EA Books

ASHRAE GreenGuide: The Design, Construction and Operation of Sustainable Buildings, 2 e
ASHRAE
2006, ISBN: 9781933742076, 394pp, $140.00 

The ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) GreenGuide gives guidelines on applying green principles primarily in commercial and institutional buildings.

The preface states that ‘The ASHRAE GreenGuide is primarily aimed at HVAC&R designers, but it will also be a useful reference for architects, owners, building managers, operators, contractors, and others in the building industry who want to understand some of the technical issues regarding high-performance design from an integrated, building systems perspective.’

The book does a good job of achieving this goal. It has a strong section on the interactions between building elements and the HVAC system (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning system). The book also covers a wide range of techniques to green a building.

The book claims an international perspective, and even includes contributions from two well known Australian experts, Paul McGregor ( McGregor & Associates) and Eddie Leonardi (A/Prof. School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, The University of New South Wales). However this international perspective is not fully realised, as the section on the fundamentals of HVAC science is in US units without SI alternatives. Elsewhere in the book SI alternatives are given.

The book covers energy efficiency, energy sources (including combined cooling heating and power, solar, etc) waste water and water use. Other items like embodied energy are only mentioned in passing. In fact indoor air quality, which I have always considered part of good design, rather than being restricted to green design, gets much more attention than embodied energy.

Although not explicitly stated, the focus of the book is on medium and large scale commercial and institutional facilities rather than small buildings.

The book opens with a brief coverage of what’s needed for green design. The discussion emphasises an integrated approach as the only way to get an extremely high performance building. To achieve this, the book argues all disciplines need to be involved from the concept phase.

The book then follows the design process. Commissioning (which is used in the broader sense of quality assurance) is given a central place in the process. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidance and terminology feature prominently in the guide, which is unsurprising given its US origin. An extensive list of terms, definitions and acronyms helps bridge the gap. A small but important section of the book is a discussion of the construction process and the benefits and disadvantages of different contractual arrangements.

For most people the core of the book will be the 39 ‘GreenTips’ and five ‘Building-type GreenTips’.

• A common format is used for the ‘GreenTips’:
• general description of the technique
• when/where it’s applicable
• Pros and cons
• key elements of the cost
• sources of further information

The tips cover most ideas a designer is likely to consider, ranging from old standbys like air to air heat exchange, to newer innovations like displacement ventilation.

‘Building-type GreenTips’ cover facilities other than office buildings. For example, one tip covers performing arts spaces and emphasises both the particular issues that need to be dealt with (e.g. acoustics in performing arts centres) and how to address them (e.g. locating noisy equipment away from noise critical spaces).

Although experienced practitioners will be aware of most of the ideas, it is useful to have them collected together with enough information to determine if each idea is relevant. Both types of tips will be most useful at the concept stage, as they are a check list of things to consider, rather than detailed design guides. The tips are written so that they can be used to help the designer convince other members of the design team that a particular technique is appropriate for their current building project. The further information listed will generally need to be followed up during following stages unless the designer is already familiar with the technique.

The book consciously concentrates on the HVAC implications and design requirements of items discussed. For example the discussion of lighting emphasises the energy impacts of lighting and does not address the aesthetic implications of different techniques. The authors justify this on the basis that the book is aimed at the HVAC engineer and the aesthetic implications are the province of the architect and lighting engineer.

The book includes a very extensive bibliography, an extensive index and the aforementioned list of terms, definitions and acronyms.

Once a client decides they want to be green, this book helps the designer quickly review the options and determine which ones are worth pursuing. The guide is not intended to replace the designer’s personal experience and knowledge, but rather help an experienced practitioner work with the rest of the design team to produce a greener building.

This book fills the important niche between books on green building written from a broader architectural perspective and, which accordingly treat the HVAC systems in less depth, and books with a focus on one or a small range of techniques. Although it has a US focus, Australians will find much to help them with their projects.

This is the most comprehensive current book aimed at the practicing HVAC engineer, on green design for medium and large scale facilities. Access to this book is essential for any HVAC Engineer working on such projects who claims to be capable of doing green design. It is also relevant to other members of the design team. Used as intended this book will help building professionals design and deliver greener buildings, particularly more energy efficient buildings.

The ASHRAE GreenGuide was reviewed by Clive Blanchard, author of House Taming: How to reduce greenhouse gases in comfort.