The Fundamentals of Green Building

1
5
Alternative Water Supply Technologies
2
The New Green Building Hydrologic Cycle

• Re-think use of potable water!
• Water sources
• Traditional Potable Water
• Harvested Water
• Treatable Wastewater

Pages 41-43
3
The New Green Building Hydrologic Cycle

• New Ways of Supplying and Reusing Water
• Harvested Water
• Treatable Wastewater

Page 43
4
How Alternative Systems Work
Rainwater Harvesting Systems
Page 48
5
How Alternative Systems Work

• Greywater Treatment and Reuse Systems

Pages 50-51
6
How Alternative Systems Work

• Blackwater Treatment and Sewer Mining

Pages 52-54
7
Wastewater Treatment Basic Biology

• Biological Materials Pathogens
• 3 Main types of Biological Digestion

Aerobic Processes
Anoxic Processes
Anaerobic Processes
Pages 46-47
8
Precautions with Reused Water

• Ensuring reclaimed water is used safely and
  appropriately is extremely important
• Be aware of potential cross-connections in
  plumbing systems
• Install backflow prevention from nonpotable to
  potable systems

Pages 54-55
9
TEST YOURSELF

1. What are the three sources of harvested water?
   Where are they collected, and what can the water
   be used for?
2. Describe greywater systems, and how the greywater
   is purified and used.
3. What is the primary public health issue related
   to wastewater treatment?
4. Describe the three main types of biological
   digestion, and what type of wastewater treatment
   they are appropriate for.
5. What are the risks associated with reused water?
6. What are the recommendations of the American
   Water Works Association (AWWA) in terms of
   backflow prevention?

10
6
Energy Savings
11
Direct vs. Indirect Water Heating

• Direct Self-contained unit and energy is
  transmitted directly to heat the water
• Indirect Uses heat from secondary source to heat
  water

12
Potable Water Heating Direct-energy

• Direct Energy Heating Equipment
• Primary source to heat water
• Storage water heaters
• Condensing water heaters
• Instantaneous water heaters

Page 58
13
Potable Water Heating Indirect-energy

• Indirect-energy Heating Equipment
• Rely on external sources
• Coil-in-tank
• Shell-and-tube system
• Tube-in-tube system

Page 61
14
Solar Energy
Page 61
15
Potable Water Heating

• Solar Thermal Wet Systems
• Energy from the sun used to heat a domestic water
  supply
• Flat plate collectors
• Evacuate tube collectors (direct-flow and
  heat-pipe)

Page 64
16
Potable Water Heating

• Direct Circulation Systems
• Cannot tolerate freezing temperatures
• Drain-Back Systems
• Must be sloped to ensure water drains to
  reservoir
• Indirect Circulation Systems
• Pumps circulate through a non-freezing heat
  transfer liquid

Pages 66-67
17
Potable Water Heating

• Ground-Source Energy
• Draw heat from the ground during winter
• Deposit heat from indoor air during the summer
• Primarily for homes
• Desuperheater

Page 67
18
Cogeneration (CHP) Systems

• Converts waste heat that accompanies electricity
  production into usable thermal energy
• Microturbines

Page 68
19
Energy Recovery

• Drain-Water Heat Recovery
• Steam Condensate Heat Recovery
• Condenser Heat Recovery

Pages 70-72
20
Special Issues in Retrofitting DHW Systems

• Preheaters
• Condensing Boilers/Water Heaters
• Instantaneous Water Heaters
• Circulation Balancing
• Pipe Insulation

Page 72
21
TEST YOURSELF

1. Explain the differences between direct and
   indirect heating
2. What are the issues to be aware of with
   instantaneous water heaters?
3. What are the benefits and drawbacks of
   indirect-energy water heaters? Condensing
   boilers?
4. Describe and compare direct flow and heat-pipe
   evacuated tube collectors.
5. What is cogeneration? What are the benefits?
6. What are the forms of energy recovery and how do
   they work?

22
7
Managing Green Projects
23
Contractor and Subcontractor Roles

• Many work practices, product specifications, and
  technologies are unique to a successful green
  building project
• Be aware of what is involved to ensure
  conformance with the overall project requirements
• Know how the building codes address new
  technologies

Page 73
24
Work Practices Indoor Air Quality

• Work practices must be followed to ensure
  sustainability goals and/or LEED certification
• Low-VOC materials
• Air sealing
• Moisture control

Page 74
25
Work Practices Construction Demolition

• Construction Demolition Waste Management
• Aim to recycle 50-95 of the total waste-stream
• Sorting recyclable materials on site
• Co-mingled waste sorted off-site

Page 74
26
LEED Documentation

• LEED projects require additional documentation
  submitted to the USGBC/GBCI
• Required LEED documentation primarily relates to
  IAQ and low-flow fixtures

Page 75
27
LEED Product Specifications

• All information for documentation is found on
  product MSDS sheets
• Need to ensure LEED certification for the
  project
• Make sure new materials procured meet specified
  standards
• Need to be reviewed by the sustainability
  coordinator

Page 75
28
Cost and Scheduling Issues

• Work practices that may affect your schedule
•  
• Commissioning/building flush-out
• Product documentation
• Value engineering

Page 76
29
Commissioning

• Coordination with commissioning agent (CxA)
• Pre-functional and start-up testing of installed
  equipment
• Building Flush-Out
• Measuring air quality
• Purge contaminants using a high exchange of
  inside air with fresh outside air
• Done prior to or just at occupancy

Page 76
30
Value Engineering

• Value Engineering
• Generally occurs in the design phase before the
  plumber has a bid on the job
• May be required to provide costing for proposed
  or determined changes
• High probability of green elements being
  eliminated if the budget gets tight
• Newer technologies are more expensive to install
  
• Owners and engineers may see them as expendable

Page 76
31
Code Compliance

• Needed changes to existing building codes may not
  have been made yet
• Often no regulations regarding the use of
  rainwater or reused wastewater to supply
  bathrooms
• Understand how new technologies and installation
  practices are or are not addressed by your local
  jurisdiction

Page 77
32
TEST YOURSELF

1. What are the indoor air quality work practices
   specific to plumbers that need to be followed to
   ensure sustainability?
2. What work practices should the plumbing
   contractor be aware of in regards to
   commissioning?
3. Explain the two forms of construction and
   demolition waste management sorting and
   co-mingling.