2020 Zero Energy for Commercial Buildings Conference

In Eversource’s continued commitment to helping build the next generation of commercial zero energy buildings, they’re excited to announce their 4th annual conference! Learn from the experts at NREL, AKF, The Stone House Group, and Acton-Boxborough Regional School District about how commercial zero energy buildings have been designed and constructed. Energy Efficiency Consultants from Eversource will also speak about technical and financial support available through energy efficiency programs to support zero energy buildings. This event will be held virtually.

Agenda

Keynote (9:30 AM – 10:20 AM)
Introduction Nick Jones, Eversource

Moving from the Zero Pathway to the Zero Highway
Paul Torcellini, NREL Principal Engineer for Commercial Buildings Research Group
introduced by Nick Jones, Residential New Construction – Program Lead, Eversource

Session 1 – (10:30 AM – 11:20 AM)
AFK Group – Zero Energy Case Study – Verification & Commissioning
Brendan McGrath, PE, CCP, LEED® AP; Shannon Kaplan, PE, LEED® AP-

Session 2 (11:30AM – 12:00 PM)
How Eversource can Support ZE Projects
Jillian Corley, Kimberly Cullinane, and Mike Loughlin, Eversource

Session 3 – (1:00 PM – 01:50 PM)
The Stone House Group – Zero Energy Case Studies
Darren Cassel, The Stone House Group

Session 4 – (02:00 PM – 02:50 PM)
Triple Net Zero Energy Journey
John David Head, Director of School Operation, Acton-Boxborough Regional School District

About Eversource

Eversource is New England’s largest energy delivery company, with approximately 3.7 million electric and natural gas customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Eversource partners with like-minded companies and stakeholders to conduct their business in a responsible and sustainable way, providing the best solutions for their customers and the communities they serve.

Deep Dive into Net Zero Water and the Water/Energy Nexus

The New England Living Building Collaborative is presenting a series of webinars on how water management, water efficiency and water and energy nexus concepts can be incorporated into project planning, design, construction and operation.

Deep Dive into Net Zero Water and the Water/Energy Nexus will explore how energy is involved with water by looking at the energy embodied in water infrastructure, and the energy available from water and how these can be utilized to contribute to an overall energy budget. The implications of embodied and operational carbon in the built environment water cycle will be addressed. Case studies to be included in this third workshop will include thermal extraction of water from reuse water in Manhattan. Additional case studies may include geothermal and extraction of thermal energy from sewers are still underdevelopment and will be announced as the workshop is refined.

 

SPECIAL PROMOTION

Early Bird Series Package
Register for all three courses,
get one FREE!

Find this deal in the registration window below

Meet the Speakers

Sheng Chu
Senior Project Engineer  | Natural Systems Utilities

Sheng Chu is a Senior Project Engineer at Natural Systems Utilities

Michael Redfearn
Senior Vice President | Homeyer Consulting Services, Inc. 

Michael is a Marine Engineer with 30 years of experience in the specialty chemical industry for treated water systems.  He has worked as an independent water consultant with Homeyer Consulting Services for 25 years and is responsible for Managing 12 Field Consultants in the New York through Mid-Atlantic Region. Mike has developed monitoring programs, management, and forensic services for client water systems to assist in determining the success of their water treatment programs.  Evaluate corrosion, scale, and microbiological damage to multimillion-dollar investments in treated water systems.  Work with clients and water treatment vendors to develop and implement solutions to unfavorable conditions, then verify and validate their continued success.  He has also, developed customize water safety plans for the minimization of legionellosis risk in managed domestic water systems, process water systems, decorative water features, and cooling water systems.

Zach Gallagher
Executive Vice President | Natural Systems Utilities

Zach Gallagher is a licensed Professional Engineer, a LEED Accredited and BPI Certified Professional holding BS and MS degrees from Rutgers University in Bio-Resource and Civil/Environmental Engineering.

He is currently the Executive Vice President for Water Reuse at Natural Systems Utilities (NSU) and serves on the Board of Directors as Vice Chair for the U.S. Green Building Council, NJ Chapter. In 2007, Mr. Gallagher partnered in Alliance Environmental, an environmental engineering and sustainability consulting firm where he served as COO before its merger with NSU. Prior to this time he worked for Applied Water Management Group where he specialized in wastewater management planning and water reuse systems.

Mr. Gallagher’s current focus is on water reuse and complete integrated infrastructure approaches that combine water and energy with a concentration on handling the systems integration aspects and overall functionality.

Bruce Douglas, P.E.
Vice President, Business Development | Natural Systems Utilities

Bruce Douglas has over 32 years of experience in integrated water management, specializing in the planning, design, construction, and operation of integrated and onsite wastewater management systems for direct and indirect reuse. He has worked internationally, in the Middle East, Indonesia, and China. Domestically, Mr. Douglas has worked in both the public and private sectors in New England, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Wisconsin, and California. At NSU, Mr. Douglas has lead the New England design-build and operations groups and is currently responsible for business development. He recently played a key role in the establishment of a public-private partnership for a private onsite wastewater treatment facility which will treat wastewater, for indirect reuse, from both private and municipal sources. Mr. Douglas is a registered Professional Engineer and a licensed wastewater treatment plant operator, with a B.S. Degree from the University of New Hampshire and an M.S. degree from the University of Vermont.

Learning Objectives

  1. What are net zero water and the water-energy nexus?
  2. How much energy is embodied in water infrastructure?
  3. How can thermal energy be recovered from reclaimed water in a building?
  4. How can consideration of the water/energy nexus be included in project planning, design, construction and operation?

This webinar is approved for the following continuing education credits:

2 General LFA CE credits – living-future.org/lfa/
2 AIA LU|HSW
2 GBCI CE Hours for LEED AP BD+C

Registration

Important information: when ordering a package deal, it may take a few days to receive admission information for the courses included in the package. We thank you for your patience.

Become a Built Environment Plus Member to save an additional 15% on your registration! Become a member through Joinit then follow the on-boarding instructions to learn how to use your discount.

Scholarships

Are you experiencing financial hardship and may have difficulty affording the course tuition? We have a limited number of scholarships available. Please fill out the scholarship application and we will get back to you as soon as possible about your eligibility.

POSTPONED: Two-Part Building Energy Modeling Course Part 2 | Green Building Training Program

NOTE: This event is a two-part series. The course is arranged in this way to allow you to practice the energy modeling in between courses:

Class 1: Aug 20th from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM

Class 2: Sept 3rd from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM

Introduction to Energy Modeling with eQuest

12 Hour Training presented by Built Environment Plus

Building Energy Modeling is a versatile, multipurpose tool that is used in new building and retrofit design, green
certification, qualification for tax credits and utility incentives. The importance of creating energy models for a
building is growing as we focus on building energy efficiency as a key strategy to fight climate change and global
heating.

Learning Objectives:
After completing the course, attendees will be able to:
1) describe how modeling is used as part of an integrative design process
2) construct simple commercial building energy models using eQuest
3) interpret the results of energy models
4) distinguish between design models and validation models

Prerequisites and Target Audience
What will students need to know or do before starting this course?
This is a hands-on, project-based course that will give you the confidence to use energy modeling on your
projects. While there are no specific pre-requisites, knowledge of the building industry and basic building science
will be helpful.

The course will be spread across two days. At the conclusion of day one, attendees will be asked to perform
modeling exercises (aka homework) outside of class, to be completed by the next class session. Each section
will build upon previous work in class. By the end of the class, students will have created, run and QCed an
energy model on a building of their choosing. Along the way, we’ll touch on the uses of energy modeling in an
integrated design process, and some of the standards that apply to energy modeling such as ASHRAE 90.1
Appendix G.

Note that students will need access to a computer with the Windows operating system, and administrative rights
to be able to load the eQuest software. 

Detailed Agenda

Day 1
9:30 AM – Start
• Introductions
• Uses of Energy Simulation
• Overview of eQuest
• Intro to Our Project
• Setting up Building Geometry

12:30 – 1PM Lunch Break
• Internal Loads
• HVAC systems
• Energy Targets
• Parametric Runs

4:00 PM – Finished for the Day

Goal for Day 1
1) Download and install eQuest
2) Get a general familiarity with the eQuest interface
3) Set up our Model in Wizard Mode
4) Identify an Energy Target for our project
5) Run Parametics to identify three energy saving strategies

Day 2
9:30 AM – Start
• Recap, Q & A
• Intro to Detailed Mode
• Tips and Tricks
•Creating Code Baseline

12:30 – 1PM Lunch Break
• Working Session
• Modeling Uncommon Systems
• Quality Control
• Wrap up

4:00 PM – Finished for the Day

Goals for Day 2
1) Move into to Detailed Mode
2) Create your Code Baseline
3) QC Your Results
4) Learn some tips and tricks

Green Building Training Program Information

This course is now funded through the Commonwealth Workforce Training Fund’s Small Business Direct Access Program (SBDAP). If you are a small, Massachusetts-based business that employs 100 people or less, you and your employees may be eligible to take this training session for free! Learn more about this opportunity at our Green Building Training Program website.

** This course will be hosted virtually. All attendees, regardless of whether or not they are eligible for the Green Building Training Program (GBTP), must register for the course through our Eventbrite page. For GBTP participants, your company’s enrollment in the Commonwealth Workforce Training Fund’s Small Business Direct Access Program (SBDAP) must be verified before you can access the Zoom link – unverified participants will not be let into the meeting. **

POSTPONED: Two-Part Building Energy Modeling Course Part 1 | Green Building Training Program

NOTE: This event is a two-part series. The course is arranged in this way to allow you to practice the energy modeling in between courses:

Class 1: Aug 20th from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM

Class 2: Sept 3rd from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM

Introduction to Energy Modeling with eQuest

12 Hour Training presented by Built Environment Plus

Building Energy Modeling is a versatile, multipurpose tool that is used in new building and retrofit design, green
certification, qualification for tax credits and utility incentives. The importance of creating energy models for a
building is growing as we focus on building energy efficiency as a key strategy to fight climate change and global
heating.

Learning Objectives:
After completing the course, attendees will be able to:
1) describe how modeling is used as part of an integrative design process
2) construct simple commercial building energy models using eQuest
3) interpret the results of energy models
4) distinguish between design models and validation models

Prerequisites and Target Audience
What will students need to know or do before starting this course?
This is a hands-on, project-based course that will give you the confidence to use energy modeling on your
projects. While there are no specific pre-requisites, knowledge of the building industry and basic building science
will be helpful.

The course will be spread across two days. At the conclusion of day one, attendees will be asked to perform
modeling exercises (aka homework) outside of class, to be completed by the next class session. Each section
will build upon previous work in class. By the end of the class, students will have created, run and QCed an
energy model on a building of their choosing. Along the way, we’ll touch on the uses of energy modeling in an
integrated design process, and some of the standards that apply to energy modeling such as ASHRAE 90.1
Appendix G.

Note that students will need access to a computer with the Windows operating system, and administrative rights
to be able to load the eQuest software. 

Detailed Agenda

Day 1
9:30 AM – Start
• Introductions
• Uses of Energy Simulation
• Overview of eQuest
• Intro to Our Project
• Setting up Building Geometry

12:30 – 1PM Lunch Break
• Internal Loads
• HVAC systems
• Energy Targets
• Parametric Runs

4:00 PM – Finished for the Day

Goal for Day 1
1) Download and install eQuest
2) Get a general familiarity with the eQuest interface
3) Set up our Model in Wizard Mode
4) Identify an Energy Target for our project
5) Run Parametics to identify three energy saving strategies

Day 2
9:30 AM – Start
• Recap, Q & A
• Intro to Detailed Mode
• Tips and Tricks
•Creating Code Baseline

12:30 – 1PM Lunch Break
• Working Session
• Modeling Uncommon Systems
• Quality Control
• Wrap up

4:00 PM – Finished for the Day

Goals for Day 2
1) Move into to Detailed Mode
2) Create your Code Baseline
3) QC Your Results
4) Learn some tips and tricks

Green Building Training Program Information

This course is now funded through the Commonwealth Workforce Training Fund’s Small Business Direct Access Program (SBDAP). If you are a small, Massachusetts-based business that employs 100 people or less, you and your employees may be eligible to take this training session for free! Learn more about this opportunity at our Green Building Training Program website.

** This course will be hosted virtually. All attendees, regardless of whether or not they are eligible for the Green Building Training Program (GBTP), must register for the course through our Eventbrite page. For GBTP participants, your company’s enrollment in the Commonwealth Workforce Training Fund’s Small Business Direct Access Program (SBDAP) must be verified before you can access the Zoom link – unverified participants will not be let into the meeting. **

BuildingEnergy Boston Conference, hosted by NESEA

Attend the BuildingEnergy Boston Conference + Trade Show, an event designed by and for practitioners in the fields of high-performance building and design, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. Hosted by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), this year’s event is Thursday & Friday, August 13 & 14. The theme of BuildingEnergy Boston 2020 is Transforming Existing Buildings, with additional emphasis on decarbonization and on bringing more diverse communities into the discussion. Register at: nesea.org/be20

This conference is hosted by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), which helps high-performance building and renewable energy professionals improve their practices by learning from and networking with each other. Founded in 1975, it is a member-driven 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the adoption of sustainable energy practices in the built environment. Learn more at nesea.org.

Two-Part Building Energy Modeling Course Part 2 | Green Building Training Program

About the Class

You and your business may be eligible to take this training for FREE! Learn more about this opportunity at our Green Building Training Program website.

NOTE: This event is a two-part series.* The course is arranged in this way to allow you to practice the energy modeling in between courses:

Class 1: Feb 26th from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM

Class 2: March 11th from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM

Building Energy Modeling is a versatile, multipurpose tool that is used in new building and retrofit design, green certification, qualification for tax credits and utility incentives.

Learning Objectives:

After completing the course, attendees will be able to:

  1. describe how modeling is used as part of an integrative design process
  2. construct simple commercial building energy models using eQuest
  3. interpret the results of energy models
  4. distinguish between design models and validation models.

*This course was originally listed as two separate courses occurring on Feb 26th and March 11th.

This course is now funded through the Commonwealth Workforce Training Fund’s Massachusetts Training Exchange. If you are a small, Massachusetts-based business that employs 100 people or less, you and your employees may be eligible to take this training session for free! Learn more about this opportunity at our Green Building Training Program website.

University of Cambridge Cuts HVAC Energy Costs in Half, Allocates Savings to Research

By USGBC Communications


Did you know indoor air sensors can be used to not only provide higher indoor environmental quality, but also improve energy efficiency and reduce utility costs as well?

In the face of growing energy costs, the University of Cambridge’s Hutchison/MRC Research Centre was met with the unsettling prospect of reducing life-saving cancer research to pay utility bills. After implementing a unique airside solution that allows ventilation to vary based on laboratory conditions, Hutchison/MRC reduced total natural gas costs by approximately 41 percent in the first year, and by 54 percent in year two. The total electricity bill was reduced by 9 percent. The new system, which had a payback of less than 2 years, also helped reduce carbon emissions.

The new solution would modify the center's traditional variable air volume (VAV) control in lab spaces with the demand-based Aircuity system, which allows the ventilation to vary based on conditions in each laboratory. With numerous installations at U.S. university laboratories, the Aircuity system proposed for the Hutchison/MRC Research Centre would be the first in the United Kingdom.

Aircuity, a USGBC MA Chapter Sponsor, is the smart airside efficiency company providing building owners with sustained energy savings through its intelligent measurement solutions. By addressing the inherent deficiencies in conventional approaches to energy efficient building ventilation, Aircuity's smart solutions deliver significant energy savings for a wide range of commercial, institutional and lab building applications without sacrificing occupant comfort, productivity or safety.

Aircuity's mission is to be an industry leader in the optimization of building ventilation for sustainable energy efficiency, safety, and operational performance.

 


Historical Renovation Creates Residential Housing for Working Families

By USGBC Communications

What do you get when you combine a mill complex, the need for affordable housing, and Keith Construction? Development of a 45-unit affordable housing complex for working individuals and families in the Pittsfield's Morningside neighborhood. Rice Silk Mill involved a historic conversion of the mill complex known as the A.H. Rice Company. Originally built in 1874, the complex played a major role in Pittsfield’s rise as a textile manufacturing center during the nineteenth century and into the twentieth century.

The historically sensitive renovation resulted in various unit types, including one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, featuring modern amenities (exercise facility, community room, and wireless internet access) in a loft-type setting. Completed on a 13 month project schedule, the project challenges included re-use of existing physical resources, preservation of historic buildings, use of existing infrastructure and energy-efficient design, in a dense urban setting.

The effort has been well worth it, as the new community has contributed to the ongoing revitalization of Morningside neighborhood.


The Science of Lab Design

By Bob Laurence, Manager of Energy Efficiency, Eversource


Northeastern University’s new Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex (ISEC) features 234,000 square feet of space that houses a vibrant interdisciplinary research community. The six-story complex is mixed with labs and classrooms organized around one central atrium.

It’s also a really cool building. And, you don’t need a microscope to see the state-of-the-art design and energy-efficient technologies. 

The university worked collaboratively with Eversource and the design team to identify energy-saving measures and technical expertise to jump start the project. Then, they explored financial resources available through the Mass Save program. Armed with energy-efficient recommendations, architecture firm Payette, engineering firm Arup, and general contractor Suffolk Construction then worked together to bring this stunning building to life.

In fact, ISEC is designed to use 75 percent less energy than a typical intensive research building. Let’s uncover the science of this innovative lab design and its technologies.


• Climate responsive building envelope – The complex is equipped with triple-glazed windows, which reduce glass condensation and prevent heat loss. ISEC also features sun-shading aluminum “fins” to maximize daylight penetration while minimizing heat gain. This basically means a huge comfort boost for students and faculty inside the building—while the university saves on energy costs.

• Variable Air Volume (VAV) fume hoods – While a fume hood may be the most important safety feature in a lab, it’s also a big energy user. Labs use tremendous volumes of exhaust to flush out potentially hazardous fumes. Northeastern added high-performance VAV hoods, which exhaust the amount of air required to maintain a safe velocity setpoint. They also reduce the hood’s supply fan speed and maintain the desired temperature and humidity. Simply put, VAVs maximize safety while minimizing energy consumption.

• Enhanced airside systems – Many labs have a dedicated HVAC system, which can often be expensive to operate. ISEC boasts a cascade system that recovers conditioned air from its offices and atrium, then transfers the air to the labs to save energy and costs. In fact, an approximate 50 percent reduction in energy use over baseline building standards is expected, thanks to this highefficiency cascade approach to recirculating warm and cooled air.  


• Occupancy-based airflow controls – Many older labs with low fume-hood counts operate at 10 air changes per hour (ACH) or above, 24 hours a day. Northeastern’s new VAV fume hoods and added airflow controls will reduce its lab ventilation rates from 6 ACH to 4 ACH whenever labs and equipment room spaces are detected to be unoccupied.  

As an added bonus, ISEC is also on track for LEED Gold Certification. Visit www.northeastern.edu/isec to learn more about the building.  

To learn more about Eversource’s energy efficiency programs and green building design solutions, contact Bob Laurence via email Robert.Laurence@eversource.com, or visit www.eversource.com.  

 

The Walden Pond Visitor Center Earns LEED Gold

By USGBC Communications

This month marked the 200th Anniversary of Henry David Thoreau's birthday, and in sync with this anniversary, the new, netzero Walden Pond Visitor Center in Concord, MA has earned LEED Gold Certification.  The new facility will house interactive exhibits on writer, Henry David Thoreau, and a film about Walden Pond.  

 


The LEED Gold Walden Pond Visitor Center, Concord, MA.

The visitor center – a project that's been 40 years in the making – includes a high-performance exterior envelope; energy-efficient heating and cooling systems; landscaping that mimics the natural habitat, as well as wood grown and processed in Massachusetts. The A/E team anticipates the design will provide a 48% reduction in energy costs and 37% reduction in water consumption compared to baseline building.

The new state-of-the-art Walden Pond Visitor Center welcomes guests from around the world to the state reservation. Walden Pond State Reservation, which is a National Historic Landmark, was made internationally known because of the literary works of naturalist Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau, who wrote ‘Walden; or, Life in the Woods’, which reflects on his time spent over the course of two years, two months, and two days in a cabin he built near Walden Pond, inspired the land conservation movement in the United States. To this day, Walden Pond State Reservation remains a heavily used state park with a popular public swimming beach, as well as other outdoor recreational opportunities such as hiking, boating, and fishing.

The new Walden Pond State Reservation Visitor Center features:

  • 5,680 net square feet, approximately two-thirds of which will be dedicated to publicly available interpretive displays related to the life and legacy of Henry David Thoreau;
  • A south-facing orientation providing a wood and glass façade to maximize solar efficiency;
  • Superinsulation with increased roof, wall, and window values to conserve energy;
  • A 9 kilowatt (kW) solar hot water system;
  • A Variable Refrigerant Flow heat pump system;
  • A low flow plumbing system to reduce water consumption; and,
  • A 100 kW solar canopy array in an adjacent parking lot that will generate more than enough clean renewable power over the course of a year for the visitor center.

Congratulations, The Green Engineer (USGBC MA Chapter Sponsor), on the achievements of this wonderful project!