October 30, 2020
Bending the Curve on Climate Change with Ongoing Commissioning
Our very own Michele Sagehorn recently had the opportunity to present with one of our top clients Chris Weyandt of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as part of the Virtual 2020 BCxA Conference. The event, which is still available for viewing and continuing education credits, was held on August 24th and Blog
August 24, 2020
The North Star of Ongoing Commissioning: Start with the OPR!
I just completed a presentation for the BCXA 2020 Conference with Chris Weyandt, Ongoing Commissioning Leader, at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories (LBNL), on “Why Ongoing Commissioning is necessary.” During the Q&A session, a very important question was posed that I think needs to be discussed; “Is the Owner’s Project Requirement Blog
July 22, 2020
Tools to Create an All-Electric Building Energy Code for California
April 8, 2020
What No One Tells You About HVAC & Lighting Integration
In a building, lighting and HVAC have historically remained separate systems without a need to communicate with one another. Although each of these systems have advanced in efficiency independently, there are additional energy efficiency synergies when they can be integrated. Recently, California’s 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24 Part Blog
November 9, 2019
Title 24 2022: Carbon Based Energy Codes for California?
In a workshop this October, the CEC released a set of working presentations about efforts underway to re-shape energy codes and standards for California building codes. With a rapidly changing planet and massive deployment of renewable energy which are changing the very shape of the energy grid, building codes and Blog
October 9, 2019
A Journey Towards Zero: Transitioning Zero Energy Designs into Zero Energy Operations
Straight talk with Chuck Mignacco, Senior Manager of Campus Facility at one of the world’s most sustainable museums….. the Exploratorium. Back in September 2012, the Exploratorium announced its goal to be become the largest zero net energy (ZNE) museum in the U.S., if not in the world. After opening their Blog
May 1, 2018
What is Net Zero Energy and What Definition to Use and When
Commercial buildings are getting a lot of attention recently to improve their energy use and become more sustainable in their operations. Terms like Net Zero Energy are becoming talking points for developers, cities, corporations and even states (CA). The popularity of commercial building energy efficiency and renewable technology deployment does Blog
June 12, 2019
OpenStudio, the Energy Modeling Software We Need
Having used energy modeling software for years I believe the majority of tools used today are not preparing energy consultants for the future to come. Performance based energy estimates, such as predicting measurable energy use or net zero energy, require a skilled workforce with tools capable of simulating options as Blog
May 28, 2019
Commissioning Systems Beyond LEED and Code: Unlock True Value in Construction
Congratulations to Workday on the grand opening on May 13th of their new 6 story, 410,000 sq. ft. corporate headquarters in Pleasanton, CA. It is truly an impressive building! As the Commissioning Agent on the project, I can honestly say that it was one of the most positive experiences I’ve had on the job. On the Workday project, the systems and equipment we commissioned went beyond the Blog
February 19, 2019