green design
Designing the Tesla Building
On 01, Nov 2017 | In PEI Blog | By Ethan
The all-electric Mountain Equipment Co-op building in Vancouver, Canada provides a window into the future of all-electric buildings. (Photo: Ventana Construction Corporation)
In the midst of this dramatic shift from gas to electric-powered automobiles, we can envision the impending transition to fully electric-powered buildings.
Electric energy is, by its nature, more flexible and responsive than the chemical energy offered by conventional fossil fuels. As buildings become more connected and complex, this flexibility can be leveraged in increasingly beneficial ways to enhance the occupant experience – while simultaneously improving grid resiliency, boosting economic productivity, and reducing the negative environmental and human health effects of combusting fossil fuels. Reliance on fossil fuels cannot be eliminated overnight, but as the case of the electric vehicle highlights – a focus on holistic, innovative design strategies can also catalyze the all-electric transition for the built environment.
Ethan Heil’s GreenBiz blog explores the possibilities.
Peter Rumsey Teaches Clients How to Take Risks
On 02, Jun 2015 | In PEI Blog | By Larry
Peter Rumsey, one of the first green building engineers to design net zero buildings in the US, has a long history of championing energy efficiency combined with technologies such as radiant heating and cooling systems and chilled beams. He has led many of the world’s notable firsts in green design, including the first net zero commercial office building, the first net zero laboratory and largest net zero museum. He is now designing two of the world’s largest net zero office buildings.
An Education on How to Take Risks
With a mission to save unprecedented amounts of energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Peter is known for inspiring building owners to stretch to higher goals than they thought possible. “Peter encouraged us to take on unreasonable design goals. He pushed us to adopt cutting edge technologies and strategies in our buildings and then stayed with the project until we delivered success,” explained Rohan Parikh, who worked as head of Infrastructure and green initiatives at Infosys, a very large software company in Hyderabad, India.
Read full article at PowerHouse Growers.
