Transforming a building lobby to be more appealing to tenants and visitors could change the space’s environment in unexpected ways. Window condensation could become a problem if proper planning is ignored. (Learn more about the condensation issues.)
When transitioning to more efficient power options, building owners and operators are often faced with difficult decisions deciding what to do with existing gas-fired heating systems—especially in colder climates.
In an article for NAIOP’s online Development Magazine, ESD, now Stantec Practice Leader for High Performance Buildings Andrew Lehrer says the push toward decarbonization does not have to be an all-or-nothing approach. In “Facility Managers Must Prepare for an All-Electric Future,” Lehrer writes “Hybrid electrification, which converts a portion of an existing gas-fired heating system to heat pumps, can go a long way toward reducing carbon emissions.”
Lehrer says such a “bridge solution” allows heat pumps to run during the majority of operating hours with gas-fired heating options kicking in during peak heating periods. He says an operation offers building owners and operators a phased approach to building electrification.
Andrew Lehrer freely shares his experience and ideas through articles and interviews with industry publications as part of fulfilling ESD, now Stantec’s mission build communities and to improve society through the built environment.
For more information on how our engineers can help with your project, reach out to ESD, now Stantec’s High Performance Buildings Engineering team.
