Greening the Government: Sustainable Building Solutions for New Public Programs
Techniques and options for greening
In general, however, green is growing in the public sector. Adding more detail on today's green building methods, government greening initiatives can be parsed into five project categories. While the lines between the approaches may blur - and they are not treated uniformly in terms of procurement - these categories are a valuable way to establish goals and benchmarks for sustainability in the public sector.
Product replacement. Simply by swapping out building components and consumables, government facility managers are able to make significant environmental strides, according to the DOE's Energy Star and advocates such as Environmental Working Group, Washington, D.C. Project planners can begin with "drop-in" replacements, such as light-emitting diode (LED) and compact-fluorescent lamp (CFL) packages that work in existing light fixtures, or refrigerants rated as low global-warming potential (GWP) that are compatible with current chiller plants. Sources of waste, such as paper towel dispensers in restrooms, may be replaced with new high-efficiency hand dryers.
For Universities, Greener Washrooms | Due to recent upgrades at several of the Student Union buildings at California State Northridge, the university can boast as one of the most hands-free, green, state universities in the country. Due to renovation projects with sustainability, water conservation and energy savings in mind, the university has found new ways to save money and help save the environment. In addition to waterless urinals that allow unobstructed flow down the drain without wasting water (accounts for a 35 percent reduction in domestic water intake and saved the university about $10,000 to $15,000 per year) and hands-free faucets and soap dispensers, the university also looked to hand dryers, hoping to reduce the $21,000 spent annually on paper towels, installation labor and trash hauling fees. The university liked what they saw. The new hand dryers they installed blows water off hands using a focused high-velocity air stream and a specially designed nozzle. The high-velocity air also breaks up the layer of water vapor between the air and the skin. This causes the thin water film to evaporate more quickly than conventional dryers. Skin is dried in about 15 seconds and uses 8 percent less energy than other dryers. Other green features at the 248,000 square foot Student Union include the use of only biodegradable toilet paper, energy watt and compact fluorescent lighting, and motion- and photo-sensored air conditioning and lighting. Gary Homesley, assistant director of facilities and maintenance at the Student Union estimates that no-flush urinals and the hand dryers alone save the Student Union more than $30,000 per year. "We had a lot of success retrofitting the older buildings, once we tested and implemented suitable products; I expect to continue with this trend." |
California State Northridge is one of the most green universities in the country due to recent washroom upgrades in the Student Union buildings. Photo: Excel Dryer, Inc. |
Such silver bullets are rare, however, leaving many government building groups to contemplate more complex replacement options. For example, significant environmental benefits can be gained by replacing façade glazing with new low-emissivity (low-E) glass panels. "Energy-saving coatings applied to the glass affect the amount of light that is transmitted, measured as visible light transmittance or VLT, as well as the U-factor or thermal performance of the glass," explained Chris Dolan, director of commercial glass products for Guardian Industries Corp., Detroit. "Another measure is the solar heat-gain coefficient or SHGC, which tells you how much heat stays out."
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New glazing technologies allow ample daylight in while reducing associated heat gain. Source: Guardian Industries, Inc. |
Retrofit. Similar to replacements, retrofit describes the upgrade of entire building systems, such as the multiple, related elements of a roofing system or HVAC plant. While replacing dark roofing materials with white or light-colored membrane or other so-called "cool roof" materials, a tear-off roof retrofit adding more insulation and an air barrier can do even more to reduce cooling loads and urban heat-island effects. This can be highly cost-effective for greening public-sector buildings, though it requires project coordination and funding, often covered through operating budgets and procurement channels.
Recognizing the potential, last September the DOE selected 25 states and communities to receive up to $452 million under its "Retrofit Ramp-Up" program. The large-scale initiatives mainly target neighborhoods where similar system upgrades can improve a swath of houses and buildings. The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA), for example, earned a $20 million award for energy-efficient retrofits for public and private buildings across 30 municipalities. DOE has said that Retrofit Ramp-Up will save at least $100 million annually on operations costs while producing a library of best-practice guides to instruct similar efforts across the country.
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