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Tips & Tricks
Architectural Concepts
This section will discuss projects which are normally in the realm of the architect's to decide upon and to implement as space planning measures or aesthetic embellishments. However, each has a bonus of reducing energy usage. For the architect struggling to build a pleasant edifice with a few niceties to make it stand apart, the ability to recognize and quantify energy savings makes it easier to persuade a thrifty client to spend the extra amount now for savings later. Engineers will also learn something from this section. They will find that many subtle architectural features impact the energy using characteristics of a building.
- Roof and wall colors
The color of the roof and walls can have an impact on the energy use characteristics of a building. In a region with a long and demanding cooling season it is advantageous to have a light colored, reflective roof that reflects solar energy before it is absorbed into the structure and imposes a load on the air conditioning system. The same applies to the walls, especially those facing south and west. The opposite is true of buildings in colder latitudes, which benefit from darker roofs and north facing walls, to enhance the absorption of sunlight in the heating season.
- Optimum space temperatures
Many people have the mistaken impression that all the rooms in a building need to be kept at the same temperature all the time. When the idea of conserving energy by changing the thermostat setting makes the rounds, most people think they have to be uncomfortable to save energy. The following table will prove even the skeptics wrong.
The industry standards have varying recommendations for space temperature, depending on space use, type of occupancy and other factors. The table also indicates the ideal space temperature setting during off hours. Notice the office and work areas are kept at comfortable temperatures, so the working environment will not be adversely affected.
| Space | Heating(unoccupied) | Cooling (% RH) |
| Offices | 67 (55) | 80 (60) |
| Corridors | 60 (52) | N/A |
| Auditoriums | 65 (45) | 80 (60) |
| Lobbies | 60 (52) | 85 |
| Department Stores | 60 (52) | 85 (60) |
| Supermarkets | 60 (50) | 80 (60) |
| Drug Stores | 60 (52) | 85 (60) |
- Selected wind breaks
Many locations experience strong winds for much of the year. This can cause extreme infiltration, especially near entrance areas or service doors. Any project to stifle the force of these prevailing winds will reduce the load on the air handling system, caused by the outside air infiltration. Trees and shrubs as a wind break are an aesthetic solution. Other architectural elements can be carefully integrated into the landscape, such as opaque screens, wood fencing with alternating slats or even transparent glass block walls. Careful placement of any of these windscreens can greatly improve infiltration control.
- Functional space size
It is a foregone conclusion that the size of someone's office is a symbol. It is also a given that a larger office requires more energy for lighting, and this lighting puts a higher load on the cooling system. Not to mention the high cost of space conditioning itself. Strictly speaking, large offices are not very energy efficient.
In fact, private offices themselves are not energy efficient, since more people can comfortably occupy a partitioned area than one with solid floor to ceiling walls. Fewer overhead lights will get the job done more cheaply and daylighting can be of benefit to a higher proportion of the office staff. Many types of occupations that demand a high level of communication between staff thrive in an open environment, and from the perspective of efficient use of human energy it is also effective.
A good example of a situation demanding a high level of interpersonal communication is a hospital. Nursing staff are among the designer's most demanding clients, in their use of conditioned space. They place a premium not on space but on convenience: the fewer steps required to perform any given task, the better. This enhances efficiency and the ability to perform any given duty quickly and with a minimum of physical movement. Although this perspective is due in large part to the need to operate in emergency circumstances, it is a sensible approach to the effective design of any occupied area.
Any businessman knows that minimizing the distance between work stations means more than a smaller office area, lower rent, reduced air conditioning costs and lower maintenance expenses. It means fewer people can get the job done. Furthermore they can get it done faster and better than if they were working in a larger space. All of this correlates to a reduction in energy usage, since a considerable portion of the load on HVAC equipment is people. People represent the predominant latent (eg humidity) load of most spaces. The more people there are in a space and the higher their level of activity the more must be spent to provide a comfortable environment for them.
This is not the kind of topic that lends itself to be considered as an energy conservation project, though if the office area is already one of partitioned spaces, effective changes can be wrought to enhance the overall productivity of the staff. Any office environment can benefit from the application of the general principles of effective space usage.
- Interior design aspects
The advantages of daylighting have already been discussed, as beneficial to the morale and attitude of occupants. Having a nice view can also be a boost to productivity. These are not strictly energy saving options, but intangible benefits of a conservation project that should be tallied on the positive side of a project. Spaces with these features can demand a higher lease fee, so the value is not altogether immaterial.
Another often unnoticed feature of a room is the wall color. The reflectance of the floor and walls have a great impact upon the ambient light level in a space - the lighter the color and the more reflective the surface the higher the footcandle level for a given fixture. This means a room with dark paneling will need up to twice the lumens from the lighting than the same room with light colored walls. The same variance applies to the use of dark carpeting versus light, semi-reflective tile or linoleum floor covering.
This principle is difficult to justify as an energy conservation project unless it is linked to a lighting retrofit. As such, many businesses are changing out 40 watt fluorescent lamps with 34 watt lamps to save energy. They do not realize that there is a 15% reduction in overall lighting as a result. A new coat of brighter, more reflective paint on the walls may make up this deficit without having to resort to more costly measures.
Then there is the psychological affect that spaces that are more brightly lit feel warmer to occupants. As such, spaces with a lighting level reduction due to retrofit may need to maintain a warmer temperature to achieve a good comfort level, while in the summer it is possible that raising the thermostat a few degrees will go unnoticed.
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