UNIT 7
Green Building Council
An official Green Building Council (GBC) is national non-profit, non-government
organization that is part of a global network recognized by the World Green Building Council
[1]. GBC's are "transparent, consensus-based, not-for-profit coalition-based organizations
with no private ownership and diverse and integrated representation from all sectors of the
property industry;" and their overarching goal is promote a transformation of the built
environment towards one that is sustainable (buildings and cities that are environmentally
sensitive, economically viable, socially just and culturally significant).[1]
Green Building Councils Around the World
As of July 2009, there are 14 nations with established GBC's, seven recognized as
"emerging" members, and dozens more in the development process.
The 14 established councils are:
Argentina Green Building Council
Green Building Council of Australia
Green Building Council Brasil
Canada Green Building Council
Emirates Green Building Council
German Sustainable Building Council
Indian Green Building Council
Japan Green Building Consortium
Mexico Green Building Council
New Zealand Green Building Council
Green Building Council of South Africa
Taiwan Green Building Council
United Kingdom Green Building Council
United States Green Building Council.
Industrial & agricultural energy audits
Increasingly in the last several decades, industrial and agricultural energy audits have
exploded as the demand to lower increasingly expensive energy costs and move towards a
sustainable future have made energy audit greatly important.
Types of energy audit
The term energy audit is commonly used to describe a broad spectrum of energy studies
ranging from a quick walk-through of a facility to identify major problem areas to a
comprehensive analysis of the implications of alternative energy efficiency measures
sufficient to satisfy the financial criteria of sophisticated investors. Three common audit
programs are described in more detail below, although the actual tasks performed and level of
effort may vary with the consultant providing services under these broad headings. The only
way to ensure that a proposed audit will meet your specific needs is to spell out those
requirements in a detailed scope of work. Taking the time to prepare a formal solicitation will
also assure the building owner of receiving competitive and comparable proposals.
Preliminary audit
The preliminary audit (alternatively called a simple audit, screening audit or walk-through
audit) is the simplest and quickest type of audit. It involves minimal interviews with site-
operating personnel, a brief review of facility utility bills and other operating data, and a
walk-through of the facility to become familiar with the building operation and to identify
any glaring areas of energy waste or inefficiency.
Typically, only major problem areas will be uncovered during this type of audit. Corrective
measures are briefly described, and quick estimates of implementation cost, potential
operating cost savings, and simple payback periods are provided. Some software, such as
Microsoft Hohm, has been created to help laypeople gain a better understanding of their
energy consumption. This level of detail, while not sufficient for reaching a final decision on
implementing a proposed measures, is adequate to prioritize energy-efficiency projects and to
determine the need for a more detailed audit.
General Audit
The general audit (alternatively called a mini-audit, site energy audit or detailed energy audit
or complete site energy audit) expands on the preliminary audit described above by collecting
more detailed information about facility operation and by performing a more detailed
evaluation of energy conservation measures. Utility bills are collected for a 12 to 36 month
period to allow the auditor to evaluate the facility's energy/demand rate structures and energy
usage profiles. If interval meter data is available, the detailed energy profiles that such data
makes possible will typically be analyzed for signs of energy waste. Additional metering of
specific energy-consuming systems is often performed to supplement utility data. In-depth
interviews with facility operating personnel are conducted to provide a better understanding
of major energy consuming systems and to gain insight into short and longer term energy
consumption patterns.
This type of audit will be able to identify all energy-conservation measures appropriate for
the facility, given its operating parameters. A detailed financial analysis is performed for each
measure based on detailed implementation cost estimates, site-specific operating cost savings,
and the customer's investment criteria. Sufficient detail is provided to justify project
implementation.
Infrared Thermography Audit
The advent of high resolution thermography has enabled inspectors to identify potential
issues within the building envelope by taking a thermal image of the various surfaces of a
building. For purposes of an energy audit, the thermographer will analyze the patterns within
the surface temperatures to identify heat transfer through convection, radiation, or
conduction. It is important to note that the thermography ONLY identifies SURFACE
temperatures, and analysis must be applied to determine the reasons for the patterns within
the surface temperatures. Thermal analysis of a home generally costs between 300 and 600
dollars.
For those who cannot afford a thermal inspection, it is possible to get a general feel for the
heat loss with a non contact infrared thermometer and several sheets of refective insulation.
The method involves measuring the temperatures on the inside surfaces of several exterior
walls to establish baseline temperatures. After this, reflective barrier insulation is taped
securely to the walls in 8 foot by 1.5 foot strips and the temperatures are measured in the
center of the insulated areas at 1 hour intervals for 12 hours (The reflective barrier is pulled
away from the wall to measure the temperature in the center of the area which it has
covered.). The best manner in which to do this is when the temperature differential between
the inside and outside of the structure is at least 40 degrees. A well insulated wall will
commonly change approximately 1 degree per hour if the difference between external and
internal temperatures is an average of 40 degrees. A poorly insulated wall can drop as much
as 10 degrees in an hour.
Investment-grade audit
In most corporate settings, upgrades to a facility's energy infrastructure must compete for
capital funding with non-energy-related investments. Both energy and non-energy
investments are rated on a single set of financial criteria that generally stress the expected
return on investment (ROI). The projected operating savings from the implementation of
energy projects must be developed such that they provide a high level of confidence. In fact,
investors often demand guaranteed savings.
The investment-grade audit (alternatively called a comprehensive audit, detailed audit, maxi
audit, or technical analysis audit) expands on the general audit described above by providing
a dynamic model of energy-use characteristics of both the existing facility and all energy
conservation measures identified. The building model is calibrated against actual utility data
to provide a realistic baseline against which to compute operating savings for proposed
measures. Extensive attention is given to understanding not only the operating characteristics
of all energy consuming systems, but also situations that cause load profile variations on
short and longer term bases (e.g. daily, weekly, monthly, annual). Existing utility data is
supplemented with submetering of major energy consuming systems and monitoring of
system operating characteristics.
Pollution Audits
With increases in carbon dioxide emissions or other greenhouse gases, pollution audits are
now a prominent factor in most energy audits. Implementing energy efficient technologies
help prevent utility generated pollution.
Online pollution and emission calculators help approximate the emissions of other prominent
air pollutants in addition to carbon dioxide.
Pollution audits generally take electricity and heating fuel consumption numbers over a two
year period and provide approximations for carbon dioxide, VOCs, nitrous oxides, carbon
monoxide, sulfur dioxide, mercury, cadmium, lead, mercury compounds, cadmium
compounds and lead compounds.
