A few friends and I went to see Carlos Santana playing at Ottawa Bluesfest. The concert was spectacular, there were easily over 30,000 spectators enjoying the musical giant's show. Had a grand time!
Shortly before 11PM, walking back from LeBreton Flats to friend's house located a couple clicks away we passed by OC Transpo bus station. What we saw was rather shocking.
There were 20+ buses idling, fully lighted, nobody on board, no drivers in sight. Walking a bit further, we finally saw them. The drivers were gathered in one spot having a break, chatting away. That is all fine, but if memory serves right, the city of Ottawa has a vehicle idling bylaw in effect. I continued crunching all this in my head. Does OC Transpo have unlimited fuel budget? what about the bylaw? what about the pollution? and what about the unattended buses themselves? Hmm, I have never driven a bus...
While I was contemplating all this, my friend had rather a quick and spontaneous reaction. He started yelling at the drivers to shut the f... buses off, stop idling!!! !#$$#@%#$#!~?$@#%
I can't post the exact wording, but he was well heard as he is the big and loud type.
Except there was no reaction from the drivers. We continued walking shaking our heads, while my friend continued his tirade. Last look over the shoulder before we lost the line of sight. Yeah, nothing has changed, still idling in the same configuration. Simply mind boggling...
I made a mental note to write about this as I would like to know why what we saw occurred. Was it a one shot fluke? Is it happening all the time? Not being a great fan of waste I would like some feedback to get to the bottom of this. Really.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Powerful: Energy for Everyone!
I had the pleasure of being invited to a preview screening of David Chernushenko’s documentary film Powerful: Energy for Everyone.
The film examines among other things current means of producing energy, associated legislative issues and takes a look at our present energy use practices.
David was able to effectively communicate the progress being made in Europe, its impact on quality of life and environment, to show others are doing it and so can WE!
The film is a compelling story of nothing being impossible if we collectively put our minds and hearts to it.
I applaud David for creating a great tool for rising the awareness on the subjects of sustainability addressed in the film.
Once released, I look forward to adding this film to my library.
You can read more about the film and see the trailer on David’s “Living Lightly” web site.
The film examines among other things current means of producing energy, associated legislative issues and takes a look at our present energy use practices.
David was able to effectively communicate the progress being made in Europe, its impact on quality of life and environment, to show others are doing it and so can WE!
The film is a compelling story of nothing being impossible if we collectively put our minds and hearts to it.
I applaud David for creating a great tool for rising the awareness on the subjects of sustainability addressed in the film.
Once released, I look forward to adding this film to my library.
You can read more about the film and see the trailer on David’s “Living Lightly” web site.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Data Center Efficiency
I had a great conversation with president of Strategic Clean Technology Inc. Arnold Murphy where we discussed data center efficiency, what can be done to control operating costs of data centers as well as increasing their reliability and service up-time. Having "grown up" in a data center, I was very pleased to conclude that SCTi is doing an incredibly important work, the right way. Data center operators should take an immediate notice of SCTi's value proposition to improve their bottom line.
Problem: Based on prior experience visiting and working in various data centers, I noticed that some operators don't know what equipment they have running and why, others are running it for somewhat misguided reasons - like just in case we need it... Then you have cases with several AC and humidifier units, possibly incorrectly sized, competing with each other, wasting the precious energy. Currently, many of system managers are preoccupied with virtualization in efforts to increase the data center density, achieve cost reductions, etc. Both ends of the spectrum however can have detrimental effects on operating costs, potentially leading to premature equipment failures and undesirable downtime, if not addressed correctly.
Solution: This is where SCTi provides an essential service of assessment, planning and execution of optimization remedies. In assessment and planning stages, they quantify the impact of these remedies on operating costs of the data center for the benefit / cost analysis.
They specialize in three general areas where they teamed up with some exceptional companies:
If in doubt, I suggest consulting SCTi to avoid some of these costly, avoidable mistakes. You may be surprised what they can come up with in their assessment.
I should mention a very important fact - all this can be accomplished in a totally non-invasive manner with a minimum risk of disrupting the data center operation. Fiddling in a data centre was for me something to avoid, unless every step was perfectly planned and risks well understood. I'm talking here about a mission critical data center with a lot of money and safety at stake in a large chemical plant... I broke into a couple of cold sweats - how could I forget... So, think low risk.
I also suggest considering the location of your data center and the surrounding building environment.
Problem: Based on prior experience visiting and working in various data centers, I noticed that some operators don't know what equipment they have running and why, others are running it for somewhat misguided reasons - like just in case we need it... Then you have cases with several AC and humidifier units, possibly incorrectly sized, competing with each other, wasting the precious energy. Currently, many of system managers are preoccupied with virtualization in efforts to increase the data center density, achieve cost reductions, etc. Both ends of the spectrum however can have detrimental effects on operating costs, potentially leading to premature equipment failures and undesirable downtime, if not addressed correctly.Solution: This is where SCTi provides an essential service of assessment, planning and execution of optimization remedies. In assessment and planning stages, they quantify the impact of these remedies on operating costs of the data center for the benefit / cost analysis.
They specialize in three general areas where they teamed up with some exceptional companies:
- Power Monitoring - Knowing on circuit level how much your equipment draws, why and when is the first key to being able to manage your electrical loads.
- Environmental Monitoring - through a clever wireless sensor network allowing you to monitor real time environmental performance of your data center - thermal (cooling), humidity, dew point and pressure differential, etc. allowing for new ways to optimize the cooling and IT loads.
- Containment - airflow management is more often done incorrectly than well. Incorrectly designed and deployed containment leads to undesirable hot-spots causing premature equipment failures. SCTi with partners will recommend a solution for you resulting in extending efficiency gains, reducing operation costs and extending lifetime of your data center.
If in doubt, I suggest consulting SCTi to avoid some of these costly, avoidable mistakes. You may be surprised what they can come up with in their assessment.
I should mention a very important fact - all this can be accomplished in a totally non-invasive manner with a minimum risk of disrupting the data center operation. Fiddling in a data centre was for me something to avoid, unless every step was perfectly planned and risks well understood. I'm talking here about a mission critical data center with a lot of money and safety at stake in a large chemical plant... I broke into a couple of cold sweats - how could I forget... So, think low risk.
I also suggest considering the location of your data center and the surrounding building environment.
If the HVAC system in the building is turned off during off hours and weekends, assess what this means in terms of thermal loads on your data center as the building heats up in the summer - think of insulating walls and reduce air infiltration from the rest of the building. To prove the point, Mr. Murphy showed me real examples of the detrimental impact this can have on data centres situated on the top floor in the middle of a building with the office HVAC shut off during the weekend. The additional load on the data center A/C and impact on servers is very noticeable.
In terms of results, your boss will love you. You as the sysadmin will end up with less headaches having to fix, replace and definitely rebuild your systems.
Besides, it is the right thing to do for the environment, our often challenged power grid and your packets...
In terms of results, your boss will love you. You as the sysadmin will end up with less headaches having to fix, replace and definitely rebuild your systems.
Besides, it is the right thing to do for the environment, our often challenged power grid and your packets...
Saturday, May 8, 2010
The mess in Gulf of Mexico
I find what is going on in Gulf of Mexico very, very disturbing.
Setting aside the disaster event and what led to it just off shore of Louisiana is one thing, but I’m questioning the motives and actions of some people at BP and US government. Are these folks listening to scientific advisers that quantify and state risks, or lobbyists and folks in leadership positions that are concerned about optics above all?
Take for example the use of the chemical dispersants that are used to alter physical properties of crude oil that normally floats on the surface of the water.
There are two problems with this approach that I can see:
1.
The chemical dispersants are themselves nasty chemicals designed to turn crude oil into emulsion like substance and sink to the bottom. The chemical cocktail in question is named COREXIT 9500. You can find the MSDS at this URL http://bit.ly/bI5xbd .
In a nutshell COREXIT contains surfactants that are based among other things on 10% (w/w) petroleum products containing aromatic hydrocarbons. Aromats are a very good sources of irritants, carcinogens, pathogens and mutagens. Dumping hundreds of thousands of tons of this material into aquatic environment just blows my mind. OK, while crude oil is somewhat related to COREXIT in composition, crude oil is much more complex and damaging mix of hydrocarbons with even worse impact potential on the environment. So we are treating terrible with bad...
2.
We are making the crude oil starting to sink to the bottom, literally pushing the problem out of our view. Everyone in the media is preoccupied with oil hitting the shore, cleaning up the birds and other land animals. They say, stand by for the full environmental impact...
Aquatic environment is much more delicate and sensitive than our environment on the land. Both are interconnected however. Aquatic food chain that is being slaughtered as we speak is based on plankton. Plankton is on the bottom of the food chain and is absolutely critical food source to many aquatic species from shrimp, through variety of fish to whales. Guess what? Fish, shrimp and other crustaceans are already part of our food chain and food chain of living land creatures. As time progresses, birds and other animals will starve from lack of food or get poisoned by ingesting toxic fish or plants. Then there is the human food chain. See? It’s all interconnected.
Hmm, it looks like we are in no win situation. If we don’t make oil sink, it will severely impact the shores and its inhabitants. It is a terrible mess to look at - the oil covered beaches and marshes, dead birds, turtles and other sea creatures that didn’t make it and others that are suffering, being rescued by people. Your public relations nightmare...
If we make the oil sink, the sea life is severely impacted as creatures swim through the mess and the sea floor dwellers just get covered by it and die. We have chosen the second method that covers the terrible destruction under the water surface as it is out of sight and out of mind. At least for now.
I don’t want to sound like a hypocrite stating this is someone else’s problem, because we are all equally responsible by our dependency on crude oil. I drive a car, on daily basis I use items made out of plastics and other chemicals that are made from crude oil, so I’m just as guilty as the next guy fueling the demand for crude.
Bottom line: We are all going to pay for this mess one way or another.
Lessons learned and action items: Control oil lobby. Immediately, tighten up environmental and safety regulations for the off shore drilling to prevent such occurrences from happening again. Invest more into new clean technologies and renewable energy, energy storage, make the effort to get off the crude oil to throttle down the demand. Exercise proper risk management and generally make responsible choices that will not have such profound impact on the environment, security and ultimately, us all.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Too green, too soon? Renewables weaken electrical grid? Would you be willing to pay more for power?
I made a comment on LinkedIn in response to excellent questions located above and thought it would be fitting to share it also with those of you who read my blog.
It is likely that the intermittent nature of renewable energies will contribute to an occasional, localized destabilization of our antiquated energy grid. Grid however is of strategic importance to any country.
I’m sure everyone has heard the phrase “smart grid”, so new trends are actually desired leading towards more distributed power generation in urban / industrial areas with highest power demand, reducing transmission power losses, automation, generally making power generation, transmission, distribution, use, monitoring, management a more efficient affair. Read up on what is going on in EU in terms of renewable energy, the grid, energy pricing, etc. In terms of trends, it is a perfect place to observe indicating what is coming to North America as they had to deal with most of the issues while we only start talking about these.
Would I be willing to pay more for power?
I have kids, observe trends and I don’t think much about our need for an instant gratification, so you bet I would and I do!
We are already on 100% clean, renewable power provided by Bullfrog Power and don't mind paying a few bucks more. I look at it as a very small, but significant investment into our collective future.
You can find my name and many others here under Bullfrog Founders Club:
http://www.bullfrogpower.com/powered/homes.cfm?province_code=on
It is likely that the intermittent nature of renewable energies will contribute to an occasional, localized destabilization of our antiquated energy grid. Grid however is of strategic importance to any country.
I’m sure everyone has heard the phrase “smart grid”, so new trends are actually desired leading towards more distributed power generation in urban / industrial areas with highest power demand, reducing transmission power losses, automation, generally making power generation, transmission, distribution, use, monitoring, management a more efficient affair. In the long term, the renewables & grid issues may be a short term pain for a long term gain. I view it as a positive change and opportunity as it will lead to more investment, generated revenues based on value, innovation and job creation. So I don't view it as too green or too soon.
I have kids, observe trends and I don’t think much about our need for an instant gratification, so you bet I would and I do! We are already on 100% clean, renewable power provided by Bullfrog Power and don't mind paying a few bucks more. I look at it as a very small, but significant investment into our collective future.
You can find my name and many others here under Bullfrog Founders Club:
http://www.bullfrogpower.com/powered/homes.cfm?province_code=on
The number of residential and business subscribers is growing by the day.
Hope you can join in too and help building a sustainable future.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Solar PV space in Ottawa
The race for capturing a slice of residential and commercial PV rooftop business is definitely heating up.
Solar PV OEMs and major players in renewables are spreading their networks and establishing new offices throughout Ontario, Ottawa not being an exception. New companies in the PV space are popping up like mushrooms after the rain.
In the recent days I have attended two shows to get a taste of the competitive landscape and talk to some of the folks on both ends of the spectrum. One show was the Go Green Ottawa, the second was the Spring Home show. Both were hosted at the Lansdowne Park. What I saw was an emergence of new, somewhat immature industry, where people are feeling their way through the darkness, not articulating the value proposition correctly, basically learning on the job. I haven’t seen this much energy in a long time, which is both exciting and somewhat disconcerting at the same time.
First, I applaud Ontario government for adopting the lessons learned internationally and implementing one of the most generous FIT (Feed-in Tariff) programs going in global PV field. In my mind it is no brainer to learn from something that works in other countries that implemented it, but for the Canadian government to take such a decisive action in times of crisis. For change, it shows a refreshing sign of leadership.
I’m not going to get into details of FIT and micro-FIT programs, you can find enough data about the programs on OPA web site http://fit.powerauthority.on.ca/
Over the next several months, I believe you will see materialization of a number of trends. Some will generate exciting success stories, some will have more negative tone. The up and downs are what makes watching this relatively new industry so fascinating.
On one side you will see new people getting involved alongside the established firms in harnessing the power of sun. It is the right thing to do in terms of sustainability as the sun is the only resource that drives all other sources of energy and life on our blue planet. It is the right thing to do and now can be economically very attractive. You will see more financial institutions jumping on the bandwagon and making pacts with installers which is a great news for the consumers as the finances are need to make projects happen. Capital costs of the projects is where I see a weakness in the current offering. The OEMs and installers are not articulating the value proposition correctly to the clients. They are pushing technology rather than sustainable, economic solution that is guaranteed for 20 years by government of Ontario. This type of agreement is hard to argue with if you are in finance, unfortunately it is a bit of a bottle neck at this time as it is a brand new trend to follow for financiers. It will get sorted out over time and more strategic relationships will get formed between OEMs, installers and finance.
The excitement needs to be balanced with responsibility to deliver a quality product. This may be a problem as I see people applying at high rate, but there is only a handful of qualified professionals to actually manage the projects, design and do execute the job.
Not too long ago there was only a handful of firms in the Ottawa’s PV space based more on the belief of doing the right thing rather than very sound economic models. I’m not knocking them down, quite the contrary. It takes guts to start a business you know is ahead of adaptation curve as your target market is very small. I hope all these folks that started early and have so much vested in the business will be successful, able to leverage their experience in the field.
You have heard many times saying: “the devil is in the details”. This is especially true for the PV projects as there is a great number of consideration, variables and distinct lack of experience I already mentioned.
You are crazy if you don’t do a correct assessment as the first thing. You need to consider your roof orientation, pitch, elevation, shading and factor in local insolation to start with. What is even more important is assessment of structurally sound your roof is and correctly estimate the time left before the roof needs to undergo a maintenance. Last thing you want is for the roof to collapse or get ripped apart by weight of the system, accumulated snow weight or wind load where your panels act as sails, thus stressing your roof structure. You also want to avoid removing your panels and fastening system to redo your shingle or membrane roofing systems.
I heard the first horror stories about installers using incorrect fastening systems. This goes back to lack of experience and presently practiced absence of adequate quality in construction. This paradigm needs to change immediately in Solar PV space. The efficiency of the system is fairly low begin with, so your system is going to be only as good as your design decisions, quality of the installation and finally the choice of equipment used.
Make sure the systems are designed and installed only by a qualified personnel. OPA lists the questions to ask your installers in the FIT program overview on their web site. Get informed first, cover your base, before signing up.
I can’t stress enough the importance of proper design and factoring quality into your project. Every detail counts and can’t be overlooked to get the expected performance as stated by installer and OEM. There will be a plenty of stories resulting in wasted money by systems improperly installed or installed in suboptimal conditions.
Technology is #3 on my list of priority after design and expert, quality project execution. The selection of technology is as important as design and installation, but all three pieces need to be present to maximize the program returns, meet the operator’s expectations and enjoy relative maintenance free operation of the PV system.
There are only a few vendors that current qualify for the Ontario content FIT requirement. These qualified OEM/vendors are the starting point. Then you examine total sum of efficiencies in all components – panels, inverters as stated by OEMs, length of conductors, connections leading to transmission loss before you even hit the renewable energy meter.
There is whole lot of technology out there, each claimed to be superior. Again, this is not a simple matter to settle.
What I would like to stress to you is that having a reputable and trustworthy installer that is not new in the space is going to be the key. Over time, most installers will gain experience, just don’t let it be on your account.
Do your homework, get references, talk to the clients that have the systems in operation for at least couple of years. Substandard PV system performance is one thing, leaking or damaged roof is entirely different story, but both will cost you big time...
So what panels to choose? Ontario qualified manufacturers currently specialize in mono and polycrystalline panels. I’m not aware of any thin film panels being offered just yet that qualify for the program. Thin film panels are cheaper to make and better at harvesting diffused or indirect light and may be a better choice for some installations where crystalline panel systems would suffer. There are of course some downsides too relating to projected longevity and the fact these have lower conversion efficiency ratings over crystalline products, etc.
Inverter space is a another story undergoing a bit of a revolution. There are many different types of inverters to start with, suitable for different applications dependent on the site and operator requirements. There are string inverters vs. microinverters. Some will allow per panel performance monitoring, eliminate panel mismatching or partial shading phenomena, where others won’t. There are many choices, many decisions.
What I’m trying to say is - if you are not an expert in the PV field, hire an expert!
One that is very familiar with pros and cons of each product, combination of products and can help you to reduce the risk of not achieving the desired performance. The PV contract length with OPA is 20 years, you want to maximize the system performance with minimum losses over the two decades, in order to meet your payback and revenue forecasts.
PV arena will be a very interesting place to watch. You consumer, developer, if you have south facing roof space without obstructions, get in, check out the FIT programs, see if these are right for you.
If yes, the sooner you do it, the better. OPA along with local hydro companies will eventually have to start rejecting applications as installations will lead to power grid destabilization. Some of the causes are related to intermittent nature of solar energy, state of transmission and distribution line capacity as well as total cost of the program. Achieving the adaptation goals, some EU countries have already terminated their very successful FIT programs.
The Ontario FIT programs will ultimately lead to inflow of investment, innovation in new, more efficient technology, redistribution of the grid, addressing grid challenges due to its age, creation of new jobs, but will also result just like every new industry in a consolidation and ultimately a survival of the fittest.
Exciting times...
Solar PV OEMs and major players in renewables are spreading their networks and establishing new offices throughout Ontario, Ottawa not being an exception. New companies in the PV space are popping up like mushrooms after the rain.
In the recent days I have attended two shows to get a taste of the competitive landscape and talk to some of the folks on both ends of the spectrum. One show was the Go Green Ottawa, the second was the Spring Home show. Both were hosted at the Lansdowne Park. What I saw was an emergence of new, somewhat immature industry, where people are feeling their way through the darkness, not articulating the value proposition correctly, basically learning on the job. I haven’t seen this much energy in a long time, which is both exciting and somewhat disconcerting at the same time.
First, I applaud Ontario government for adopting the lessons learned internationally and implementing one of the most generous FIT (Feed-in Tariff) programs going in global PV field. In my mind it is no brainer to learn from something that works in other countries that implemented it, but for the Canadian government to take such a decisive action in times of crisis. For change, it shows a refreshing sign of leadership.
I’m not going to get into details of FIT and micro-FIT programs, you can find enough data about the programs on OPA web site http://fit.powerauthority.on.ca/
Over the next several months, I believe you will see materialization of a number of trends. Some will generate exciting success stories, some will have more negative tone. The up and downs are what makes watching this relatively new industry so fascinating.
The excitement needs to be balanced with responsibility to deliver a quality product. This may be a problem as I see people applying at high rate, but there is only a handful of qualified professionals to actually manage the projects, design and do execute the job.
Not too long ago there was only a handful of firms in the Ottawa’s PV space based more on the belief of doing the right thing rather than very sound economic models. I’m not knocking them down, quite the contrary. It takes guts to start a business you know is ahead of adaptation curve as your target market is very small. I hope all these folks that started early and have so much vested in the business will be successful, able to leverage their experience in the field.
You have heard many times saying: “the devil is in the details”. This is especially true for the PV projects as there is a great number of consideration, variables and distinct lack of experience I already mentioned.
You are crazy if you don’t do a correct assessment as the first thing. You need to consider your roof orientation, pitch, elevation, shading and factor in local insolation to start with. What is even more important is assessment of structurally sound your roof is and correctly estimate the time left before the roof needs to undergo a maintenance. Last thing you want is for the roof to collapse or get ripped apart by weight of the system, accumulated snow weight or wind load where your panels act as sails, thus stressing your roof structure. You also want to avoid removing your panels and fastening system to redo your shingle or membrane roofing systems.
I heard the first horror stories about installers using incorrect fastening systems. This goes back to lack of experience and presently practiced absence of adequate quality in construction. This paradigm needs to change immediately in Solar PV space. The efficiency of the system is fairly low begin with, so your system is going to be only as good as your design decisions, quality of the installation and finally the choice of equipment used.
Make sure the systems are designed and installed only by a qualified personnel. OPA lists the questions to ask your installers in the FIT program overview on their web site. Get informed first, cover your base, before signing up.
I can’t stress enough the importance of proper design and factoring quality into your project. Every detail counts and can’t be overlooked to get the expected performance as stated by installer and OEM. There will be a plenty of stories resulting in wasted money by systems improperly installed or installed in suboptimal conditions.
Technology is #3 on my list of priority after design and expert, quality project execution. The selection of technology is as important as design and installation, but all three pieces need to be present to maximize the program returns, meet the operator’s expectations and enjoy relative maintenance free operation of the PV system.
There are only a few vendors that current qualify for the Ontario content FIT requirement. These qualified OEM/vendors are the starting point. Then you examine total sum of efficiencies in all components – panels, inverters as stated by OEMs, length of conductors, connections leading to transmission loss before you even hit the renewable energy meter.
There is whole lot of technology out there, each claimed to be superior. Again, this is not a simple matter to settle.
What I would like to stress to you is that having a reputable and trustworthy installer that is not new in the space is going to be the key. Over time, most installers will gain experience, just don’t let it be on your account.
Do your homework, get references, talk to the clients that have the systems in operation for at least couple of years. Substandard PV system performance is one thing, leaking or damaged roof is entirely different story, but both will cost you big time...
So what panels to choose? Ontario qualified manufacturers currently specialize in mono and polycrystalline panels. I’m not aware of any thin film panels being offered just yet that qualify for the program. Thin film panels are cheaper to make and better at harvesting diffused or indirect light and may be a better choice for some installations where crystalline panel systems would suffer. There are of course some downsides too relating to projected longevity and the fact these have lower conversion efficiency ratings over crystalline products, etc.
Inverter space is a another story undergoing a bit of a revolution. There are many different types of inverters to start with, suitable for different applications dependent on the site and operator requirements. There are string inverters vs. microinverters. Some will allow per panel performance monitoring, eliminate panel mismatching or partial shading phenomena, where others won’t. There are many choices, many decisions.
What I’m trying to say is - if you are not an expert in the PV field, hire an expert!
One that is very familiar with pros and cons of each product, combination of products and can help you to reduce the risk of not achieving the desired performance. The PV contract length with OPA is 20 years, you want to maximize the system performance with minimum losses over the two decades, in order to meet your payback and revenue forecasts.
PV arena will be a very interesting place to watch. You consumer, developer, if you have south facing roof space without obstructions, get in, check out the FIT programs, see if these are right for you.
If yes, the sooner you do it, the better. OPA along with local hydro companies will eventually have to start rejecting applications as installations will lead to power grid destabilization. Some of the causes are related to intermittent nature of solar energy, state of transmission and distribution line capacity as well as total cost of the program. Achieving the adaptation goals, some EU countries have already terminated their very successful FIT programs.
The Ontario FIT programs will ultimately lead to inflow of investment, innovation in new, more efficient technology, redistribution of the grid, addressing grid challenges due to its age, creation of new jobs, but will also result just like every new industry in a consolidation and ultimately a survival of the fittest.
Exciting times...
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Energy From Waste Technology
Not long ago, I was involved in the revolutionary field of creating Energy from Waste (EFW).
I was excited to have a hand in something that could leave a lasting legacy for the future generations.
Why?
Having a great interest in the subject of human impact on our planet, I’m troubled by the traditional methods of waste disposal that are costly, have a profound impact on the environment, our food chain and the future of our children.
Since we constantly generate waste, we have been disposing a very significant resource of renewable energy. The organic portion of the waste consisting mostly of Hydrogen, Carbon and Oxygen has a significant energy value that is literally convertible to cash.
Making energy from waste - What a clever concept!
Instead of burying or incinerating the waste, feed it into a process that converts this organic matter into a gas, gas to electrical energy and other useful by-products without the environmental impact of the more traditional methods.
You ask what is this organic matter full of energy?
The organic materials, or your feedstock – consist of food waste, paper, plastics, carpet, wood, biomass even tires or coal can be used for the energy from waste conversion process.
Municipal solid waste also contains inorganic materials such as rocks, glass, metals, etc. things that will not burn if lit on fire under the normal circumstances.
Inorganic materials are sorted out prior to entering the process or pass right through it without much chemical interaction.
I mentioned word combustion under normal circumstances. I used the term on purpose, because this process doesn’t use combustion and I wanted to drive the point home. Combustion happens only in the presence of oxidant such as air.
Combustion in EFW process is mostly not desired, because oxidation at high temperatures creates toxic chemicals that you later have to get rid of at a great expense, not to mention that combustion significantly reduces the calorific value of your product – a synthesis gas, also called Syngas...
Here comes an important point and my opinion: EFW process should be an anaerobic process that happens in an absence of air. It is a thermal decomposition where complex molecules of solid waste are broken down to simpler gases such as Hydrogen, Methane, CO, CO2 and very small amounts of other more complex hydrocarbons (HCs).
The Syngas is then cleaned up of the more complex HCs and nowadays used as a fuel to run internal combustion engine generators or combined cycle co-generation, using gas and steam turbines. These giant machines are optimized to run on Syngas with extreme reliability and very low emissions. A small portion of electricity generated is used to run the process with the balance sold to the energy grid.
Really cool fact about the whole concept is that we are only scratching the surface. The potential for various methods of Syngas utilization and creation of future technologies on this foundation is immense. For example, Instead of using the Syngas for generating electricity, we could be using it to produce a pure Hydrogen, which can be used as a fuel for your future hybrid electric / fuel cell vehicle. Other alternatives include turning Syngas into Natural Gas substitute that can be feed back into Natural Gas distribution network. There is a great potential for production of various liquid fuels and other useful chemicals.
The waste heat from the plants can be used to generate more electrical energy, use it to heat greenhouses or other buildings. The waste CO2 can be re-used as a plant fertilizer or used to grow micro-algae. Micro-algae are great potential source of medicinal oils, liquid fuels, fertilizer, animal feedstock and who knows maybe a source for engineered food in the near future.
While this energy from waste technology is not easy or cheap to develop, the potential for closing the loop in our product creation, consumption and renewal cycle is there, which is very, very significant. It is of strategic importance to human kind to get this technology right to reduce our environmental footprint, assist with getting us off the fossil fuels, have renewable source of energy and yeah, somewhere I mentioned the food. For animals to start with...
I urge our government to continue supporting organizations in EFW business, helping them to complete the development and commercialization of this disruptive technology. We need to nurture and support these programs any way we can as an investment into our collective future, not to mention it makes an incredible economic sense and as an opportunity to put people to work in a new, greener economy.
I’m confident that EFW can turn into a major success story, put us on the course of more sustainable and responsible living. In the long term EFW programs will assist our shrinking planet with the cleanup and self healing, ultimately benefiting all its inhabitants.
I was excited to have a hand in something that could leave a lasting legacy for the future generations.
Why?
Having a great interest in the subject of human impact on our planet, I’m troubled by the traditional methods of waste disposal that are costly, have a profound impact on the environment, our food chain and the future of our children.
Since we constantly generate waste, we have been disposing a very significant resource of renewable energy. The organic portion of the waste consisting mostly of Hydrogen, Carbon and Oxygen has a significant energy value that is literally convertible to cash.
Making energy from waste - What a clever concept!
You ask what is this organic matter full of energy?
The organic materials, or your feedstock – consist of food waste, paper, plastics, carpet, wood, biomass even tires or coal can be used for the energy from waste conversion process.
Municipal solid waste also contains inorganic materials such as rocks, glass, metals, etc. things that will not burn if lit on fire under the normal circumstances.
Inorganic materials are sorted out prior to entering the process or pass right through it without much chemical interaction.
I mentioned word combustion under normal circumstances. I used the term on purpose, because this process doesn’t use combustion and I wanted to drive the point home. Combustion happens only in the presence of oxidant such as air.
Combustion in EFW process is mostly not desired, because oxidation at high temperatures creates toxic chemicals that you later have to get rid of at a great expense, not to mention that combustion significantly reduces the calorific value of your product – a synthesis gas, also called Syngas...
Here comes an important point and my opinion: EFW process should be an anaerobic process that happens in an absence of air. It is a thermal decomposition where complex molecules of solid waste are broken down to simpler gases such as Hydrogen, Methane, CO, CO2 and very small amounts of other more complex hydrocarbons (HCs).
The Syngas is then cleaned up of the more complex HCs and nowadays used as a fuel to run internal combustion engine generators or combined cycle co-generation, using gas and steam turbines. These giant machines are optimized to run on Syngas with extreme reliability and very low emissions. A small portion of electricity generated is used to run the process with the balance sold to the energy grid.
Really cool fact about the whole concept is that we are only scratching the surface. The potential for various methods of Syngas utilization and creation of future technologies on this foundation is immense. For example, Instead of using the Syngas for generating electricity, we could be using it to produce a pure Hydrogen, which can be used as a fuel for your future hybrid electric / fuel cell vehicle. Other alternatives include turning Syngas into Natural Gas substitute that can be feed back into Natural Gas distribution network. There is a great potential for production of various liquid fuels and other useful chemicals.
The waste heat from the plants can be used to generate more electrical energy, use it to heat greenhouses or other buildings. The waste CO2 can be re-used as a plant fertilizer or used to grow micro-algae. Micro-algae are great potential source of medicinal oils, liquid fuels, fertilizer, animal feedstock and who knows maybe a source for engineered food in the near future.
While this energy from waste technology is not easy or cheap to develop, the potential for closing the loop in our product creation, consumption and renewal cycle is there, which is very, very significant. It is of strategic importance to human kind to get this technology right to reduce our environmental footprint, assist with getting us off the fossil fuels, have renewable source of energy and yeah, somewhere I mentioned the food. For animals to start with...
I urge our government to continue supporting organizations in EFW business, helping them to complete the development and commercialization of this disruptive technology. We need to nurture and support these programs any way we can as an investment into our collective future, not to mention it makes an incredible economic sense and as an opportunity to put people to work in a new, greener economy.
I’m confident that EFW can turn into a major success story, put us on the course of more sustainable and responsible living. In the long term EFW programs will assist our shrinking planet with the cleanup and self healing, ultimately benefiting all its inhabitants.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Building insulation, heat loss, solar gain and heat transfer
When I came to Canada in mid 80’s I worked in residential building construction “learning English”. Coming from Europe where the building technologies are much different it occurred to me that there is something odd about the product of the north American building industry. I couldn't quite put my finger on it at the time.
In the 90s I built myself a house where I used some of the R2000 standard methodology.
While I did a very good job at sealing the building envelope with copious amounts of Tyvek wrap, tape, foam, caulking and vapour barrier, my efforts went only so far. The furnace was still running in the winter and A/C was churning in the summer more than I would have liked. Although better than an average Canadian home, the comfort level and overall energy use seemed less than optimal for me.
It wasn’t until about 5 years ago, when I started being preoccupied with efficiency, sustainability and alternate building technologies that I started cluing into the problems related to buildings and heat transfer.
There are 3 types of thermal transfer that we need to be cognisant of:
• Conduction
• Convection
• Radiation
Today’s North American residential buildings remind me of giant heat sinks. The technology itself doesn’t address adequately the thermal bridging phenomena where heat travels through solid materials, such as your studs, windows, etc.
If you look at the thermographic image of a building in the winter, this becomes quite apparent with the visible, warm colour contrasts depicting where the highest rates of thermal transfer take place.
There are also the thermal bridging areas that are not clearly visible. Does your basement feel cold in the winter? This is because of the heat loss through the footings, inadequate slab and basement wall insulation.
Solution:
Start with the properly insulated footings and foundation, talk to your architect, builder about super-insulating. Best money you can spend...
The more thermally efficient building envelope you have means less money you will spend on the energies and savings on scaling down your HVAC equipment. You will also experience higher comfort levels without hot or cold spots in your building. Don’t forget the high quality windows and doors to slow the heat transfer. Instead of siding, consider using stucco where the extra layer of EPS insulation reduces thermal bridging through the walls. Check out Plaston Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems by http://www.plaston.ca/ to learn more on the subject.
The roofs, Oh those shingle roofs!
Asphalt is one of the best absorbers of infrared energy. Your shingles absorb anywhere between 80-95% of thermal energy from the sun and then transfer this energy under your roof heating up the attic air. Some IR wavelengths further penetrate right into your building interior where we use more energy to cool for comfort. Sounds wasteful? It is.
The same happens with low quality or antiquated windows – solar gain further heats your interior in the summer. Walls, lacking radiant barrier are no exception and subject to the same phenomena.
Solution:
For roofing, stick with the light reflective colours and if you can, avoid the asphalt shingles altogether. Look into metal roofing systems. While they cost more, these are far more durable, last longer and reduce the radiant heat and increase your home resale value. While we are on the topic of roofs, look into proper attic ventilation and don’t forget to Google green roofs.
Radiant heat traveling through the walls can be reduced by application of radiant prevention foils, membranes and even insulation panels with silvery radiant foil already attached for easy installation.
Don’t forget to consult windows experts, make sure your windows have the correct glazing. Note, you should not have the same type of glazing on all of your windows. I highly recommend local Ottawa company Thermotech windows http://www.thermotechwindows.com/ . They have an exceptional line of windows and a great service.
Excessive building air infiltration is another weakness that costs you money. Our homes are full of smaller and larger holes that invite hot or cold air inside of your home. The problem is that it is always the opposite temperature of desired. In the winter the cold air gets in and the warm air out and in the summer it is the opposite. I read somewhere that average sum of all unintended openings equals to having a hole the size of a medicine ball whacked into the side of your home – hardly a prescription for efficiency...
Solution:
As with everything, proper planning and design is the key, but in this particular case you start with the right choice of quality doors, windows, then Stop!
Don’t let the inadequate installation to ruin the result. In the industry, improper installation is very common leading to wasted materials, time, money and can lead to water damage, mould and costly repairs.
Furthermore, It is critical that care is taken to foam every gap, tuck tape every seam and connection. Feel free to go obsessive here, you can’t go wrong...
I mentioned only a few issues, however the problem starts with an incorrect urban planning in relation to building orientation and a lack of building science in the building design. Most will agree there is a lack of quality factored in construction process where builder / building operator are two different people, so the old paradigm rules, not in favour of the owner/operator. The owner gets stuck with repair and energy bills.
Today’s energy prices are making us complacent, we just don’t feel enough pain to act and do the right thing by building energy efficient homes.
For you as the consumer it is very difficult to acquire a building that has the longevity, comfort, health benefits and beauty at the right price that you so desire and deserve!
The great news is there are economical solutions to these issues. While I touched on some at very high level, one by one, we will address these in more detail in my future blogs.
So, stay tuned and feel free to send me your comments.
In the 90s I built myself a house where I used some of the R2000 standard methodology.
While I did a very good job at sealing the building envelope with copious amounts of Tyvek wrap, tape, foam, caulking and vapour barrier, my efforts went only so far. The furnace was still running in the winter and A/C was churning in the summer more than I would have liked. Although better than an average Canadian home, the comfort level and overall energy use seemed less than optimal for me.
It wasn’t until about 5 years ago, when I started being preoccupied with efficiency, sustainability and alternate building technologies that I started cluing into the problems related to buildings and heat transfer.
There are 3 types of thermal transfer that we need to be cognisant of:
• Conduction
• Convection
• Radiation
Today’s North American residential buildings remind me of giant heat sinks. The technology itself doesn’t address adequately the thermal bridging phenomena where heat travels through solid materials, such as your studs, windows, etc.
If you look at the thermographic image of a building in the winter, this becomes quite apparent with the visible, warm colour contrasts depicting where the highest rates of thermal transfer take place.
There are also the thermal bridging areas that are not clearly visible. Does your basement feel cold in the winter? This is because of the heat loss through the footings, inadequate slab and basement wall insulation.
Solution:
Start with the properly insulated footings and foundation, talk to your architect, builder about super-insulating. Best money you can spend...
The more thermally efficient building envelope you have means less money you will spend on the energies and savings on scaling down your HVAC equipment. You will also experience higher comfort levels without hot or cold spots in your building. Don’t forget the high quality windows and doors to slow the heat transfer. Instead of siding, consider using stucco where the extra layer of EPS insulation reduces thermal bridging through the walls. Check out Plaston Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems by http://www.plaston.ca/ to learn more on the subject.
The roofs, Oh those shingle roofs!
Asphalt is one of the best absorbers of infrared energy. Your shingles absorb anywhere between 80-95% of thermal energy from the sun and then transfer this energy under your roof heating up the attic air. Some IR wavelengths further penetrate right into your building interior where we use more energy to cool for comfort. Sounds wasteful? It is.
The same happens with low quality or antiquated windows – solar gain further heats your interior in the summer. Walls, lacking radiant barrier are no exception and subject to the same phenomena.
Solution:
For roofing, stick with the light reflective colours and if you can, avoid the asphalt shingles altogether. Look into metal roofing systems. While they cost more, these are far more durable, last longer and reduce the radiant heat and increase your home resale value. While we are on the topic of roofs, look into proper attic ventilation and don’t forget to Google green roofs.
Radiant heat traveling through the walls can be reduced by application of radiant prevention foils, membranes and even insulation panels with silvery radiant foil already attached for easy installation.
Don’t forget to consult windows experts, make sure your windows have the correct glazing. Note, you should not have the same type of glazing on all of your windows. I highly recommend local Ottawa company Thermotech windows http://www.thermotechwindows.com/ . They have an exceptional line of windows and a great service.
Excessive building air infiltration is another weakness that costs you money. Our homes are full of smaller and larger holes that invite hot or cold air inside of your home. The problem is that it is always the opposite temperature of desired. In the winter the cold air gets in and the warm air out and in the summer it is the opposite. I read somewhere that average sum of all unintended openings equals to having a hole the size of a medicine ball whacked into the side of your home – hardly a prescription for efficiency...
Solution:
As with everything, proper planning and design is the key, but in this particular case you start with the right choice of quality doors, windows, then Stop!
Don’t let the inadequate installation to ruin the result. In the industry, improper installation is very common leading to wasted materials, time, money and can lead to water damage, mould and costly repairs.
Furthermore, It is critical that care is taken to foam every gap, tuck tape every seam and connection. Feel free to go obsessive here, you can’t go wrong...
I mentioned only a few issues, however the problem starts with an incorrect urban planning in relation to building orientation and a lack of building science in the building design. Most will agree there is a lack of quality factored in construction process where builder / building operator are two different people, so the old paradigm rules, not in favour of the owner/operator. The owner gets stuck with repair and energy bills.
Today’s energy prices are making us complacent, we just don’t feel enough pain to act and do the right thing by building energy efficient homes.
For you as the consumer it is very difficult to acquire a building that has the longevity, comfort, health benefits and beauty at the right price that you so desire and deserve!
The great news is there are economical solutions to these issues. While I touched on some at very high level, one by one, we will address these in more detail in my future blogs.
So, stay tuned and feel free to send me your comments.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Start Building Sustainable Future
I came to the following conclusions:
The human interaction with the nature, one another and its effects on the planet Earth is rooted in our mindset, the way our brains are wired, the inputs and programming we are receiving from the family, society, from the media resulting in the ways we treat this planet today.
We made much progress as species in a very short time to the detriment of our planet and ourselves. However, being at the top of the food chain makes us obligated to figure out a way out of current predicament. That statement may actually come as a surprise to a lot of people.
Yeah, every one of us bears the responsibility and at some point we will collectively be accountable for our actions to the future generations. We will require a creation of a fundamental paradigm shift, away from demand for instant gratification and collecting excess wealth without giving back to the planet and society. There are ways of achieving the balance between our needs and wants. Let's start working on the right type of legacy.
We need to examine the history and re-learn how to plan for the future, the skills that kept our ancestors alive and our presence possible.
Examine the more recent lessons learned. Take for example the “own the podium” approach adopted for Olympics that has turned into a lot of gold for Canada in more than one way. Why not continue with the same philosophy that generated incredible performance and demonstrated leadership?
As a country, we need to stop simply following every trend in the US. Granted, our economies are somewhat joined together, it doesn’t mean they are on right track. Well, this is a subject for another day...
I think most Canadians will agree that we have an acute need for leadership role to seize the incredible opportunity in the front of us and build the new economy on Carbon ashes of the old one (which is not working too well, is it..).
Educate, retool for the new economy, put people back to work in the present for the future. Figure out the lifecycles, plan, execute...
I’m not by any means a tree hugger or a green crusader. I developed my perspective over past many years looking at what is going on this planet.
At the present day, it is no longer feasible and strategic to look at our doings from a 30 000 foot view. Instead, we have to learn to look at the Earth as if we were sitting in the space. This face view of a slowly rotating planet is needed in order to understand this complex ecosystem with all its political, social, economic, geographic, cultural, ecological, etc. etc. variables. It is important to understand these variables interact with one another in the closed environment that WE are sharing.
In this context, it is not unlike looking at a fish bowl. You upset the conditions in the bowl, the fish will not thrive...
Start Building Sustainable Future.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
From spacecraft to building insulation and daylighting - Aerogel
I often surf the WEB searching for various new materials and technologies, which helps me synthesize these bits of information into new ideas.
This time, I was searching for insulating materials used in aerospace industry because spacecraft are exposed to the most extreme conditions we seldom experience here on earth being protected by our atmosphere.
These craft are routinely bombarded by extreme radiation, cold and heat and are build to special requirements to make them survive and operate reliably under such conditions. Lots to learn here...
It didn’t take long Googling to find something interesting.
A family of materials with incredible properties jumped out at me – Aerogels.
Aerogel is a man made material with lowest density of any known porous solid. It has an incredible surface area and is very light, made of 95-99% air or other gas in volume.
Depending on desired Aerogel properties, the gas is bound with other materials like Silica, metal oxides, polymers, Carbon, etc..
It is used for variety of different functions in aerospace and other commercial applications, but for purpose of this blog, we will take a look at its properties for use in building architecture.
Aerogels are great thermal insulators because they retard heat transfer via radiation, convection and conduction. They have sound dampening properties.
Another benefit is translucency, a diffused light transmission capability, which is another excellent feature in constructing healthy and efficient buildings.
Humans are drawn to natural light much needed for feeling of well being. Using daylighting also means not using artificial light / electricity, hence saving money and displacing GHGs.
Based on Aerogel principles, there are several companies pursuing development of great products used in green building architecture.
http://www.thermablok.com/index.html
http://kalwall.com/nanogel.htm
Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of using Kalwall products:
• Diffuse Museum-quality Daylighting
• Eliminate harsh lighting contrasts
• Increase thermal insulation
• Improve sound insulation
• Minimize solar heat gain
• Reduce energy costs for air conditioning, heating and artificial lighting
• Resist condensation to prohibit growth of mould and mildew
• Gain LEED® points
Examine parameters of Kalwall+ Nanogel Thermal Insulation* and Light Transmission* of 2 ¾ inch (70 mm)-thick panels:
• R-value: 20 (U = 0.05 Btu/hr/ft2/°F, or 0.3 W/m2K)
• Light transmission: from 12% to 20%
• Solar Heat Gain Coefficient: from 0.12 to 0.22
• Acoustic Insulation: 35 STC
As you can see the performance parameters are outstanding given the thickness of the panel.
If you are interested in the products for a particular project, the manufacturer will work with you on the model and benefit / cost analysis.
http://www.daylightmodeling.com/daylight.htm
For more information on Aerogels visit the following resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerogel
http://www.aerogel.org/
As interesting and amazing Aerogels are in their properties, they can be as beautiful integrated in the buildings.
By clever application of architecture, buildings are given visually stunning look, soaking interiors with healthy, diffused daylight.
Very nice indeed...
This time, I was searching for insulating materials used in aerospace industry because spacecraft are exposed to the most extreme conditions we seldom experience here on earth being protected by our atmosphere.
These craft are routinely bombarded by extreme radiation, cold and heat and are build to special requirements to make them survive and operate reliably under such conditions. Lots to learn here...
It didn’t take long Googling to find something interesting.
Aerogel is a man made material with lowest density of any known porous solid. It has an incredible surface area and is very light, made of 95-99% air or other gas in volume.
Depending on desired Aerogel properties, the gas is bound with other materials like Silica, metal oxides, polymers, Carbon, etc..
It is used for variety of different functions in aerospace and other commercial applications, but for purpose of this blog, we will take a look at its properties for use in building architecture.
Aerogels are great thermal insulators because they retard heat transfer via radiation, convection and conduction. They have sound dampening properties.
Another benefit is translucency, a diffused light transmission capability, which is another excellent feature in constructing healthy and efficient buildings.
Humans are drawn to natural light much needed for feeling of well being. Using daylighting also means not using artificial light / electricity, hence saving money and displacing GHGs.
Based on Aerogel principles, there are several companies pursuing development of great products used in green building architecture.
http://www.thermablok.com/index.html
http://kalwall.com/nanogel.htm
Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of using Kalwall products:
• Diffuse Museum-quality Daylighting
• Eliminate harsh lighting contrasts
• Increase thermal insulation
• Improve sound insulation
• Minimize solar heat gain
• Reduce energy costs for air conditioning, heating and artificial lighting
• Resist condensation to prohibit growth of mould and mildew
• Gain LEED® points
Examine parameters of Kalwall+ Nanogel Thermal Insulation* and Light Transmission* of 2 ¾ inch (70 mm)-thick panels:
• R-value: 20 (U = 0.05 Btu/hr/ft2/°F, or 0.3 W/m2K)
• Light transmission: from 12% to 20%
• Solar Heat Gain Coefficient: from 0.12 to 0.22
• Acoustic Insulation: 35 STC
As you can see the performance parameters are outstanding given the thickness of the panel.
If you are interested in the products for a particular project, the manufacturer will work with you on the model and benefit / cost analysis.
http://www.daylightmodeling.com/daylight.htm
For more information on Aerogels visit the following resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerogel
http://www.aerogel.org/
As interesting and amazing Aerogels are in their properties, they can be as beautiful integrated in the buildings.
By clever application of architecture, buildings are given visually stunning look, soaking interiors with healthy, diffused daylight.
Very nice indeed...
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Why is Ottawa so far behind? California adopts statewide green building code
The following has been posted on LinkedIn by Scott Brooker at Cushman & Wakefield Ottawa, Green Real Estate Practice Group:
Why is Ottawa so far behind? California adopts statewide green building code
http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/ID/4397
In this blog, I will try to touch upon some of the nuts and bolts relevant to the issue.
California has been in the forefront of adopting new greener solutions for some time. The movement has been further fueled by state’s problems with rolling blackouts exasperated by ever growing power demand. The leaders recognized the need to increase efficiencies along with the addition of more distributed power generation capabilities, leading to programs that stimulated adoption of these systems.
The new building code legislation is no different. It shows vision and responsibility, although there is the glaring question of being able to balance the state budget. I’m not familiar with the economic details to comment at this time.
Ottawa is far behind indeed. The issue is complex and not simple to answer in a short sentence. It will take some time and fair bit of energy to steer us in the right direction. It is called change.
I see several variables contributing to the root cause in relation specifically to both residential and commercial buildings.
We need to do much better in terms of changing political will and support that would lead to more robust funding, incentives, subsidies for championing the green building design and construction, moving it quickly into mainstream. Some barriers to entry we content with are high capital costs for retrofits, renewable energy systems, need for skills retooling, new talent and of course some appetite for risk that has been reduced by changing economy and rather cool funding climate in Ottawa. Still, I believe that we have plenty of entrepreneurial spirit left in Ottawa, we just need to nurture it and support it the right way. Not to mention this is a recipe for building emerging green economy and much needed job creation. If we won’t do it, others will. People overseas are wisely investing their money into the future and are starting to reap the benefits.
Other cities like Toronto passed legislation where any new commercial building will have to sport a green roof.
What bugs me the most is that Ottawa should be the leader in Canada, not a follower!
We need to build awareness and political support. Have a dialogue with your local politicians.
There is a lack of understanding what efficiency and sustainability is about and it's relevancy.
At present, you may be paying up front a bit more, but you quickly recoup your investment in reduced energy needs, higher productivity of tenants, increased health benefits (or reduced medical costs) and of course reduced footprint on the environment that we are so bad at quantifying. It makes absolutely no sense to me to heat up the sky in the winter then spend absurd amounts of energy to cool our buildings down in the summer months, etc..
The designers and builders are usually not the building operators. They are pressed by economic realities to build quick and cheap, often cutting corners with no foresight for the long term effects. Most buildings are built to minimum code, which isn’t much. This results in operational inefficiency, skyrocketing maintenance costs and wasted material filling up our landfills.
A fundamental paradigm shift is required to factor the quality into design and especially the execution of the project – construction.
There is a plenty of standards (LEED, PassivHaus, etc.) to examine. Especially the LEED system should be adopted as soon as possible for any new construction to mitigate the negative effects of the present, unsustainable practice.
We need to develop and standardize on use of better modeling systems, procedures for quantifying the operating benefits of green buildings. What you can’t measure, you can’t manage, hence the problem with status quo persists.
Without proper models, we are doing a poor job at cost/benefit prior to starting a project, so once again the old, known, but not so great - wins.
Low energy costs along with human nature are helping to keep the status quo.
Monitoring the trends outside of North America, the energy costs are guaranteed to rise in the next couple of years. Then we will be collectively scrambling to recover every last bit off efficiency to stay comfortable indoors and preserve our cash. It is not so hard to predict what that time and its economic impact may be like.
Certain aspects and priorities of system design and proper system integration often get overlooked, leading to only marginal and sometime costly end results. This has potential to detract developers from the adaptation of green design and construction in other projects.
The individual building designs (including residential), must be addressed per project case based on requirements and leveraging the building lot features for maximizing the passive strategies such as building orientation. We need to address all aspects of efficiency starting with footings, sealed building envelope, reflective roof, seasonal shading, HVAC, lighting, appliances, per circuit energy monitoring, building automation, storm sewer management, gray water management, etc.
Especially for retrofits, the assessment of renewable energy suitability should follow only after addressing the efficiency of the building envelope. This is a commonly made mistake, since the technology such as solar PV or solar thermal is much more expensive than spending money on new windows, insulation, air tightness as the first step to reduce energy requirements. Making these types of mistakes once again detracts from adaptation of the green building technology.
Green in general is still being viewed as the expensive solution, however in terms of implementation it is mostly related to economy of scale. From experience I can tell you that anything new or novel, will costs more, but this can change with a rapid adaptation of the new on a higher scale.
So for now, certain initial capital costs may be higher, but with clever use of technology, new materials, proven old passive techniques, etc. we can build buildings that will become highly sought after in a relatively short time.
Understanding the root cause of a problem is the first step to effective solutions, so keep the discussion going...
We also need more green building success stories in Ottawa, raising the public awareness.
I would like to close with the following thoughts:
We need change as more and more people are asking the same questions as Scott.
Personally, I would like to live and work in green buildings for better health, well being, increased productivity and of course, at home using the cash not spent on energies or avoidable fixes for activities that my family enjoys.
Why is Ottawa so far behind? California adopts statewide green building code
http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/ID/4397
In this blog, I will try to touch upon some of the nuts and bolts relevant to the issue.
California has been in the forefront of adopting new greener solutions for some time. The movement has been further fueled by state’s problems with rolling blackouts exasperated by ever growing power demand. The leaders recognized the need to increase efficiencies along with the addition of more distributed power generation capabilities, leading to programs that stimulated adoption of these systems.
The new building code legislation is no different. It shows vision and responsibility, although there is the glaring question of being able to balance the state budget. I’m not familiar with the economic details to comment at this time.
Ottawa is far behind indeed. The issue is complex and not simple to answer in a short sentence. It will take some time and fair bit of energy to steer us in the right direction. It is called change.
I see several variables contributing to the root cause in relation specifically to both residential and commercial buildings.
We need to do much better in terms of changing political will and support that would lead to more robust funding, incentives, subsidies for championing the green building design and construction, moving it quickly into mainstream. Some barriers to entry we content with are high capital costs for retrofits, renewable energy systems, need for skills retooling, new talent and of course some appetite for risk that has been reduced by changing economy and rather cool funding climate in Ottawa. Still, I believe that we have plenty of entrepreneurial spirit left in Ottawa, we just need to nurture it and support it the right way. Not to mention this is a recipe for building emerging green economy and much needed job creation. If we won’t do it, others will. People overseas are wisely investing their money into the future and are starting to reap the benefits.
Other cities like Toronto passed legislation where any new commercial building will have to sport a green roof.
What bugs me the most is that Ottawa should be the leader in Canada, not a follower!
We need to build awareness and political support. Have a dialogue with your local politicians.
There is a lack of understanding what efficiency and sustainability is about and it's relevancy.
At present, you may be paying up front a bit more, but you quickly recoup your investment in reduced energy needs, higher productivity of tenants, increased health benefits (or reduced medical costs) and of course reduced footprint on the environment that we are so bad at quantifying. It makes absolutely no sense to me to heat up the sky in the winter then spend absurd amounts of energy to cool our buildings down in the summer months, etc..
The designers and builders are usually not the building operators. They are pressed by economic realities to build quick and cheap, often cutting corners with no foresight for the long term effects. Most buildings are built to minimum code, which isn’t much. This results in operational inefficiency, skyrocketing maintenance costs and wasted material filling up our landfills.
A fundamental paradigm shift is required to factor the quality into design and especially the execution of the project – construction.
There is a plenty of standards (LEED, PassivHaus, etc.) to examine. Especially the LEED system should be adopted as soon as possible for any new construction to mitigate the negative effects of the present, unsustainable practice.
We need to develop and standardize on use of better modeling systems, procedures for quantifying the operating benefits of green buildings. What you can’t measure, you can’t manage, hence the problem with status quo persists.
Without proper models, we are doing a poor job at cost/benefit prior to starting a project, so once again the old, known, but not so great - wins.
Low energy costs along with human nature are helping to keep the status quo.
Monitoring the trends outside of North America, the energy costs are guaranteed to rise in the next couple of years. Then we will be collectively scrambling to recover every last bit off efficiency to stay comfortable indoors and preserve our cash. It is not so hard to predict what that time and its economic impact may be like.
Certain aspects and priorities of system design and proper system integration often get overlooked, leading to only marginal and sometime costly end results. This has potential to detract developers from the adaptation of green design and construction in other projects.
The individual building designs (including residential), must be addressed per project case based on requirements and leveraging the building lot features for maximizing the passive strategies such as building orientation. We need to address all aspects of efficiency starting with footings, sealed building envelope, reflective roof, seasonal shading, HVAC, lighting, appliances, per circuit energy monitoring, building automation, storm sewer management, gray water management, etc.
Especially for retrofits, the assessment of renewable energy suitability should follow only after addressing the efficiency of the building envelope. This is a commonly made mistake, since the technology such as solar PV or solar thermal is much more expensive than spending money on new windows, insulation, air tightness as the first step to reduce energy requirements. Making these types of mistakes once again detracts from adaptation of the green building technology.
Green in general is still being viewed as the expensive solution, however in terms of implementation it is mostly related to economy of scale. From experience I can tell you that anything new or novel, will costs more, but this can change with a rapid adaptation of the new on a higher scale.
So for now, certain initial capital costs may be higher, but with clever use of technology, new materials, proven old passive techniques, etc. we can build buildings that will become highly sought after in a relatively short time.
Understanding the root cause of a problem is the first step to effective solutions, so keep the discussion going...
We also need more green building success stories in Ottawa, raising the public awareness.
I would like to close with the following thoughts:
We need change as more and more people are asking the same questions as Scott.
Personally, I would like to live and work in green buildings for better health, well being, increased productivity and of course, at home using the cash not spent on energies or avoidable fixes for activities that my family enjoys.
Saving energy in the winter - when taking a bath
If you like to take baths, don’t immediately drain the water after getting out of the tub. Leave the water in the tub until it feels cold to the touch, only then drain it. The energy was already spent heating the water, why sending it down the drain? The heat energy from the water in the tub will gradually transfer and heat the air. It will also provide some moisture to winter’s dry air.
Overall, this means burning less fuel and few more pennies in your packet. The saving effect can be cumulative. If everyone used this simple, cost free tip, we would collectively save money, save a lot of fuels from being burned and displace significant amounts of CO2.
Do more with less, help yourself, help the planet... It can be this easy.
Overall, this means burning less fuel and few more pennies in your packet. The saving effect can be cumulative. If everyone used this simple, cost free tip, we would collectively save money, save a lot of fuels from being burned and displace significant amounts of CO2.
Do more with less, help yourself, help the planet... It can be this easy.
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