In an ideal world, passive design systems would be enough to heat, cool and ventilate whole cities. But we don’t live in a perfect world, which means there will be times when passive energy systems won’t be enough.
In those moments, you’ll need mechanical Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems to help keep building occupants comfortable. The problem today is that HVAC systems are usually designed by mechanical engineers and typically account for 30% or more of a building’s total energy use.
To achieve net zero energy buildings, you’ll need an effective HVAC strategy. So, without further ado, here are three simple rules to keep in mind when designing for mechanical HVAC systems:
1. Don’t oversize the system
2. Choose efficient components
3. Design passive and mechanical systems to work together
More information from the Autodesk Sustainability Workshop
Efficient HVAC Design
http://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/strategy/efficient-hvac-design
Thank you Shaan. This is a great article. It is very good to see that AutoDESK technology meets environment. Actually the real life (I mean the AutoCAD users, and the design world) meets the AutoCAD with you and your blog. I am very glad to know you.
Hey! Arkadaş!
It is great to hear from you. I have been thinking of our trip in Turkey frequently. I really want to visit again. The people, place, and food were out of this world amazing.
Please tell your brother hello for me.
Shaan
Excuse me. I am a mechanical engineer. I do not see how the problem with HVAC design is that it is done by ME’s. For twenty years i have been saying that, in spite of the great things computers do, there is a dark side. This statement epitomizes that.
Labor costs have always been a boogie man to big business. The advent of computers, and in particular the GUI, has carried an implied promise that business and industry could move to a paradigm where computers will replace the need for an educated and skilled workforce. With minimal training, and a copy of Excel, you could turn a typical young slacker into an instant accountant. AutoCAD? Poof! Instant engineer.
Computers are getting better, though not as fast as the proponents of forced obsolescence would have us believe. They can think on growing orders of magnitude faster than us. I do not see a day when they will ever think [b][i]better[/i][/b] than us.
I am, and will remain, smarter than this machine I am banging on, and an army of instant engineers.
Instant engineers is definitely not the posts intent it is just highlighting ways to better design HVAC for lower energy use.
Just because someone uses a CAD or BIM application it does not make them anything other than a user of that software. They do require experience and training in their specific field of design. I have always advocated training and school for architects, designers , and engineers.
Shaan
Thanks Shaan, I knew it was one of those unintended mis-speaks, but it got my blood up on something I have seen for a long time to be a very real problem.