Cost Effective High Performance Buildings for Reduced GHG Emissions in New and Existing Commercial Construction

Abstract

Approximately 15 years have passed since the concept of integrated building design (IBD) or integrated design process (IDP) was conceived and articulated by individuals such as Dr. W. Braun from Gerlinger, Amory Lovins and William McDonough. Demonstration programs were developed in the late 1980s and 1990s such as the Energy Conscious Construction Program (~1987) from Northeast Utilities, PG&E ACT2 (Advanced Customer Technology Test for Maximum Energy Savings), and Canada's C-2000 Advanced Commercial Construction Program to determine the energy and emissions reductions that could be achieved through application of IBD and IDP. The goal of the professionals involved in the early conceptualization of the integrated design philosophy was to determine how the design process could improve the performance of buildings beyond what was being achieved through simple introduction of energy efficiency measures. The above programs did not fully recognize that the integrated design process did not require advanced technologies, or that IBD/IDP permitted the design of high performance construction at zero or minimal incremental costs due to downsizing of HVAC equipment and electrical components. Still less intuitive is the fact that the incremental costs decrease as the improvement in performance increases. Ultra low energy designs such as Displacement Ventilation (DV) or Dedicated Outdoor Air System (DOAS) designs and hybrid ventilation designs have been shown to exhibit zero or lower first costs. Amory Lovins referred to this as tunnelling through the cost barrier. IBD/IDP has been amply demonstrated to be a win-win since this design approach delivers buildings with lower operating costs, increased occupant comfort at minimal or zero incremental costs, and yet after 15 years, high performance designs are still not standard design practice.