Askthefm's Weblog » Technology

Building Technology Update for Oct. 18, 2009

askthefm — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:28:55 +0000

It has been a busy week for Building Technology. Commercial buildings consume a disproportionate amount of electricity and other resources so anything we as building owners or managers can make great strides toward reducing our carbon footprint and our overall impact on both our local environment as well as the planet as a whole.

First up we have a new “green” concrete product call “Megacrete” that uses come of the waste by-products of petroleum and water treatment plants in conjunction with a concrete product made from flyash also a byproduct of coal fired power plants. The story is here on Ecofriend (http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-tech-mad-scientist-proposes-megacrete-for-greener-buildings-of-tomorrow/) and it seems like this should be a slam dunk for adoption.

Next on Environmental Leader (http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/10/16/intelligent-lighting-controls-deliver-roi-in-3-years/) is an interesting story about the return on investment (ROI) for technology that has been around for some time, building automation systems specifically about interior lighting control. The story maintains that the ROI is about 3 years, pretty much the gold standard on that type of analysis. I personally am confident to present for approval this sort of project if the time frame is 3 years or less.

Also on Environmental Leader (http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/10/15/roof-tiles-would-save-energy-by-turning-color/) is a neat report on roof tiles that are color changeable in response to outside temperature. Great idea, my building has a mood ring fro a roof! Seriously I think that this is a great idea and very practical if they can make the next step where it is a spray on coating.

On Sustainable Business they are asking, “Why not green walls as well as green roofs?” (http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/19050). I am not sure that this is a great idea as it sounds very resource intensive to take care of from a building management and maintenance perspective. The original article on MSNBC (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33294221/ns/us_news-environment/) shows a great picture of the installation and it would give me nightmares if I was the manager of the building and had to take care of it. Can you imagine doing a request for proposal where a part of the description is that the garden to be taken care of is on a vertical surface 75 feet in the air? I can hear the laughter now. I also predict that these will be gone in a year due to the high cost of maintenance.

Lastly tonight I am including the story about James Dyson’s latest neat trick. The story on Treehugger (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/10/dyson-air-multiplier-bladeless-cooling-machine-fan.php?dcitc=th_rss_design) has great pictures. He has come up with what he call an air multiplier, or what looks to me like a blade less fan. I can think of a great many applications for this, preschools anyone? My wife was a teacher of young children for quite a while and I can remember the near misses stories even now. I can see schools and teachers lining up for these. Also you could place it in font of a window and still be able to see out with little blocking the view.

As always I thank you for your time and interest. Please take the time to Digg, Stumble Upon or add to the other social network of your choice to help me spread the word about these issues. Please forward any questions or suggestions to: askthefm@gmail.com

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Need Efficiency Help? Technology to the Rescue!

askthefm — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:29:07 +0000

Tonight I have several items of new, available technology, some not available yet and finally some that someone should look into!

First lets look at ways to save water. There is a new device that can be used on existing toilets that allow you to do a full flush or half flush. The device is from Brondell (http://www.brondell.com/index.php) and there is a review at Ecofriend (http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-gadgets-perfect-flush-makes-any-toilet-save-up-to-50-water/). I personally think that this is a wonderful idea because it makes the ability to conserve much more approachable. I mean changing out you toilet is while pretty straight forward is still somewhat of an adventure for most folks and this is a way to retrofit an antique you might want or need to keep.

For the commercial application we have a device from Sloan (http://www.sloanvalve.com/index_SOLIS_Flushometer_ENU_HTML.htm) that is a solar powered dual flush unit that determines how much water to use based on how long you have been sitting on the toilet. They claim that the algorithm is very accurate in determining which option to use. Of course you also have an option to press a button to cause the correct option to occur, but who really likes to touch the fixtures in a public restroom?

Next we have a clever device from HAWS (http://www.stayhydrated.net/) called a Hydration station dispenses filtered water (they say polished…) to a variety of sized containers including the now ever present large bottles that we all seem to be using. It is touch free and looks good enough for any office decor. I don’t have an idea on price (I just requested a quote to see..) but it looks very interesting. Just think of the CO2 we can save as well as the oil not making those plastic bottles and delivering them by truck. It will also cut your workman’s compensation insurance because no one will have to place those large bottles on the dispenser anymore!

Now we have an interesting potential solution to the heating and cooling problems we all face. An Italian firm Vetro Ventilato(http://www.vetroventilato.it/uk/funzionamento/) has a complicated, but ingenious window system that helps heat or cool the building they are installed in. I would be interested in seeing some return on investment calculations for a typical office building installation.

We have an entry from the feedback make you save model, TED short for The Energy Detective is a real time monitor of your energy use. TED (http://www.theenergydetective.com/what/overview.html) also of course has software that allows you to collect, graph and analyze your usage over time. They also have announced a partnership with Google’s Powermeter service that I expect will allow you to monitor your usage from anywhere you can get to an internet connection.

I am not sure how useful that this type of device is going to be after the first month of use. I know that I would simply use it to investigate all of the various combinations in my house and eliminate those items that were putting me over the line. Although I can imagine a Facebook limbo type game as in how low can you go in electricity use based on you Google Powermeter page.

Lastly I am going to mention an article on Cleantechnica (http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/10/calling-epa-heat-exchange-can-make-clothes-dryers-efficient/) that I very much agree with. It is about a neat new product that can convert you existing dryer from an energy hog into a much more efficient and safer appliance! While I really like the technology (http://www.dryermiser.com/Home/howitworks/tabid/59/Default.aspx) I really want the EPA to start pushing for dryers to be rated as Energy Star appliances. This will push the manufacturers to try this and other technologies to make the second highest energy consuming appliance in your house much more efficient and safer too.

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Can going Green make our Buildings Sick?

askthefm — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:25:47 +0000

This is a very serious potential situation. We have had several episodes of “sick building syndrome” and if we aren’t careful the trend in building tighter, more efficient buildings may get us there again.

Let’s start with an excellent article on bnet (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3811/is_199904/ai_n8834877/) that goes into the history of sick buildings. It has aa great definition of sick building syndrome from the World Health Organization:

Excerpt: “The classification is made based on the symptoms involved, the number of people having such symptoms, and the duration of the symptoms.5 The World Health Organization has classified the following complaints, or symptoms, under the category of sick building syndrome: (1) mucus membrane irritation – eyes, nose and throat; (2) toxic symptoms – headache, fatigue and irritability; (3) asthma and asthma-like symptoms – chest tightness and wheezing; (4) skin dryness; and (5) gastrointestinal complaints.6 The classification requires that more than twenty percent of the building occupants complain of such problems and that symptoms abate soon after the occupants leave the building.“

The point that the article makes very elegantly is that we have tightened up the building envelope to create greater overall efficiency in regards to the heating and cooling of the spaces, but have neglected the additional sometime complex mechanical ventilation required to make these space livable and even viable long term. As a consultant I have seen many buildings with mold or other problems that can be directly attributed to poor air exchange.

As the article on Green Building Law Update(http://www.greenbuildinglawupdate.com/2009/09/articles/legal-developments/can-green-buildings-cause-sick-building-syndrome/) we seem to be heading down this road again. Only this time it may be from a slightly different cause, that of the off-gassing chemicals found in some building materials, especially formaldehyde. The above article is asking the question and I believe that the answer is probably yes, unfortunately.

This presents real problems, liabilities and dangers for building owners and those who live and work in them. One site MedicineNet.com (http://www.medicinenet.com/sick_building_syndrome/article.htm) has an extensive page on multiple chemical sensitivity where you develop allergies and other medical problems from a sick building. I am sure you can all imagine the nightmare of worker comp claims, law suits and just the lost productivity in your business.

Certainly there are solutions to this problem, but they will all probably involve increased costs, longer return on investment scenarios because in order to do these more efficient, green buildings right requires experienced architects and engineers. It isn’t just the handyman with the caulk gun this time.

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Better Light Bulbs Coming Soon!

askthefm — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:59:15 +0000

It is very interesting to see the emphasis placed on the lowly light bulb in today’s green, new world. Everyone is after some sort of undefined holy grail and they are tying many different paths to reach it.

We of course have the ever present CFL bulb with it small but very hated mercury use and now we have a company that speaks of coming up with a replacement The ESL (Electron Stimulated Luminescence) bulb promises an energy efficient bulb without the mercury and at a lesser cost than the LED options. The story on Greenbang (http://www.greenbang.com/attention-cfl-haters-vu1-says-its-developed-a-better-bulb_11700.html) give a few more details.

Excerpt: “According to Vu1, the ESL technology will offer the full features of incandescent lights — high light quality and color, instant on, true dimmability and an attractive bulb design — without the mercury present in today’s energy-efficient option, CFLs.”

In the next corner we have a new LED bulb from Panasonic. The “EverLED bulb line will premier in Japan in October and if the 19 year life cycle is taken into account the yearly cost is around $2 a year. The article is on Inhabitat (http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/09/15/led-bulb-with-19-year-lifespan-launches-in-japan/).

Lastly we have a different approach on the LED bulb, one that hope to make them more affordable. The story on Ecofriend (http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-gadgets-40-cheaper-led-light-bulbs-pay-for-themselves-in-two-years/) is about the company Eternaled, get the pun? Anyway they claim to have developed a bulb that is 40% cheaper by not having an expensive metal heat sink and instead designing the enclosure to allow air to provide the cooling. It look like a nice concept but I will be very careful where I install these. In my home where most of my ceiling fixtures are in traditional can fixtures I have an overheating problem that shortens bulb life of the CFLs that I use.

I sincerely hope that all of these companies succeed and soon because lighting still takes up the lion share of electricity use and anything that cuts that back is welcome indeed!

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Building Technology Update for 9/13/2009

askthefm — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 04:10:49 +0000

We have kind of a wide ranging selection tonight for your surfing pleasure, from light bulbs to fancy full sinks.

The first item tries to solve a problem I myself have noticed, that of LED bulbs cooking themselves and have a very shortened lifespan. The article on Metefficient (http://www.metaefficient.com/leds/liquidfilled-led-light-bulbs-360-degrees-light.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=liquidfilled-led-light-bulbs-360-degrees-light) gives us a liquid filled bulb that should operate cooler and as a side benefit sheds light in a full 360 degree pattern.

Excerpt: “I’ve been testing a new LED bulb called the HydraLux. These unique bulbs are filled with a clear liquid coolant (a non-toxic paraffin oil). Other LED bulbs use large metal fins or fans for cooling purposes. The advantage of using a liquid coolant is that the LED bulb can produce 360° light like a regular incandescent bulb.The HydraLux also has a slim line, so it can fit in desk lamps and other light sockets with limited space. It uses only one 4W Cree LED to produce the equivalent of a 25 Watt incandescent bulb. In my bedside lamp, this bulb produced a pleasing warm light, similar to a 25 Watt bulb, as the manufacturer claims.“

Next we have a disturbing announcement about that old staple, Astroturf. It seems that the manufacturer uses lead to help with color longevity. I have seen this product used in many places where lead contamination would be a serious problem, like preschools and day care centers. The article on Building Green (http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/2009/9/1/AstroTurf-Ordered-to-Curtail-Lead-Use/) gives the details, but I find this a deplorable example of corporate greed at the expense of safety.

A company, Aqua One Technologies has come up with an overkill level solution for a running or overflowing toilet. The device interrupts the flow of water tot the toilet if it senses that the water is still running or if it is close to overflowing. I agree with the folks at Cleantechnica (http://cleantechnica.com/2009/08/17/extreme-toilet-tech-can-flush-away-water-worries/) that this may be only applicable for certain situations, but it si still pretty neat anyway!

Lastly we have a little architectural eye candy from Web Urbanist (http://weburbanist.com/2009/09/13/15-more-spectacular-sinks-strange-wash-basin-designs/) with a collection of very interesting sinks.

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Building Technology Update for August 16, 2009

askthefm — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:15:56 +0000

Tonight we have a crop of new and potential products for your building to make it more efficient and more environmentally friendly.

Our first story is vis the Treehugger.com site (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/07/kirei-board-radical-material-big-impact.php?dcitc=th_rss_design). This product is from a Japanese company by the name of Kirei. This board is a wonderfully designed product that makes use of otherwise discarded material and that also provides additional income to the farmers of sorghum.

Excerpt: “Sorghum stalks used in the manufacture of Kirei Board are a rapidly renewable resource left after the edible portion of the plant is harvested. They are currently using the plant in the United States to create syrup. The potential to also use Sweet Sorghum as a viable biofuel has been a big topic in the news. In a Reuters interview with Mark Winslow, an agriculture expert at the International Crops Research Institute:

“The plant has the potential to produce a ’smart’ biofuel that won’t cut into world food supplies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture studies show corn-based ethanol produces one and a half times as much fuel as the energy used to make it. Sweet sorghum on the other hand, produces 8 units of fuel for every 1 unit of fuel used to make it in developing countries. Even in the United States, where mechanized production uses more fuel, sweet sorghum ethanol should still have 4 times the energy yield of corn-based ethanol.”"

Next we have a kitchen designed and manufactured out of what I think of kitchen waste, anyway at least yogurt pots and discarded coffee cups! The story is on Ecofriend (http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-homes-milestone-shows-uk-s-first-kitchen-made-from-yogurt-pots-and-coffee-cups/) and really represents what is possible if a little forethought and planning are employed into the design of where we live and work.

Our remaining items are very water centric, something that is increasingly on the mind of folks where I live in Southern California!

First we have Surestop and device that brings to your water supply what those systems said to allow you to turn off all of your unnecessary electrical items as you leave. The story on Cleantechnica (http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/23/surestop-device-could-give-major-boost-to-water-conservation/) speaks glowingly about the device. However I see it as a somewhat limited device as it seems to primarily to target the control of leaking appliances and faucets and potential damage prevention due to burst pipes. Its convenience is wonderful and if I owned a summer cabin in the mountains I would buy one immediately as it would solve that situation excellently.

Next we have a German product called Envii that purports to allow you to turn off the water on your urinals! This will be truly a boon if it works. The product is in the traditional cake shape, although green in color familiar to men world wide. The differnce however is that this cake is made of urine eating bacteria. The full story is on Greenbang (http://www.greenbang.com/a-tablet-to-make-urinals-turn-green-with-envii_10649.html).

Lastly we have another entry in the efficient shower category. This system, called Smart Shower seems to try and be all things to all people at once. Its main selling point from my perspective is the heat exchanger and internalized water heating system. My experience with these heat on demand systems is less than wonderful. The heat exchanger is a nice though and certainly makes the choice of an electric heater more efficient. The other features mentioned including the built in basin for washing a baby are simply too much in my opinion but you should read the story and watch the video and judge for yourself. The story is on Ecofriend (http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-gadgets-smart-shower-saves-water-and-harnesses-waste-heat/).

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Technology Update – Southern California Edition July 22, 2009

askthefm — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:33:58 +0000

It is good to see that good ole California is getting some positive news at least on the building and technology fronts!

First some good news on the water recycling front. Both California and Oregon are both relaxing the rules surround the use of gray water. The full story is here at Green Tech Gazette (http://www.greentechgazette.com/index.php/water-conservation/california-and-oregon-to-ease-gray-water-laws/) but as soon as Aug. 1 2009 in California we can start putting in systems that could save an average household 25% of its daily usage. Truly an important move here in the overpopulated desert!

Next I am glad to report that we have figured out that lighting up our parks can reduce crime! Who would have thought it? The article on Treehugger (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/07/to-fight-street-gangs-los-angeles-just-adds-summer-night-lights.php?dcitc=th_rss_design) is all about how the city has raised private money to fund the extra expense, but does give hope and a tech tie in with the city’s five year plan for LED streetlights.

Southern California GAS, our local natural gas utility is making news by installing small or at least building sized solar thermal units. they are installing these units made by Honolulu base Sopogy on the building that is to house their R&D and green showcase. The story on Earth2TEch (http://earth2tech.com/2009/07/21/photos-sopogys-small-scale-solar-thermal-at-socal-gas/) highlights this very cool technology!

Lastly tonight we have Orange County , CA getting a 21st century high speed rail station. The story on Inhabitat (http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/07/21/21st-century-rail-station-for-orange-county/) shows us a very neat looking structure that is obviously for sometime in the future as the high speed trains haven’t even been begun yet. Still the design is curious as it is a greenhouse like structure in sunny Southern California!

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Huge Earthquake Test Validates Performance Based Seismic Design

askthefm — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 04:56:21 +0000

As someone who lives on a very active part of the Pacific Ring of Fire ( Southern California) the advances that are occurring in design to withstand this potential disaster are extremely exciting!

Yesterday in Japan some scientists tested this design process by subjecting a 6 story condominium structure to a 7.5 magnitude earthquake and the structure survived with little damage! The piece on NPR’s All Things Considered is here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106611639.

Here is a video about the lab in Japan where the test took place. While not the video of the actual event it is very well done and present the topic with great clarity. Courtesy of National Geographic (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/09/080922-quake-video-ap.html)

The field has advanced to the point where annual conferences are being organized and learned papers being presented like at this recent conference (http://www.ctbuh.org/EventsReferencePage/090430_ASCEStructures/tabid/680/Default.aspx).

It is looking like the old rule about earthquake building code where it is only there to make the building stand up long enough for you to get out before it falls down a thing of the past.

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Green Cooling Stratagies for July 5, 2009

askthefm — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:51:41 +0000

It has started getting up there in temperature, at least in Southern California and it has got me wondering what improvements there might be on the cooling front.

In my searches I found several things for architectural solutions to technology. It seems I am not alone in wondering how to keep cool and do it in a sustainable and less expensive way. Here is one architect’s working vision via Green Building Elements (http://greenbuildingelements.com/2009/06/21/california-architect-thinks-about-white-roofs/). It is a beautiful house and I like many of the thoughts, I just wish I could afford it.

Next we have another architect’s vision and it looks into our future and is trying to come up sith methods to deal with a generally hotter climate that we may all be facing. The story is via Green Building Elements again (http://greenbuildingelements.com/2009/06/25/a-roof-designed-for-our-hotter-future/) and it is certainly the most practical vision I have seen. By simply building and additional roof structure over even an existing house you could attain significant benefits! If you considered all of the ideas and built a complete structure from scratch the end result is even better. It is ideas like this that give me hope that technology may still be the answer to the global warming crisis.

On the technology front we have two different takes on air conditioning. The first is what is actually asmall chiller type unit called the Ice Bear (http://www.impactlab.com/2009/05/22/ice-bear-can-reduce-air-conditioning-energy-demand-by-95/). This is an add on system that simply allows you to store cooling using off peak electricity by creating a large block of ice that is then used to chill the refrigerant in your conventional system instead of the compressor. A good idea overall as this is simply scaling exisitng technology and it can easily be retrofitted on many types of systems.

Lastly we go for one that is somewhat more of an evolution from SolCool (http://www.solcool.net/solcool.htm). The Millennial 1.5 Ton unit has the capability to be wired to standard US, EU power or to direct power that might be supplied by a solar array! There is also a version that is portable with onboard batteries that can be run up to 12 hours between charges. Forget about remote, that option will allow you to run it overnight while the sun is down!

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Building Technology Update for July 1, 2009

askthefm — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:38:22 +0000

I have a very wide ranging collection of technological improvements for you tonight, everything from new materials for sidewalks to new safety equipment to help you find your way out in a fire!

On the recycle and reuse front we have a couple of items that help divert waste from our landfills. The first is Rubber sidewalks (http://www.rubbersidewalks.com/rubbersidewalkskeepstrees.asp) where this product reuses a discarded tire for every 1 square foot of product! Imagine a sidewalk you could remove and reinstall in a single day to fix sewer problems, not to mention the injury savings from not having raised areas by tree roots.

The next item along this same tack is a roofing single product made from recycled palstic and rubber. The article on Cleantechnica (http://cleantechnica.com/2009/06/28/roof-shingles-made-from-recycled-plastic-and-rubber/) speaks of the product Enviroshake that is very durable but at a significant price point increase. Still it may be worthwhile if you are in need of some LEED ponts.

Another old is new technology is a design we all may be needing as our climate heats up is the second roof as is shown in this great post on Green Building Elements (http://greenbuildingelements.com/2009/06/25/a-roof-designed-for-our-hotter-future/). This scenario presents a low tech very sutainable solution for making your house much more efficient in all types of climate situations.

One of the neatest items I have seen lately is this Halo light concept. It would provide a ring of light in a smokey environment providing much better direction and visibility in an emergency situation. The story is here on DVICE (http://dvice.com/archives/2008/10/halo_light_cuts.php).

Lastly we have a solar plus LED parking lot light solution from Visiable Light Solar. The story on Treehugger (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/visible-light-solar-combines-solar-with-leds-for-big-savings.php) makes a great point that these very functional applications of exterior lighting makes great sense from a return on investment perspective.

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