Heating & Cooling
HVAC—heating, cooling, and ventilation—is responsible for more than a third of energy use in commercial buildings in the U.S. Smart designs can easily save upwards of 40% of that energy, often with strategies that offer instant or short payback. And good design that focuses on thermal comfort supports healthier, more productive occupants.
Heating & Cooling
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Innovations in Solar Air Heating Systems
Product Review
Transpired solar air systems from Enerconcept and Matrix Energy provide two new fossil fuel-free methods of preheating ventilation air in commercial buildings.
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Cooling Giants Introduce Smaller Thermal Storage Units
Product Review
Trane and Carrier team up with Ice Energy to bring thermal energy storage to the mainstream. Distributing chilling loads will be a crucial part of upgrading the grid to more easily incorporate renewable energy.
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High-Efficiency, Variable-Speed Pumps from Wilo and Grundfos
Product Review
Advanced, variable-speed, "smart" pumps from the German company Wilo and the Danish company Grundfos offer significant energy savings for hydronic heating systems and other circulation systems.
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Active Chilled Beams: Saving Energy and Space
Product Review
Active chilled beams use a combination of chilled water, finned heat-exchanger coils, and ventilation air to induce air flows that supply cooling and heating in commercial buildings.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Energy Storage in Buildings Due to Increase
News Brief
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New Standard Showcases Efficiency of VRF Multi-Splits
News Analysis
The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) recently created a standard that evaluates the efficiency of variable refrigerant flow (VRF) multi-split heating and cooling systems. AHRI 1230 allows a comparison between VRF multi-splits and unitary HVAC systems that was not possible previously.
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Efficiency Gains Nullified by Appliances and Electronics
News Brief
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DOE-Backed Smart Metering Rejected in Maryland
News Brief
The Public Service Commission of Maryland rejected implementation of "smart grid" metering proposed by Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) in June 2010. The commission based the rejection on fears of rate increases and tiered pricing that would increase costs for consumers.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
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