<BODY contentEditable=true onload=parent.init()><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin"><FONT face=Calibri>Check out the article in<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin"><A href="http://bepan.info/articles"><FONT face=Calibri>http://bepan.info/articles</FONT></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: auto 0in" class=MsoNoSpacing><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin"><A href="http://bepan.info/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/2_-_VCT_-_Mechanical-Design_and_Percent-Energy-Savings.167125605.pdf"><SPAN style="COLOR: maroon"><SPAN data-mce-style="font-family: times new roman,times; color: #800000;">2 - VCT - Mechanical-Design and Percent-Energy-Savings</SPAN></SPAN></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin"><FONT face=Calibri>The title is misleading.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is my polite way of saying that USGBC, GBCI, LEED and other idealistic, ignorant and bureaucratic groups are forcing experienced architects and engineers into screwing up building design.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>LEED is not mandatory but it cannot be ignored because clients have been brainwashed into believing that it will save the planet.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Here are some extracts:<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Percent energy savings can vary with the type of building and the location. Some types of buildings (like the Middle-School + Community-Center (MCC) in the suburbs example) can exceed Std90 by 50% or more.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The High-Rise Mixed-Use (HRMU) building in an urban area is an example where achieving 5% to 10% energy savings represents good, reliable and safe design that will not cause maintenance and replacement problems in the future. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>See<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><A href="http://bepan.info/proj-bldgs/p12-middle-school">http://bepan.info/proj-bldgs/p12-middle-school</A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><A href="http://bepan.info/proj-bldgs/p13-high-rise-bldg">http://bepan.info/proj-bldgs/p13-high-rise-bldg</A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">One fixed percent rating system for ranking all types of buildings and climates is like using the same yardstick to measure the performance of classical violinist and a professional wrestler.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Just because a high rise office building in an urban area does not get a "pass" or "no" certification from LEED based on percent energy savings, does not mean that it is not well designed for optimum energy and functionality compared to a single level school located in a suburban area that receives "platinum" LEED certification.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">USGBC LEED rating system has created the impression among the public, including City, County, State and Federal authorities, that building quality can be measured by the LEED rating system.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Architects, engineers and building developers are now under pressure from the green (meaning ignorant) public and other environmental idealists to get LEED certification.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The building design business is almost 100% labor.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>US Architectural-Engineering design fees for large projects have been going down because of increased competition at home and particularly from overseas where wages are lower.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The client and the public now expect every building to be LEED certified otherwise it is not up to standard.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The quality of building design is now measured by the green /ignorant public by its LEED certification.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The design cost has increased because the public has been brainwashed into believing that LEED certifies the level of building superiority in terms of saving energy and the environment. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The impact of USGBC and LEED on energy (percent energy savings over Std90) and the environment (imported bamboo flooring saves the environment in the US; collecting rainwater regardless of whether the location has wet a climate, with rivers and lakes; roof gardens on top a high-rise building with little roof space, etc.) is questionable.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The LEED regulations and requirements keep expanding and gets more detailed and bureaucratic with time.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>AE firms now require a new type of specialized expert called the LEED Professional which did not exist before.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It has added to the time and cost of AE design while design fees keep going down.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It has also added to building construction costs. The end result is a building that is completely screwed.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Increasing social affluence in the way buildings are used, indirectly nullifies the impact of Building Energy Codes.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Building energy use per person in the US is increasing exponentially.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Affluence has also resulted in more indirect building energy use per person by way of transportation.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The following are guesstimates for the US. In reality it might be much worse. Housing in 1950 for a family of 4 was about 1,500 sf.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Today it is about 3,000 sf.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In 1950 the use of public transportation was common and people lived close to the place where they worked.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Today people live as far away as possible from work and drive oversized large luxury autos (one occupant per vehicle) to and from work during the same rush hour time, resulting traffic jams which add to the commuting time and auto idle time when the vehicle uses fuel but does not move.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Affluence has also resulted in families owning a second vacation home as far away as possible from their primary home.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They might use this home for about a month during the year in summer. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In winter vacation home has to heated to prevent the pipes from freezing.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There is also the cost of transportation to and from the vacation homes.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>
Those who do not have second homes use hotels.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P></BODY>