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Steven Chu, Ph.D, the U.S. Energy Secretary, has a Facebook page. I have no idea if it's actually him posting, but I'm still a fan, meaning I get regular updates.
Yesterday, he posted this chart that shows exactly where the 40% of energy used in the U.S. by buildings goes. This is not new information to me--I've heard it several times before in various ways--but it is an unusually powerful graphical representation. You can see immediately that while heating is a big energy hog in residences, lighting is the big deal in commercial buildings.
I love this kind of graphic: it's simple, straightforward, and contains a whole lot of information that easily accessible. Now, if only the psychrometric chart were this easy!
Comments
The biggest energy bars - heating, lighting, and cooling are all easily controlled by proper building envelope design, a lost art for the majority of practioners out there. Daylighting and reduced heating requirements are easily addressed by proper glazing and facade design. I love meetings with Architects who insist that maximizing the glass height is a must-do for daylighting. I show them pictures of all the high % glass facades with all the blinds drawn on sunny days, as well as the foil and paper taped up to the glass due to occupants trying to keep the glare off the computer screens....You know what? You CAN get great daylighting with less than 50% glass to opaque wall ratios and proper exterior solar shading, by using triple or quad glazings, and have a subtantially reduced heat loss. Oooh, expensive! Not eally, what about all the capital costs saved by the much smaller heating and cooling plant, no perimeter heating systems, and connected electrical services? Trade $$ on the M&E Systems for more $$ on the envelope. But I guess that's not good business for the M&E consultants, to help the Architect reduce thier M&E fees and work themselves out of a job....
Posted 8/26/09 11:23 AM by Geoff McDonell
Haven't these ratios always been pretty close historically though?
Posted 8/29/09 12:35 AM by Gainesville Realtor
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