SBC News Archives - Page 37 of 43 - Smart Buildings Center

BetterBricks, Redesigned with You in Mind

February 1, 2018 By SBC

Whether you design, build, manage, and operate commercial buildings, BetterBricks partners with Northwest utilities to provide the resources you need to incorporate energy efficiency into your buildings and business practices. Based on feedback from Northwest commercial building professionals and energy experts, we’ve redesigned the BetterBricks website to make it easier to find the resources you need, when you need them. Now you can quickly search by technology, case studies, your specific industry role, or by the energy efficiency solution you need. Not sure where to get started? Check out these new website features:

Easily Searchable Resource Library

Search or browse our extensive library for commercial building resources, including guides, tools, videos, and case studies. Our resource library includes downloadable resources rated by quality and shares, and curated collections by industry role.

Create and Share a Collection

Our create a collection module lets you select the resources most relevant to you or a client and package them together in one place. After selecting the resources, you can name the collection of resources you have selected and write a brief description, and generate a private link to share or save, which gives you access to your collection whenever you need it.

CRE Hub

Developed alongside industry leaders and Northwest utilities specifically for the commercial real estate market, the CRE Hub helps you narrow your list of energy efficiency resources to quickly get the building design, use, operation and maintenance tools you need the most. You can search commercial real estate resources by building lifecycle (maintenance, tune up, retrofit and major renovation), desired non-energy benefits, problems and solutions, or by technology.

Share Feedback and Stay in Touch

Let the team at BetterBricks know what you think! Contact us to share thoughts for improvement or ideas for content. You can also sign up for the BetterBricks newsletter and be the first to receive new case studies and resources.

NEEC Power Hour and Bullitt Center Tour

February 1, 2018 By SBC

Join NEEC for our Power Hour at the Bullitt Center on March 28 from 5:30pm – 7:00pm. Hosted by the Integrated Design Lab (IDL), our informal after work get together will feature drinks and light refreshments combined with networking opportunities amongst peers and to hear featured guests bringing news and insights affecting the industry.

You’ll also get an opportunity to tour the Bullitt Center and hear from IDL on the building design strategies that help meet the Living Building Challenge.

What’s the Economic Future of Energy Efficiency?

February 1, 2018 By SBC

Gas Efficiency: Gas-Fired Condensing Rooftop Units

February 1, 2018 By SBC

Join NEEA and ASHRAE’s Puget Sound chapter for an exclusive training on gas HVAC efficiency.

Date: Wednesday, February 7, 2018 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Location: Smart Buildings Center
1200 12th Avenue South Ste 110
Seattle, WA 98144

This event is free for all attendees and includes lunch.

This training will explore the gas-fired condensing rooftop unit (C-RTU) technology and its performance on commercial facilities. Highlighting the energy efficiency benefits associated with C-RTUs, while debunking current myths, this training will present the gas efficiency of the technology and address its positive market potential.
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Puget Sound Chapter, in collaboration with BetterBricks, will be hosting an in-person training session that will:

• Show how to properly install equipment and manage the condensate, two of the most prominent yet least understood elements associated with the technology
• Cover codes and their interpretations for C-RTU installations
• Provide details on hot topics such as freeze protection, neutralizers and curb adaptors
• Prepare you to talk to customers about C-RTUs with suggested next steps

This technically-focused training will provide engineers, consultants, manufacturers, distributors and installers with market insights into a rapidly emerging HVAC technology and tips on where and how C-RTUs should operate.
Throughout this training, attendees will have the opportunity to learn installation and operation best practices from market experts and realize the full potential of this high-efficiency technology. Lunch will also be provided!

PRESENTERS
• Christine Riegler, Program Manager at Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA)
• Marta Schantz, Manager at Waypoint Building Group
• Tiffany Rourke, President of ASHRAE Puget Sound

CONTACT
Marta Schantz [email protected]

EARN CREDITS
Certificates of Attendance will be available from ASHRAE Puget Sound for all training attendees, including maintenance points for BOC credential renewal.

NEEC Launches the Smart Buildings Center Education Program

November 9, 2017 By SBC

As part of the evolving effort to grow the programs and opportunities for smart and efficient building operations, NEEC recently encouraged the development of a new non-profit – the Smart Buildings Center Education Program (SBC-EP). The SBC-EP is a 501(c)3 organization with an educational mission to increase awareness and understanding of smart building technologies and practices. The public launch of the organization was held October 26th at the Smart Buildings Center in Pacific Tower on Beacon Hill. The event called, “Empowering Smart Buildings: Improving Productivity and Reducing Operating Costs,” featured a moderated panel of the SBC-EP board. The SBC-EP Board is comprised of business, utility and governmental leaders that span the stakeholders and constituents of smart building practices and technologies. The panel led an engaging discussion of the opportunities for adopting smart building practices and technologies, as well as some of the challenges we face in bringing these ideas to market. Panelists were:

Perry England, VP Building Performance, MacDonald Miller
Dan McConnon, DCYF Project Director, WA Dept. of Commerce
Chris Roe, Energy Procurement Manager, Amazon
Cal Shirley, VP of Customer Solutions, Puget Sound Energy (retired)
Bert Van Hoof, Partner, GPM Azure IoT, Microsoft
Phil Welker, Executive Director, PECI
Jim Baggs, Customer Service, Communications & Regulatory Affairs Officer of Seattle City Light delivers a welcome address at the SBC-EP launch event.

Ash Awad, the Chief Market Officer for McKinstry is also a member of the SBC-EP board, but was unable to attend the event. SBC-EP will co-locate at the Pacific Tower with the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC) who will continue to manage the physical space. SBC-EP will focus its efforts at the Pacific Tower and around the region on the development and implementation of informational and educational programs related to smart buildings.

Professional Education Offerings at UW Integrated Design Lab

October 18, 2017 By SBC

Join the University of Washington Integrated Design Lab for in-depth educational opportunities focused on the tools and skills required to assess high performance design. Intended for participants who understand high performance concepts, this course provides technical training for practitioners to bring state-of-the-art quantitative analysis into design practice. The course complements the AIA Getting to Zero series, and will provide training using commonly available design tools such as EQuest, DIVA for Rhino, Revit, and custom Excel spreadsheets.

Register Now!

Sessions will be held at the Smart Buildings Center
in Seattle, WA from 8:30 AM-12:30 PM on the following dates:

1. Energy Modeling in the Design Process
Timeline and process for using energy modeling to achieve high performance design: Thursday, November 2
Understand how to fully realize high performance by examining the timeline and process for incorporating energy modeling in the design process. We will introduce the level of analytical detail that is required at each step of the design process in order to support data-driven decision-making.

2.Designing for the Perimeter Zone
Understanding loads and implications for architectural design: Thursday, November 16
Contextualize loads that are introduced through the building perimeter, and how modeling can help inform higher performance architectural design. Implications for light, air, heat transfer, passive and active systems, materials, as well as user behaviors will set the stage for best-practice envelope design.

3. Multifamily Residential Energy Efficiency
Forum discussion for understanding opportunities and barriers: Thursday, November 30
Implications for high performance multifamily residential will be explored through a forum discussion, raising awareness of the opportunities and barriers for energy and water efficiency in this prevalent building typology.

4. Quantifying Performance Beyond Energy
Tools for Water, Materials, and more: Thursday, December 14
Explore high performance building concepts beyond energy including water efficiency concepts, quantification, and implementation; materials selection aiming at environmentally and healthy choices; and other topics to be identified in partnership with series participants.

The total cost for the packaged Fall offerings is $350.
Please inquire for al a carte rates and offerings

Questions? Contact Heather Burpee at [email protected] or 206.616.6566

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