Lack of Updated Commercial Building Energy Data Troubles Institute
The National Institute of Building Sciences is alarmed that efforts to produce high-performance buildings may stall without up-to-date data following the news that the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) will not be releasing results of its 2007 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) due to statistical issues. The EIA also is suspending work on its 2011 survey due to budget constraints, which means the last reliable data, from the 2003 survey, is nearly a decade old. Many efforts within the building community rely on the CBECS statistics. In the wake of the troubling news, the Institute is establishing a High-Performance Building Data Collection Initiative to identify a path forward for collecting and disseminating data on all high-performance building attributes, not just energy use. This Initiative will allow the building community to still obtain the building energy data necessary to achieve national objectives for high-performance buildings.
Learn more.
Recommendations to President, Congress Prioritize Building Industry Concerns
A new report from the Institute’s Consultative Council identifies five primary areas of concern regarding the nation’s buildings and infrastructure, and provides recommendations for action. Topics include: Defining High-Performance and Common Metrics; Energy and Water Efficiency; Codes and Standards Adoption and Enforcement; Sustainability; and Education and Training. The Council engages the leadership of key organizations with the intent of providing findings and recommendations for the advancement of the built environment. The Council report represents the collective vision of these leading organizations from across the building community. The Institute formally released the document during a High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition briefing last week as part of High-Performance Building Week.
Read the release.
New Institute Council Addresses Finance, Insurance and Real Estate
Banks, insurance companies and real estate firms all play a significant role in how buildings are procured, designed and constructed. The Institute’s new Council on Finance, Insurance and Real Estate will promote a cooperative process and open dialogue that will be especially important as demands on buildings increase. Council participants will include architects, engineers, contractors and owners; insurance representatives; banking representatives; investment representatives; appraisal representatives; and testing and validation representatives.
Find out how to get involved.
Institute Establishes National Council of Governments
State, local and regional governments are primary participants in the building process. These authorities having jurisdiction oversee building permits, inspections, energy codes, accessibility requirements and other codes and standards in their communities. Up until now, these public sector representatives have not had their own program at the Institute. The Institute’s new National Council of Governments on Building Codes and Standards provides an opportunity for state, local and regional code agencies to work together on these important issues that cross state lines.
Read the release.
Call for Institute Board Nominations
The National Institute of Building Sciences Board Nominations Committee is currently soliciting candidates to be considered for election to positions on the Institute’s Board of Directors for 2012. The three-year terms begin in 2011. Nominations can be submitted for one or more candidates, but a separate nomination form must be completed for each. In preparing the election ballot, the Board Nominations Committee will give equal consideration to all submissions, whether single or multiple nominations are received. Membership in the Institute is not a requirement for nomination or election. Nominations must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, July 22.
Download the nomination form.
Seeking Award Nominees
It’s that time again! The Institute is seeking to recognize individuals or organizations that have made an exceptional contribution to the nation and the building community. The Institute Awards Committee is accepting nominations for the 2011 Honor and Member Awards. Members of the building community will honor the recipients of this year’s awards during the 2011 Annual Awards Banquet on Wednesday, December 7. The ceremony will take place as part of the Institute’s Annual Meeting, to occur December 5-9 in conjunction with Ecobuild America in Washington, D.C. Download the nomination forms:
Member Award or
Honor Award.
NOAA Releases 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Outlook
Hurricanes Karl, Igor and Julia (from left to right on Sept. 16) were part of the onslaught of Atlantic storms last hurricane season (2010).
The Atlantic basin is expected to see an above-normal hurricane season this year, according to the seasonal outlook issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center – a division of the National Weather Service. NOAA is predicting 12 to 18 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which 6 to 10 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 3 to 6 major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher) across the entire Atlantic Basin for the six-month season, which begins June 1. Each of these ranges has a 70 percent likelihood, and indicate that activity will exceed the seasonal average of 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes.
Read the NOAA release.
Institute, AIA Strengthen Focus on Building Enclosures with new MOA
Institute President
Henry L. Green, Hon. AIA (seated left), and AIA EVP/Chief Executive Officer
Robert Ivy, FAIA (seated right), sign a Memorandum of Agreement between the
National Institute of Building Sciences and the American Institute of Architects
to support existing BECs and develop new ones in cities across the United
States. Pictured from left: AIA President-Elect Jeffery Potter, FAIA; Institute
Chairman Jim. W. Sealy; FAIA; BETEC Chair Wagdy Anis, FAIA; Green; Ivy; AIA
President Clark D. Manus, FAIA; and Institute Vice-Chairman RK Stewart, FAIA.
The National Institute of Building Sciences (the Institute) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) showed their commitment to the importance of building enclosures May 18 when they signed a new Memorandum of Agreement to support existing Building Enclosure Councils (BECs) and develop new ones in cities across the United States. The Institute, through its Building Enclosure Technology and Environment Council (BETEC), and the AIA established the initiative in 2004 to offer industry professionals an opportunity to exchange valuable information relating to successful building enclosure design through meetings and sharing of resources. BECs are now active in 25 cities nationwide.
Read the release.
High-Performance Building Week Highlights Building Community Activities
Institute President Henry Green; International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) President Dan Daniels; American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) President Lynn Bellinger; Congressman Russ Carnahan; National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) Managing Director Kate Marks; and Institute for Market Transformation President Cliff Majersik kick off High-Performance Building Week with a press conference.
The third annual High-Performance Building Week, held May 23-27, was quite a celebration. The week kicked off with a press conference featuring Representative Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.), co-chair of the High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus. Two congressional briefings during the week provided an introduction to high-performance buildings and the collaborative activities underway within the building community—including the unveiling of the Institute’s Consultative Council Report. An awards reception featured remarks from Caucus co-chair Representative Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) and the presentation of the “Leadership Towards High Performance Award” to Institute President Henry L. Green, Hon. AIA. Other events included tours of high-performance buildings at American University and the American Society of Landscape Architects’ green roof, as well as a budget briefing.
See the schedule of events.
Save the Date for the BEST Conference in 2012
The third biennial Building Enclosure Science & Technology (BEST) Conference, to be held April 2-4, 2012, in Atlanta, Georgia, is where to be to get the best information on designing building systems for higher energy efficiency, good indoor climate and long-term performance. Join the National Institute of Building Sciences and 2012 host Building Enclosure Council-Atlanta for this biennial event and hone in on specific performance aspects of building systems. With the theme “High-Performance Buildings - Combining Field Experience with Innovation,” BEST3 will have three tracks: Energy Efficiency, Whole Building and Fenestration.
Conference highlights include an expert panel on quality management, a session by noted building envelope expert Grahame Maisey and a choice of 22 sessions to earn continuing education units (CEUs). Registration opens soon. To get program details and conference updates,
visit the BEST3 website.
BEC Established in North Carolina
The Research Triangle (RT) region of North Carolina is the newest location to establish a Building Enclosure Council (BEC). Both a BEC and a committee of the AIA Triangle, this group of architects, engineers, contractors, educators, manufacturers, facilities personnel, building scientist/researchers, state building officials, code officials, consultants and others have joined together to collaborate and share ideas about building enclosure design, science and construction. BEC-RT meets monthly to discuss a topic of interest. The group’s first event, a presentation on “Why Buildings Matter” by Chris Mathis, principal of MC2 Mathis Consulting Company, Asheville, North Carolina, was attended by more than 120 people. In September, BEC-RT is planning to host renowned building scientist Dr. Joseph Lstiburek for an all-day session. The inaugural BEC-RT Board includes: Chair Blake Talbott (BBH Design), Vice-Chair Rita Ray (WJE Associates, Inc.) Treasurer Kevin Turner (The Freelon Group) and Secretary Rodrigo Reyes (Perkins+Will).
DOE Announces Guide for 50% More Energy-Efficient Office Buildings
The U.S. Department of Energy has released the first in a new series of Advanced Energy Design Guides (AEDGs) to aid architects and engineers in the design of highly energy efficient office buildings. The series will provide a practical approach to commercial buildings designed to achieve 50% energy savings compared to the commercial building energy code used in many areas of the country. This 50% AEDG for Small and Medium Office Buildings is the first of four to be released in the coming months. The 50%
AEDG series is being developed through a partnership with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), American Institute of Architects (AIA), U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and Illuminating Engineering Society (IES). These commercial building guides support President Obama's goal to reduce energy use in commercial buildings 20% by 2020 and will help drive demand for energy-saving products made in the United States.
See the full story.
Time is Up. NBIMS Ballots Are Now Due!
The 30-day extension is officially over. The chance to submit changes or updates to the
National BIM Standard – United States™ (NBIMS-US) Version 2 ends tomorrow, Wednesday, June 1. All members of the industry planning to either update current sections of the NBIMS-US or expand it to cover the latest standards, practices and technologies must submit their NBIMS-US Version 2 ballots by Wednesday at midnight Pacific
Time. This will be the first full consensus release of the NBIMS. To ensure the standard reflects the needs of all parts of the building industry who participate in construction, it is imperative that individuals and organizations provide input to the standard.
Get involved in the process.
Updated United States National CAD Standard
Released
NCS Version 5 goes virtual, improving user experience
The American Institute of Architects (AIA), Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) have announced that the newest edition of the
United States National CAD Standard (NCS) is now available. NCS Version 5 is the first update to the standard in three years. Unlike previous versions, Version 5 is web-based, making it available at any time for purchase and use. NCS users who have purchased the previous version of the standard within the past six months are eligible for a discount on NCS Version 5. This discount will be available for the next six months.
Find out what changed.
Correction: Witnessing Schools of the Future
The April issue of Building Sciences included a photo of Institute President Henry Green attending the School of the Future Student Design Competition. The caption should have recognized the role the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI) played as the organizer of the event. Sponsored by CEFPI and the National Association of Realtors in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the American Institute of Architects, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and more than 20 other associations and private companies, the annual competition challenges middle school teams across the country to think creatively as they design tomorrow's green schools to enhance learning, conserve resources, be environmentally responsive and engage the surrounding community.
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