Entidades y el Directorio Activo de la CNBS

In Canada as well as in the USA, programs are in place to promote minimum standards for the energy efficiency performance of new products. Also, the appliance manufacturing industry has begun responding to demands for reduced energy consumption. New, smaller energy- efficient designs, adapting technologies from energy efficient manufacturers in Europe, are now penetrating the marketplace. The promotion of voluntary standards, both within and outside the appliance industry, is expected to generate even more efficient appliances.

Although residential appliances are becoming more energy efficient, the development of efficient commercial equipment is not keeping pace and efficiency gains are somewhat offset by the rapidly growing number and size of appliances. Microwave ovens, clothes washers and dryers, dishwashers, personal computers, and small appliances are more and more prevalent. Appliances such as refrigerators have generally become larger, with more features such as automatic defrost and icemakers. To facilitate the task of specifying energy efficient appliances, the Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency

Reducing Operational Energy Consumption Chapter 5.3

publishes an appliance directory which lists energy consumption ratings.

Today’s typical offices are a network of fax machines, photocopiers, computers, scanners, printers, and plotters – all of which have been designed to improve our productivity. The proliferation of these energy consuming machines, many of which are left on for 24 hours a day, has had a profound effect on total office ‘plug loads’ over the last ten years. Designs for 5 and 6 watts per square foot are not uncommon. Whereas the overall power input requirements of the devices has remained relatively constant, the embedded material and energy costs are being considerably reduced. The change in technology from cathode ray tube screen displays to LED flat screen will yield a significant energy reduction. For example, the replacement of a 15" monitor using 95 watts with an equivalent 35-watt LED flat screen, will save approximately 150 kwh per workstation per year.

Summary of Strategies for Use

across Canada

HVAC

• Select energy efficient HVAC equipment. Lighting

• Design to low interior lighting levels and incorporate maximum daylighting.

• Provide light levels appropriate to the task at workstation locations, instead of high ambient light levels.

• Minimize the number of fixtures. • Use suitable, high efficiency fixtures

(such as fixtures with T5 and T5HO lamps). • Incorporate lighting controls, including

photocell sensors to monitor daylight and occupancy.

• Develop “plug-in” designs that allow for flexibility in fixture location and fixture type. Appliances and Equipment

• Minimize appliance use, or use smaller, more efficient appliances.

• Specify energy efficient equipment.

• Promote LCD/LED screens for computers and televisions.

Resources

Consumer Reports www.consumerreports.org Energuide energuide.nrcan.gc.ca

The National Lighting Product Information Program (NLPIP)

www.lrc.rpi.edu

EPA Energy Star

www.energystar.gov

Building Orientation

Objective

• to orient the building to take advantage of solar and localized climatic conditions. Proper building orientation and perimeter design can reduce energy consumption by permitting passive and active solar power to reduce:

• energy use;

• the amount of mechanical equipment; and • levels of artificial lighting.

Ideally in Canada, buildings incorporate south- facing glazing for increased winter solar gain (well shaded to mitigate summer solar heat gain). On the east and west elevations, the sun needs to be controlled with more comprehensive systems (such as louvres) to avoid large heat gains and glare. This is due to the low angles of the sun, entering deep into the spaces. Solar control strategies need to be designed for each specific location. The north elevation of buildings should be well-insulated with less glazing. When the ideal orientation is difficult to achieve due to existing street patterns, other solutions such as photovoltaic panels should be used to benefit from the sun.

At the York University Computer Science Facility, the east elevation is designed to let in morning sun in the winter, but to exclude morning sun in the summer. The west elevation is designed to eliminate solar gain year round. South elevations capture winter passive solar gain.

4

At the Nicolas Valley Institute of Technology in

Merritt, BC, four types of wood perimeter louvers, each with different blade angles and spacing, were placed according to the sun’s path and the building’s orientation.

Summary of Strategies for Use

across Canada

• Orient buildings to take advantage of winter solar gain.

• Provide year round shading to western exposures.

• Provide summer shading for southern exposures.

• Incorporate shading using the landscape or integrated with the building.

• Orient buildings to allow for the addition of solar panels and other ‘plug-in’ elements.

Reducing Operational Energy Consumption Chapter 5.3

SDCB 101 – Sustainable Design Fundamentals for Buildings

5

At the York University Computer Science Facility, the east elevation is designed to let in winter morning sun, but exclude summer morning sun. The west elevation is designed to eliminate solar gain all year. South elevations capture winter passive solar gain.

At the Nicolas Valley Institute of Technology in Merritt, BC, we took a given form (a circle, prescribed for cultural reasons) and developed four types of wood perimeter louvres with different blade angles and spacing, and placed these according to the sun path to deal with orientation issues.

Case Studies

York University Computer Science Facility Busby + Associates Architects, in association with Van Nostrand diCastri Architects, Toronto, ON Nicola Valley Institute of Technology Busby + Associates Architects, Merritt, BC

Resources

Sustainable Buildings Industry Council

www.sbicouncil.org

Advanced Buildings technologies and Practices

www.advancedbuildings.org

Thermal Performance

Objective

• to increase thermal performance in order to reduce operational energy use.

Improving the thermal performance of all elements of a building – the floor, roof, glazing and walls – will significantly improve the energy efficiency of a building. It is critical to reducing long and short-term operational energy and system costs. In addition, improved thermal performance facilitates the use of passive systems. Some techniques include:

• increasing overall thermal performance of the walls and windows;

• minimizing thermal breaks and heat loss through the envelope;

• using high performance glazing; and • restricting and optimizing the use of glazing

while maintaining benefits of light, air and views.

Possible recommendations for insulation include: • R30/40 (Wall and Roof) for Canadian

maritime regions;

• R40/60 for central regions; and • higher for northern communities.

Scandinavian practice already uses these levels. Because rising costs are anticipated in a future deregulated energy industry, such levels of insulation will result in a payback from improved thermal performance. The insulation level architects specify today is intended to last 50 to 75 years.

6

Chapter 5.3 Reducing Operational Energy Consumption

The first double skin building in Canada (only one other in North America dating 1980) is the Telus office in Vancouver, where a new outer wall was suspended around an existing building.

“Double wall” glazing systems are gaining popularity in Europe, particularly in Germany where approximately 20 buildings with double wall glazing have already been constructed. This strategy creates a 500 mm to 1.2 m ‘greenhouse’ or thermal buffer around a building, which yields opportunities for passive strategies (such as, heat gain, natural ventilation and cooling). The first double skin building in Canada (there is only one other building in North America, dating to 1980) is the Telus office in Vancouver, where a new outer wall was suspended around an existing building. The energy consumption figures for the Telus building are very low.

Summary of Strategies for Use

across Canada

• Increase thermal performance (insulation or R-values) of the building envelope.

• Specify high efficiency glazing (there are several Canadian suppliers).

• Use details that contribute to thermal performance.

Case Study

Telus Office Building

Busby + Associates Architects, Vancouver, BC

Resources

Sustainable Buildings Industry Council

www.sbicouncil.org

The Building Thermal Envelope Systems & Materials Program

www.ornl.gov/roofs+walls

Institute of Research In Construction

www.nrc.ca/irc

In document Manual de Declaración de Prácticas de la Infraestructura de Firma Electrónica de la Comisión Nacional de Bancos y Seguros (página 37-0)