THE ENERGY MANAGER'S ROLE IN SU.STAINABLE DESIGN

摘要

Problem: It is clear that the architectural and engineering views of what "sustainable design" means are not quite in line with each other. Furthermore, energy management during the entire building process is hit-or-miss at best, resulting in reactionary energy management. It is the intent of this paper to provide a precise definition of the term "sustainable" and to recommend ways that the energy manager can assist in all phases of the building process in achieving a truly sustainable design. Method: Personal experience indicates that there are several ways that sustainable design practices can incorporate energy management and thereby reduce the life-cycle costs of a building. The first hurdle, however, is to define the concept in a manner that is acceptable to both disciplines. In order to reach a similar understanding from which architects and engineers can communicate, it is necessary to look at the current work and sustainable design programs that are in place. This paper focuses on creating a definition of "sustainable" for simplicity's sake by a discussion of the following topics: 1. Provide an overview of the LEED~(TM) rating program, 2. Discuss the current focus on sustainable design, 3. Present a project example of a certified sustainable design by the LEED~(TM) rating program. 4. Present areas where energy management should be incorporated into the building process. Results: After a mutual definition of sustainable design is achieved, the task at hand for the energy professional then becomes to understand how to incorporate energy management into every phase of the building process and future operational planning of the facility. The primary ways to accomplish this are: 1) Passively: Assure that the project meets the applicable energy codes and standards 2) Actively: Design systems that minimize the fossil fuel energy use and maximize alternative fuel use. 3) Comprehensively: Project the potential costs of operation of the facility comparing different system concepts for the acquisition of energy to demonstrate how much the actual cost of traditional systems vs. energy managed systems will be for the owner. Conclusion: By defining sustainability early in the process, design and construction professionals can understand each other and work cooperatively to provide clients with the best in "sustainable design". Energy management can then be incorporated into all critical steps of the building process passively, actively, or comprehensively depending on the project requirements.