This not only adds electrical load but also increases the overall cooling load .
Ensuring that building systems work as efficiently as possible results in lower annual renewable power sources required to offset overall energy use .
JDM : I ’ ve been active in helping to educate clients on the impacts to their campus and projects if it ’ s new to them . For P2S , we ’ re fortunate to work on projects with partners who are already interested in pursuing decarbonization . When everyone ’ s on board , it ’ s an integrative and collaborative process , and we ’ re all working towards a common goal . That ’ s when it ’ s easy .
Kent Peterson and I are also part of organizations within ASHRAE and the U . S . Department of Energy . Kent and I are both industries allies on the U . S Department of Energy ’ s Better Buildings Initiative , serving on different teams ; Kent ’ s on the Integrating Embodied Carbon Working Group . I ’ m on the Cultivating Client Demand Working Group , which focuses on owner engagement and pushing the industry forward . Other things that we ’ re involved with that support decarbonization include our work within ASHRAE . Kent is on the ASHRAE Decarbonization Task Force , and I was recently the Chair of ASHRAE Technical Committee 1.4 , Control Theory and Application . TC 1.4 has been the main committee supporting research projects for high-efficiency sequences of operations standards for HVAC systems . These research projects have made their way into an ASHRAE Guideline , with the goal of providing best-in-class sequences of operation for HVAC systems . These strategies help reduce operational energy at buildings and contribute to carbon neutrality .
California is exploring potential zero-emission building codes for the residential and commercial sectors . When will these codes take effect ? Are other organizations pushing for carbon neutrality ?
How much more difficult is it to decarbonize an existing building instead of building a new carbon-neutral building ?
AB : Existing facility decarbonization is limited by existing construction , orientation , infrastructure , and constraints in replacing existing MEP systems . However , it is a matter of evaluating the facilities , to see how you could improve overall efficiency . We start reviewing the existing envelope and see what can be done to optimize it and reduce overall external loads . Evaluating the provision of daylighting into the space could be another strategy to reduce the operation of electric lighting . Daylight is especially beneficial because it not only helps to minimize the use of electric lighting but also helps reduce cooling loads . Converting existing MEP systems to more efficient systems , promoting electrification , and providing effective MEP smart controls are evaluated to see how we could improve the overall efficiency of the systems . We also evaluate renewable energy sources either on the roof or in adjacent areas . These strategies can help reduce overall energy consumption for an existing building and bring them closer to carbon neutrality .
JDM : Most of the time , decarbonizing an existing building will be more difficult than constructing a new carbonneutral building . Existing buildings may have a poor envelope , and there are likely existing physical and infrastructure constraints . The building footprint and orientation are existing and may not have been optimized for energy reductions ; equipment spaces are generally set and may be cost-prohibitive to modify . The existing infrastructure may also be a limiting factor . All this could be a burden on transitioning from older technologies to more modern ones . If you ’ re shifting some of the source energy from fossil fuels to electric , do you have the existing electrical infrastructure to support the change ?
JDM : California energy codes have been working towards energy reductions for years , and we ’ re now seeing a movement towards carbon neutrality . Beginning in 2025 , all new residential buildings in California must be carbon neutral , and in 2030 all new commercial buildings have to meet the same requirement . But some of our partners , like the U . C . and CSU system , are moving even faster than that . The UC has a sustainability policy that requires all new buildings to be carbon neutral by 2025 . We see similar goals in the Community College market and K-12 . \ We created an integrated energy master plan for Long Beach City College and San Bernardino Community College District , among others , which provided a roadmap to meet their carbon emissions targets at various stages .
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Issue 03 / 2021