2011 ASPE Technical Symposium right around the corner

The 2011 ASPE Technical Symposium will be held Oct. 27– 30, 2011, at the Buena Vista Palace Hotel, located inside the Disney World Resort. Attendees will enjoy a number of technical education sessions presented by experts in the field of plumbing engineering in addition to the one-on-one face time with manufacturers at the product show. Room rates at the Buena Vista Palace already have been negotiated, so put the ASPE Technical Symposium on your calendar today.

Alternative Energy and Electrical Safety Standards Symposium slated for December

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and its affiliate The Fire Protection Research Foundation (the Foundation) will host a 1-day Alternative Energy Technologies and Electrical Safety Standards Symposium (Symposium) December 6, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Symposium comes at a significant turning point as more businesses and consumers are turning to alternative energy sources and technologies. Developments in the field are proliferating at an ever increasing rate, and new questions about safety and reliability continue to be raised.

“The landscape for electric and alternative technologies is rapidly changing,” said Kathleen Almand, executive director of the Foundation. “New technology brings new safety issues to consider, so it’s important to continue to learn and develop appropriate safety procedures. The Symposium will provide an opportunity for attendees to get familiar with these technologies and get a glimpse of what lies ahead.”

Professionals in electric, alternative energy and safety industries will gain expert knowledge on these issues in a forum led by industry leaders. They will discuss safety aspects of alternative energy technologies and how they relate to the National Electrical Code® and related standards. Electrical safety standards pertaining to electric vehicles will also be discussed.

Visit NFPA’s website at www.nfpa.org/AEsymposium for more information or to register online, or call 1 800-344-3555, Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm (EST).

Sustainability consultant spots latest green building trend: zero-net-energy buildings

Tucson, Ariz. — Yudelson Associates said today it was offering a new seminar for building owners, as well as design, construction and facility professionals, on the evolution and design of sustainable buildings and homes that are known as Zero Net Energy or “ZONE.” “We’ve been tracking the development of this exciting new activity in the green building space,” said Yudelson, a leading international sustainability consultant and green building authority, “It has grown dramatically as sustainability concerns continue to mount.” A Zero-Net-Energy building is one that produces as much energy as it consumes on an annual basis, typically using solar or wind resources.

Yudelson presented the definitive exploration of the business case for zero net energy (ZONE) sustainable buildings in a green building White Paper in March of 2011 and has since tracked the evolution of these buildings in the U.S. and other countries.

In August 2011, Yudelson delivered the first of a planned series of seminars on Zero Net Energy Buildings and Homes, for an audience of architects, engineers, builders and developers in Phoenix, AZ. “What we have learned from the first few significant efforts,” said Yudelson, “is that the key to Zero Net Energy projects is to reduce energy demand with an entire suite of sustainability planning measures, before we add the renewable energy component.”

In 2007, Congress created a Zero Net Energy Commercial Buildings Initiative with a market transition goal of Zero Net Energy for all new commercial buildings by 2030. In Golden, CO, the National Renewable Energy’s Research Support Facility, now in operation, plans to demonstrate how to achieve that level of performance in 2011.

Yudelson believes that 2011 and 2012 will see an explosion of major new projects aiming at net zero energy and cites the Bullitt Foundation’s Cascadia Center commercial office building in Seattle, which just began construction as an example of the solid business case for such developments. “The Bullitt Foundation aims to fill this building with commercial tenants paying commercial rents and to still realize a positive return on investment,” he said, “something we would not have seen or imagined only a year or two ago.”