The City of Austin has been in the planning stage for several years to implement energy audit requirements for commercial buildings.  The basic criterion is:

a.            The owner of a commercial facility that is at least ten years old on June 1, 2009 must calculate an energy use rating for the facility not later than June 1, 2011, using an audit or rating system approved by the director.

b.            The owner of a commercial facility not required to calculate an energy use rating for the facility under subsection (a) must calculate an energy use rating for the facility not later than 10 years after construction of the facility is complete, using an audit or rating system approved by the director.

View the complete ordinance at http://www.cityofaustin.org/edims/document.cfm?id=123737

Air conditioning water chillers have been using the same basic centrifugal compressor since 1923 (about 86 years).  A new compressor design in 1999 has been developed that provides several major technology advances.

The second major improvement is that the compressor and completely sealed refrigeration system operates without oil as a result of “no metal to metal friction.”  Oil film reduces heat transfer, as has always occurred with conventional compressor systems.  Thus energy performance is greatly improved by the elimination of oil throughout the refrigerant system and the elimination of metal to metal drag. 

These major design improvements offer you the highest in performance efficiencies providing paybacks that make investing in upgrading of your central plants a strong cash flow/payback investment.  Call us to visit an Austin location to see and hear one of these new chillers. We can retrofit an existing chiller or install a new chiller with oil-less compressors

Technological changes require increasingly higher educated skilled workers in all phases of the building construction industry.

You want your building to operate at its optimum for energy, indoor air quality and comfort and you need someone that is knowledgeable, independent and un-biased, plus certified to do the work.

The International Training Institute for the Sheet Metal Industry is a non-profit organization sponsored by SMACNA and SMWIA.  ITI directs a national certification program for technicians engaged in testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB) building environmental systems. SMWIA spends $30 million dollars a year on training its rank and file members to be the most effective and efficient in the industry.

A set of standards have been developed by which ITI certifies TAB technicians. These Standards set forth the qualifications for certification eligibility and specify the areas of knowledge, skills and ability required of an ITI Certified TAB technician. http://tabbcertified.org/certifications/tech_tab.html

Certification is a statement that the ITI Certified TAB Technician is a competent, reliable and qualified professional who is able to perform, without on-the-job supervision, testing, adjusting and balancing of air and hydronic building environmental systems to ensure the design objectives.

TABB (Testing, Adjusting & Balancing Bureau) Certification of a contractor is TABB's statement that the contractor has all the necessary resources, competence and integrity in testing, adjusting and balancing building environmental systems, to produce the design objectives and optimum system performance. http://tabbcertified.org/certifications/contractors.html

Established in 1971, the National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB - http://www.nebb.org/whatisnebb.php ) is the international certification association for firms (over 600 certified firms around the world) that deliver high performance building systems.

NEBB members perform testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB) of heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems, commission and retro-commission building systems commissioning, execute sound and vibration testing, and test and certify laboratory fume hoods and electronic and biological clean rooms.

Building owners, engineers and contractors seeking ways to cut costs through the proper design, installation and optimize performance of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems, benefit from working with NEBB certified professionals, who are required to complete extensive training and testing programs in order to attain certification status.

SMACNA is an independent non-profit organization devoted to the sheet metal industry. (http://www.smacna.org )

The voluntary technical standards and manuals developed by SMACNA Contractors have found worldwide acceptance by the construction community, as well as foreign government agencies.

ANSI, the American National Standards Institute, has accredited SMACNA as a standards-setting organization.

SMACNA standards and manuals address all facets of the sheet metal industry, from duct construction and installation to air pollution control, from energy recovery to roofing.

SMACNA members perform work in industrial, commercial, institutional and residential markets. They specialize in heating, ventilating and air conditioning; industrial sheet metal; kitchen equipment; specialty stainless steel work; manufacturing; testing and balancing; service; and energy management and maintenance.

When ductwork is designed, built and installed to SMACNA standards, the building owner knows they have a quality installation that meets the latest standards and delivers the conditioned air to the space efficiently and effectively.

BOMA Austin’s current goal (http://www.bomaaustin.org ) is to significantly reduce commercial and industrial building’ dependence on non-renewable energy and to embrace environmentally responsible management practices.

To reach that goal, BOMA Austin endorses the BOMA International Environmental Task Force recommendation to create an energy conservation business plan that focuses on a strategy to transform the construction industry to reduce building’ greenhouse emissions and dependence on fossil fuel-based, non-renewable sources of energy through voluntary measures.

BOMA Austin encourages its members to implement programs to provide an energy usage benchmark for the 35 million square feet of commercial office and industrial spaces managed by the membership and then pursue conservation efficiencies to reduce greenhouse gases.

YPS, years before the current energy situation, had the foresight to recognize the potential need for a local central Texas company to possess the skills and resources needed to address today’s energy issues.

The primary goal of theAustin Association of Facility and Maintenance Engineers otherwise known as AAFAME(pronounced A-fame) is to promote professionalism for maintenance engineers.

AAFAME is a non-profit and volunteer based organization with over 345 individuals representing over 175 companies in the Austin and surrounding area. Members include chief, lead, intermediate and entry level engineers including industry related vendors to help service their building needs.

AAFAME programs assist facilities, maintenance or building engineers to become better qualified and more valuable to their employers by providing educational programs critical to the proper maintenance and operation of modern buildings. Not only is it necessary to keep the equipment functioning properly, it is important to operate them at the highest efficiency possible due to the rising cost of utilities, the need to conserve natural resources, and the requirement to reduce environmental contamination.

AAFAME originally started in 1985 as the Austin Engineers Association (AEA) and then in the early 1990's as the Austin Chapter of the Texas Association of Chief Operating Engineers or better known as TACOE. In November 1995, the group became the Austin Association of Facility and Maintenance Engineers or better simply known as AAFAME

 CLEAN

Supporting community efforts to remove litter from our neighborhoods, streets, schools, parks and public spaces.

17,632 volunteers contributed 37,906 hours of service and removed 219,637 pounds of trash and debris from Austin’s public spaces.

 BEAUTIFY

KAB supported 119 projects that included 6,031 volunteers who contributed 16,591 hours of service to beautify and restore Austin’s public spaces.

 EDUCATE

Promoting environmental stewardship through presentations, hands-on activities, service-learning projects, and awareness campaigns.

KAB partnered with 28 K-12 schools to lead 316 presentations, activities and service projects educating 5,738 students.