The USPS is actively trying to do *something*, maybe not enough though. The current design standard is not only meeting ASHRAE, but to beat it by 30%. Easier to do on large scale buildings like the Metroplex in Pontiac, quite difficult on the small branch post offices. They have also commissioned a few firms to conduct a large scale Energy Audit (of which my firm and fellow workers are involved in some of them) and that is the target.. beat it by 30%. They aren't performing construction, but relamping/new fixtures are in fact one of the methodology's used (I think another is HVAC revisions), but as Carlton points out, some of the obvious stuff perhaps elude them. I know they have recently lowered the lighting standards for non-work space, which lowers power usage (Pontiac Metroplex is HUGE and the majority of the footprint is either machines, cart storage or walkway). Skylights, even on light cloudy days, could still share some of that light, but I believe there is also losses for heating/cooling as a result so you rob Peter to pay Paul to some degree. There was discussion on one of my projects regarding skylights but I can't recall the outcome..
As a point of reference, one of the large scale processing centers for USPS
consumes $500,000 worth of electricity a MONTH. That's a lot of juice.. 6
services, some as large as 800 amps. The postal system has a lot of very
heavy machinery driven by electricity and air.
In talking solar, FM has it made based on location. Another project I was
involved in for Detroit doing Intelligent Transportation Systems (traffic
monitoring via stand alone solar telephone pole mounted sensors) found that
Detroit gets less usable sun for solar per year than Seattle. :( It's not
that sunny of a place. We had to double the size of battery cabinets to be
able to survive 20+ days without sun in the winter. So while FM can give
back on the weekends, you'll probably never see that sort of payback in
Detroit (or Michigan as a whole)... it's not that sunny here.
I think the reason the for the overall lack of green in construction is a
lack of $$$. Green is **expensive** to build, that's all thee is to it.
FM could have opted out of the solar bit and saved $42,000.. I'm betting
$42K is a decent percentage of the total bill. With all the construction
costs increasing (steel is WAY up, I heard door hardware is following suit
due to it, carpet is also up a lot due to oil) any penny saved on the front
side looks good to the owners/construction companies.
Wallyman
P.S. The postal service is trying.. another project we did for them is a
large Green Roof (Morgan P&DC).. outdoor garden to help reject heat and
minimize heat island syndrome, reclaim rainwater and maintenance free
plantings. So there is progress, perhaps just not as fast or as large
scale as we all need.
"Eric McCord"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]
m> To
Sent by: [email protected]
[EMAIL PROTECTED] cc
apower.net
Subject
Re: OK, I get it now. Gas
07/10/2008 12:57 AM prices are high!
I've been lurking for YEARS, but this subject has pulled me out of the
shadows. I will probably slink back into the shadows after this comment
though.
This whole fuel cost issue has pushed a nationwide pay cut on EVERYONE. I
understand that we have had it good for all these years but the rate at
which this is hitting us is too much too fast. I've been thinking "green"
for a long time. I have not owned a gas mower in over 12 years. We as a
nation ARE cutting back. Our government has NOT been cutting back.
I work for the US Postal Service and Wallyman can vouch for what I am about
to say. The USPS has built a "state of the art" facility in Pontiac
Michigan and I have to say that it is NOT "state of the CURRENT art". This
building is NOT green in any sense of the word. We have a high tech
lighting system that can cut back output on any or all of the lights on the
workroom floor but there are NO skylights to let outside light in so the
"high tech" lighting system is going to be run on HIGH ALL THE TIME. We are
a 24/7 operation. There are so many other things that are not green but
this lighting system stands out in my mind.
I will make any cut I must to help out the collective, BUT, MY government
better start FIRST. There is no excuse for any new federal facility
construction that is as NON-green as the building I now work in.
Thank you fellow Miatapower seekers for reading my rant. I want to get back
to the simple pleasure of tweaking my little street legal gokart and not
worry if I can afford to get to work.
Carlton_______________________________________________
Miatapower mailing list
[email protected]
http://list.miatapower.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/miatapower
<<inline: graycol.gif>>
<<inline: pic14243.gif>>
<<inline: ecblank.gif>>
_______________________________________________ Miatapower mailing list [email protected] http://list.miatapower.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/miatapower
