NEW ADDITION TO OUR WEBSITE!

Three new manuals have been added to our website. 

Two are eQUEST manuals; Module 1: Basic Energy Modeling and Comparative Runs, Module 3: Life Cycle Cost Analysis. These manuals can be found under the SOFTWARE tab, through the eQUEST section or click here.

The third manual is a design guide for daylighting in Montana and similar climates.  This manual gives the tools to optimize the building orientation, glazing specificiations, and window shading devices.  This can be found under the DESIGN GUIDE tab or click here.

Check back often for future design guide and software manuals.  An AGi32 and eQUEST Module 2: Intermediate Modeling will be added soon!

Reminder to complete Night Walks

Buildings are unoccupied during the majority of the year, likely between 5000-6200 out of 8760 hours.  That equates to more than half of the year.  How do buildings perform during this time?  “Night walks” are the key to finding out.  Night walks are walks that are done with a team of building engineers, checking for building systems that aren’t operating properly.  These are very important for the building; frequently the found problems are easily addressed.  This gives the opportunity for immediate energy efficiency and building performance improvements. 

Night walks are done primarily by the on-site building engineer or another member of the engineering or property management team.  The walks should not be solely by one person, as there are safety concerns associated with the walks. 

The walk should begin when the building is in ‘unoccupied mode’.  Many engineers recommend walks on a monthly basis.  At the minimum, walks should be conducted at least each quarter, with at least an hour dedicated to each walk.  The time is highly dependent upon the size of the building; in large buildings, it is about 15 minutes per floor.

Important spaces to walk through and check are mechanical rooms, areas near the top of the building, top of the roof and stairwells, main lobby and elevator lobbies, and a typical tenant space in each HVAC zone.

Feel for air movement, hot/cold temperatures, humidity, static shock, acoustic/physical vibrations, and hot electrical systems. 

Look for brightly lit areas, extremely dark areas, visible condensation, accumulations of dust on surfaces, blocked air diffusers, and water spots or standing water.

Listen for airflow, rattling, humming, high-pitched radio static, running or dripping water.

Smell for food, trash, or chemical odors, moldy odors, and overheated mechanical/electrical systems.

For additional information and specifics on what to look for, information can be found at the Better Bricks website.  The website also has four short videos, a brief, and a system diagnostic tool kit to provide the probable cause for the problems found.

New Website Addition

There is a new addition to our website.  Tom Wood presented information pertaining to daylighting throughout the design process.  The information from his presentation, along with many case studies and research articles, are now available via our website.   Everything is organized so that each file is easily accessible.  The information can be accessed the the "MT AIA Meeting" tab, located on the left sidebar.

Click here to access the information.

Fall 2011 Lighting Education Series Registration Open

Registration is now open for the Fall 2011 Education Series, provided by Seattle Lighting Design Lab.  A location and time for the session in Missoula, MT have also been decided.

Missoula, MT: Wednesday, October 12^th.  Hilton Garden Inn – Salon E, 3720 North Reserve Street, Missoula, MT 59860.

The series includes two classes, one in the morning (10 am – 12 pm) and the other in the afternoon (1 pm – 3 pm).  The morning class is titled What’s New in Lighting: 2011.  The afternoon session is titled Matching Technologies to Applications. 

For more information, see full class descriptions, locations, and registration fees below.  Also, visit the Seattle Lighting Design Lab website here.



Fall 2011 Education Series Announced

The Seattle Lighting Design Lab has announced the Fall 2011 Education Series.  There are several chances to catch the series, including one in Missoula, MT.  The series includes two classes, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.  The morning class is titled What’s New in Lighting: 2011.  The afternoon session is titled Matching Technologies to Applications.  Registration for the fall series begins in mid-August.

For more information, see full class descriptions, locations, and registration fees below.  Also, visit the Seattle Lighting Design Lab website here.

Morning Class 10:00am – 12:00pm

                What’s New in Lighting: 2011 – The fall tradition continues of reviewing this year’s latest innovations in exterior and interior lighting luminaires, lamps, ballasts, publications, controls, and components.  Also included in the class are award winning products recognized throughout the industry.  This class is intended for those already familiar with basic lighting terminology (i.e. CRI, CCT, L/W, CMH, LED, OLED etc.) but can be of interest to those just entering the lighting industry as well.  Instructor: Andrew Pultorak LC, MIES.

Lunch 12:00pm – 1:00pm

Afternoon Class 1:00pm-3:00pm

                Matching Technologies to Applications – Whether new construction, a major renovation, or a simple retro-fit, the challenge is to develop a lighting scheme which takes into consideration the condition of the existing space, the tasks being performed, energy codes, and lower power consumption.  In addition, the effects of coming legislation must also be considered: i.e. what really happens to T12 lamps in July of 2012?  The new design must also meet accepted standards of lighting quality and quantity while making economic sense.  This class will look at a number of interior and exterior spaces, and the steps necessary to make decisions about available lamps, ballasts, luminaires, controls, and how they may be successfully applied.  Instructor:  Jeff Robbins LC, MIES.

Registration Fees:

                Standard:  $30.00 per class

                Full Time university/college students:   $10.00 per class

                Employees of a LDL sponsoring organization:  $10.00 per class

                Lunch is included in registration

Locations and Dates:

                Tacoma, WA: Tuesday, September 20^th, Courtyard by Marriott, (Mt. St. Helen’s Room) 1515 Commerce Street, Tacoma, WY 98402

                Portland, OR: Tuesday, September 27^th, Center for Architecture: AIA Portland, 403 NW 11^th Avenue, Portland, OR 97209

                Boise, ID: Friday, September 30^th, Idaho AGC Training Center 1649 West Shoreline Drive, Boise, ID 83702

                Everett, WA: Thursday, October 6^th, Snohomish County PUD (Commissioners Room) 2320 California St, Everett, WA 98201

                Missoula, MT: Tuesday October 11^th OR Wednesday October 12^th OR Thursday October 13^th.  Location TBD.

                Bellevue, WA:  Wednesday, October 19^th, Puget Sound Energy (Forum Room), 10885 NE 4^th Street, Bellevue WA 98009

                Seattle, WA:  Tuesday, October 25^th, Lighting Design Lab (Classroom), 2915 4^th Ave S, Seattle WA 98134