Energy and Atmosphere - Green Building Technologies

Energy use is considered by many to be the dominant environmental issue for the next century for several reasons:

• Powering buildings accounts for 39% of America’s carbon dioxide emissions [Environmental Building News, 2005],
• Global warming as a result of the CO2 and other green house gas emissions,
• The looming end to the fossil fuel era and impending resource crisis,
• Air pollution as a result of energy production has been shown to cause serious health issues from asthma to mercury poisoning.

ENERGY AND ATMOSPHERE

General - Santa Monica Green Building Program

General - Minnesota Sustainable Design Guide

General - Southface Energy Efficiency Manual 

Water Heating

General - Southface

Solar Water Heating - Advanced Buildings

Southface - Solar Water Heating

Direct-contact Water Heaters

Combination Space and Water Heaters

Reduce Hot Water Heat Loss

Heating With Unglazed Solar Collectors

Efficient Hot Water Heaters and Boilers

Solar Collectors & Heat Storage

Solar Water Heating System Design

Envelope and Insulation

Building Envelope Design Guide

General - Santa Monica Green Building Program

Thermally-broken Balconies

Airtight Commercial Construction

Transparent Insulation (TIM)

Airtight Drywall Approach (ADA)

Mineral Wool Insulation

Cellulose Insulation

Fiberglass Insulation

Foam Insulation

Energy Efficiency Checklist

Windows/Doors and Glazings

Windows - Southface

Windows General Explanation - Center for Resourceful Building Technologies

Switchable Glazings

Warm-edge Windows

Inert Gas Window Fills

Low-conductivity Window Frames

Spectrally-selective Glazings

Doors

HVAC

General - Santa Monica Green Building Program

Greywater Heat Recovery

Heat Recovery Systems

Recuperative Gas Boilers

Water-loop Heat Pumps

Gas-fired Chiller/Heaters

Ground-source Heat Pumps (Geothermal Heat Pumps)

High Efficiency Gas Rooftop Units

Variable-speed Drives

Use Variable-Speed Motor Controllers for Fans & Pumps with Modulating Flows

Low-NOx Burners

Radiant Heating and Cooling

Underground Air Supply

Programmable Brushless Direct Current Motors (ECM)

Gas Engine-driven Chillers

Control Solar Cooling Loads

Solar Heat in the Winter

Thermal Mass

Cool Building Mass at Night for Energy & Demand Savings

Separate Outdoor Air Intakes from Air Pollutant Sources

Reduce or Eliminate Use of CFCs & HCFCs in Cooling Equipment

High-Efficiency HVAC to Reduce Energy Consumption & Demand

High Efficiency Appliances and Components

Energy Efficient Appliances

Low-energy Elevators

Electrical Equipment to Reduce Energy Consumption & Demand

Renewable Energy

Fuel Cells

Wind Energy

Cogeneration

Building-Integrated Photovoltaics

Solar Energy Collection

Photovoltaic Electricity Systems

Passive Solar Design

Photovoltaic Systems

Occupant Efficiency

Utility Sub-metering

Occupant Sensors

Building Automation Systems

Lighting

Fiberoptic Lighting

T5 Fluorescent Lamps

Cold-temperature Compact Fluorescents

HID Electronic Ballasts & Lamps

Dimmable Compact Fluorescent Lamps

Modular Lighting & Wiring

Lighting Equipment to Reduce Energy Consumption & Demand

Daylight and Electrical Lighting for Task Oriented Spaces

Daylight and Electrical Light in Gathering Spaces

Efficient Lighting Strategies - Santa Monica Green Building Program

Efficient Lighting Strategies - Southface

Lighting in High-Bay Manufacturing & Color Critical Areas

Incorporate Occupancy Controls in Zones with Intermittent Use

Compact Flouresents