Library Energy Conservation Benchmarks

This book analyzes the trends and technologies of green and energy efficient building, identifying strategies for implementing energy savings and enabling the use of renewable resources in residential, commercial, healthcare and educational building sectors. The authors focus on best practices in temperate climates, providing in-depth coverage of urban heat island, climate change and fuel poverty mitigation through architectural optimization, leveraging renewable energy sources and utilization of cutting-edge cooling materials. Pragmatic emphasis is placed on improving the energy performance of existing building stock to meet short and long term objectives of climate and energy conservation strategies. Engineers, architects, designers, students, policy makers and efficiency professionals will all gain valuable insights and ideas from this practical handbook to greening the built environment.

The handbook is intended as a guide for librarians, building managers, and others concerned with reducing energy use and peak electric power demand in public library buildings. It provides a technical overview of each topic, basic terms and definitions of energy and power use, and is a primer for the reader without technical background in the field. It provides strategies, which range from simple to complex and inexpensive to costly, for both new construction and renovation of existing facilities. The manual provides a checklist of the most cost effective energy management approaches for new construction. Subsequent sections provide a summary of the most effective strategies to improve the energy performance of the building for lighting, HVAC, the building envelope, hot water systems, and electrical systems.