Vice President, Tishman Research Corporation NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATES ON BUILDING CODES AND STANDARDS/ NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS JOINT EMERGENCY WORKSHOP ON ENERGY CONSERVATION IN BUILDINGS June 19, 1973 Main Auditorium Department of Commerce 14th and Constitution Kenneth C. Henke, Jr. I hereby call to order the National Conference of States on Building Codes and Standards (NCSBCS) National Bureau of Standards (NBS) Joint Emergency Workshop on Energy Conservation in Buildings. We are pleased to be able to follow our sponsorship of the National Symposium on Education and Training of Code Enforcement Officers, which was held last December in Austin, Texas, with another response to the national concerns present at that time. Our interest in energy conservation in buildings is reflected in the resolutions initiated by our Standards and Evaluation Committee, and then introduced by the Executive Committee. These resolutions are: "(1) Endorse the concept that energy conservation is of national concern and that related building design and construction is properly a building code subject. "(2) Consistent with stated NCSBCS objectives, uniform national performance-oriented reference standards should be generated. "(3) Commend NBS and its Building Environment Division for its excellent and extensive research on environmental building factors and energy use; further, to request continued activity in this area and specifically the following: Report to the S&E Committee with recommendations on the possible content and strategy for generation of a building-related energy conservation reference standard, including due consideration of cost implications. "(4) After reviewing NBS Report and recommendations, the S&E Committee shall report pack to NCSBCS on specific actions to be taken." In the short period of time since these resolutions were formally adopted at our Sixth Annual Conference in Hartford, Connecticut, last month, several States have asked the National Bureau of Standards for technical assistance in developing energy conservation rograms. The earlier concerns of NCSBCS, plus these recent requests to NBS, suggested the eed for an emergency workshop of State officials on energy conservation. Moreover, a orkshop was needed quickly before the summer was fully upon us. It is this sense of mergency that accounted for the very short notice we could give you. The workshop was eeded for two reasons: one, to identify those technically-feasible action alternatives hat we can recommend for our existing buildings; and, two, to see what we might recommend or energy use in future buildings. For these items we asked assistance from the National Bureau of Standards. They have responded in a very short time. The additional purpose of this workshop is to give the States an opportunity to trade notes and experiences on what building energy conservation actions might be acceptable, given the differing situations around the country. We are grateful that the Bureau has been able to respond in such a short time frame. I would like to introduce the person whose personal interest in NCSBCS-NBS cooperation was clearly stated when he addressed our Sixth Annual Conference last month in Hartford. What he stated in May, he is demonstrating in June. I am pleased to introduce Dr. Richard W. Roberts, Director of the National Bureau of Standards. Dr. Richard W. Roberts Thank you, Mr. Henke. The fact that this National Conference of States on Building Codes and Standards (NCSBCS) sponsored workshop is being held within five weeks of your Annual Conference indicates an active year ahead for your organization. We are pleased to work with you. This is an emergency workshop, called by NCSBCS and assisted by the National Bureau of Standards (NBS). "Emergency" implies a quickened pace; we have a full schedule of work for the day, so I'll be brief in my welcoming remarks. A welcome is appropriate, though, because many in this room are meeting for the first time. That's how emergencies are: they bring together people who are not often known to one another. Let me, then, welcome you and describe for you--State building officials, governors' energy aides, and concerned building industry representatives--the role of NBS in this joint workshop. 1967. NCSBCS and NBS have been partners in the building standards and codes areas since The division of duties is roughly as follows: NBS contributes its broad-based capabilities in the measurement of building performance. We've been at this work since our founding in 1901. Our resources in laboratories and in people are known throughout the world as a source of thorough and impartial knowledge in building science. What NCSBCS brings to this partnership is a forum, a mechanism by which the States interpret technology in terms of people's needs. The States come together in NCSBCS to share their ideas and experiences, to bring to us their research needs and then to take research findings and proceed, where they see fit, to make that knowledge a base for public policy. Almost always the means taken is through the building regulatory process. We've been perfecting this partnership in building progress for six years now. The ability to call and organize this joint workship in one-month's time is a vivid demonstration of the state of readiness of this mechanism. When Chairman Cabelus advised us of the mounting sense of concern over energy, we were able to respond in a timely fashion with a presentation of technically-based alternatives for energy conservation in buildings; alternatives which State officials can review, and where appropriate, State officials can responsibly recommend to their governors. The main thrust of the Bureau's research presentation this morning is to identify actions to stem the waste or inefficient use of energy in buildings. This is a highly significant issue in view of the fact that approximately one-third of the Nation's energy is ultimately used in residential and commercial buildings. Over 80% of the energy used in buildings is consumed in heating (including hot water) and air conditioning. Studies conducted by NBS indicate that on the average about 40% of the energy going into heating and air conditioning is wasted through design of the building, construction practices in implementing design, and occupant practices in using the building. How has the Bureau come up with the findings just cited? Most of this work is taking place in the Bureau's Center for Building Technology. There are upwards of 15 different projects in the Center bearing on energy conservation, laboratory and field studies such as: air leakage and air quality, computer prediction of thermal performance in buildings, integrated community utility systems, modular-sized integrated utility systems, total energy systems for multi-building complexes, thermal physical properties of insulation and other building materials, solar heating, thermal efficiency of equipment. The Center for Building Technology in pursuing this work, draws on resources from across the Bureau. For instance, the Institute for Applied Technology contributes overall planning and guidance, particularly in identifying points of tangency where industrial processes affect building construction methods and materials; the Electronics Division made extremely sensitive electric power meters for use in the total energy study, the Institute for Basic Standards provided calibration services on a great variety of thermal devices such as thermocouples and flow meters; the Analytical Chemistry Division developed instrumentation for measuring gaseous pollutants. You can see that research on energy conservation in building touches many parts of the Bureau. These studies, of which you will hear more later this morning, have identified deficiencies in building practices that lead to an annual waste of energy equivalent to about 456 million tons of coal, or 65 million gallons of oil, or 9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. We also cannot ignor the impact on the environment which results from this prodigality. By increasing the efficiency of the use of energy in building and improving design and construction practices, the demands for energy will be significantly decreased. To be effective in alleviating the energy stress, any energy conserving innovation must be assimilated in the building industry with all deliberate speed. For this reason our program emphasizes projects which will assist those involved at the state-of-the-art level of the industry--Government agencies concerned with building, consumers, architects, and design engineers. The building regulatory system and the system of consensus standards affecting building construction have a large responsibility in all of this. This is why we are here today. Now, just how the States elect to respond to those immediately available and technically proven actions to be described this morning, is, of course, a decision for each State. If the States wish to interact, NCSBCS is an available mechanism, it seems to us. And, we defer to you on that. Our satisfaction comes in knowing that we have been able to respond with useful research contributions to an urgent request from NCSBCS. We are, frankly, impressed by your State officials' ability to anticipate a difficult situation ahead for the citizens you serve and then to take decisive action to tackle head-on what you perceive to be threats to the well-being of building users. We are also gratified that we can be of assistance to you in this venture in Intergovernmental cooperation. As we said to your Conference in Hartford last month, we are truly partners in progress. I'll be leaving shortly for Capitol Hill to testify before the Energy Subcommittee of the Committee on Science and Astronautics and the Conservation and Natural Resources Subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations, U. S. House of Representatives. I'm due there in minutes. You may be sure that I will tell the assembled hairmen and Committee members of the important work you are doing. Good luck. enneth C. Henke, Jr. Our lead-off speaker this morning is Dr. Kenneth Lay, Deputy Under Secretary of The Department of the Interior. Dr. Lay, who was appointed to this position in October f 1972, also serves as Executive Director of the Department. of the Interior's Energy oard. In this capacity, he is responsible for conducting studies of various energy roblems and advising his Secretary and Under Secretary on policy and technical matters n this increasingly critical area. |