A Complete Picture of Energy Use in Multi-Family Building: How Much Do We Use and Where Does it Go

Mar 12, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Room # 402

Presented by: Shawn Oram, Ecotope Inc., Sandra Mallory, Seattle DPD, Jon Hall, GGLO

Session Description:

During the last decade a great deal of effort has been put into conservation programs for reducing energy use in multifamily buildings in Seattle. The vast majority of this work has been focused on reducing space heating loads in apartments with some resources also put into efficient lighting in the common areas. The primary areas of energy use include: apartment space heating, corridor and common area heating and ventilation, apartment lighting, common area lighting, water heating, major appliances, and miscellaneous plug loads (with a small amount of cooling in some cases). The energy code has steadily become stricter for the envelope, to the point that the apartment space heating load is now less than 20-25% of the energy use in most new Seattle multifamily buildings. In order to continue advancing the efforts for energy use reduction, it is essential that we understand clearly where energy is being used in the typical new multifamily building so that conservation programs can yield the biggest results.

GGLO has systematically collected energy and water bills for 12 new multifamily buildings in Seattle over the last several years. Under contract with the City of Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development, Ecotope has analyzed this body of billing data and building characteristics using a variable degree day method and performance modeling to develop a complete picture of energy and water use.

Through the use of actual billing data, a calibrated energy model of a typical multifamily building will be produced to yield true results for energy use predictions. This has enabled the development of tools for calculating the actual impact of a wide range of energy and water conservation measures backed up with real life data.

Speakers Bios:

Shawn Oram, Ecotope Inc.

Shawn is a Lead Mechanical Engineer at Ecotope, Inc., where he focuses on design and analysis of energy and resource efficient building systems. His areas of expertise include energy modeling, LEED® consulting, mechanical and plumbing design, solar and geothermal systems, and rainwater harvesting systems for commercial, multi-family and single family homes. He is member of International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA). Through the informed use of energy modeling, Shawn has optimized envelopes for scores of residential projects and has been integral in the design of super-insulated homes and off-grid systems throughout the region. Shawn has played a role in the mechanical design of various Energy Star, Built Green™, and LEED® projects in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California. When not modeling, Shawn enjoys back country hiking, skiing, cooking, and spending time with his two young children.

Sandra Mallory, Seattle DPD

Throughout her career Sandra has fed her creative side through her architectural design work, her inquisitive side through teaching and research and her ethical values through her focus on sustainability and social equity. She spearheaded the “Sustaining Affordable Communities” initiative at Environmental Works, where she practiced architecture for seven years. While there she was the sustainability coordinator for the country’s first LEED® Certified Affordable Housing project, Traugott Terrace, and the Project Architect for a recent LEED® Gold affordable housing project in Bellingham. Through an ongoing post-occupancy study, she is investigating how well these, and other green buildings, are performing.

Jon Hall, GGLO

Jon’s passion for design is driven by a desire to improve our community by creating affordable, environmentally sustainable urban housing. His focus on mixed-use in-city housing complements his interest in working with neighborhoods to design aesthetically pleasing, livable communities. Jon has been with GGLO since 1995 and is certified as a Sustainable Building Advisor. He has served on the Capitol Hill Neighborhood Plan Stewardship Council and is an advocate for mass transit and issues facing the homeless population. When not designing, Jon enjoys participating in sports ranging from softball and bowling to running marathons.