportunities

• Climate Change: The Planet is stressed
• Carbon
• Population Increase: 7+ billion people now
• Geo-Political Risk
• Cost of energy
• Government taking Action (codes)
• Long term performance
• Eco Systems provide basic services

 

Rewards also exist for those who are proactive, not reactive.

• Increase profits
• Access to natural resources
• Access to Capital
• Efficient management of resources

 

Climate change is like the internet.  It arrived one day, gets bigger every year, and shows no signs that it will ever go away. It's transformed industries, created new ones, and impacted EVERYBODY... Just like climate change.

 

The goals of 2030 Architecture

Net Zero Energy is a path that began with the establishment of a base line of energy use/efficiency standard set in 2003.  The path goes from 2003 to 2030, and the point is to incrementally reduce the energy use of buildings, shifting to the use of fossil free energy, and having all new buildings be carbon neutral by 2030.  

Energy Codes have improved efficiency requirements by about 40% since 1985, and within that window, the large bulk of the change (36%) happened since the first efficiency standards were set in 2003.  

So, codes have taken us about 1/3 of the way to our 2030 goal, which is a good start, but we're already 48% of the way to the deadline.

 

How does one achieve NET ZERO? (Carbon Neutral Building)

Step 1:  

Design a building that uses 60%-80% less energy than a minimal code compliant building.

 

Step 2:

Provide fossil free fuel energy for the remaining energy needs.

 

Simple, right?  The playbook to get to net zero is widely accepted and a proven, successful approach. But reducing energy consumption by 70-80% and maintaining comfort is not accomplished by simply tweaking the way we have always designed and built buildings.

However, a fully integrated, thoughtful and intentional design IS.   

Out of these two areas for improvement, we can directly impact the first, which is energy efficiency. Two, we continue to put pressure on legislative support for renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. Even with minimal increases in the latter, we can go a long way when building design is driving the change.

 

(MORE LIKE THIS: Does the Cost of Solar Energy Outweigh the Benefits?)

 

The current 2030 goal is 70% reduction in 2016:

 

Since 2003, we have seen an increase in energy efficiency requirements, including one of the most recent in 2014. The graphic below shows the steady improvement of the Energy Codes over the past 30 years.

(Graphic above provided by US Green Building Council)

 

LEED will always try to stay ahead of the building codes. The next graphic shows this pretty clearly.  

 

(Graphic provided by US Green Building Council)

 

As the codes improve, LEED changes it base line criteria to be more stringent to stay ahead of the curve. In my opinion, this kind of pressure is helpful in driving better legislation, which drastically improves our chances for success.

Green Building codes and green rating system standards are gradually incorporated into the code requirements for all buildings. Eventually (ideally by 2030), the code will require all to be net zero energy buildings, which will mean that new buildings will have zero carbon impact to the environment based on energy usage.

Currently, we are developing new buildings that have less negative impact than in prior years, which is fine for starting, but "less bad" isn't where we want to settle. Why not move toward developing buildings that have a positive impact on the environment?

Examples of Net Zero Buildings & Net Zero Ready Projects:

Audubon Visitors Center - Sarasota, FL (FULL GALLERY)

 

Cancer Support Community - Sarasota, FL (FULL GALLERY)

 

Sun N Fun Wellness Center - Sarasota, FL (FULL GALLERY)

 

HGTV Green Home 2009 - Port St. Lucie FL (FULL GALLERY)

 

Kashi by the River - Sebastian, FL

RESOURCES

2030 Challenge

www.architecture2030.org

 

NZEB

www.living-future.org/netzero

 

New Buildings Institute

http://newbuildings.org

 

US Green Building Council

www.usgbc.org

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Want to know more about designing for Net Zero?

Schedule a free consultation or download this great ebook on how to design a green home:

 

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I was in attendance at the International Living Futures Institute’s (ILFI) Living Futures 2016 conference in Seattle the week of May 9, 2016.  It was an amazing gathering of leaders in sustainability.  

One of the keynote addresses was given by Ed Mazria, Founder and CEO of 2030 Architecture and of the 2030 Challenge. The imperative that he spoke about is that we reach zero net carbon emissions for all new buildings by 2030 and for ALL buildings by 2050.  He spoke about how not only is it important, but it's an absolutely necessity for the survival of our species.

Many see it as a bold plan, because it simply won't accept business as usual in the built environment, but not us, because we know for a fact that these goals are attainable, and they're just the things that motivate us every single day.

This got me thinking:  What do we need to be doing, as architects in Florida, to stay on track to meet the 2030 Challenge? 

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It's a road already built:

2030 Architecture has a detailed plan to get us to net zero carbon emissions in the built environment.  Their web site states, “The Roadmap to Zero Emissions is a flexible plan that sets out the emissions reduction targets necessary in the building sector worldwide to avert dangerous and irreversible climate change, including the actions and financing instruments needed to reach the targets.”

The target of Architecture 2030 and of the COP21 held in Paris last December and just recently ratified, is to hold global temperature rise under 1.5% Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), and to avoid exceeding 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees F) of temperature rise at all cost.  Any scenario of 2 degrees Celsius is uncontrollable, leading us to the point where it cannot be stopped.

Find the roadmap here

http://architecture2030.org/initiatives/roadmap-to-zero/

 

Calculating Our Goals:

The current 2030 goal in 2016 is 70% reduction of carbon emissions below the base line set for buildings in 2003.

I have done some research, with some help from some experts, (thanks TLC Engineering for Architecture  http://www.tlc-engineers.com) and this is how I think we need to meet the 2030 challenge TODAY, based on the requirements of the current Florida building code (FEC).  

• The 2014 Florida Building Code (FEC) is based on the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), which in turn is based on ASHRAE STD 90.1-2010 (the new LEED v4 benchmark).
• The Architecture 2030 folks, working with the AIA 2030 Commitment, have determined that a building that meets the 2012 IECC can be expected to operate at 40% less energy than the 2030 Challenge baseline (coming from the 2003 CBEC survey of existing commercial buildings) building.  So, if a baseline building has an Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of 100 kbtu/sf/yr, then the 2014 FEC/2012 IECC code minimum building would be about 60 kbtu/sf/yr.

The current 2030 goal of a 70% reduction of the 100 kbtu/sf/yr baseline example means that a building that meets that goal would use no more than 30 kbtu/sf/yr (including energy cost reductions and any on- or near-site renewable production).

 

Plans:

So the short answer to my question is that in order to meet the current 2030 goal, a building would have to use 50% less energy than a minimally compliant 2014 FEC/2012 IECC building.

 

There you have it.  We know what we need to do.  Now we need to go out and do it.  

 

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Why Carbon:

Sustainable building design requires a well balanced approach that takes many factors into consideration, not just energy use and carbon emissions, but I wanted to focus this blog on Carbon emissions to highlight its importance.  

You may remember Carlson Studio had its big year end party in celebration of COP21, and we did it on the day of the conference designated as “Buildings Day” December 3, 2015, because anything that has to do with saving our planet from irreversible distruction is something we celebrate. After all, this stuff is engrained in us.

Click here to receive a free green building consultation of your own:

 

To learn more about the International Living Future Institute, start here:

http://living-future.org/

 

To learn more about Buildings Day at COP21 start here:

http://web.unep.org/climatechange/buildingsday

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PROJECT BACKGROUND:

Carlson Studio Architecture is currently designing a LEED for homes project in Michigan. As part of the design process we held a LEED design charrette with the contractors, material suppliers, designers and subcontractors of the project. This highly interactive, brainstorming session brought the entire team together to strategize the project. Getting a bunch of smart people together to think about the project holistically was important -some of the things that we learned are as follows:

Other Projects That May Interest You:

• City Of Sarasota Master Plan
• Private Horse Barn Custom Design
• LEED NC Gold Certified Floating Marina

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SHARING WHAT WE LEARNED DURING THIS CHARRETTE PROCESS:

There Are 4 Areas Of Focus The Came From This LEED Charrette:

1. Landscape:

We learned there were many credits available in the landscape categories. This includes water conservation in the irrigation system and native plantings and native low impact design solutions. Since we are working on an existing site we may choose to remove some of the existing impervious surfaces and replace them with landscaping and/or pervious surfaces. The landscaping and irrigation credits will be important to us if we are to achieve our certification goals.  Mike Bruggink, Fen View Design, is the Landscape Architect.

2. SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels)

We learned that LEED encourages and rewards the use of sip panel construction in the LEED for homes standards. SIPs should help us obtain a very good HERS rating, create a well-insulated and tightly constructed building envelope, speed up construction and reduce waste. Rich Bloem of True North Homes has an extensive background in SIP construction.

3. Lumber

Our current LEED home is planned to be constructed of wood. In addition to the SIP panels which have wood faces, we plan to use wood floor joists and wood trusses to complete the building envelope. We plan to source all of these materials locally and regionally it's close to the site is possible. We did determine that FSC certified wood was going to be very difficult and expensive to get for this particular project and have decided to not pursue FSC certified would based credits. We did look at the advantages and disadvantages of open web wood floor trusses versus TJI style pre-engineered floor trusses.   There were representatives of each style of truss at the charrette which was incredibly valuable to the team. Because of the somewhat complex geometry of the floor framing systems we decided to go with the TJI style floor trusses on this particular project. Jed Nelson and Mark Paradowski, from Barry County Lumber Company where in attendance.

3. Plumbing

We are looking at using Kohler brand fixtures for this particular project. We learned that there are many options to choose from but this and other major manufacturers all do high-quality low flow fixtures that meet the highest standards in the LEED credits. We plan to use the best performing, low flow fixtures for this project. We also plan to supplement the gas fired water heater with solar thermal system(s) mounted on the roof to preheat the water and save us energy. Ross Genzink, Genzink Plumbing was in attendance.

We offer a simple but important checklist you can use when isolating certain elements that will make your home more "Green" and actually save you energy and money. Just use the button below:

 

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WHAT'S NEXT?:

These are just a few of the things we learned in the integrated design process for this project. We look forward to completing the permit documents, bidding the project, and getting construction underway in the spring.

Designing, planning and constructing a LEED for homes project may be a challenge but it is one with invaluable foresight. As this process becomes more and more popular, both consumers and commercial entities will learn and experience all of the benefits and even more important, will play a role in turning around so many environmental issues including something as massive as the world's climate change challenges.

If you or your business is in the research phase of a creating or remodeling a structure, we strongly encourage you to do your homework and research. We are here to help you answer many of the critical questions that arise from such an undertaking and would like to offer you additional information or a no cost consultation. If you would like to bounce your ideas off of a LEED accredited architect, just use the button below.

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