Photovoltaic (PV) modules are among the most iconic of all building components. They make a visual statement of environmental consciousness and can substantially offset a building's use of finite resources, all while saving money on monthly utility bills. You may have seen PV systems appearing on roofs in your neighborhood or heard about how much PV prices have dropped. Is it time to consider PV for your own home or business? What's happening with solar technology and is now the right time to invest in PV?

Creating energy efficient high performance buildings is a symphonic process. This Emmy and Telly award winning movie explores the integrated design strategy used to plan, build and commission Santa Barbara's strikingly innovative Casa Nueva new office project.

Chilled beams are among the recent energy-saving innovations making their way to the U.S. market. Chilled beam technology, which involves locating a low-temperature radiator at ceiling level to cool the rising warm air, has been utilized in Europe and Australia for more than a decade. Once cooled, the air slowly descends into the occupied zone, providing adequate cooling with minimal air movement and fan power, while providing an unobstructed radiant heat sink above the occupied zone.

Historically, multifamily residential housing developments had few incentives or disincentives to incorporate high efficiency design features and appliances into their projects.

Interest is growing throughout California and the United States in new homes designed to provide comfortable living environments with lower energy consumption and operating costs.

Incorporating thermal mass into the design of a building is a completely passive way of reducing annual heating and cooling energy use and shifting the summer peak demand to later in the day. In architectural terms, thermal mass refers to the incorporation of solid or liquid materials into the building design to absorb heat or cold and then release it later to moderate building temperature swings.

We simply must do everything in our power to slow down global warming before it's too late," said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in September 2006, when he signed Assembly Bill 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. This landmark legislation, also known as the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, requires the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to develop regulations and market mechanisms that will reduce California's greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.

Demand response (DR) refers to a mechanism that encourages customers to reduce or shift their electric power usages under certain conditions to help utilities to overcome temporary constraints in the electricity supply.

Using the integrated energy design approach, designers can cost-effectively lower building operating costs while improving workers' comfort and boosting productivity.

Traditionally, skylight wells in large, low-rise commercial buildings have been custom designed and site built, an expensive and labor-intensive process. This design brief explores the benefits of a better alternative: splayed modular skylight wells specifically designed for use with suspended ceilings.

By properly designing the exhaust ventilation system for a new commercial restaurant, significant operational savings, energy efficiency, and environmental improvements can be achieved.

Tight design timelines can compromise the design team's ability to consider factors like life cycle cost, distribution efficiency,access, maintainability, and system integration.

By understanding climatic conditions that are specific to a project's location, design teams are able to develop climate responsive building designs. The result is a building that utilizes less energy and provides a high quality and comfortable environment for the occupants.

The Pharmaceutical Research Institute in La Jolla, California, is a 123,000-square-foot laboratory and office building completed in 1999. Among the energy efficiency measures included in the building are systems for limiting energy waste associated with its 92 fume hoods and its air handling, space conditioning, and lighting systems.

Not all energy-efficiency measures are appropriate for all building types, but some are especially useful for particular buildings. This Design Brief reminds designers and builders of opportunities they should consider in each of their projects.