Latest Blogs From GreenExpo365.com http://greenexpo365.com:80 Sun, 5 Feb 2012 06:36:45 -0500 Siteforum feed creator v1.0 eng http://www.greenexpo365.com//SITEFORUM?&t=/Default/gateway&i=1254434613614&b=1254434613614&e=UTF-8&application=blog&elementID=1328248314557


Internet Marketing: The Key to Increased Home Sales, by industry expert Mitch Levinson, explains the essentials of Internet marketing you can use to boost your search engine rankings so you can compete in the tough market for new home sales.



Internet Marketing explains step-by-step how to increase quality website traffic and convert it to sales center visits by providing the right information to home buyers online. You’ll learn how to:



• Improve your search rankings for the keywords your program is targeting

• Fill the search engines with your primary content

• Prompt your website visitors to drive to your sales centers, call the sales office, and provide their e-mail addresses

• Spend ad dollars wisely



Also, when you place your order for Internet Marketing be sure to pick up Social Media for Home Builders 2.0: It’s Easier Than Your Think. This great companion book explains in detail the best ways to communicate with home buyers using social media.



Take advantage of the revolution in smart devices, Internet use, and social media to meet buyers where they are and improve your sales results with Internet Marketing and Social Media for Home Builders 2.0.



Get copies today from www.BuilderBooks.com and get the ROI you want for what you’re already spending on websites, blogs, social media, and advertising.



Also, don’t forget the 2012 International Builders’ Show® in Orlando, Florida – Feb. 8-11. Be sure to stop by the BuilderBooks Onsite Bookstore located in the West Concourse, Hall C Lobby of the Orlando Convention Center.



Here’s a sneak peek at our in-store special events for 2012



Daily Drawings



Visit the bookstore from Feb. 8-11 during show hours to enter the “In It to Win It” daily giveaway — a chance to win a $500 Lowe’s gift card.



High Fashion Jewelry for Less



International Jewelry Creations offering a variety of jewelry for all tastes and budgets — from fun to elegant, classic pieces to the latest styles — will be in the bookstore and add a touch of sparkle to the show.



BUILDERBOOKS.COM – BOOKS THAT BUILD YOUR BUSINESS



]]> Fri, 3 Feb 2012 00:51:54 -0500 http://www.greenexpo365.com//SITEFORUM?&t=/Default/gateway&i=1254434613614&b=1254434613614&e=UTF-8&application=blog&elementID=1328248314557 http://www.greenexpo365.com//SITEFORUM?&t=/Default/gateway&i=1254434613614&b=1254434613614&e=UTF-8&application=blog&elementID=1327421670898
View all Education and Events

Renaissance Hotel

1551 North Thoreau Drive - Schaumburg

Details



Date/Time:

Date(s) - 31 Jan 2012

8:00 AM - 5:30 PM



Location:

Renaissance Hotel



Event Type: Continuing Education



Continuing Education: 7 AIA/CES/CoreNet



Event Description:



In today’s business, LEED is the language of green. LEED for Homes is a green rating system for mixed-use multi-family buildings, up to six stories in height, as well as single-family homes. This course provides an introduction to the LEED for Homes rating system and delivery model. The course addresses the intents and requirements of prerequisites and key credits within the rating system while providing real world examples of strategies to meet them. The course also identifies the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders and a LEED for Homes project and is designed to prepare the professional to plan for key considerations and requirements for the LEED certification process.



LEED for Homes covers single- and multi-family buildings



LEED for Homes covers single- and multi-family buildings



Course Objectives



* Identify the types of projects which are eligible

* Recognize the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders in the LEED certification process.

* Recognize goals, intents, and requirements of prerequisites and key credits, and strategies to meet them

* Identify synergies between LEED credits

* Plan for key considerations and requirements for the LEED certification process



Faculty



Taught by USGBC-trained faculty with real-world expertise and LEED project knowledge to share.

Laureen Blissard, LTLB Envirotecture



Continuing Education:

This full-day workshop is also approved for LEED specific continuing education hours, which would be of interest to any LEED AP’s looking to maintain their credential. It’s also helpful for anyone intending to take the LEED AP + Homes exam.



Course Fee

$159.00



Note: This workshop is a pre-conference workshop the Better Buildings Better Business IL conference.



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Written by Brett Little // January 19, 2012 // AES Local // No comments



Earth Advantage Institute, a fellow nonprofit green building resource and LEED for Homes provider that has certified more than 12,000 homes, announced its annual prediction of 10 green building trends to watch in 2012 in as press release. AES seconds such predictions and puts in some of our own thoughts.



The trends from a boom in certified multi-family construction to the advent of consumer friendly home energy technology.



“Urban density. Millennials and boomers alike are choosing to live in the city where they can be closer to cultural activity, mass transit, more sustainable lifestyles, and other like-minded people, and builders must create more living space. Builders are getting creative in gaining more living space through the construction of accessory dwelling units.”

“Green multifamily homes. Earth Advantage Institute has seen a large spike in Northwest multifamily building certifications this past year, hinting that we might see a rise in certifications in 2012 as well.” AES has seen large spike in certified green projects for multifamily developments across the Midwest/

“Energy upgrades start to drive home remodels. Builders and remodelers who are plugged into changing consumer preferences (smaller homes, reduced energy bills) have been able to capitalize on energy upgrade work.”

“Deployment and testing of new materials. Although architects and builders are eager to try to new energy-saving materials and systems, these products require significant testing to ensure that the materials and benefits will last the life of the building and to avoid litigation.”

“Consumer friendly home energy tracking devices. The introduction of the Apple-like Nest Learning Thermostat, and Belkin’s Conserve Insight energy use monitor that tracks energy use by appliance, are two of many sensor-based energy and water monitoring products for the home that are easy to use and help save money. Large electronics players like Fujitsu and Intel are also developing products, among others.”

“Energy education for commercial tenants. The growing adoption of commercial building energy disclosure (New York; Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; Seattle; Austin) has building owners/operators and utilities seeking effective ways to educate tenants on saving energy.”

“Transparency in home marketing. Builders, remodelers, and real estate professionals who can clearly educate their clients about the benefits and features of energy efficient, green homes will be those who earn the buyers’ confidence.”

“More accurate appraisals. The ability for sellers and buyers to ask their banks for a green-certified appraiser means that the lending community will be open to the idea of the additional value and ROI offered by new certified homes and remodels.” – This is something or director is facing now. Attempting to get a proper appraisal for a moderate green home retrofit – you can learn more at http://grandrapidsgreenhomeretrofit.blogspot.com/

“Broader adoption of residential energy ratings (and certifications!) for homes. Energy labeling systems are appearing in many states, offering estimates of a home’s energy consumption for homebuyers and homeowners.”

Smart grid-compatible high-performance homes. Increasing numbers of home appliances are gaining the ability to monitor and report their own usage and to increase or decrease their electricity usage by remote command.



By Mary Beth Nevulis, HousingZone Contributing Editor

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Written by Brett Little // December 29, 2011 // Certifications, LEED Platinum, Michigan, Net Zero, Single-Family Projects // No comments



Green Builder Media, North America’s leading media company focused on sustainable living, recently announced the winners of its 4th Annual



Green Builder Home of the Year Awards.



With entries from across the nation, the judges chose ten outstanding projects displaying the best and most cutting-edge green residential building. This year’s winning entries include designs that range from small and simple to super-efficient luxury proving that building sustainably can be done on any budget. We are proud to be one of the second time award winners in their four year history (2009 GreenBuilder Home of the Year Award was for the “Vineyard” Project) .

The “River Escape Project”

Resting in Michigan’s vacation wonderland, this home is located near the Muskegon River in Stanwood, Michigan with river access, thus the project name. This home is a site specific, 1,267 square foot Passive Solar Contemporary Style home built with BuildBlock ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) from frost protected shallow foundation to the SIP roof. The exterior elevations of the home were designed with deeper roof overhangs, determined by using solar calculations, to both maximize and minimize the sun exposure based on the time of year. The exterior used two of our favorite products James Hardie FiberCement Siding and MiraTec trim. The interior of the home has stained concrete floor on the main level which makes for great thermal mass. The home was also designed with lifetime design principles and has zero step entries.



Part of the passive solar design is to have very few windows on the non-south sides of the home, to keep heat from escaping through them. That is why this homes attention to detail is spent on the Southside of the home, where most of the homes windows face south. The windows in this home are made by



North Star (Canadian made) which uses a transparent low-E film between the panes of glass with a foam spacer to get a triple pane effect without the weight or waste of extra glass. The window U-value is .24 with a much higher Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) on the South windows. In the winter, the sun will warm the living space during the day and shine on the concrete floors which will store some of the heat gained, for gradual release. The roof overhang will shade the house from excessive solar heat gain in the summer, and west-facing glass is minimized to reduce cooling needs in the summer. ICF construction was perfect for this project because with ICF’s there are no concerns with noise and wind. It is wonderful to quietly contemplate the winter storms swirling through the open fields and feel pleasantly comfortable. The “River Escape” project is a Zero Energy Home (ZEH) thanks to the Passive Solar Design, 4.1 kW of Photovoltaic, Solar Hot Water and a 98% efficient boiler for the radiant floor heat and hot water backup. The home is also pre-wired for future installation of a Wind Generator. This home only uses about 600 kWh of electricity per month and has been generating a minimum of 20 kWh of electricity per day and net-metering backwards every day since the home was completed in June. The home was built for $142.00 per square foot (before the 30% rebates from the Solar Hot Water, and Photovoltaic systems) making it more affordable for the general public. Besides the LEED for Homes “Platinum” certification (this project scored 32.5



points above “Platinum”) this home received 5+ Energy Star certification and a HERs score of 12. This is the lowest score ever tested in the State of Michigan making it the most energy efficient house in Michigan. This home is 88% more efficient than a conventional code built home. The home is also ZeroStep “Silver” Certified (Lifetime Design or Barrier Free) from Disability Advocates of Kent County Michigan. In addition this homes toilets, faucets and shower heads are super low-flow for superior water efficiency. The home also has low-VOC paints, adhesives and finishes and uses recycled content for the flooring, foundation, exterior walls, trim and siding. Every possible piece of unused material used in construction was recycled.







Key Sustainable/Green Features

• Rain Permeable Gravel Driveway.

• Lifetime Design (Barrier Free)

• Zero step entries.

• Energy Star North Star Triple Pane Windows.

• Energy Star LED & CFL lighting.

• Energy Star Ceiling Fans.

• Energy Star Appliances by Frigidaire.

• SIP Panel Roof

• Frost Protected Shallow Foundation (with R-20 Dow Insulation beneath it.)

• BuildBlock ICF Construction (with 40% Fly-Ash)

• Advanced Framing (Studs @ 24” o.c.)

• James Hardie FiberCement siding (with recycled content)

• MiraTec Trim (formaldehyde free, SCS Certified)

• Central Vacuum System (Greatly reduces in-door air pollutants)

• Concrete Floors through-out main floor. (Colored in the concrete mix)

• FSC certified Bamboo Flooring on second story.

• FSC certified stud interior walls.

• No-VOC Paints and primers.

• Low-VOC caulks and sealants.

• Amish Built Kitchen Cabinets from wood within 5 miles from the project site.

• Dual-Flush toilet by American Standard.

• Low flow shower heads and faucets.

• Pex Plumbing.

• Radon Venting.

• Radiant Heat Through-out Home.

• Life breath HRV (heat recovery ventilator)

• Passive Solar Design.

• Solar Hot Water. (30% Tax Rebate)

• 4.1kW of Photovoltaic (30% Tax Rebate)

• Pellet Stove (Back up Heat System)

• Pre-wired for a future Wind Generator.

• Pre-wired for future battery backup.

National press release: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/12/prweb9002157.htm

GreenBuilder Magazine website: http://www.greenbuildermag.com/GBM/media/Images/landing_pages/Peace-of-Mind.pdf

Home Owners Web-Blog: http://100kriverescape.blogspot.com/



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Written by Jason La Fleur, LEED AP // January 11, 2012 // Illinois, LEED Platinum, Single-Family Projects // No comments



Glencoe, IL LEED Platinum exteriorA Glencoe, IL home has just been awarded a Platinum rating by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED for Homes program, the highest level possible. The house is only the second new-construction LEED Platinum home in the State of Illinois and the first LEED Platinum home on the North Shore. View the LEED Project Snapshot



The Washington Avenue home was designed by Nathan Kipnis, AIA of Kipnis Architecture + Planning of Evanston and built by Scott Simpson Builders of Northbrook. Owners Barry and Natalie Slotnick moved into the house in April of 2011 with their two young children.

Glencoe, IL LEED Platinum rooflineThis home is unique in its commitment to staying within the aesthetic of the surrounding community while implementing a wide range of green goals. It’s one of the few LEED homes to take a non-modernist approach to its exterior, as well as being informed by traditional low-impact building philosophies. The home is classic in its style, form and proportions, yet modern in its use of materials, colors and systems. Green features include passive, natural ventilation; passive solar heating and cooling; water-efficient indoor plumbing fixtures including a waterless urinal; low and no-VOC finishes and fixtures; standing seam metal roofing; cement fiberboard siding; and prefabricated framing.



Architect Kipnis states, “The house was built for 40% of the cost of the first LEED Platinum home in Illinois and in a style that appeals to a much wider cross section of the public. While these homes can be thought of as pioneering efforts, if the goal is to engage the public then the design should be contextual to neighborhood and not be aesthetically shocking. The Slotnick’s home is a perfect example of this.”



Glencoe, IL LEED Platinum interior



LEED for Homes is a voluntary, third-party certification program developed by residential experts and experienced builders. LEED promotes the design and construction of high performance green homes, and encourages the adoption of sustainable practices throughout the building industry.



Download the LEED Project Snapshot



Contacts:

Barry Slotnick – 847-875-4920; bslotnick@varisport.com

Nathan Kipnis – 847-864-9650; nkipnis@kipnisarch.com

]]> Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:47:04 -0500 http://www.greenexpo365.com//SITEFORUM?&t=/Default/gateway&i=1254434613614&b=1254434613614&e=UTF-8&application=blog&elementID=1326743224580 http://www.greenexpo365.com//SITEFORUM?&t=/Default/gateway&i=1254434613614&b=1254434613614&e=UTF-8&application=blog&elementID=1326479928833


My name is Sowmya Gogineni, and I manage architect and builder outreach in the digital space for Milgard Windows & Doors, a Masco company that offers a full line of wood, aluminum, vinyl and fiberglass windows and patio doors.



For the past 50 years Milgard has been striving to make your job easier by providing tools such as CEUs and whitepapers on a range of topics from Universal Design trends to Energy Efficient Technologies for windows and doors. We would like to extend this knowledge and collaboration to a broader community of professionals, such as yourself, by inviting you to be a part of our “Sustainable Window & Door Designs” group on LinkedIn. As part of this group you will have access to sustainable design resources and technical support via a Milgard engineer who will be happy to answer any questions pertaining to windows and doors in general.



The objective of this group is to promote thought leadership and help you connect with other professionals interested in learning and sharing their insights topics ranging from window & door 101 to future technologies for sustainable window and door designs!



Hope you see you there! Sustainable Window & Door Designs



Sincerely,

Sowmya Gogineni

Social Media Manager

Milgard Windows & Doors





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Designed by Young & Young Architects, the contemporary “green” house is constructed of stone, cement plaster, copper, and glass. A bridge connects two sections of the home. The landscaping consists of indigenous, drought-resistant plants and grasses. all the materials used to build an ultra-green home in Bloomfield Township came from within a 500-mile radius, to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) requirements. But the idea for the house took root thousands of miles away.



“We travel to South America a lot, and when we’d fly over the jungle, we’d notice large swaths being clear-cut and burned,” says Art Roffey, who owns the home with his wife, Gail Danto.



“We spent time with the tribal people, and they would talk in terms of being custodians of their land, but they were seeing it disappear,” he says. “That was a big influence for wanting to build our home.”



The couple also noticed the recession of glaciers in the Andes. So, when they decided to build their house on Indian Pond, they were keenly aware of the environment.



The 1950s-era home formerly on the site was deconstructed, and all the materials were recycled and donated to the non-profit Architectural Salvage Warehouse of Detroit.



“We wanted to build a house that was beautiful and elegant and also honor the environment at the same time,” Danto says.



By all accounts, they accomplished that, with the assistance of Bloomfield Hills-based Young & Young Architects (Don Paul Young was the principal architect); LEED consultant Jim Newman, from Newman Consulting Inc. in Bloomfield Hills; Joseph Maiorano, from the Artisans Group in Royal Oak; and interior designer Diane Hancock, of Diane Hancock Designs.



At press time, the house was under review by the U.S. Green Building Council for Platinum certification — the highest level. The design also resulted in five 2011 Detroit Home Design Awards last March.



The home, which Roffey and Danto moved into in January 2010, is green as grass: Heating and cooling is geothermal; electricity is supplemented by 30 solar panels; a graywater system filters and stores water for non-drinkable reuse; the roof is recycled copper; and all appliances are Energy Star compliant.



Sustainability harvested teak was used extensively, as was lyptus wood. “You cut it at the trunk, and it grows a new trunk, which is the ultimate in recycling,” Roffey says.



Some of the furniture was designed by Hancock, who used recycled materials for fabric. Several Hancock-designed pieces were made by local artisans, Danto says.



Wherever possible, recycled or repurposed materials were employed. A circa 1900 leaded-glass window, bought at Materials Unlimited in Ypsilanti, is in the kitchen. Several Art Deco light fixtures and grates were also repurposed.



“We like integrating old and new,” Roffey says, and that sentiment extends to their extensive art collection.



“We have a lot of old Peruvian art,” Danto explains, “but we also have a large art glass collection, which is very contemporary.”



Weavings from Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru mingle with Asian art. Several of the artworks are displayed in lighted niches throughout the



7,500-square-foot house.



One challenge for the architects was the topography.



“A natural swale cuts through the middle of the property and actually bisects it,” Roger Young says. The solution was to create two sections, eastern and western pods, linked by a bridge. Echoing Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic-architecture philosophy of bringing the outdoors in, the architects created the home so that it’s flooded with natural light from copious windows and skylights.



Young also strove for an organic flow, “to create spaces that aren’t rooms. There’s a big difference.” That effect was achieved by fewer walls and doors, which delineate space.



The outdoor property was also designed with an eye toward the environment.



“The whole landscape is indigenous materials, and all the plants are drought-tolerant,” Young says. But, he adds, it was a tough sell to local officials.



“In Bloomfield Township, as in most municipalities, you have to have lawn,” he says. “So we had to convince them that these hedge grasses grow to a certain height and then stop growing. Eventually, they got on board.”



For Young, that victory was sweet, because it’s paying dividends.



“When you walk into the Bloomfield Township building department, there’s a huge LEED wall with testimonials on how others can go green,” he says. “They use this house as a case study.”

More details http://leedforhomesusa.com/drc/roffey.pdf



BY GEORGE BULANDA

http://www.detroithomemag.com/Detroit-Home/Summer-2011/Taking-the-LEED/

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Here are 25 Proven Ways to Control and Reduce Direct Construction Costs whether you build two homes a year or 2,000:



1. Develop target direct construction cost budgets.

2. Improve working drawings.

3. Design and specify each home for the target customer.

4. Rethink standard specifications.

5. Don’t overdo standard features.

6. Change construction specifications by story.

7. Redesign or eliminate plans that generate low gross profits.

8. Use a purchase order system.

9. Issue a complete construction start package.

10. Improve estimating and purchasing.

11. Develop and enforce scopes of work.

12. Value engineer plans.

13. Work with trades to eliminate inefficiencies.

14. Conduct “as-built audits”

15. Control cost variances.

16. Keep the contract in trade contractors.

17. Question the engineers.

18. Improve negotiating techniques.

19. Break up turnkey trades.

20. Improve material inventory control.

21. Standardize construction processes.

22. Use quality checklists.

23. Maintain clean jobsites.

24. Eliminate dry runs.

25. Become the builder of choice.



The following has been excerpted from The Cost of Doing Business Study, 2010 Edition by NAHB Business Management & Information Technology. Copyright © 2010 by NAHB BuilderBooks.

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Yudelson Associate’s Top Ten Green Building MegaTrends include:

1.       Green building in North America will rebound in 2012, using new LEED project registrations as a proxy for this growth. The reduction in commercial real estate building has not been offset by other sectors such as government construction, which continued to falter, and so the growth rate of new green building projects fell dramatically in 2010 and 2011. Even so, in 2011, LEED in new construction accounted for about 20% of all put-in-place space, with domestic LEED project registrations up almost 40% vs. depressed 2010 levels. However, we see faster growth in green retrofits, ongoing college and university projects and NGO activity serving to backstop the fall in commercial and governmental construction. In addition, LEED growth will be rapid in China and other fast-growing economies.



2.       Green building will continue to benefit from the Obama Administration’s strengthened focus on greening the executive branch, with its commitment to a minimum of LEED Gold for all federal projects and focus on major energy-efficiency renovations.



3.       The focus of the green building industry will continue its switch from new building design and construction to greening existing buildings. One fast-growing LEED rating system the past two years has been LEED for Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance (LEED-EBOM), with cumulative floor area in certifications now greater than in existing buildings, and I expect this trend to pick up in 2012. My book, Greening Existing Buildings, documents the strategic and tactical components of this trend. One driver of this MegaTrend is that “‘green’ buildings have rents and asset prices that are significantly higher than those documented for conventional office space,” according to a recent major academic research study on commercial buildings in the U.S. and Europe.



4.       Awareness of the coming global crisis in fresh water supply will increase, leading building designers and managers to take further steps to reduce water consumption in buildings with more conserving fixtures, rainwater recovery systems and innovative new water technologies. My recent book, Dry Run: Preventing the Next Urban Water Crisis, shows how this is being done in green buildings all over the world.



5.       The global green building movement will continue to accelerate, as more countries begin to create their own green building incentives and developing their own Green Building Councils. More than 90 countries with incipient or established green building organizations, on all continents, will drive considerable green building growth in 2012. We’re seeing strong growth in China, other places in Asia (e.g., Singapore), Brazil, Eastern Europe, South Africa and the Arabian Peninsula countries. For the first time in 2011, more LEED-registered projects are in progress outside the U.S., up more than 50% compared to 2010 levels and representing 44% of all new LEED projects.



6.       Zero-net-energy buildings will become increasingly commonplace, in both residential and commercial sectors, as LEED and ENERGY STAR certifications and labels have become too commonplace to confer competitive advantage. Developers of speculative commercial buildings will also begin to showcase Zero Net Energy designs.



7.       Performance Disclosure will be the fastest emerging trend, highlighted by new requirements in California, Seattle and other locations. Commercial building owners will have to disclose actual building performance to all new tenants and buyers and in some places, to the public at large. This trend is already established in Australia, for example, and will spread rapidly as the easiest way to monitor reductions in carbon emissions from commercial and governmental buildings.



8.       Green Buildings will increasingly be managed in the “Cloud”, as witnessed by the large number of new entrants and new products in fields of building automation, facility management, wireless controls and information management in 2011.



9.       Local and state governments will step up their mandates for green buildings for both themselves and the private sector. We’ll see at least 20 new cities with commercial sector green building mandates, mostly in the “Blue” states. The desire to reduce carbon emissions by going green will lead more government agencies, universities, hospital and corporate owners to require green buildings from design and construction teams.



10.       Solar power use in buildings will continue to grow with the prospect of increasing utility focus on aggressive state-level renewable power standards (RPS) for 2020. As before, third-party financing partnerships will continue to grow and provide capital for large rooftop systems such as on warehouses and big box retail stores. However, we will see few very large solar and wind systems, as federal grant and loan guarantee support begins to be phased out.



About Yudelson Associates

Yudelson Associates is a leading international firm in sustainability planning and green building consulting. Founder Jerry Yudelson, a LEED Fellow, is widely acknowledged as one of the nation’s leading green building and sustainability consultants. He is the author of 12 green building books and served for two years as Research Scholar for Retail Real Estate Sustainability for the International Council of Shopping Centers, a 70,000-member international trade organization. Jerry is a frequent green building speaker at industry and professional conferences and chaired the country’s largest annual show, Greenbuild, for six years. For more information please contact Jerry Yudelson, 520-243-0996, info@greenbuildconsult.com or visit www.greenbuildconsult.com.

---

LEED Statistics from “Green Building Market and Impact Report 2011,” by Robert Watson, found at:

http://www.greenbiz.com/research/report/2011/11/07/green-building-market-and-impact-report-2011.





]]> Thu, 8 Dec 2011 11:38:20 -0500 http://www.greenexpo365.com//SITEFORUM?&t=/Default/gateway&i=1254434613614&b=1254434613614&e=UTF-8&application=blog&elementID=1323362300604 http://www.greenexpo365.com//SITEFORUM?&t=/Default/gateway&i=1254434613614&b=1254434613614&e=UTF-8&application=blog&elementID=1320970706201 Tysen Gannon and Technical Glass Products presented during our November Live Event? There were many really good questions from "How New Building Envelope Technologies Help Deliver Sustainability Goals/LEED Points for Commercial Buildings" that we just did not have time to talk through. Our thanks to Tysen for taking time to respond.



Q. Rebecca & Terry: Can we get the links for the case studies posted somewhere?

A. Tysen: The referenced case studies can be dowloaded from the Heschong Mahone Group's website: (http://www.h-m-g.com/projects/daylighting/projects-PIER.htm)



Q. Jon: Am I wrong in stating that ICC Energy standards via using the commercial Comcheck system would like to have its glazing to have a minimum of 0.3 SHGC? If so, how does this standard compare with Channel Glass?

A. Tysen: Channel glass insulated with a 16mm panel filled with Lumira aerogel has a SHGC value of .42 and channel glass insulated with a 25mm aerogel filled panel will have a value of .31.



Q. Jon: Any stats or analysis to backup the use of steel curtainwall?

A. Tysen: Thermal performance simulations are available to substantiate the performance values of steel curtainwall systems.



Q. Nancy: Which fabrication process is more environmentally preferable, steel or aluminum?

A. Tysen: This is an excellent question and can be complex to address depending on how one defines "environmentally prefereable." One possible metric is embodied energy. The embodied energy of virgin steel is lower than that of virgin aluminum. Recycled content is also an important factor. Aluminum fenestration profiles would typically have higher levels of recycled content than specialty steel curtainwall systems, which would also reduce the overall embodied energy of the aluminum profiles. Information regarding true life cycle assessments or a comparitive LCA of aluminum and steel profiles is not presently available, however we are able to offer that TGP's supplier of steel curtainwall profiles is ISO 14000 certified for environmetal management practices in the production of these (and other) materials).



Q. Ugochukwu: How about the comparison between the Heat conduction of Aluminum and that of Stell, with respect to indoor comfort.

A. Tysen: Condensation resistance in steel systems is better than aluminum assemblies since there is nometal in the glazing pocket, as compared to aluminum systems that typically have tongues in the unheated space that can conduct heat through the wall. Heat transfer through steel is also lower than through aluminum. For an additional barrier to heat transfer, the steel system does not have metal in the cold space of the glazing pocket and it is kept completely behind the air and water gasket barrier. Depending on the glass, the Condensation Resistance Factor (CRF) for steel curtain wall ranges from 40 (45 mm wide system, stainless caps, 1” IGU / clear glass) up to 63 (triple glazed Solarban 60, argon gas-filled air spaces).



Q. Anthony: Can a channel glass system be use for a solar hot air heat system?

A. Tysen: TGP is not aware of channel glass being used for a roof mounted solar hot air heat system, but past projects in Europe have used the Profilit glass channels in ventilated facade design with a very similar design intent. A case study of this application is available here: http://www.pilkington.com/resources/facade_brochure_2005.pdf



Q. Jan: Can channel glass be used in diagonal glazing systems?

A. Tysen: Diagnonal Glazing may be possible, a review of details and layout would have to be performed to answer with certainty for a given application. Non linear applications of channel glass have been installed in the past.



Q. Jan: How is rust mitigated in steel framing systems?

A. Tysen: All galvanized steel profiles in a steel curtainwall system are located interior to the air and water barrier. The design of the system is such that all gaskets are custom fit to the steel extrusions and are continuous: the pre-gavanized steel sections do not come into contact with water in a properly installed system. Generally, SteelBuilt Curtainwall Systems are weeped through the sill of the verticals only. There are no zone dams in these steel systems, as is typical with aluminum pressure plate systems. This eliminates the need for the steel system to be weeped at every horizontal member. Pressure plates and cover caps exposed to the exterior are generally made from aluminum, but are also available in stanless steel.





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