The Building Science Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Dirty Socks & Your HVAC Coil May 04, 2018

Show notes

The original episode was meant to feature both Graeme Marsh, who we heard on the last episode, as well as Greg Long. None of us could have prepared for the fact that in the middle of the episode, Greg's ceiling had water pouring out of it. It was unexpected, to say the least!

Fortunately for us, we got to catch up with Greg for a more in depth discussion. So what do dirty socks have to do with the lungs of our homes and buildings? Listen to this episode to learn more about smelly biofilms, probiotic cleaners and the tip of the thermodynamic spear - the all-powerful, but often-ignored HVAC coil.

The heat exchanger coil in our HVAC system is where the magic of heat transfer happens - this is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to "conditioning" air. If the word "coil" is not connecting to a mental image, you can think of the radiator in your car. Just as in a car, when it's working you don't give your radiator much thought - we often ignore our HVAC coils, and at our peril. All of the indoor air we heat and cool flows through our HVAC coil. Unfortunately sometimes our magic, all-powerful coils are coated with a smelly, gelatinous, living glop in the form of an unwanted biofilm.

Listen to this episode to learn more about the under-reported reality of biofilms in HVAC equipment and what to do about them to keep your coil and conditioned air clean and odor-free.

Earl Gregory (Greg) Long, CIEC, ASCS

Mr. Long is president of IAQ Consulting Services Inc. in Belton, TX (not far from the Positive Energy and Building Science Podcast headquarters). IAQ Consulting Services Inc, is a consulting firm that offers estimating, project management, specification writing, investigations services and project oversight specializing in HVAC system restoration and cleaning, coil cleaning, structure restoration and dehumidification, and content restoration, with focus on restorative processes over replacement when applicable.

Areas of additional experience include rust eradication and prevention within HVAC systems, fiberglass insulation removal and replacement with closed cell insulation within HVAC systems,drain pan restoration, water and air leakage and odor control. It is Mr. Long’s belief that there is apractical and logical solution for most building related projects and indoor air issues and it has always been his goal to find the most reasonable solution for the situation at hand.

Among his credentials are:

Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant (CIEC) by American Council for Accredited Certification

Certified Mold Remediator (CMR) by American Council for Accredited Certification

Air System Cleaning Specialist (ASCS) by National Air Duct Cleaners Association

Certified IAQ Technician (CIAQT) by Texas Tech University

Certified Mold Investigator Professional (CMIP) by Texas Tech University

Certified De-flooding Specialist by Cleaning De-flooding Restoration Network Trained and practiced in Commercial Kitchen exhaust system cleaning

It gets better. This guy's everywhere!

Board of Directors of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) – 6 years

President of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) – 2 terms

Standards writing committee, National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) – past 23 years

Inducted into the first class of the Hall of Fame for the National Air Duct Cleaners Association

Chairman, Indoor Air Quality Advisory Council, Texas Tech University – 2 years

Standards writing committee Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) – 1 year

Board of Directors of the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) – 6 years in past Board of Directors of the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) – currently

Board Officer of the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) – 2 years

Chairman of the finance committee of the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) – past 5 years

We're impressed by the list.

Architectural Yogurt Apr 20, 2018

Show notes

Put on your microbiology hats, folks. This episode of The Building Science podcast will dive into the great unseen world of microorganisms all around us inside our buildings down to the level of the ecosystems that grow on our HVAC coils. We're truly at a time when the health sciences and the building sciences are becoming more closely related than ever before and the future is a weird, wonderful world of intersectional and interdisciplinary scientific inquiry. Join us as Kristof interviews, Graeme Marsh about the weirdness of biofilms that you can't even see right before your very eyes.

Graeme Marsh is the Managing Director of Z Bioscience and has somewhat of a polymathic career path. He spent 20 years working for global investment banks in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and the UK, going on to found Future Business Concepts, Inc. in 1998; helping companies with Business Development, Product and Sales Strategy, Financing and Re-Structuring.
The initial focus was on the Internet. His firm was involved in the creation of the JV between Melbourne IT and NeuStar that successfully established the .biz generic Top Level Domain. More recently Graeme assisted a client in the million dollar plus sale of its IP / Patent portfolio, and is currently assisting with a "Next Generation" data encryption firm, and a new Project Management system provider that goes beyond the Agile approach.
He has also worked with firms in the Oil & Gas sector, focusing on environmental projects including air and water remediation, as well as New Materials, especially in the concrete space, Manufacturing Technologies, and Corrosion Prevention.
His firm expanded its work with clients that focus on Environmental related areas, including companies that have a range of revolutionary Certified Green cleaning products (many of which are also Organic) that are having a profound impact on the bottom line in multiple industries, including HVAC applications (improved system energy performance and IAQ), Agriculture (Poultry, Hogs & Dairy), and All Purpose Cleaning (Assisted Living, Schools, Healthcare, General Janitorial and Retail).
From 2002 to 2006 Graeme was on the Board of The Japan Pragmatist Fund, a Japanese hedge fund specializing in small to medium capitalized companies. It closed in Dec 2006 and all investors received their initial capital back plus above market returns. Graeme is also serving on the Board of number of other ventures.

Z BioScience

Email Graeme

Special thanks to The Humid Climate Conference for their generous and continued support for the show. If you haven't got tickets for this May's conference, they're nearly sold out!

Our Homes, Our Health Apr 06, 2018

Show notes

It's normal these days to pay attention to what we eat. But what about the steady diet of air we breathe and soak ourselves in? The impact of homes on health somehow manages to stay below the radar. Even our language is a bit evasive. Why do we say "sick building syndrome"? The buildings aren't sick, the people are.

This episode is a step toward helping this important topic get some long-overdue and much-needed attention. Join us for an interview with Bill Hayward and Carl Grimes that took place at the 2018 IAQA Conference in Chicago, IL. as we discuss the Hayward Healthy Home Score. We hope you enjoy, take the quiz yourself, and share with your friends and families.

Learn More About The Hayward Scorewith this great, informative video.

Bill Hayward

Bill is the founder of Hayward Score as well as the CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer of Hayward, a 95-year-old California lumber and building material supplier. Since 2008, when he, his wife, and their newborn daughter became sick in their “dream home,” Bill has been focused on combining building science and medical science into a compelling strategy to transform home construction so that homes will no longer degrade human health.

In addition to his work on Hayward Score, he has also recently assumed the role of Chief Innovations Officer of H3, a subsidiary focused on cutting-edge products that transform the indoor environment.

LMB Journal, the leading magazine for the lumber/building material distribution channel, named him Entrepreneur of the Year (2015). In addition, he was named “20 Most Influential Leaders in the Industry” and Hayward was named “Dealer of the Year” for their work in driving sustainability in the industry. On the non-profit side, Bill is currently Chairman Emeritus of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and previously served as Chairman for the 5 years. He received his BS from UCLA and graduated from the Stanford Executive Program.

Carl Grimes

Carl joined the Hayward Score team in 2013 and brings more than 30 years of professional expertise to identifying and addressing the most critical issues to transform homes to healthy environments that fit individual needs. In addition, he has personally experienced living in unhealthy homes and has a deep understanding of the uncertainty, exhaustion, and skepticism inherent in the struggle that many face – that his home was not a safe and secure “castle,” but was instead contributing to his declining health and sense of well‐being.

He is nationally recognized as a professionally accredited Healthy Home Specialist (HHS) and a Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant (CIEC).

Since 1987, he has worked nationally as a private consultant guiding people who suffer from unhealthy houses. He has developed action plans and verification methods designed to eliminate health issues in homes. He was elected to the Board of Directors of the national Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) in 2002, and recently served as their President. Carl is now the Vice President of Practice for the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate. Carl has served on, created, and chaired a variety of committees writing industry consensus standards. He has collaborated with leading experts and researchers, analyzing the best approaches for restoring the indoor environment. He has chaired a committee that developed the course, Healthy Home Assessment: Principles and Practice, which is the follow‐on to the Essential Healthy Home Practitioner course by the National Center for Healthy Housing (www.nchh.org). He is also the author of “Starting Points for a Healthy Habitat,” based on his and his client’s experiences of living in unhealthy homes and speaks both nationally and internationally on topics related to indoor air quality.

More Info

See this powerful video about Bill’s wife’s own story and journey of discovering the impact of indoor air quality on her life and the life of her family.

Check out the Breezometer app for outdoor air quality monitoring. Fun fact, the Foobot outdoor air reference is fueled by the Breezometer data feed.

Also be sure to check out Jessica Green’s fascinating Ted Talk on the Indoor Microbiome. She talks about the simple (or complex) fact that our bodies and homes are covered in microbes -- some good for us, some bad for us. As we learn more about the germs and microbes who share our living spaces, TED Fellow Jessica Green asks: Can we design buildings that encourage happy, healthy microbial environments?

For an expanded discussion, check out the Ted Blog.

Respect The Trade, Build The Craft Mar 23, 2018

Show notes

What do you really know about construction trades and their role in projects? Are their voices heard in the design process? Join us as Miguel interviews Kimberly Lewellyn live from the annual ASHRAE Conference and AHR Expo in Chicago for a wide ranging discussion on re-framing our perceptions of construction trades.

For decades, the housing industry in the United States has become increasingly first cost oriented while energy codes simultaneously become more demanding. The implications of this dynamic have played out across design organizations and construction firms, but nowhere has it been felt more poignantly than by sub-contracted trade crews. Often these laborers are considered low-skill, interchangeable, and are thus exploited. And due to this unnecessarily assigned status, they are rarely involved in early design conversations to contribute their wealth of knowledge of construction realities.

This dynamic can change with willing participants, but it takes more than just thought-experiments. We have to put into action new ways of thinking about contractural relationships, economic value, and design processes and collaboration. That's what this episode is all about. We'll explore a few simple ways to change the conversation and hopefully our minds about how trades are involved in our project teams.

Kimberly Llewellyn was a Building Science consultant for the Positive Energy team for many years and is now both a Performance Construction Manager at Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating and a PHIUS Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC). Between her formal post-grad education in environmental engineering at Columbia University, Kimberly has an intimate understanding of how the HVAC industry relates to well designed and delivered homes and continues to advocate for better practices and collaboration in her work with Mitsubishi.

Big thanks to The Humid Climate Conference for their generous and continued support of this show.

The Future Of Water Heaters Is Here Mar 09, 2018

Show notes

If you think you don’t need to worry about water heating, think again! In this episode, Kristof interviews John Miles of Sanden Hot Water Heaters live on the AHR Expo floor in Chicago about the future of water heating. Learn why this technology can make a massive impact on the housing and energy sectors.

When most people think of a quality water heater (which rarely happens) they think of gas tankless or electric resistive tanked systems. But that's nowhere near the full story. Water heaters are the second highest energy users in most homes and most home owners have never been presented with a good accounting of the available options.

Heat pump water based water heating is here to stay and split system water heaters are the next step forward in the evolutionary up-cycle. Add to the equation an incredible refrigerant, CO2, and you've got yourself a high performing, low exergy, and low Global Warming Potential (GWP) water heating unit that could actually change energy consumption at the grid level.

Here's the breakdown (these are generalized for simplicity):

-Gas Tankless Systems - 90% Efficiency

-Electric Resistive Tanked Systems - 95% Efficiency

-Conventional Non-Split Heat Pump - 250% Efficient

-Split System CO2 Based Heat Pump - 520% Efficient

Big thanks to Sanden for supporting the show and for talking with us at AHR and to The Humid Climate Conference for their continued and generous support of our show.

Forget What You Know About Buildings: An Interview With Kiel Moe Feb 23, 2018

Show notes

In this episode, Kristof interviews Kiel Moe of Harvard's GSD about the energy flows and multiple re-thinkings necessary to change the future of construction and design. You may remember reading about Kiel's inspiration to us at Positive Energy in our blog post about the thermally active surface system we installed in our office, compliments of the fine and wonderful people at Messana and SpacePak. This episode is definitely headier than most of ours, so buckle in and be ready to hit pause, rewind, and take notes if you need. We couldn't be more thrilled that he stopped by the office to chat.

Kiel Moe

Kiel is a registered architect and has taught architecture and energy at University of Illinois at Chicago, Syracuse University and Northeastern University. He holds positions as Associate Professor of Architecture & Energy and Co-Director of Master of Design Studies program in Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Moe received the B.Arch from the University of Cincinnati, M.Arch from University of Virginia, and a Master in Design and Environmental Studies from the Harvard Graduate School of Design Advanced Studies Program.

Professor Moe's research and pedagogy focuses on an agenda (theories, techniques, and technologies) for energy that is at once more ecologically and architecturally ambitous: Maximum Power Design. A such, he focuses on both buildings as manifestations of large scale energy systems as well as overlooked and discrete thermal parameters in buildings that yet have great impact on the power of a building.

Ideas To Unpack

Material Ecology: coined byNeri Oxman (Architect, Designer, Inventor), focuses on andconsiders computation, fabrication, and the material itself as inseparable dimensions of design. In this approach, products and buildings are biologically informed and digitally engineered by, with and for, Nature.

Energetics Of Urbanization: deals with the relationship between energy flows, urbanization, and how they relate to economic practices and theories. Learn more about Neil Brenner and his work here.

Pedagogy: how we relate to, study, and implement teaching.

Planetary Urbanization: thinking about how we urbanize at a planetary level, how that affects resource and energy flows, and how life on the planet is shaped by it.

Howard Odum: a brilliant ecologist who had a profound impact on the economic theories of energy flow. He coined the term and developed the theory of emergy, which deals with the embodied energy of any given object or structure.

Epistemology: how do we know what we know? Pretty much.

Political Economy: the study of production and trade and their relations with law, custom and government as well as with the distribution of national income and wealth.

Adrian Bejan: a brilliant mechanical engineer who first stated the notion of Constructal Law, which is the law of physics that accounts for the phenomenon of evolution (configuration, form, design) throughout nature, inanimate flow systems and animate systems together.

"For a finite-size system to persist in time (to live), it must evolve in such a way that it provides easier access to the imposed currents that flow through it."
-Adrian Bejan, The Constructal Law

The constructal law places the concepts of life, evolution, design and performance in physics, which is in the broadest scientific arena. The constructal law is the law of physics of life and evolution.

Forest Ecology: how do you get the wood that you use?

Big thanks to the Humid Climate Conference for their generous support of our podcast and to Brittney Spears for the music that's stayed with us all these years.

The Secret Life Of Concrete Feb 06, 2018

Show notes

Concrete is everywhere. We all see it every day but what do we really know about concrete? This seemingly simple material is any but simple. Listen and learn about the past, present and future of this evolving technology. Prepare to have your mind blown in this episode of the show as we explore the incredible history and composition of concrete with Matt Carlton and Lee Lawrence of WJE. You'll never see concrete the same way again.

Notes From The Episode

Rheology

(/riːˈɒlədʒi/; from Greek ῥέω rhéō, "flow" and -λoγία, -logia, "study of") is the study of the flow of matter, primarily in a liquid state, but also as "soft solids" or solids under conditions in which they respond with plastic flow rather than deforming elastically in response to an applied force. It is a branch of physics which deals with the deformation and flow of materials, both solids and liquids.

Flying buttress

(arc-boutant, arch buttress) a specific form of buttress composed of an arched structure that extends from the upper portion of a wall to a pier of great mass, in order to convey to the ground the lateral forces that push a wall outwards, which are forces that arise from vaulted ceilings of stone and from wind-loading on roofs.

The defining, functional characteristic of a flying buttress is that it is not in contact with the wall it supports, like a traditional buttress, and so transmits the lateral forces across the span of intervening space between the wall and the pier. To provide lateral support, flying-buttress systems are composed of two parts: (i) a massive pier, a vertical block of masonry situated away from the building wall, and (ii) an arch that bridges the span between the pier and the wall — either a segmental arch or a quadrant arch — the flyer of the flying buttress.

The Pantheon (Was Built Out Of Concrete)

The building is circular with a portico of large granite Corinthian columns (eight in the first rank and two groups of four behind) under a pediment. A rectangular vestibule links the porch to the rotunda, which is under a coffered concrete dome, with a central opening (oculus) to the sky. Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 142 feet (43 m).

Portland Cement

Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world as a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco, and non-specialty grout. It was developed from other types of hydraulic lime in England in the mid 19th century, and usually originates from limestone. It is a fine powder, produced by heating limestone and clay minerals in a kiln to form clinker, grinding the clinker, and adding 2 to 3 percent of gypsum.[clarification needed] Several types of Portland cement are available. The most common, called ordinary Portland cement (OPC), is grey in colour, but white Portland cement is also available. Its name is derived from its similarity to Portland stone which was quarried on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. It was named by Joseph Aspdin who obtained a patent for it in 1824. However, his son William Aspdin is regarded as the inventor of "modern" Portland cement due to his developments in the 1840s.[1]

Concrete Petrography

Petrography is a branch of petrology that focuses on detailed descriptions of rocks. Someone who studies petrography is called a petrographer. The mineral content and the textural relationships within the rock are described in detail. The classification of rocks is based on the information acquired during the petrographic analysis. Petrographic descriptions start with the field notes at the outcrop and include macroscopic description of hand specimens. However, the most important tool for the petrographer is the petrographic microscope. The detailed analysis of minerals by optical mineralogy in thin section and the micro-texture and structure are critical to understanding the origin of the rock. Electron microprobe analysis of individual grains as well as whole rock chemical analysis by atomic absorption, X-ray fluorescence, and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy are used in a modern petrographic lab. Individual mineral grains from a rock sample may also be analyzed by X-ray diffraction when optical means are insufficient. Analysis of microscopic fluid inclusions within mineral grains with a heating stage on a petrographic microscope provides clues to the temperature and pressure conditions existent during the mineral formation.

Event - Not Your Father’s Concrete!: A breakfast seminar and networking opportunity

Join WJE for a presentation and discussion of the perils of ready-mix concrete and the state of practice. We will also discuss self-consolidating concrete, the advantages and disadvantages as well as new-age additives and what works best when.

This program will qualify for AIA/AICP Continuing Education Credits.

RSVP NOW!

Special thanks to The Humid Climate Conference for their generous support.

Design & Construction In Humid Climates Jan 26, 2018

Show notes

Yes. We're going to have a chat about humidity. If you live in a heating dominated, dry climate you might be thinking "what good is this for me to hear?" and I wouldn't blame you. But frankly, the more we know about humidity, the better we can understand how things work without it too. So dig in and think about how moisture affects the things we design and build. In this episode of The Building Science Podcast, we’ll explore the potential upside and downside of designing and building in humid climates.

If you're serious about building high performance homes in humid climates, you don't want to miss this year's Humid Climate Conference in Austin. Tickets are on sale now and we at The Building Science Podcast are thrilled to sponsor this year's conference. Don't miss it! The Humid Climate Conference is organized entirely by volunteers from the PHAUS (Passive House) Chapter in Austin with support from the national organization, PHIUS.

What Is A Climate Zone?

“One of the fundamental principles of building science is that buildings must be suited to their climate. When they're not, problems can ensue. Maybe it's just that they're not as efficient as they should be. Maybe it's worse. Put plastic between the drywall and framing of your exterior walls in Ottawa, and it can help control vapor drive from the interior air and its associated moisture problems (rare in all but except in extremely cold climates). Put that plastic in the same place in Georgia, and you're going to rot the walls.

The first thing to know about climate zones is that we divide them up based on two parameters: temperature and moisture. The map at the top of this article, from Building Science Corporation, is one that seems to be in a lot of the curricula for home energy rater and other energy auditor classes. The fancy word for this type of division is hygrothermal, and Building Science Corp. has a nice interactive map of hygrothermal regions.

The map above divides all of North America into broad regions based on temperature and then humidity. The International Code Council has a more fine-grained approach to climate zones,† as shown below in the map of the US from the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Each zone has a number, starting with 1 for the hottest US climate, the southernmost tip of Florida, and going up to 8, the coldest parts in Alaska.”

-Dr. Allison Bailes, III

For more images mentioned in the episode, check out the show’s webpage.

Don't Wait For The Market Jan 12, 2018

Show notes

In our first episode of season 4, Kristof interviews James Geppner of Erase40 and Big Yellow Cab on the topic of behavioral change and market transformation. Building Science stands poised to change the way we deliver conditioned space to society. There are many angles by which we can dissect exactly how to do that. In this episode, we're going to explore how YOU can change the market.

James Geppner

James has advised and developed initiatives for nonprofits, new ventures and mature companies in infrastructure, technology, media, education, health and housing. Following his years in Project Finance, where he evaluated companies and studied markets, he has applied social science (and competitive theory) to a range of issues in order to see what’s shaping a market, a cause or a behavior.

He founded Big Yellow Cab in order to apply social science research and the procedures of behavior change to important social and environmental issues. He has advised nonprofits, new ventures and global companies. Most recently he did an extensive analysis of the market for passive buildings and the decision-making process of buyers, funders and end users in order to find clues as to how to increase the size of the market and how to reduce the barriers to widespread adoption of passive technology. He founded Erase40 in order to develop market based initiatives that drive up demand for passive buildings and in order to serve as a decision lab for different players in the building ecosystem. He is a graduate of NYU and of SGIB’s investment banking program.

Links

Erase40
Big Yellow Cab
Freakanomics Radio Episode (Mentioned)

The Beauty Of Hot Water Dec 22, 2017

Show notes

Live from the Texas Society of Architects 2017 Expo and Convention, we're proud to bring you a series of episodes exploring "the multiple dimensions of beauty" through interviews with some phenomenal architects, builders, and consultants.

In this episode we interview water engineering expert, Gary Klein of Gary Klein & Associates.

Gary Klein

Gary Klein, President of Gary Klein & Associates has been intimately involved in energy efficiency and renewable energy since 1974. One fifth of his career was spent in the Kingdom of Lesotho, the rest in the United States. Mr. Klein has a passion for hot water: getting into it, getting out of it and efficiently delivering it to meet customers' needs.

After serving 19 years with the California Energy Commission, he has provided consulting on sustainability since 2008. Mr. Klein received a BA from Cornell University in 1975 with an Independent Major in Technology and Society with an emphasis on energy conservation and renewable energy.

Special thanks to Bautex Systems for their generous support of our live recorded episodes at the 2017 TxA Expo & Convention. Be sure to stop by their website, learn about their innovative product, and say hello for us.