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GREEN DESIGN
Green design is becoming more common due to the rising costs
of energy production, and concerns about greenhouse gas emissions / global
warming. Many public construction projects receive large economic incentives to
incorporate green design technology into their designs. It just makes sense that
we will see more green system design in the future.
| Rooftop Gardens: In addition to beautification,
rooftop gardens can provide excellent insulation properties to a
building for energy conservation. We like them because they add mass and
damping to otherwise lightweight roof structures thereby cutting down
sound transmission and rain noise. |
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Geothermal: This technology has been around since
the time of the Roman Empire. It is only recently gaining approval by
EPA, etc. as an efficient means of heat transfer. Eliminating
air-exchange heating/cooling equipment can significantly reduce noise
emissions from a project. However, the additional need for compressors
and pumps are concerns when designing mechanical systems to support
geothermal loops. Make sure your project doesn't get any
"surprise" noise / vibration issues when the system is sold to
you based on how quiet it is. Let us review the system components and
their proximity to noise-sensitive occupied spaces of your project. |
| Heat Recovery: Heat recovery systems
are used to reclaim heated or cooled air that is exhausted from a
building as part of fresh air requirements. For simplification, this can
be thought of as a heat pump running in reverse. Heat recovery systems
add noise-producing equipment to a mechanical system design. Concerns
regarding noise within a building, and emissions outside the building
should be reviewed to eliminate interior noise problems, and/or exterior
noise problems or code violation issues.
Economizers: Many ventilation systems are incorporating
economizer components to eliminate the need for air-conditioned cooling.
This is typically used during Fall and Spring months when outdoor air
temperatures are sufficiently low enough to meet the cooling demands of
a building and its occupants. This basically means large fans are
included in the ventilation system design. While shutting down
air-conditioning equipment can reduce noise, increased demands on
ventilation fans can result in significantly higher interior and
exterior noise levels. Let us review the system design and assist in
noise control as needed. |
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