Resource Positive Envelope Design: Explorations in Architectural Innovation

8/6/2019 Resource Positive Envelope Design: Explorations in Architectural Innovation

1/68

Resource PositiveEnvelope Design

Explorations in

Architectural Innovation

Edited by Douglas MacLeod


2/68



Explorations in


In a very short period of time, the

Resource Positive Envelope Design

(RPED) project has produced a wealth

of activities and resources that have the

potential to change the way we think

about architecture.

The intent was not merely to design newkinds of buildings, communities andcities, but to design a new meaning forthese structures that is predicated on anew relationship with the environment.

To fully realize this goal would require alifetime of work, but it begins with thecomprehensive exploration of architecturethat is presented here. This explorationoccurred through technological research,visionary designs and experimentalinstallations that were founded onongoing discussions, a willingness to shareand a spirit of cooperation.

The issues raised by the Resource PositiveEnvelope Design project will not be solvedovernight or by a single project, but thefuture of our planet depends on usaddressing them now. In this sense, this

project provided a critical first step in theright direction.


3/68

Resource Positive Envelope Design 1



4/68

2 Resource Positive Envelope Design


5/68



Explorations in


Published by the Okanagan Institutein association with Okanagan College

March 2011



6/68


Copyright 2011 the authors.All rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted inany form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the priorwritten permission of the publisher.

Produced and published by the Okanagan Institute1473 Ethel Street, Kelowna BC V1Y 2X9 Canadawww.okanaganinstitute.com

COLOPHON

Publisher and designer: Robert MacDonald EMGDCPrinted at the Aspire Media Works, Kelowna BC.The paper was made from flattened bleached treesand is 100% post-consumer waste.

The type used in this publication is Officina Sans fromthe International Typeface Company. It was designed byErik Spiekermann at MetaDesign, the internationallyrenowned graphic design, tyography and type designfirm in Berlin. It was specifically designed forcontemporary use in a wide variety of printingenvironments, including laser printers and digitaltransmission applications.


7/68


Contents

Introduction

The Connective Thread

Brian Lee

Wireless Monitoring of Buildings

Douglas MacLeod

Our Buildings Can Save the Planet

Andrew Hay and Robert Parlane

Centre of Excellence in Sustainable

Building Technologies and Renewable

Energy Conservation

Trevor Butler

Earth Tubes

Davis Marques

Building the Case for Core Sunlighting

7

13

23

41

51

55


8/68



9/68


The Connective Thread

In a very short period of time, the Resource

Positive Envelope Design (RPED) project has produced a

wealth of activities and resources that have the potentialto change the way we think about architecture.

The intent was not merely to design new kinds

of buildings, communities and cities, but to design a new

meaning for these structures that is predicated on a new

relationship with the environment. To fully realize this

goal would require a lifetime of work, but it begins withthe comprehensive exploration of architecture that is

presented here. This exploration occurred through

technological research, visionary designs and

experimental installations that were founded on ongoing

discussions, a willingness to share and a spirit ofcooperation.

It was precisely this spirit of cooperation that

allowed the project to accomplish so much. Over the

course of project, the project team held two conferences

(one Mini-Summit on the Future of Architecture and

another on Living Cities); participated in the Buildings

Introduction


10/68


and Appliances Task Force of the Asia Pacific Partnership;

organized a Green Building Exchange in Busan andSeoul, South Korea and in Shanghai, China (that included

some of Canadas top architects and engineers); developed

an extensive curriculum for sustainable construction

management; carried out research in interactive and

responsive design; built a detailed database of greenbuildings from a variety of countries; deployed a network

of wireless sensors to measure building performance in

Penticton, Canada, Busan, South Korea and Tianjin,

China; and conducted an international student

competition with over 200 entries all in the space of 12

months. Moreover, it is a measure of the cooperativespirit of the project that all participants in these activities

have agreed to share their materials freely and openly

through the project website at resourcepositive.com.

In addition the project was able to forge key

relationships with partners and organizations from around

the world. Project funding, for example, was used to help

Roger Bayley travel to Tianjin and work with the Sino-

Singapore Tianjin Eco-City project where they are now

planning a Canadian Centre for Sustainable Innovation.

Discussions with Sun Central not only led to the

deployment of an extensive series of light guides inOkanagan Colleges new Centre of Excellence in

Sustainable Building Technologies and Renewable energy

Conservation but also to the participation of project

researchers in the Core Sunlighting Solutions Research

Network which is part of the Canada-California Strategic

Innovation Partnership. Project members were also invited


11/68


to participate in the inaugural meeting of the Sustainable

Building Network organized by the International EnergyAgency in Paris, France. Closer to home, project members

also helped to form the pan-Canadian College Sustainable

Building Consortium.

Because the project generated such a tremendous

amount of material, it has produced not one, but twopublications. The first is this publication which documents

the innovative research and design projects conducted

by project members. The second isLiving Cities: Vision

and Method which examines experimental and visionary

projections of future urban forms. What ties these two

publications is precisely the need to redefine the builtenvironment. In both cases, this information is provided

in digital form in order that it be freely and easily

available to all.

The most powerful legacy of the project, however,

may be the network of connections and partnerships

that were built around the world.

Throughout this period we had considerable

moral, and financial, support from a variety of federal

and provincial ministries and department for which we

are very appreciative. Through their ongoing work with

the Asia Pacific Partnership, Amanda Kramer and herteam at Environment Canada provided the vision and

impetus as well the major funding for the project.

Similarly, Elizabeth Tang, and Glen Webb in particular,

at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation provided

constant guidance and support as we built partnerships

in other countries. In addition, Paul Irwin and his team


12/68


with the government of British Columbia were a major

sponsor and supporter of our Green Building Exchangewhich would have been impossible without the help of

them and their representatives in the countries we

visited. Here we would particularly like to thank K. S.

Kim and Injun Paek in Korea and John McDonald and

Sylvia Sun in Shanghai.All of the work carried out during the project was

very much a collaboration of friends and colleagues.

Once again I had the privilege of working with David

Covo of McGill University and Philip Beesley of the

University of Waterloo and I look forward to doing so

again. Their insights and collaborative approach wereessential to the success of this work. Similarly Davis

Marques of Ryerson University was indispensable to the

technical aspects of the project; Brian Lee of MGH

Consulting contributed his expertise in wireless sensors;

Alan Maguire of George Brown College helped ground the

project in the real world; and Robert MacDonald was

instrumental in building our web presence and this

publication.

Finally, all those associated with the project owe

their gratitude to the team at Okanagan College who

worked tirelessly to keep the project on track and onbudget. As Project Manager, Michele McCready brought

order out of chaos and she was ably assisted by Patti

Boyd, Jennifer Heppner, Carla Whitten and Margaret

Johnson. I would also like to thank Dean Yvonne Moritz,

former Dean Dianne Crisp and Vice President of Education


13/68


Andrew Hay for their support for, and patience with, this

project.The issues raised by the Resource Positive

Envelope Design project will not be solved overnight or

by a single project, but the future of our planet depends

on us addressing them now. In this sense, this project

provided a critical first step in the right direction.

Douglas MacLeod


14/68



15/68


Wireless Monitoringof Buildings

A building is comprised of its external envelope

system and the mechanical, electrical, HVAC, andplumbing systems housed within the structure. The

building envelope and internal infrastructure contribute

to creating a comfortable environment for the buildings

occupants. The useful life of a building depends on its

design, the materials used in its construction, and on the

adherence to a diligent maintenance program.Whether the building is situated in a harsh

climate or a moderate environment a facility manager

benefits from knowledge relating to performance of its

building envelope components and the building

infrastructure. Key parameters such as temperature,relative humidity, and moisture content across the

exterior wall indicate whether the building envelope is

performing as intended. Parameters such as temperature

and AC power utilization indicate whether mechanical

and electrical systems are performing as intended. When

a significant departure from normal parameters is

Brian Lee


16/68


observed, this may indicate a problem at an exterior wall

or at a mechanical system that warrants investigation.Continuous monitoring of building envelope

components enables designers to better understand how

to create and control conditions that lead to condensation

within the wall. Monitoring can be used to assess the

performance of new innovative moisture control productsinstalled in test walls. Monitoring wall assemblies at real

buildings can supplement lessons learned from computer

simulations of wall assemblies and from testing walls

under controlled laboratory conditions. The Internet is

a key component to disseminating data obtained from

monitoring wall assemblies and for sharing theinformation with students and designers.

Monitoring equipment has been available for

many years. However, recent advancements in wireless

technology enable such monitoring systems to be installed

in wall assemblies of new buildings as well as in existing

buildings without running wires throughout the building.

PARAMETERS TYPICALLY MONITORED

Wireless sensors monitor parameters such as

temperature, relative humidity, moisture content, ACpower & power quality. Readings convey the current

status of parameters being monitored. Threshold levels

can be established for selected parameters and an alert

can be issued by e-mail and/or text message to notify

that a threshold has been exceeded.


17/68


"MONITORING" SYSTEMS VERSUS

"MONITORING AND CONTROL" SYSTEMS

Direct Digital Control ("DDC") systems provide

the ability to control devices belonging to mechanical,

plumbing, and HVAC systems in response to information

obtained by monitoring sensors. Monitoring systems arealso used to strictly monitor chosen parameters where

information gathering is the primary objective. DDC

systems are permanent installations whereas monitoring

systems may only be required temporarily to achieve a

specific objective. Advancements in wireless technology

and miniaturization of sensors enable monitoringequipment to be easily installed, relocated, and removed

at an existing building.

HOW WIRELESS MONITORING OPERATES

Miniature Sensors are designed to monitor

selected parameters. One variety of Sensor measures

environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity,

and wood moisture content. Readings are periodically

taken by the Sensor and transmitted wirelessly to a

Gateway located within the building being monitored.Monitoring systems can operate as a stand-alone

system where the collected data is transmitted wirelessly

to a Gateway located on site. The information can be

retrieved at a later date for analysis by downloading data

from the Gateway. Stand-alone systems accommodate


18/68


remote building locations where the Internet may not be

available.For buildings that have access to the Internet,

wireless sensors transmit readings to a Gateway connected

to the Internet. The Gateway then relays data over the

Internet to a dedicated secured database server. The

frequency of communication between the Sensors,Gateway, and central host server can be customized for

each facility being monitored. Intervals between

successive data readings can be modified, ranging from

minutes to hours for most applications. The Internet

enables data to be viewed and downloaded for analysis

from anywhere in the world using any device capable ofInternet access.

The Sensor is battery powered which makes it

capable of operating wirelessly. The Sensor is programmed

to periodically wakeup from an ultra low power sleep

state, take measurements, and open a communication

session with the Gateway. This technology enables

battery life to range from fifteen (15) years to forty (40)

years depending on the programmed time interval

between successive readings.

System alarm thresholds are configured by the

end-user so that if an alarm event occurs the end-user oranother responsible party is alerted by e-mail, pager,

text message, or phone.

Monitoring data is accessible 24/7/365 by web

browser for viewing and diagnostics. Data is permanently

archived and can be downloaded for analysis. Graphs are

automatically generated to track and view data collected


19/68


from the last hour, day, week, month, 3 months, 6

months, year, and so on.

LEAK DETECTION

The ability to monitor specific parameters such

as relative humidity and moisture content on a continuousbasis enables wireless monitoring to detect and report

unintended water ingress through the building envelope,

leaks through a building roof, and leaks from pipes and

liquid containers. The monitoring system can alert a

responsible party upon early detection of a leak. Typical

applications include exterior and interior wall assemblies,pipe chases in hi-rise towers, attic and crawl spaces,

mechanical rooms, electrical vaults, etc. By alerting the

building owner or facility manager in a timely manner,

steps can be taken to determine the cause of a leak and

plan for appropriate remedial action before it can develop

into more costly repairs.

Water damage caused by a breach in a roofing

assembly can be devastating. Such roof leaks may not get

detected for weeks, even months. It is possible for water

to migrate laterally between the roofing membrane and

the roof structure before the water enters the buildinginterior. Subsequently, a breach in the roofing can be

very difficult to locate, especially beneath the over-

burden on green roofs.

Wireless monitoring of roofing assemblies offers

a solution to detect leaks in a timely manner. Continuous

monitoring of the roofing assembly can detect in near-


20/68


real time when a roof leak has occurred, send an alert to

a responsible party that a leak has occurred, and providethe location of the breach in the roofing. Current

methods for assessing the performance of a roofing

assembly include on-site inspections, infrared

thermography scans, and electric field vector mapping

("EFVM"). For on-site inspections, a qualified roofinginspector assesses the condition of a roofing assembly

and predicts the remaining life expectancy of the roofing

membrane. An infrared thermography scan attempts to

detect whether moisture exists beneath a roofing

membrane. EFVM is capable of locating the breach in a

roofing membrane but only after a leak into the buildinginterior has occurred. These methods do not typically

provide early detection of a roof leak and requires a

qualified inspector or technician to visit the site.

Wireless monitoring offers a solution to address

two separate needs in the roofing industry. Installation

of a permanent monitoring system for the whole roof

provides the facility manager an ability to monitor the

entire roof area for the service life of the new roofing.

Installation of a temporary monitoring system for over-

night tie-offs provides the roofing contractor an ability

to monitor the temporary seal they make along the edgesof the new roofing at the end of each day. Leaks at such

tie-offs are a significant source of claims against roofing

warranties. The temporary monitoring system is re-

usable and can be re-located to a new tie-off at the end

of each day.


21/68


WIRELESS MONITORING AND BUILDING

MAINTENANCE

Building owners can protect their investment

against costly repairs caused by premature failure of the

building envelope and by unexpected water leaks from

mechanical and plumbing systems. Specifically, thehuge financial cost of repairing failed building envelopes

in the wet coastal climate of British Columbia has been

well documented over the past two decades. Regular

maintenance of the building envelope helps ensure its

proper performance. Wireless monitoring of the building

envelope complements a diligent building maintenanceprogram. A monitored building can help reduce the cost

of maintenance by identifying when and where attention

is needed before a problem can develop into a costly

repair.

Facility managers retain professional engineers

to perform reviews of the building envelope to identify

potential areas of concern. Monitoring the building

envelope makes it possible for early detection of building

envelope problems. Wireless monitoring is not intended

to replace a review by professionals but rather supplement

the review performed by the professional.

WIRELESS MONITORING AND THE

INSURANCE INDUSTRY

Monitoring building envelopes can identify

deficiencies that may have resulted in unintended water


22/68


ingress. It is conceivable for a leak through a failed

building envelope to enter the wall cavity but remainundetected for long periods, especially if moisture does

not migrate into the building interior. Home Warranty

policies offered in selected jurisdictions include coverage

for repairs to building envelope deficiencies and for

subsequent moisture related damage. However, if adeficiency is not detected in a timely manner, and a

written claim is not submitted within the warranty

period, the claim may be denied. Wireless sensors

embedded in strategic locations at the exterior walls can

detect moisture that may otherwise remain undetected.

Early detection of unexpected levels of moisture and/orhumidity within a wall assembly will alert the building

owner. The insurance industry also benefits from early

detection of building envelope deficiencies because the

potential cost of repair for resultant moisture damage

can be reduced. As wireless monitoring of building

components becomes accepted as standard practice,

insurance providers will recognize its cost-effective

advantages in underwriting risk management. Insurance

companies may be able to add value to their products by

offering engineering condition assessments supplemented

by specialized wireless monitoring systems as part oftheir commercial/residential policy packages.


23/68


THE AUTHOR

Brian Lee, P.Eng. is a professional engineer with

thirty-two years' experience, trained in structural

engineering and building science engineering.

His interests include research and experi-

mentation in technologies to monitor buildingenvelope performance. Mr. Lee's experience

includes investigation, analysis, and remediation

of building envelope failures located within the

coastal climate of British Columbia.


24/68



25/68


Our Buildings CanSave the Planet

Our buildings can save the planetbecause green

buildings are the best means of addressing global warming,reducing energy usage and creating a healthier and safer

environment.

THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM

The heating and cooling of buildings accounts for

about a third of the worlds total greenhouse gas emis-

sions. When the carbon emitted in the manufacture of

building materials and the transportation of those mate-

rials is included, this figure rises to almost one half. The

manufacture of concrete alone produces some 7% of theworlds total greenhouse gas emissions. When all of the

energy costs of a building are combined, buildings have

the dubious distinction of being both the largest consum-

ers of energy and the largest emitters of greenhouse gases

of any sector (Mazria, 2002).

Douglas MacLeod


26/68


There is no question that the economic and

environmental impact of designing and constructing bet-

ter buildings would be enormous. The Carbon Mitigation

Initiative at Princeton University has calculated that if all

buildings were designed to the most efficient energy

standards then it would reduce carbon dioxide emissions

by 1 billion tons each year. This is roughly equivalent tothe amount of greenhouse gases produced by 800 one-

gigawatt coal power plants plants which cost well over

$1 billion to construct (Talbot, 2006).

RESOURCE POSITIVE ARCHITECTURE

We can now produce net zero buildings that

produce as much energy as they consume, but the next

generation of green buildings must do more than that. As

architect William McDonough asserts, being less bad is not

good enough particularly when architects and engineers

now have the means to remediate and repair the damage

we have done to the environment.

This is the promise of regenerative or resource

positive architecture. Resource positive buildings gener-

ate more energy than they consume; sequester more

carbon than they emit; purify more water than theycontaminate; and recycle more than the waste they make.

Regenerative or Resource Positive Design is

the most effective, fastest, most equitable

and least expensive means of combating

global warming


27/68


Resource positive architecture, however, demands a sea

change in the way we think about our buildings and our

communities. In essence each home, each building and

each neighbourhood will manage its own resources and

live within those resources. At the same the inhabitants of

those homes, buildings and neighbourhoods will own

those resources and be free to share or sell them.Using the example of water processing, Andrew

Benedek, the founder of Zenon Environmental Inc. whose

membrane filtration systems earned him the first the Lee

Kuan Yew Water Prize in 2008 Water Prize, compared this

change to the one that occurred in computerization.

Originally mainframe computers were sequestered in sepa-rate rooms, attended by their own cadre of acolytes, and

computing jobs were submitted to these facilities for

processing. Today computers are everywhere and comput-

ing power is controlled by anyone with a desktop, laptop

or tablet to be used whenever they need it. We need to

adopt a similar model for our buildings. Energy is every-

where and it should be controlled by building owners

whenever they need it.

In this approach, all of the things you do

become part of your architecture. Your electric car, for

example, becomes part of your house recharging itsbatteries when the house is generating energy and

storing that energy for the house when it is not

generating energy. In this approach rainwater is stored

for irrigation and grey water is filtered and re-used. In

this approach green roofs and walls grow food for their

inhabitants and cash crops for the market. In this


28/68


approach there is no such thing as garbage. Everything

is re-used or re-cycled.

ACHIEVING RESOURCE POSITIVE

All of the components for moving beyond net zero

into a resource positive state already exist and some ofthem are dead simple. Andr Potvin of lUniversit Laval

has estimated that the performance of a building depends

on its architecture (25%), its systems (50%) and a

remaining 25% that is essentially due to the behaviour of

the occupants. Occupants interact constantly with both

the architecture (opening and closing shades, windowsand doors) and its systems (changing thermostats and

turning lights on and off) and their impact has always been

underestimated. In fact, behavioural studies have shown

that consumers will reduce their energy consumption by as

much as 12% (Wood & Newborough, 2003) when provided

with monitoring and metering systems that clearly and

effectively communicate energy usage.

7 PILLARS OF POSITIVE

Including metering and monitoring, there areseven ways to incrementally tip the balance from resource

negative to resource positive. As the table below suggests,

each of them can be used to make a modest reduction of

from 10 to 20% of our energy consumption but taken

together they could move our buildings into energy

production.


29/68


Approach Savings

1. Metering and Monitoring 10%

2. Passive Solar Design 15%

3. Change our Behaviours 15%

4. Energy Efficient Lighting 10%

5. Energy Smart Appliances 20%

6. Better Insulation 15%7. Alternative Energy Systems 20%

Total Savings 105%

With a total savings of 105%, a building would be

able to feed its excess energy into the grid. Each of these

approaches is described in more detail below.

1. Metering and Monitoring

While the benefits of metering and monitoring

were referenced above, it must be noted that reliable

performance data on green buildings is sadly lacking. The

actual performance of a green building is often less than

half of its predicted performance. We desperately need an

ongoing stream of data collected in a consistent manner

that will allow researchers to analyse and compare what

works and what doesnt work.

2. Passive Solar Design

Significant savings can also be attained simply by

orientating a building in accordance with the sun, and

providing it with shade through overhangs or trees. If this

is done during the design phase then it neednt add any


30/68


costs to the overall construction of the building. Moreo-

ver, new technologies, like light guides, can capture and

concentrate natural light and bounce it 100 feet inside a

building - with a 25% saving in lighting power bills.

3. Change our Behaviours Still More

In addition to metering and monitoring, changingour behaviours by a further 15% is both feasible and an

ongoing cost savings to the consumer. Adjusting the

thermostat, unplugging appliances when not in use, and

keeping the air conditioner off would all make a differ-

ence.

4. Energy Efficient Lighting

While compact fluorescent bulbs are a good sub-

stitute for incandescent ones, LED bulbs provide the next

level of energy efficiency in lighting. With a very short

payback time, using these new types of bulbs saves

consumers money.

5. Energy Smart Appliances

Our appliances are energy hogs and theyre get-

ting worse. Office equipment and home electronics are

being designed with no concern for their energy usage.Sustainable Development Technology Canada Corporation

has estimated that Between 1990 and 2004, the auxiliary

equipment load rose by about 105%, and in 1999 sur-

passed lighting as the second-largest load in commercial

buildings (SDTC, 2007). What we need are appliances and

electronic devices designed for low energy usage with


31/68


unambiguous rating systems that clearly identify products

which are energy efficient.

6. Better Insulation

Well-insulated buildings can dramatically reduce

the need for mechanical heating and cooling. Taking this

approach to extremes, the German Passiv Haus has neitheran air conditioner nor a furnace, instead it uses the mass

of the building to moderate its interior temperature.

7. Alternative Energy Sources

Once all of these other measures are in place, the

rest of a buildings energy needs can easily be met (andsurpassed) with solar, wind and geothermal energy sources

installed on the building or in the community. Excess

energy can be stored for future use or sold to the grid,

thereby generating income for the buildings inhabitants.

DUMB IS BETTER THAN SMART

These seven steps to resource positive emphasize

that simple measures have a far greater impact than

complicated ones. Again and again, over the last few

decades, proponents have advanced the idea of smartbuildings, smart homes and smart appliances, and again

and again, these ideas have failed. Instead we need to

allow people to act intelligently. We dont need elaborate

sensors to turn off lights based on motion, or to adjust the

temperature based on identity badges, we simply need to

ensure that the windows are easy to open, that anyone can


32/68


change the thermostat, and that the light switches are

located where people can turn them on and off.

This is why the smart grid is also destined to fail.

By adding successive layers of complexity and cost to our

energy system we exclude ordinary people from playing an

active role in their energy future. The Internet, in con-

trast, is extraordinarily dumb. It simply moves bits fromone place to another, but this has allowed people to

innovate in a manner undreamed of by its inventors. Today

anyone can send or receive a wide variety of user gener-

ated content. A dumb energy grid would simply move

energy from place to place, allowing people to send it or

receive it, but ideally it would also empower innovators tocreate new energy applications and services.

BEYOND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Energy efficiency in the operation of buildings is

only part of the challenge of resource positive design. We

have not addressed the whole problem if we only make net

zero buildings. The careful choice of materials, for exam-

ple, can not only reduce the overall carbon footprint of a

building, but make it safer at the same time.

In this context, it is difficult to understand howa building made largely of concrete can be described as

green when the manufacture of that concrete generates so

much carbon dioxide. Wood, on the other hand, sequesters

carbon and is one of the only building materials that

absorbs greenhouse gases as it is manufactured. A large

wooden building sequesters enough carbon that its carbon


33/68


credits could be sold under existing cap and trade

systems.

More serious is the fact that we are in daily contact

with the toxic chemicals embedded in our building mate-

rials. An older house may contain up to 225 kilograms of

lead (La Rose, 2011). In many ways, it is extraordinary that

we have allowed such a dangerous situation to persist forsome long when there are alternatives. Not only must we

eliminate toxic materials from our buildings, but we can

also use natural and native vegetation to draw toxins from

the surrounding soil and water. The real potential of

regenerative design lies in creating and selecting materi-

als that make us healthier.

A QUADRUPLE BOTTOM LINE

The complexity and magnitude of creating better

buildings, demands a comprehensive approach and this

too suggests the idea of a resource positive architecture

as an interdisciplinary means of addressing a global

problem. Some have already advanced the idea of a Triple

E Bottom Line method for evaluating future projects. The

Triple E includes a consideration of the Environment,

Economics and Equity or alternatively Planet, Profits andPeople. This is a good start, but it is neither complete nor

specific enough.

Resource positive buildings regenerate the envi-

ronment; they generate income for their inhabitants not

large corporations; and by doing so they help to make

housing affordable for ordinary people.


34/68


This economic regeneration is critical. Every month

homeowners pay hundreds of dollars in utility fees in

effect adding a second mortgage to housing which is

already too expensive. As noted above, through resource

positive architecture, people not only manage their en-

ergy resources, they own them as well. Excess energy

generated by the house becomes income for the home-owner. This makes housing more affordable for those

entering the market, and makes it economically feasible

for an ageing population to stay in their homes longer.

At the same time, there is no disputing that

resource positive buildings are more expensive to build

than energy inefficient ones. Developers, contractors andhomebuyers often balk at the additional costs and green

measures are often the first to go when cost cutting

occurs. Yet ESCOs, or Energy Service Companies, have

already provided a model to address this issue. Instead of

wasting billions of dollars in fruitless and failed endeav-

ours such as carbon sequestering, governments should act

as national ESCOs and work in partnership with homeown-

ers to purchase energy efficient elements (such as solar

panels) and thereby remove them from the cost of the rest

of the building. By sharing the energy savings between the

government and the homeowner, it would be possible topay back the original investment while still realizing some

of the economic benefits of generating your own energy.

Moreover, at the end of the payback period, the assets

would belong to the homeowner, as would the revenue

stream.


35/68


We also need to add another E to the Triple Bottom

Line that of Experience. We need to make living in a

resource positive building a compelling and even irresist-

ible experience. As architect Servag Pogharian (Pogharian,

2010) has pointed out, nobody asks what the payback

period is on a sports car, yacht or piece of jewelry. This is

precisely why architecture and design are critically impor-tant to whole idea of being resource positive. There is no

doubt that solar panels as they are currently designed are

butt ugly, but there is also no reason why a good designer

couldnt transform them into objects of beauty - as the

company Aerotecture has done for building-based wind

turbines. Properly promoted, the additional costs of aresource positive building would be considered part of the

price one is willing to pay for the experience of living in

one.

ANCILLARY BENEFITS

In 2011, construction is expected to be a $7.5 US

trillion industry or roughly 13.4% of the worlds economy.

Global Construction Perspectives have estimated that by

2020 construction output will grow by 70% to $12.7 US

trillion and represent 14.6% of the worlds economy(Global Construction Perspectives, 2011). These figures,

however, only tell part of the story. There are trillions and

trillions of dollars more invested in existing buildings. As

energy efficiency increases in importance almost all of

these buildings will need to retrofitted for improved

performance. New construction and renovations repre-


36/68


sents an enormous market potential for countries and

regions that are perceived as leaders in green buildings.

THE REAL COST OF BUILDINGS

Figure 1: Life Cycle Costs of a Building over 30 Years

Construction costs, however, are only the tip of

the economic iceberg. In realizing the market potential of

regenerative design, it is important to understand the

various costs of a building over a period of thirty years.

What is immediately obvious from this pie chart, is that

the cost of salaries for the people who inhabit a building

far outweighs any other expense and resource positive

buildings may have their most dramatic economic impact

in this area. As the Commission for Environmental Coop-

eration reports:


37/68


Substantial research supports the health and

productivity benefits of green features, such as

daylighting, increased natural air ventilation

and moisture reduction, and the use of low-

emitting floor carpets, glues, paints and other

interior finishes and furnishings. In the United

States, the annual cost of building-relatedsickness is estimated to be at $58 billion.

According to researchers, green building has

the potential to generate an additional $200

billion annually in the United States in worker

performance by creating offices with improved

indoor air quality (CEC, 2008).

Lockheed Martin has reported that simply by

daylighting Building 157 in its sprawling Sunnyvale,

California facility, it was able to save $500,000 per year in

energy costs and far more than that in reduced absen-

teeism and increased productivity (Thayer, 1995). In other

words, regenerative design may also be the most cost-

effective means of improving the productivity of industri-

alized nations.

At the same time, it is also important to emphasize

the value of resource positive architecture in comparison tocurrent approaches. According to the Asia Business Council,

In China, gaining a megawatt of electricity by building

more generating capacity costs at least four times as much

as saving a megawatt through greater efficiency and that

ignores the environmental costs of generating power using

fossil fuels (Hong, Chiang, Shapiro & Clifford, 2007).


38/68


In other words, every dollar spent on

regenerative buildings has a 4 times greater

impact than a dollar spent on energy

generation.

CHALLENGES

Yet despite the obvious economic and environ-

mental advantages of regenerative design and resource

positive architecture there are still serious challenges to

the wide scale deployment of next generation green

buildings. These include:

1. Reliable Performance Data

As noted above, because of the scale and complex-

ity of an average building, it is difficult to accurately

assess and quantify both the performance of individual

building components and entire buildings. In simple

terms, we really dont know what works and what doesnt.

We need an international network of buildings to act as

living labs that accurately gather, store and compare

performance data in a coherent and consistent manner.

2. ImplementationThe AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construc-

tion) industry can be resistant to change and to effectively

design and construct green buildings demands significant

changes to current approaches. Awareness, education and

training must be a fundamental part of any regeneration


39/68


program, but our building codes must also be updated to

reflect this new approach.

3. Ownership

Traditionally the organizations, such a developers

and contractors, that construct buildings are not the same

ones that operate them and for this reason there is littleinterest in increasing construction or capital costs to

reduce costs. As suggested above, however, informed

policies can address this challenge.

4. Research

The lack of research in green buildings in generalis the most serious challenge facing this field. Historically,

the AEC industry is one of the poorest in terms of research

and development investment, with less than 0.7% of total

building permit value in 2006 re-invested in research.

Moreover, according to the U.S. Green Building Council:

... research on green building constituted only

about 0.2% (two-tenths of one percent) of all

federally-funded research from 2002 to 2004

an average of $193 million per year ... Levels of

green building research pale in comparison toamounts being invested in other sectors, and

green building research funding is fundamen-

tally fragmented and thus not conducive to

creating integrated solutions (USGBC, 2007).


40/68


Yet despite these challenges, the advantages of a

resource positive or regenerative architecture are clear.

Not only can we dramatically reduce our energy consump-

tion and our greenhouse gas emissions, but resource

positive buildings can also improve the quality of life for

ordinary people by making a built environment that is

healthier, more productive and more affordable. Ourbuildings can not only save the planet they can make it a

better place to live and work.

References

CEC (Commission for Environmental Cooperation. (2008).

Green Building in North America. Montreal, QC: CEC.

Global Construction Perspectives. (2011). Global Construction

2020. Retrieved from http://

www.globalconstruction2020.com on 3/10/11.

Hong, W., Chiang, M., Shapiro, R. & Clifford, M. (2007).

Building Energy Efficiency: Why Green Buildings Are

Key to Asias Future. Hong Kong: Asia Business

Council.

La Rose, L. (2011, March 7). How home reno jobs can be

harmful to your childs health. Globe and Mail, p. A5.

Mazria, E. (2002).Architecture 2030. Retrieved from http://architecture2030.org/the_problem/

buildings_problem_why retrieved on 3/10/11.

Pogharian, S. (2010, October, 27). The Net Zero Energy Life in

Canada. Presentation to the Cascadia Green Building

Council, Kelowna, BC.


41/68


SDTC (Sustainable Development Technology Canada). (2007).

Commercial Buildings Eco-Efficiency. Retrieved 23

October 2008 from http://www.sdtc.ca/en/knowl-

edge/business_case.htm.

Talbot, D. (2006, July/August). The Un-Coal. Technology

Review, 109(3), p. 55.

Thayer, B. (1995, May/June). Daylighting & Productivity atLockheed. Solar Today, pp. 26-29.

USGBC (United States Green Building Council). (2007,

November).A National Green Building Research

Agenda.

Wood, G. & M. Newborough. (2003). Dynamic Energy-con-

sumption Indicators for Domestic Appliances:

Environment, Behaviour and Design. Energy and

Buildings, 35, pp. 821-41

THE AUTHOR

Douglas MacLeod is the Associate Dean of

Science Technology and Health at Okanagan

College. He is a registered architect in

California, a contributing editor to Canadian

Architectand the former Executive Director ofthe Canadian Design Research Network. He has

degrees in both architecture and computer

science, a Masters Degree in Environmental

Design and is currently completing his

doctorate also in Environmental Design.


42/68



43/68


Centre of Excellencein Sustainable BuildingTechnologies andRenewable Energy

Conservation

The main purpose of the Okanagan College

Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Technologies

and Renewable Energy Conservation (COE) is to educate

students in the design, installation and maintenance of

sustainable green building technologies. To achieve thisgoal the COE, as a building, will lead by example, being

at the forefront of sustainable construction and creating

an agent for progress in green building design in North

America.

The building targets the Living Building Challenge[1]: a new extreme benchmark for sustainable

construction. The Challenge includes an all encompassing

set of green requirements, including net-zero water use,

net-zero energy, and locally sourced materials avoiding

a red list of significant, widely used yet environmentally

hazardous construction materials. This article considers

Andrew Hay and Robert Parlane


44/68


specifically how the building envelope responds to the

requirements of net-zero energy and material selection.

HIGH PERFORMANCE ENVELOPE

Although located in a semi-arid climate with an

average annual temperature of 9

C, the building still hasa net heating load. Therefore a high performance building

envelope is the first step to target net-zero energy.

Insulation values of R28 and R40 are provided on the

walls and roof respectively, and a maximum air leakage

rate of 5m3/hr per m2 is required. Higher values for

insulation in the walls and roof could have been targeted,but the design team chose to set realistic modelling

targets that allowed for possible cold bridges and air

leakage, and conserve the limited budget for use in more

vulnerable areas where a greater return might be achieved.

Doors are typically prone to poor air leakage and

poor insulation values. Therefore the number of external

doors in the COE is minimised, and reduced to single leaf

whenever practical. All entrance doors have vestibules

to reduce drafts and heat loss.

Heat loss through the windows accounts for 50%

of all heat loss through the external envelope of the COE.[2] To help offset some of this heat loss, all windows and

curtain walling will use argon-filled triple-glazing.

While the heavily articulated building form

increases the area of external envelope and hence heat

loss; it also allows the building to capture winter solar

gain, daylight, and natural ventilation with a net benefit


45/68


to the overall energy equation. The south orientation of

the glazed entrance wing and some of the classroomsallows low level winter solar gain to be captured,

reducing the heating loads on the building. Summer

solar gain is shaded by large overhanging roofs and brise

soleil. The capture of daylight and natural ventilation

reduces lighting and ventilation requirements and hencefurther reduces the energy demands of the building.

High ceilings and tall windows are used to

maximise light penetration into offices and classrooms.

North and south-facing windows are typically used, with

only small punctured windows facing west where

necessary to bring light into darker corners. The westlight is problematic for afternoon summertime solar heat

gain and wintertime glare, while south-facing glazing is

more easily controlled with the use of conventional brise

soleil. Internal high-level light shelves are also used to

bounce south light deep into the plan. High level

clerestory windows are used to throw light into the

larger volumes of the gymnasium and workshops. All

occupied work spaces within the building are within 9 m

of a window offering daylight, views and natural

ventilation.

Where natural illumination is not easily achieved,light-pipes are incorporated to bring light deep into

these spaces. Further to this, some areas use a prototype

system, developed by the University of British Columbia,

that actively tracks and collects sunlight and ducts it

horizontally into the deep plan spaces.

Typically, single aspect opening windows provide


46/68


natural ventilation to a depth of 6 m into any space,

before the air starts to warm and rise above head height.This is improved by the articulated plan increasing the

penetration of natural ventilation further into the

building. This works well in combination with the

radiant heating/cooling within the floor slabs, as the

chilled slab keeps the incoming fresh air cooler and closeto the floor, penetrating further into the building before

rising.

A series of five 14 m high ventilation chimneys

along the spine of the building are designed to boost the

natural ventilation and draw fresh, external air deeper

into the building plan. These chimneys will utilise thenatural stack effect of warm buoyant air to draw air

through the building, creating an estimated natural flow

rate of 1000 l/s per chimney at peak conditions. Optimal

periods for the solar chimneys are shoulder seasons

(spring and fall) and in the morning and late afternoon

during the summer. When outdoor temperature exceeds

the chimney temperature the ventilation will be

mechanically assisted. This ventilation is made possible

by the orientation of the chimneys to the prevailing

south-north winds, and by the use of glazed panels

above the roof level to utilise solar gain to heat the risingair. At peak summer month conditions the glazed panels

alone will increase chimney air flow rate by as much as

100%.

When winter temperatures and peak summer

temperatures make it inefficient to use un-tempered air

for natural ventilation, the building will operate in


47/68


closed mode. In order to maintain simple operating

systems and reduce costs, all windows are manuallyoperated. Thus closed mode will indicated to the building

occupants by simple red/green lights throughout, as has

been successfully used elsewhere. This system in turn

will make the users of the building part of the control

system for the building envelop and further assist in thegoal of the COE as an agent for change.

TIMBER CONSTRUCTION

British Columbia (BC) is currently facing a major

pine beetle epidemic. This small beetle, spreadingunchecked due to milder winters, attacks pine trees and

kills them by introducing a fungal infection, leaving vast

areas of red forest. After two-three years the needles

drop and the trees turn grey. In this grey-attack stage

the structural value of the lumber significantly reduces.

If left un-harvested, the beetle killed forests will

eventually burn, releasing the carbon that has been

sequestered over decades back into the atmosphere.

However, in most cases this wood is not FSC certified.

It is estimated 14.5 million hectares in BC are

either red or grey stage infected; in some areas over 80%of all pines are beetle killed. [3] So in addition to the

widespread environmental havoc this infestation has

wreaked, many small BC communities are facing serious

economic hardship in coming years. It was therefore

clear from the outset that this building needs to respond

to the social and environmental factors of the immediate


48/68


availability of large volumes of non-FSC lumber from

beetle kill forests. The project design team has establishedwith the ILBI acceptable parameters for the use of wood

harvested from beetle killed forests.

Once it was decided to incorporate a timber-

framed construction, BC Building Code requirements,

and the proximity of the Penticton airport navigationbeacon, dictated that the building be no more than two

storeys in height. The decision to use wood construction

resulted in a relative low embodied carbon footprint,

calculated at 1770 Tonnes compared to 2235 Tonnes or

3360 Tonnes for an equivalent steel or concrete framed

building respectively. [4]Within the gymnasium the sprung timber floor is

not suitable for use with a radiant heating/cooling

system in the floor slab beneath, as used elsewhere in the

building. In heating mode the void beneath the timber

floor would form a insulating layer above the radiant

system, while in cooling mode the risk of interstitial

condensation causing rot to occur within the sprung

floor, is too great. Instead, an innovative system of

composite wall panels was developed that combined a

radiant heating/cooling system within a robust structural

wall panel, that was highly efficient in the use ofmaterials and reduced embodied carbon.

A 75 mm thick reinforced concrete wall panel

provides the thermal mass for a radiant heating/cooling

system. The pex piping is cast, while pressurised, into

the concrete panel under factory conditions, and upon

delivery each panel is connected into the radiant heating/


49/68


cooling supply system on site. The 3.6m wide and 7.9m

high concrete panels are cast between 175x266mmglulam columns, with two additional 80x190mm glulam

reinforcement columns on the rear face. The composite

action between the concrete and wood elements reduces

both the structural size of the glulams as well as the

thickness of concrete, reducing the volume of materialsused and subsequently lightening the weight on the

foundation piles. The typical panel incorporates 2m3 of

concrete and has an overall weight of 5Tonnes. An

equivalent pre-cast concrete panel would be 185 mm

thick and use 14 Tonnes of concrete, an increase of 280%

in the overall weight. [5]This is believed to be the first use of a composite

concrete/glulam system in North America, and may

ultimately offer an efficient alternative to tilt-up or pre-

cast concrete construction that utilises significantly less

concrete.

CONCLUSION

Most sustainable buildings influence their

respective societies by example, within the constraints

of their primary building purpose. One of the mainpurposes of the COE is to train the next generation of

construction professionals in sustainable technologies

and renewable energy. The building will therefore have

direct impact on the wider construction industry

throughout Canada for decades to come.

The COE, currently nearing completion, is well


50/68


poised to meet all elements of the LBC and is comparable

in cost to a conventional building design in the SouthernInterior of BC. This is perhaps the most significant result,

that a building can be constructed to be fully sustainable

without a significant cost premium. Further, the COE

through its design will influence new sustainable design

and construction, and the COE will create a learning andteaching environment that is both sustainable and

synergistic The building envelop innovations, taken

together, represent the potential to influence design

throughout the Pacific Northwest region of Canada and

the United States and demonstrate the ability to respond

to a highly demanding set of challenging conditions.

DESIGN TEAM

Architect: CEI Architecture Planning Interiors

Mechanical engineer: AME Group Engineers

Electrical engineer: Applied Engineering Solutions

Structural engineer: Fast + Epp

Civil engineer: True Consulting

Landscape architect: Site 360

Sustainability consultant: Recollective Consulting

Quantity surveyor: Spiegel Skillen & AssociatesConstruction manager: PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc


51/68


NOTES

1. International Living Building Institute - www.ilbi.org

2. Stewart, H, 2009. AME Consulting Group - COE Energy

Model.

3. Schrier, D, 2009. BC Stats Environmental Statistics -

Giving Dead Wood New Life: Salvaging BCs Beetle-killed Timber.

4. BuildCarbonNeutral.org, 2007. Construction Carbon

Calculator.

5. Epp, G, 2009. Fast+Epp - COE Structural Design

Development Report.

Andrew Hay, PhD, P.Eng. is VP Education,

Okanagan College, 1000 KLO Road, Kelowna,

British Columbia, Canada, V1Y 4X8

Robert Parlane RIBA MRAIC is Project Manager, CEI

Architecture Planning Interiors, 100-1060

Manhattan Drive, Kelowna, British Columbia,

Canada V1Y 9X9


52/68



53/68


Earth Tubes

The main cause of energy use in commercial

buildings is associated with heating, ventilation and air

conditioning (HVAC) and artificial lighting.Historically, thermal comfort and fresh air has

been provided to buildings through the combustion of

wood or fossil fuels (coal, oil) and through openable

windows. The need for cooling has evolved through

increased use of glass in the faade, electronic equipment

and artificial lighting. Some studies, EEBD (2006), havealso been carried out that show with improved building

fabric (U-values, envelope) beyond a certain limit, there

is potential for cooling loads to increase, whilst heating

loads will decrease. This is due in part to the increase in

electronic heat giving equipment, and a buildingenvelope that does not allow the heat gained to leave.

Whilst this is fine for heating conditions, the summertime

experience has been that overheating is more likely to

occur therefore increased cooling from air conditioning

is required to maintain comfort.

Trevor Butler


54/68


It is against this backdrop, the author has been

working to minimise energy requirements to maintainhealthy and comfortable buildings. His interest in earth

coupled systems began at Fulcrum in 1994 with the

Milton Keynes Future World housing projects, and has

grown from there.

After having monitored a number of hisinstallations from 1994 to the present date 2011 he

is now in the process of investigating ideas to create a

business to provide earth coupled systems for air-based

earth coupled thermal systems for buildings. This project

will seek to investigate the potential benefits and

identify risks that will be required to see if energyefficient and healthy, comfortable buildings can be

delivered using these systems.

The subject of air-based earth coupled thermal

systems have been researched and written about fairly

extensively through industry and academia. The basic

theory of air-based earth coupled thermal systems has

been explored through the fluid dynamics of heat

transfer as discussed by Welty et al (2000). In terms of

industry application CIBSE (2004) has demonstrated a

methodology for calculating the frictional characteristics

of different types of pipework.The systems work by drawing fresh (outside air)

into buried underground ducts. The temperature of the

earth is prone to fewer variations in temperature to the

outside air and as such temperature extremes associated

with peak summer and winter can be moderated as the

fresh air passes through the buried ducts.


55/68


The volume of fresh air drawn through the ducts

needs to be considered in two separate parameters:1. Primary Fresh Air: the minimum fresh air

requirements of 20 cubic feet per minute (cfm) per

person, ASHRAE (1989) or 10 litres per second (l/s)

according to Part F (2006)

2. Thermal cooling load: the pre-cooled air willmeet all or part of the cooling loads of the building.

The use of buried ducts for tempering fresh air

supply has been used for centuries throughout the

world. Some of the earliest are recorded in Persia, where

they are named badgeers and linked with ventilation

chimneys to draw the air through. These are completelypassive systems which is obvious due to the time being

pre-industrial revolution.

In Germany, with the advent and growth in

interest of Passivhaus, Adamson & Feist (1988), the use

of earth tubes are required for providing tempered fresh

air mainly for wintertime.


56/68



57/68


Building the Casefor Core Sunlighting

Core sunlighting is an approach to indoor lighting

whereby direct sunlight is captured and concentrated atthe perimeter of a building, then channeled to the

buildings interior core where it can be used as an

effective work illuminant. As a class of lighting systems,

it offers the potential to significantly reduce building

energy use, green house gas emissions and the cost of

indoor lighting, while increasing the quality of lighting,for a diverse range of climate zones and geographic

locations.

In the Asia Pacific region, rapidly growing energy

demand is a source of significant future risk.

Commercial and institutional buildings are amongthe largest consumers of electricity, with lighting

accounting for a significant portion of that usage. In the

United States, lighting is responsible for approximately

51% of total commercial building energy consumption.

(U.S. Department of Energy, 2003, pg. 60) In Canada, it

is the third largest end user of electricity following

Davis Marques


58/68


building and water heating. (Natural Resources Canada,

2009) Rising energy demand in this sector places anenormous strain on existing providers. HydroOne, an

energy transmission company, reports that:

In Ontario, growth in peak electricity demand

has outstripped increases in supply, to the extent that

Ontario is experiencing situations when peak demandthreatens to exceed the available supply of reliable,

reasonably priced capacity. Exacerbating this problem is

the need to replace or refurbish a significant fraction of

the province's aging generating facilities over the next

5-15 years. (HydroOne, 2003, pg. 1)

The capacity of the market to increase demandfar outstrips the ability of providers to source new

sources of energy and respond to demand shocks. The

2003 power grid blackout of eastern Canada and the

northeastern United States demonstrated how vulnerable

the North American energy infrastructure has become.

Reducing energy demand in commercial and institutional

buildings can do much to increase the stability of the

collective energy system while offsetting future risks.

Using sunlight as the primary source of building

illumination provides a number of distinct advantages.

First, the demand for electricity has a strongcorrespondence with standard work hours and the

availability of daylight: demand is lowest in the early

morning hours, greatest through the day, then drops

rapidly after dinner and remains low through the night.

Using sunlight instead of electricity for lighting in

commercial and institutional buildings reduces both the


59/68


total annual demand and the peak electric load precisely

at those times of day when most people are working,electricity use is greatest, and the cost of producing that

electricity is highest.

Second, using sunlight as an illuminant is nearly

100% efficient. Unlike other sources of energy, which

must be converted from potential energy, into electricity,and then into light, sunlight requires no conversion. As

such, there are no conversion losses, few transmission

losses, and a significant percentage of the energy that is

captured arrives at the work surface as useful illumination.

Third, using sunlight as a direct illuminant

reduces operational externalities over conventionalelectric lighting. Recent events have brought attention

to the fact that much of the worlds oil supply is

located in politically unstable regions. Some Asia Pacific

countries, such as Korea, are particularly dependent

upon foreign oil for domestic energy production. (U.S.

Energy Information Administration, 2006) The

converging, interrelated problems of dwindling world oil

reserves, increasing energy use, climate change, and

political volatility in oil producing regions impede reliable

access to energy and introduce instability in the energy

markets. Similarly, domestic energy systems areincreasingly strained to deal with extreme weather and

demand shocks. Business competitiveness is increasingly

based on an ability to provide predictable, stable service.

When energy prices rise dramatically or infrastructure

fails, businesses are impacted, and the social and economic

fallout can be catastrophic. Though the weather itself


60/68


varies, the sun is ever consistent. If the power systems

fail, core sunlighting can remain wholly or partiallyoperational during the most energy intensive periods of

the day, reducing operational risk for property owners

and passively increasing the resilience of the network.

Fourth, core sunlighting is feasible for buildings

located in a diverse range of climate zones and geographiclocations. For example, Southern Ontario, where both

population and industry are the most dense in Canada,

has a greater solar potential than leading regions in

Germany, France and China and an even better summer

solar resource than Miami, Florida, despite its northern

location. (TRRA, 2009, pg. 8) Densely populated AsiaPacific nations such as India, Korea, the United States

and Australia are located in areas of equivalent or greater

solar potential.

Finally, human physiology is attuned to the

properties of daylight and, as such, daylight is the

benchmark against which all other lighting sources are

compared. Commercial and institutional buildings around

the world are illuminated principally with fluorescent

lighting. Fluorescent bulbs exhibit an uneven spectral

distribution that can giving objects a distinct pink,

green or yellow tint depending on the particular lamp inquestion. The inability to distinguish colours can be a

detriment to effective work in office environments, an

impediment to sales in retail spaces, and a hazard in

health care settings.

Solar lighting technologies have been in research

or commercial production for some time now, though


61/68


few have seen widespread adoption. Historically,

limitations of early solar lighting systems, inexpensiveelectricity, and risk aversion within construction, real

estate and client organizations have impeded market

adoption. However, increasing concerns about our

energy infrastructure and growing green house gas

emissions are creating pressures on property owners toadopt more energy efficient lighting technologies.

Simultaneously, new core sunlighting technologies are

appearing in the market that address limitations of prior

technologies, and promise to make this class of lighting

both increasingly cost effective and more attractive than

conventional lighting.One such system is known as the solar canopy.

The solar canopy was developed by the Structured

Surface Physics Lab (SSPL) at the University of British

Columbia. It comprises two major components: a

concentrator that is mounted on south facing building

facades to collect sunlight, and a light guide that directs

sunlight from the concentrator into the interior spaces

of a building. An array of mirrors mounted in the

concentrator tracks the movement of the sun through

the sky to optimize the amount of available light in the

system, then focuses that light into a narrow beam thatis directed into the light guide. The light guide is lined

with a special reflective film to maximize the distance

light can be channeled into the building. Light bounces

through the guideway, deep into the building space.

Openings in the light guide allow light to escape wherever

illumination is required. Sensors spaced regularly along


62/68


the length of the light guide measure the amount of

sunlight reaching the interior. Whenever the amount ofsunlight drops below a particular threshold,

supplementary electric lights inside the guideway turn

on to compensate. The current system design is able to

convey sunlight up to 60 (18.28m) into the interior

core of a building. The system can be accommodatedeasily within the space of a conventional suspended

ceiling structure, such that, from the occupants

perspective, there is no difference between a traditional

office ceiling with electric lighting and one with core

sunlighting.

Funding from Sustainable TechnologiesDevelopment Canada (STDC) enabled SSPL to conduct

field testing of the solar canopy at two sites in Vancouver,

Canada. Initial studies have validated the feasibility of

the technology for delivering interior illumination in

commercial office spaces, and have shown that within

particular latitudes:

the solar canopy has the potential to reduce

energy for standard commercial building lighting by at

least 25%, replace electric lighting 75% of the time each

day that the sun shines within six core daylight hours,

reduce peak electrical power demand when it is needed(that is, midday on sunny days) and provide high quality

illumination with excellent colour rendering properties.

As a result of the energy savings, the implementation of

this technology will result in a significant reduction in

greenhouse gas emissions. (Whitehead, 2010, pg. 1)


63/68


The success of this early research led to the

commercialization of the system through a spin-offcompany called SunCentral Incorporated.

Despite the growing enthusiasm for the solar

canopy and other products like it, significant knowledge

gaps, education, regulatory and market development

challenges remain. For example, core sunlighting systemsintroduce openings and voids in the building perimeter

walls, ceiling spaces, and interior architectural elements.

The impact of these openings on heat transfer, moisture

accumulation, sound transmission, and fire safety in

building assemblies has yet to be examined in detail, for

different climate conditions. There have been no thirdparty, comparative analyses of performance and total

life-cycle costs for core sunlighting systems against each

other, nor against conventional electric lighting.

Architects, contractors and building owners may be

reticent to adopt core sunlighting without detailed

examinations of the potential impact of these systems

on the buildings longevity, an assessment of long

term operational risks, and data to quantify the relative

economic benefits of core sunlighting. Putting core

sunlighting to use on a broad scale will entail educating

design professionals, training builders and secondaryservice providers about the optics, construction and

operation of these systems. Software tools will need to

be developed to design, analyze and maintain economical

lighting designs. New legislation and supporting

standards will need to be created to govern the design


64/68


and implementation of core sunlighting in different

regions, and to maximize the social and economicbenefits.

Though partial, the challenges enumerated are

beyond the ability of individual companies or research

groups to address. Recognizing this, SSPL together with

the California Lighting Technology Centre (CLTC) at theUniversity of California at Davis, the School of Natural

Sciences and Engineering at the University of California

at Merced, and the Department of Architectural Science

at Ryerson University have formed a collaboration called

Core Sunlighting Solutions (CSS). With funding from a

Canada-California Strategic Innovation Partnership(CCSIP) grant awarded to SSPL and CLTC, the Core

Sunlighting Solutions group will develop a multi-year

business plan aimed at moving core sunlighting from

research and development into the broader market.

That process was initiated in 2010 with a series

of meetings that brought together leading industry and

academic figures to assess the state of the art and

impediments to commercialization. From those meetings,

the group adopted the following strategic vision:

By 2030, in most commercial buildings in major

cities in the world, electric lights are turned off andbuildings are illuminated with sunlight whenever the

sun shines, substantially reducing energy consumption

and dramatically improving lighting quality since most

people prefer daylight to electric lights. (CLTC, 2010)

An international association is being formed to

bring together academic, industry and government


65/68


organizations to help realize this vision. Academic and

industry experts will be invited to take on research andleadership roles within the organization. Simultaneously,

the group is working to identify sites across the Asia

Pacific region where demonstration installations of the

solar canopy and other core sunlighting technologies

can be installed. These countries are home to some of themost rapidly growing economies and populations in the

world. Core sunlighting offers the rare opportunity to

make use of an abundant resource that can improve

efficiency, economic competitiveness, stability and

quality of life for the citizens of those nations.

REFERENCES

California Lighting Technologies Center. (2010). Core

Sunlighting Strategies Workshop. Retrieved from

http://cltc.ucdavis.edu/content/view/622/378/

on March 24, 2011.

HydroOne. (2003). Electricity Demand in Ontario.

Retrieved from http://www.oeb.gov.on.ca/

documents/directive_dsm_HydroOne211103.pdf

March 14, 2011.

Natural Resources Canada, Office of Energy Efficiency.(2009). Commercial/Institutional Secondary

Energy Use by Energy Source, End-Use and Activity

Type (2004-2008). Retrieved from http://

oee.nrcan.gc.ca/corporate/statistics/neud/dpa/

tableshandbook2/on March 20, 2011.


66/68


Toronto Regional Research Alliance. (September, 2009).

Solar Energy in the Toronto Region. Retrieved

from http://www.trra.ca/en/sectors/resources/

SolarEnergyintheToronto RegionDec2009.pdf on

March 14, 2011.

U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and

Renewable Energy Building Technologies Program.(September, 2002). U.S. Lighting Market

Characterization. Volume I: National Lighting

Inventory and Energy Consumption Estimate.

Retrieved from http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/

buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/lmc_vol1_final.pdf

on March 14, 2011.U.S. Department of Energy. (2003). Building Energy Data

Book. Retrieved from http://

buildingsdatabook.eren.doe.gov/docs/1.2.3.pdf on

March 20, 2011.

U.S. Energy Information Administration. (2006).

International Energy Annual (IEA) - Long-Term

Historial International Energy Statistics. Retrieved

from http://www.eia.doe.gov/iea/ on March 14,

2011.

Whitehead, L., Upward, A., Friedel, P., Cox, G. & Mossman,

M. (2010). Using Core Sunlighting to ImproveIllumination Quality and Increase Energy Efficiency

of Commercial Buildings. In proceedings of the

ASME 4th International Conference on Energy

Sustainability, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.


67/68

The most powerful legacy of the


project may be the network of

connections and partnerships that

were built around the world.

It was the spirit of cooperation thatallowed the project to accomplish somuch. Over the course of project, theproject team held two conferences (one

Mini-Summit on the Future ofArchitecture and another on LivingCities); participated in the Buildings andAppliances Task Force of the Asia PacificPartnership; organized a Green BuildingExchange in Busan and Seoul, South Koreaand in Shanghai, China (that includedsome of Canadas top architects andengineers); developed an extensivecurriculum for sustainable constructionmanagement; carried out research ininteractive and responsive design; built adetailed database of green buildings froma variety of countries; deployed a networkof wireless sensors to measure building

performance in Penticton, Canada, Busan,South Korea and Tianjin, China; andconducted an international studentcompetition with over 200 entries all inthe space of 12 months. Moreover, it is ameasure of the cooperative spirit of theproject that all participants in theseactivities have agreed to share theirmaterials freely and openly through the

Resource Positive Envelope Design: Explorations in Architectural Innovation

Documents

Transcript of Resource Positive Envelope Design: Explorations in Architectural Innovation