IECC

David Altenhofen, AIA • Co-Chair + Founding Member, Building Enclosure Council–National • East Coast Director, The Facade Group
Dennis Knight, PE • Founder + CEO, Whole Building Systems
Trish Jerman • Deputy Director, Programs, SC Energy Office
Elizabeth Kress • Principal Engineer, Renewable Energy, Santee Cooper

Continuing Education
AIA: 7 LU/HSW/SD
SC Building Council: 6 HRS
Certificates by request

Cost
$125/ person through Oct 10 ($150 thereafter)
Lunch + refreshments included

Download the Presentations:

David Alftenhofen

Dennis Knight

Trish Jerman

Elizabeth Kress

---

Buildings waste energy! But achieving substantial energy savings has proven to be problematic, especially in regard to the building enclosure. It remains the largest determinate of energy consumption. Our featured speaker, David Altenhofen will describe—as he does in practice—how scientific analysis and rigorous quality programs can deliver enclosures with better insulation, airtightness, water-resistance, and durability—including solutions for our warm, humid climate. Of note to our members, Mr. Altenhofen was instrumental in forming the national AIA/NIBS Building Enclosure Council initiative, a network of local multi-disciplinary groups across the country to promote knowledge and discussion regarding the science and art of constructing building skins. He continues that effort as the Co-Chair of the National BEC Committee. To start the day, Dennis Knight, Trish Jerman, and Elizabeth Kress will give brief presentations on energy conservation in terms of the International Energy Conservation Code, South Carolina government programs, and utility initiatives to encourage higher performance buildings,

 

HIGH PERFORMANCE BUILDING ENCLOSURES: CONNECTING DESIGN, BUILDING SCIENCE, AND VALIDATED DELIVERY FOR OPTIMAL ENERGY SAVINGS AND DURABILITY

David Altenhofen, AIA • National BEC Committee • The Facade Group

Summary

Heightened energy savings is the driving trend in the building design and construction industry. Owners, regulators, and society expect design professionals and builders to deliver buildings that consume the least energy possible—or even generate more than they consume. The building enclosure is[ the largest determinate of building energy consumption, and it therefore drives the total building performance. Meeting substantial energy savings criteria has proven to be problematic. Adding large amounts of insulation to an assembly greatly alters its wetting and drying potential. So even time proven materials may now fail in what appears to be a normal application. Some very intriguing and visually appealing solutions have proven to not perform. Meanwhile, manufacturers constantly introduce new materials—sometimes with exaggerated claims. Litigation and numerous failures have lead to increasing pressure to construct buildings that meet or exceed the performance expected from the owner and design team. This workshop will teach owners, design professionals, and builders how to use advanced quality assurance and control tools. The process requires following a rigorous procedure to establish performance criteria, developing a design to address those criteria based on scientific analysis, producing documents to communicate the desired design, and finally testing to validate the performance of the building enclosure.

Learning Objectives

Set goals, determine quantifiable performance criteria for the building enclosure, and use an Owner’s Performance Criteria document to focus the design and construction process.
Understand the impact of ever increasing energy reduction codes, regulations, and societal pressures on the building enclosure and examine how these demands for energy savings can affect the performance of enclosure materials, systems and assemblies.
Apply scientific analysis methods to the building enclosure to more accurately predict real-world performance and understand why design according to old rules-of-thumb are no longer adequate.
Incorporate sophisticated quality assurance and quality control requirements into the design and construction process, including statistically significant sampling, mock-ups, testing, and checklists.

Biography

David Altenhofen, AIA is the East Coast Director for The Facade Group LLC, a consulting firm specializing in assisting owners, architects and builders in the delivery of durable and highly performing building enclosures. Prior to joining TFC, he was Technical Design Principal for a 1,000–person international architecture firm. His primary responsibilities include technical support to the various design principals and project teams along with oversight and quality assurance for all aspects of architectural practice including the design, detailing, and administration of the construction for projects totaling over a billion dollars each year. Mr. Altenhofen is active in the architectural community at several levels, focusing primarily on reinforcing the architect’s role in building science and tectonic integrated design. Mr. Altenhofen helped form the national AIA/NIBS Building Enclosure Council initiative, a local multi-disciplinary groups across the country to promote knowledge and discussion regarding the science and art of constructing building skins, and he continues on as the Chair of the National BEC Committee. Mr. Altenhofen was also a member of the National AIA Advisory Board for the 11th Edition of Architectural Graphic Standards and was Subject Editor for the chapter on superstructure and enclosure. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Building Energy and Thermal Envelope Council of the National Institute of Building Science. Mr. Altenhofen is widely published and lectures frequently at local, national and international events.

 

SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE

Dennis Knight, PE, LEED AP • Whole Building Systems

Summary

Building codes set minimum standards for construction quality and performance. People trust their elected representatives and government regulators to act in the public’s interest to insure our buildings are constructed with the utmost standards of safety, durability, and efficiency—within economic reason. However, code development and implementation are processes fraught with controversy, because they challenge developers, designers, and builders to change the way things are done. It’s usually all about the money. So, unsurprisingly, the normal cycle of code updates in South Carolina has stalled for the past several years, even when performance requirements of the newer International Energy Conservation Codes (IECC) could save people money.

Learning Objectives

Understand current requirements of the South Carolina energy codes.
Examine how the new energy codes will affect our existing and future building stock.

Biography

M. Dennis Knight, PE is the founder and CEO of Whole Buddings Systems, LLC, an energy efficiency and engineering consulting firm that seeks to create safe, comfortable buildings that are economically and environmentally efficient. Prior to founding WBS in 2011, Mr. Knight was a Principal and Director of Practice Management for Liollio Architecture in Charleston. He has thirty-seven years of providing engineering, design, and construction services in the building industry. Mr. Knight’s expertise lies in his ability to understand and manage complex design and construction projects from inception to completion. His in-depth knowledge of whole building design is reflected in his current service to numerous national, state and local entities. He currently serves as the National Vice Chairman of Research Promotion for ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers) and is also Chairman of ASRHAE’s Handbook Subcommittee, developing chapters for “Integrated Building Design”. For the past six year Mr Knight has participated on ASHRAE’s Steering Committee for BIM (Building Integration Modeling). Mr. Knight holds a Bachelors of Physics from the College of Charleston. He has received numerous honors, including the City of Charleston Stewardship Award and recognition as an ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer. He has contributed to many publications, including the National Institute of Building Science, Whole Building Design Guide, HVAC (www.wbdg.org); the ASHRAE Journal; and the City of Charleston Sustainability Plan.

 

SOUTH CAROLINA ENERGY CONSERVATION PROGRAMS

Trish Jerman • SC Energy Office

Summary

The South Carolina Energy Office recognizes that it is in the interest of our citizens, businesses, and institutions to reduce in energy usage in our buildings and that particular strategies are needed to be effective in our warm, humid climate. Ms. Jerman will highlight state programs to fund improvements to building envelopes, provide case studies of projects utilizing renewable energies, discuss the process of building re-commissioning to save money, and underscore the role behavior modification plays in energy conservation.

Learning Objectives

Identify key aspects of in South Carolina’s effort to reduce energy usage in buildings.
Understand where South Carolina stands on a state and national scale related to energy performance.

Biography

Trish Jerman is the Deputy Director of Programs with the South Carolina Energy Office, a part of the SC Budget and Control Board. The SC Energy Office provides a broad range of resources designed to help citizens, businesses, and public entities save energy—and money through greater efficiency, better information and enhanced environmental quality. Programs include technical assistance and audits; workshops; financial assistance; free public awareness and informational materials; and project grants, loans and rebates. Ms. Jerman is active in conservation efforts, such as the US Green Building Council (USGBC). Her past experience includes Board Member, SC Chapter, USGBC; Manager, SC Sustainable Universities Initiative; Executive Director, SC Wildlife Federation; Senior Scientist, Ebasco Environmental; and Director, Division of Natural Resources/Energy & Environment, Office of the Governor, SC. She received her education at Bucknell University and the University of South Carolina.

 

SANTEE COOPER RENEWABLE ENERGY INITIATIVES

Summary

Santee Cooper is South Carolina’s largest power producer. Based on generation, Santee Cooper is the nation’s second largest publicly owned electric utility among state, municipal and district systems, and the third largest based on megawatt hour sales to ultimate customers. Santee Cooper began South Carolina’s first Green Power program in 2001. It is actively engaged in the study and development of renewable electric generation in South Carolina. Technologies include landfill gas-to-energy, biomass, solar photovoltaics, offshore wind, hydro, and geothermal. Ms. Kress will provide an overview of South Carolina’s resource potential along with a detailed look at the projects that are complete and in progress by Santee Cooper.

 

Learning Objectives

Understand South Carolina’s renewable energy resource potential.
Examine pitfalls and benefits of various types of renewable energy.

 

Biography

Ms. Elizabeth Kress is a Principal Engineer with the Santee Cooper, working in the Conservation and Renewable Energy Group, where she is a developer of renewable energy projects including biomass (landfill gas, anaerobic digestion, woody biomass combustion), solar, and offshore wind. Notable completed projects include the Burrows Hall Renewable Energy Facility Animal Waste to Energy Project. It features an Insulated Mesophilic Lagoon Cover Anaerobic Digester for 9,600 finisher hog farm in Kingstree, SC. The farm was once a vacation home for the Pulitzer Family. The facility mitigates 5,000 tons of carbon dioxide every year and generates 180 kwh of electricity—enough to power 90 average SC homes. Ms. Kress received a BS in Metallurgy and Materials Engineering from Lehigh University and an MBA from the University of South Carolina. Originally from Hagerstown, Maryland, she counts herself as only a “darned Yankee” since Maryland is below the Mason-Dixon line and her family always drank sweet ice tea.

 

Sponsors