Category: Products and Technologies
The Embodied Carbon Conundrum: Solving for All Emission Sources from the Built Environment
Post / February 26, 2020
Increasing urgency among policymakers and the design community to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Accord has spurred more aggressive codes and energy policies in jurisdictions around the United States. These strategies are making gains on driving down carbon...
Technology Talk—Getting to Zero Energy in Existing Buildings
Post / February 22, 2019
Without upgrading our existing buildings to higher efficiency technologies we have zero hope of getting to zero energy (ZE)–or at least ultra-low energy performance–and our carbon reduction targets. We know that there are many roads to retrofits but rapid scaling...
U.S. Clean Energy Jobs: Mapped Out
Post / March 15, 2018
In case you might’ve missed it, U.S. Clean Energy Progress released a comprehensive, dynamic tool that visually illustrates the strong growth and economic benefits of clean energy jobs, including wind, solar and energy efficiency, across the U.S. The U.S. Clean...
NBI Completes Study into Energy Performance of Commercial Buildings with Radiant Systems for Cooling and Heating
Post / August 10, 2017
During the renovation of the Edith Green Wendell Wyatt Federal Building, a variable air volume (VAV) system was replaced with a radiant design system. The design team included numerous CBE industry partners, including SERA Architects, Stantec, Interface Engineering, and Charles...
New Products Leverage LED’s Unique Qualities
Post / December 17, 2013
Recently, I had the long-awaited opportunity to see new lighting products that apply LEDs in ways that leverage their unique qualities: tiny size, strong directional nature and high efficiency potential for a new aesthetic. Coming out of the DOE SSL...
Fault Detection and Diagnostics
Post / November 14, 2013
Work initially done in California to improve economizers and support fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) on commercial rooftop HVAC units has now been applied at a national level. A recent adoption of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) requires economizer...
Bubbles at the NBIL! Evaporative Sidecar Testing for Retrofitting Rooftop Units
Post / September 5, 2013
We have seen the future and it is bubbly. This summer we’ve been busy testing the effectiveness of using an indirect evaporative air conditioner to retrofit an existing 5-ton rooftop unit (RTU) in the western Washington and Oregon climate. Testing...
Rooftop Unit (RTU) Retrofits = Big Savings for Owners and Tenants
Post / April 25, 2012
We already know that the efficiency potential for rooftop units (RTUs) is huge. They sit atop about half of the commercial floor space across the United States and since they’re often neglected, less than optimal performance leaves building owners and...
Window Volume Purchase Program Working to Lower Cost, Improve Availability
Post / May 18, 2010
R-5 windows can reduce average heat loss by 30-40% over common ENERGY STAR-qualified products (with an R-3 value), and low-e storm windows have the potential for twice the energy savings of those without a low-e coating, according to Department of...