PWD GREEN BUILDING TEAM
Managing a building's performance is no easy task, and Austin Convention Center is a big project that comes with big challenges. Camala Jones, ACC's Environmental Compliance Specialist, tackles the complexity of tracking this unique building's performance. From finding water leaks to taking responsibility for event-generated waste, hear what she has to say about the benefits and difficulties in using Arc to track building performance. An existing building that achieved LEED Gold certification, ACC has now progressed to seeing building performance in operation through the Arc program.
According to the 2015 Austin Climate Plan, buildings are responsible for over 40% of all carbon emissions in the Austin area. Tracking energy usage creates a visual way to measure energy performance, enabling users to set goals to protect the environment while saving in operational cost.
Water conservation is imperative to the decreasing potable water source on the planet. Only 1% of the world's drinking water is potable and accessible. Using Arc, leaks can be found, preventing wastefulness of water.
While ARC's waste score factors in both amount of waste generated and the percentage of waste diverted, the score is weighted more heavily towards reduction of generated waste with the hope of encouraging users to consider reducing the overall impact of waste on the planet.
Single Occupancy Vehicles are the dominant mode of transportation by Austin commuters. While convenient, SOVs exacerbate traffic congestion, takes up valuable parking space, and contributes to the increased carbon emissions in the city. A single person carpooling, using a bike, or taking public transportation method greatly cuts down the carbon impact and creates a healthier Austin.
Occupant Satisfaction, VOCs (Voltaile Organic Compounds) and carbon dioxide testing contribute to this category. VOCs are harmful gases emitted by nearly all man-made consumer products. High indoor concentrations of Carbon dioxide or VOCs can cause a feeling of 'stuffiness', headaches, fatigue, drowsiness, and lack of attentiveness.
Collaborates on all capital improvement projects and provides managerial and technical expertise for the City of Austin.
Website Team:
Peter Davis, Ashley Yen, Silvia Calderon Laiton, Vanessa Bales, and Joanne Zhou.
