In HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) design, understanding ERV vs. HRV (Energy Recovery Ventilators vs. Heat Recovery Ventilators) is crucial. Both systems improve indoor air quality and energy efficiency by exchanging stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air. However, their methods and applications differ significantly. Basics of ERV and HRV Systems HRVs are designed […]
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Passive house design offers numerous health benefits and promotes sustainability. To maximize these benefits, ensure your architect has experience and technical expertise in passive house design. What is Passive House Design? Passive house design focuses on energy efficiency and comfort. For example, it reduces the need for heating and cooling by using high-performance insulation, airtight
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Benefits and Drawbacks of Passive House Design Passive house design focuses on energy efficiency and comfort. This building approach has distinct benefits and drawbacks. Benefits of Passive House Design Energy Efficiency: First, passive houses use minimal energy for heating and cooling. They often consume 80% less energy than conventional buildings. Comfortable Indoor Conditions: Secondly, consistent
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Every three years, the building codes change. This has ramifications to all design disciplines. Electrical Engineering design is governed by the NEC/NFPA 70, and the IBC. With the 2023 NEC updates from the previous 2020 NEC, there were many new requirements. In addition, the transition from the 2018 International Building Code (IBC) to the 2021
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Introduction to PoE Lighting Systems Power over Ethernet (PoE) lighting systems are revolutionizing residential and commercial buildings. These systems transmit both power and data over a single Ethernet cable, simplifying installation and enhancing control. Basics of PoE Lighting Systems PoE Switch: Supplies power and data to connected devices over Ethernet cables. PoE Light Fixtures: Specially
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Passive house design represents the pinnacle of energy efficiency and comfort in modern construction. This article delves into the technology behind passive house design and explains the benefits of each component. Additionally, we discuss the importance of an integrated design approach, involving architecture, structural engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering. Core Components of Passive House
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Introduction Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems (DOAS) are popular in commercial HVAC designs. They offer energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and performance benefits. Therefore, it’s crucial to have a licensed engineer design a DOAS system for optimal operation and compliance. DOAS Systems or DOAS Units are common terms despite the redundancy. What is a Dedicated Outdoor
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The future of sustainable design is closely linked to architectural education. As a recent graduate from CU Boulder’s Environmental Design program and now working as a Revit drafter at EVstudio, I have personally witnessed the vital role of integrating sustainable thinking into architectural education. Embracing sustainability from the early stages of education is crucial for
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In this day and age, it’s hard to not hear about the state of our environment. Whether you call it “Global Warming” or “Climate Change,” the word is increasingly getting out about how we as humans are directly affecting our planet, and it isn’t for the better. As someone who had the pleasure of growing
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Roofing material choices may be one of the leading contributors to urban heat island effect in addition to surface paving materials. Light colored roofing materials including Single Ply Roofing can aid with heat deflected from buildings, and therefore reduce building cooling loads. Single Ply Roofing is also a durable roofing material that can be utilized
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There are basically two types of stucco products and two stucco systems: Traditional vs Acrylic Stucco: Traditional Stucco: Consists of cement, silica sand and lime. Traditional stucco comes in bags and is typically 1/5 of cost of the Acrylic stucco. There are virtually unlimited amounts of finish textures that can be produced. Colors for this
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Progression in building technology and more stringent energy code standards are inevitable as our society moves forward. In addition, current energy costs may steadily increase in the future as alternative energy sources will take time to do develop. With cost in mind, making buildings more energy efficient and conservative will require new construction technologies and
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