6B — August 23 - September 12, 2019 — Architects & Engineers — Owners, Developers & Managers — M id A tlantic
Real Estate Journal
www.marej.com
Architects & Engineers
well designed ware- house, manufacturing or distribution facility By Bruce Pollock, AIA, RSSC Architecture Maximizing the triple bottom line with energy efficiency & daylighting in warehouse facilities A
is more than 25 ft. from the windows, toplighting through the use of skylights is a cost effective method of providing daylighting throughout the building. While maximizing the light levels from daylighting is important, it is critical that the daylighting strategy minimize glare within the space. Sky- lights with prismatic lenses provide an even diffuse light without bright spots or deep shadows that make task per- formance difficult. To realize the full potential of the daylighting strategy, the skylights should be coupled with energy efficient LED light- ing, photo cell sensors and a lighting control panel to reduce the light output of the electric lighting as the light level from the sunlight increases. At our recently completed facility for Karndean International in Pittsburgh, PA, the day- lighting strategy resulted in a 49% lighting energy savings. Employee productivity also increased due to the improved color rendition provided by the combination of daylighting and LED lighting significantly reducing the time needed to in- spect flooring samples produced at the facility. At Karndean, employee morale has increased in the new facility and everyone is able to do their job better. Bruce Pollock, AIA is a principal at RSSC Architec- ture located in Pittsburgh, PA. n Tech Investment in Today’s Digital . . . continued from page 3B thing from historical client information to financial and project records is available 24/7 with just a few simple mouse clicks. While the economy seems reasonably stable today, ques- tions continue to hover about the near future. Still, among the few absolutes in business is the need to prepare with the best possible resources. The commercial real estate industry is no different. Fortunately, technologies exist right now that not only provide immedi- ate operational efficiencies and cost benefits, but an ongoing foundation for growth and an enhanced ability to navigate successfully in an unpredict- able world. Michael Mullin is presi- dent of Integrated Business Systems (IBS) in Totowa, NJ.
house, manufacturing or dis- tribution facility, an important consideration is reducing the energy use intensity of the facil- ity. Every effort should be made to reduce the amount of energy used to heat, cool and light the interior of the building. This will not only reduce the impact of the building on the envi- ronment but also reduce the operational costs of the build- ing. The building envelope, i.e. the walls, roof, windows and doors of the building, should be designed to minimize the transfer of heat. The R-value of the insulation in the walls and roof should be maximized to reduce the flow of heat through
these assemblies. The building envelope should be carefully de- tailed to reduce thermal bridges where conductive building ma- terials allow the flow of heat to bypass the building insulation. A continuous air barrier should be provided to minimize the uncontrolled flow of air along with the energy used to heat and cool that air through the building envelope. In temperate and warm cli- mates, choosing roof materials with a high Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) will reduce the heat load on the building. Materials with a high SRI reflect a high percentage of the solar energy that falls on them and also rap-
idly emit any energy that is ab- sorbed by the materials before it is transferred into the build- ing. Buildings with high SRI roofs will have lower internal temperatures in the summer increasing the comfort of the building occupants and reduc- ing the need for mechanical cooling. In urban areas, build- ings with high SRI roofs also reduce the heat island effect that results in higher summer temperatures in urban areas. After optimizing the building envelope, the next consider- ation is to choose a daylighting strategy. For buildings with large low slope roofs where the majority of the floor area
contributes to the triple bottom line of the com- panies that own and op- erate these facilities by reducing the operational
Bruce Pollock
costs of the building; minimiz- ing the environmental impact of the building; and providing a healthy and comfortable en- vironment for the employees working in the building. When planning a new ware-
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