Mark Kranz, AIA, LEED AP, has joined the SmithGroupJJR board of directors. Kranz is a design principal at SmithGroupJJR’s Phoenix office. A member of the science and technology practice, Kranz was project designer for the $135 million Energy Systems Integration Facility at the National Renewable Energy Lab, which earned LEED Platinum. Kranz is designer for the new Mechanical Engineering Building at the University of Texas at Dallas and the new County of San Diego Crime Laboratory.
Christopher G. Kirchner, PE, LEED AP, ASHRAE HBDP, BEMP, has joined Vanderweil Engineers as a mechanical team leader and project manager. Kirchner has 23 years of experience in the design of high-performance mechanical systems for a wide variety of government, commercial, institutional, health care, laboratory and industrial projects.
Higher education institutions spend almost $14 billion annually on energy, and those costs are expected to climb. Coupled with constrained budgets and new regulations requiring schools to improve efficiency, energy management within the higher education market has proved to be a conundrum.
The quality of the air we breathe — both indoors and outdoors — is vital to our overall health. Indoor air pollutants in particular can have a major impact on occupant health if not properly controlled.
BOSTON — Boston Properties, a real-estate investment firm, hired New York-headquartered UGE International Ltd. (UGE) to design and supply a rooftop renewable energy system at its new headquarters in Boston. Upon completion, the new UGE headquarters will become city’s most sustainable office building.
Currently under construction, the 17-story, 425,000-square-foot building at 888 Boylston St. will use 45 percent less energy than an average office building of a similar size.
CHICAGO — Adding to their comprehensive energy services, Chicago-based real-estate consultant, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), signed a letter of intent to acquire Washington-based CoR Advisors, a business that specializes in smart building consulting and solutions.
CoR Advisors, founded in 2009, works to transform buildings into energy-efficient, high-performance facilities. The company, a network of thousands of subscribers and followers, is considered a leader in energy efficiency due to its strategic approach to educating, consulting and solutions.
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently honored 21 organizations for their design, manufacturing, promotion and use of products that improve health and environmental safety.
WattStopper introduced its BZ-200 and BZ-250 lighting and plug load power packs that come with features for increased performance, reliability and functionality. The new power packs are installation-friendly and include a unique load on/off button that allows contractors to activate lighting or plug load immediately following installation. The BZ-200 series power packs are ideal for control of lighting, plug loads and motor loads in spaces that benefit from occupancy-based control, including commercial offices, classrooms and conference rooms.
Johnson Controls introduces TempMaster, a new light commercial HVAC product line delivering efficiency and reliability for easy specification. Manufactured in North America, TempMaster includes a variety of tonnages, fuel sources and configurations, and meets industry standards for efficiency and performance. TempMaster products are rigorously tested and rated in accordance with AHRI Standard 210/240 and 340/360 and meet relevant ASHRAE 90.1, ENERGY STAR and EPACT 2005 standards.
