Energy Visualization in the Workplace

Experts estimate possible building energy use reductions of more than 20% as a result of making metering data visible and actionable. Find out how CBE partner Arup is doing their part to engage their San Francisco office in personal energy monitoring, and what they have learned through the process. CBE will be continuing a field study this summer with their San Francisco office, and will have results available later this year.

Read the full story on Arup's blog >>

Centerline: Winter 2013 Now Available

Check out the latest edition of Centerline, CBE's bi-annual e-magazine! You can download the PDF here: http://cbe.berkeley.edu/centerline/winter2013.pdf

This edition includes updates on many of our research projects, recent additions to the faculty, and introduces our newest consortium members.

We hope you enjoy this issue! Looking for the Centerline archive? View it here.

First New CBE Member of 2013

Mary Davidge Associates (MDA) has joined CBE's consortium. The firm consults with major technology corporations, helping them to define and implement their vision for the built environment. They bring a practical, integrated approach to developing and implementing environmental strategies for the high-performance workplace with a particular emphasis on human health. The MDA team itself has specialists with backgrounds in engineering, building sciences, knowledge management, and biology and uses innovative and technology-based solutions to achieve the goals of its clients. MDA provides consulting services during design, construction and operations, ensuring that sustainable design and operations goals are executed through an integrated process. MDA’s services include a focus on materials toxicity screening, where it has served in a pioneering role in the building industry.

Healthcare Design Software Company Latest CBE Member

Aditazz, a San Bruno-based firm, offers a complete scope of design services, using highly refined computer simulation and optimization strategies. The company has developed an integrated platform for healthcare that allows stakeholders to virtually operate a building model while still in the design stage. Their overall goal is to improve patient care through a new design approach, enabling the creation of better buildings faster, and at a lower cost than conventional delivery methods.

CBE members may remember Benjamin Welle, who participated on a panel on building information modeling (BIM) at a past CBE advisory board meeting. Ben is now Mechanical System Product Design and Development lead at Aditazz.

Aditazz's winning entry for Kaiser Permanente's Small Hospital Big Idea Competition.

CBE Consortium Welcomes first Asia-based Company

Representing the first CBE member headquartered in Asia, LG Electronics has recently joined CBE. LG is a global leader in consumer electronics, appliances, and commercial building HVAC, solar cells, and lighting. The firm is a leader in variable refrigerant flow (VRF) technology for commercial, education, hospitality, retail, and healthcare applications, and also duct-free technology for residential and light commercial markets. The company provides numerous technical and engineering resources to assist specifiers.

Dr. Juyoun Lee, a principal research engineer with LG Electronics Research Center, has worked with CBE as a visiting scholar for over a year, and has worked with CBE researchers on laboratory and simulation studies on human comfort. Dr. Lee is our primary liaison with LG, and is now supporting new CBE market research in collaboration with LG.

Big Ass Fans Joins CBE Consortium

Big Ass Fan brewery installation at
Bell's Brewery, Kalamazoo, MI.

As the name implies, Big Ass Fans is a preeminent designer and manufacturer of fans for commercial, industrial, agricultural, institutional, and residential buildings. The company has headquarters, research and manufacturing facilities in Lexington, KY, and additional facilities in Queensland, Australia. Their products contribute to the sustainability of a building by reducing ductwork, increasing the effectiveness of air distribution systems, and reducing the energy required to provide comfort to occupants.  Included in the company's products is the Haiku® fan, made from FSC bamboo and recently named as a Top-10 Green Building Product in 2013 by BuildingGreen. Haiku is certified by ENERGY STAR as the world’s most efficient ceiling fan, using only 2-30 watts (compared to 90-110 watts for a typical fan).

Big Ass Fans generously donated fans for use in CBE’s human test chamber, and we look forward to working with them and other industry partners on the development of new standards for testing fan performance.

P2S Engineering Joins Integral Group Team

Fullerton College Library
renovation by P2S Engineering.  

We are happy to welcome P2S Engineering to CBE, who joined as part of the Integral Group team. CBE members may remember P2S founder Kent Peterson, who was our guest speaker at CBE's October 2010 advisory board meeting. P2S offers engineering services including MEP, energy efficiency, commissioning and technology for both new and retrofit construction projects. The firm’s practice includes a broad range of project types including education, government, laboratory, industrial, clean energy, infrastructure, and more. 

P2S’ technical staff, comprised of over 50% LEED Accredited Professionals, are passionate about providing sustainable solutions and expertise in high-performance green building projects, and helping clients reach their sustainability goals. The firm has been named for three years in a row as one of the best places to work in Los Angeles, by the Los Angeles Business Journal. The recognition cites the firm’s offices in Long Beach, CA, located in a LEED-Gold tenant improvement project that includes morale boosting features such as a fitness center and green workstations.