Twenty-first century building will be an integrated set of building systems aimed at providing an optimal environment for people to live, work and play. In the past, building systems were viewed as independent systems that were optimized individually and led to the suboptimal performance of the building as a whole. READ MORE
Thomas E. Glavinich
Freelance Writer
Thomas E. Glavinich is an associate professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering at the University of Kansas. He can be reached at 785.864.3435 and tglavinich@ku.edu.
Articles by Thomas E. Glavinich
December 2005
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Photovoltaics (PV) have a sunny future in the building industry. After a number of false starts over the past 30 plus years, PV has the potential to become a significant contributor to the U.S. energy supply in the coming decades. READ MORE
November 2005
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The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is an industry organization made up of many parts of the construction industry including owners, designers and contractors. The USGBC promotes the construction of environmentally friendly, high-performance buildings through its sponsorship of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. READ MORE
November 2005
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The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) recognizes the contribution that photovoltaics (PV) make to the sustainability and efficiency of a building project through its Green Building Rating System for New Construction & Major Renovations (LEED-NC Version 2.1). This system was developed by the U.S. READ MORE
October 2005
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Photovoltaic (PV) installations are becoming more common in commercial and residential buildings as PV-system efficiencies increase, installed costs decrease and cost of conventional utility-supplied electric power increases. Building owners should be concerned about who is installing their PV system because PV systems are complex and require specialized knowledge and expertise to install. READ MORE
September 2005
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Energy codes establish the minimum requirements for the performance of new buildings. States have typically adopted either the ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1 or the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) as their energy code for commercial buildings. Photovoltaics (PV) are a renewable energy source that can be used to reduce a building’s need for traditional utility-supplied energy. READ MORE
September 2005
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The energy consumed by residential and commercial buildings represents a significant portion of the total energy used in the United States. Energy drives the U.S. economy and demand will continue to grow along with prices and environmental concern. The reduction of building energy use through increased efficiency and conservation is important economically, environmentally and socially. READ MORE
August 2005
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A utility-interactive photovoltaic (PV) system is defined in Section 690.2 of the National Electrical Code (NEC) (NFPA 70-2005) as a “photovoltaic system that operates in parallel with and may deliver power to an electrical production and distribution network.” NEC Article 690 covers Solar Photovoltaic Systems. READ MORE
July 2005
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Performing a preliminary design for a photovoltaic (PV) system is the first step in deciding how to effectively incorporate PV technology into a new or existing building. The design should generate a number of technically feasible PV alternatives for a new building under design or an existing building that will be retrofitted with PV technology. READ MORE