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NAIOP study examines achievable energy efficiency for buildings

February 27, 2009—NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, has released a report showing the levels of energy efficiency that standard office buildings can reach while remaining economically feasible.

The study was undertaken to determine if commercial development could achieve reduction targets of 30 to 50 percent above the ASHRAE 90.1-2004 standard – the benchmark often cited in legislation and other calls for mandatory reductions.

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Using a recently completed four-story, 95,000-square-foot, Class A office building as the prototype, the research modeled the prototype in three climate zones represented by Chicago, Illinois; Baltimore, Maryland; and Newport Beach, California.

Findings show that although significant energy efficiencies can be achieved (varying by climate zone), reaching a 30 percent reduction above the ASHRAE standard is not feasible using common design approaches and would exceed a 10-year payback. The study concluded that achieving a 50 percent reduction above the standard is not currently reachable.

"The study provides an unbiased insight into the energy targets practical to commercial development today," said Thomas J. Bisacquino, NAIOP president. "Identifying an energy reduction level that is both environmentally responsible and equitable to the developer is essential in protecting the prosperity of commercial real estate."

The study was conducted by ConSol, a California-based independent energy-modeling firm, using the Department of Energy's EnergyPlus v2.2, a building energy simulation program for modeling building energy uses.

Modeling included enhanced wall and roof insulations; varying levels of exterior glazing; higher-efficiency window assemblies; reduced air infiltration via the installation of an air barrier; reduced lighting power densities; higher-efficiency HVAC equipment; and photovoltaic electricity energy generation.

For more information, see the NAIOP Web site.

   
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