Labs Sessions - Q4 2012

Home of the MADD Scientists - "Making A Difference Daily"....we hope!!!

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Performing scientific study to support sustainable stewardship of our Community and Earth. Seeking the truth of our actions and having fun doing it.

   GG Labs Sessions are held each Friday after the Community Lunch, 
   starting at 2:00 p.m. and ending around 3:30 p.m.
   All are welcome to join in!

Commissioning Items
- BCS - Air Filter Gauges with OCD
- BCS - Annex revised ductwork and airflow readings
- BCS - Building pressurization by balance - summer/winter modes
- BCS - Dickinson by Design Humidity Adventure - revise ventilation for partitions, then re-evaluate
- BCS - Training on trend logging using DDC

Labs Experiments
- WATER - Rainwater Usage analysis at end of summer
- WATER - Finalize plan for Measurement of in-ground tank volume/dipstick calibration
- WASTE - Kirsten's Waste Watch
  - Trends & Goals / Policy communicated and easy to reference
- BCS - The Earth Room Performance Insulated Septum Wall M&V (aka The Besemer Wall)
- BCS - Cooling & Dehumidification M&V on coil
- BCS - Trickle loop experiment on hold during extreme heat
- ENERGY - Phase 2 - Summer measurements on refrigerator electrical usage and performance

END OF LIST

Labs Session - Oct 5, 2012

Labs Updates
- Annex Passive Heat Retention Enhancements - Woodworking/Printer Maker Spaces - Verify w/Joe or Jason
  - Record desired/required space temperature for Annex occupants - 60-65 deg F
  - Record desired/required space humidity for Annex occupants - ?? min; 60% absolute max; stable to +/-5% consistently
  - Plexiglas storm windows are being installed with wool weather stripping.
  - Tom/Joe finalizing floor next week. Looking at cork subfloor with rubber square tiles over top.
- BioBag research:
  - Decomposition Report
  - Kirsten found research on composting plastics
  - Summary of findings sent to Denny
    - BioBags are not "back-yard" compostable, but they are commercially compostable.
    - This is true for many products that are labeled as compostable.
    - Standards and certifications are confusing.
- Rooftop Farm Prep
  - Deploy data loggers to measure soil temp in Earth box.
  - Deploy data loggers to study temperature/light available at various points.
  - Check specs on data loggers (temp range allowable); use 1 hour reading increments throughout season Oct.-Mar. at various points as loggers are available and weather acceptable to use.

Food for Thought

Session Work
- Design Altherma Direct to Radiant Floor Heating Experiment for October
  - Add water flows for each zone on radiant floor plan - Kirsten/Joe
  - Create data sheet to record experiment results
- Schedule discussion in early October to discuss heating/cooling costs for first year of operation (Tom has cost data and heating degree days)

Hands-On Activity
- Solar Thermal Panel Performance Flow Measurement (postponed - system not on)

Next Steps
- Labs Session 10/12/2012 at 1:30 p.m.
- Deploy roof farm DLs
- Measure solar flows

Labs Session - Oct 12, 2012

Labs Updates
- Schedule trend log training?? - Joe
- Annex Space Temp/RH Desired Setpoints - Woodworking/Printer Maker Spaces - Verify w/Joe or Jason
- Schedule discussion in early November to discuss heating/cooling costs for first year of operation (Tom has cost data and heating degree days)

Food for Thought

Session Work
- Finish design Altherma Direct to Radiant Floor Heating Experiment for October

Hands-On Activity
- Solar Thermal Panel Performance Flow Measurement
  - Flow meter malfunction
  - Pull trends to show improvement from installing manual valve in bypass around tanks from solar

Next Steps
- Labs Session 10/19/2012 at 1:30 p.m.

Labs Session - Oct 19, 2012

Labs Updates
- Schedule trend log training?? - Joe
- Annex Space Temp/RH Desired Setpoints - Woodworking/Printer Maker Spaces - Verify w/Joe or Jason
- Schedule discussion in early November to discuss heating/cooling costs for first year of operation (Tom has cost data and heating degree days)

Food for Thought

Session Work
- Final design review of Altherma Direct to Radiant Floor Heating Experiment
  - Select locations for data loggers

Hands-On Activity
- Solar Thermal Panel Performance - pending meter repair
  - Flat plate collectors typically top out at 140 deg F - confirmed; however, there can be some modifications made to produce higher temps (John)
  - Solar thermal typical temperature rise (delta T) 15 deg F; we have seen 20 deg F on ours
  - Flow measurement confirmation (1 gpm per panel standard optimized flow in industry)
  - Pull trends to show improvement from previous Solar Analysis before installing manual valve in bypass around tanks from solar (can't really tell without data loggers; no bypass sensor, and tank temp is not relecting tank leaving water temp enough to compare to solar return temp).
- Deploy rooftop farm data loggers
  - Soil sensors at 2 depths

Next Steps
- Labs Session 10/26/2012 at 1:30 p.m.

Labs Session - Oct 26, 2012

Labs Updates
- Schedule trend log training?? - Joe
- Annex Space Temp/RH Desired Setpoints - Woodworking/Printer Maker Spaces - Verify w/Joe or Jason
- Schedule discussion in early November on heating/cooling costs for first year of operation (Tom has cost data and heating degree days)
- Check weather for Altherma Direct to Radiant Floor Heating Experiment - schedule multiple readings over varied OA conditions
- Rooftop Farm data collection progress
- Schedule for calibration of sensors per mfg. recommendations

Food for Thought

Session Work
- Review Solar Thermal Production Year-to-Date
  - Solar production
  - Tank temps
  - Relationship to outside air temp

Hands-On Activity
- Solar Thermal Panel Performance water flow confirmation - pending meter repair
- Collect first week's recordings for rooftop farm data loggers

Next Steps
- Labs Session 11/2/2012 at 1:30 p.m.

Labs Session - Nov 2, 2012

Labs Updates
- Schedule trend log training?? - Joe
- Annex Space Temp/RH Desired Setpoints - Woodworking/Printer Maker Spaces - Verify w/Joe or Jason
- Schedule discussion on heating/cooling costs for first year of operation (Tom has cost data and heating degree days)
- Check weather for Altherma Direct to Radiant Floor Heating Experiment - schedule multiple readings over varied OA conditions
- Rooftop Farm data collection progress
- Schedule for calibration of sensors per mfg. recommendations

Food for Thought

Session Work
- 2012 Recalibration of the Labs

Hands-On Activity
- Collect rooftop farm data to date using shuttle

Next Steps
- Labs Session 11/9/2012 at 2:00 p.m.

Labs Session - Nov 9, 2012

Labs Updates
- Schedule trend log training?? - Joe
  - No update; need for Altherma Direct to Floor experiment
- Annex Space Temp/RH Desired Setpoints - Woodworking/Printer Maker Spaces - Verify w/Joe or Jason
  - Handbook of AC lists conditions of 77F and 50% RH or 80F and 50% RH; more important to be consistent year round; no drastic changes
  - Our temp/RH is fairly slow moving, so will have to see if this is adequate for the printing group
  - Depends on tolerances required by actual occupant; changes in temp/RH can change wood-mounted engravings
  - MOVE stat into space to trend before and after they move in - Joe help
- Check weather for Altherma Direct to Radiant Floor Heating Experiment - schedule multiple readings over varied OA conditions
  - Still not cold enough for quality experiment; check next week
- Rooftop Farm data collected last week
  - Dump collected data to Excel and send to Kirsten - LLC help
- Schedule for calibration of sensors per mfg. recommendations
  - RH sensors typically 6-12 months
  - Temp sensors typically 1 to 2 years; do ours annually since sensors are portable for space sensors and strap-on pipe sensors

Food for Thought

Session Work
- Continue 2012 Recalibration of the Labs discussion.
- Discussion on heating/cooling costs for first year of operation (Helen has cost data).
  - Usages for last year are in archive for comparison later on once new meter is installed and as this season progresses.
  - Tom Brennan has used usage data with new rates to project what cost would have been for this past cooling season; will have this rate in the future.
  - No need to review charges at this time; only looking towards the future for trends in usage.
  - Will put in Google docs for future.

Hands-On Activity
- TBD

Next Steps
- Labs Session 11/16/2012 at 2:00 p.m.

Labs Session - Nov 16, 2012

Labs Updates
- Schedule trend log training?? - Joe
  - Need for Altherma Direct Heating to Floor experiment
- Annex Space Temp/RH Desired Setpoints - Woodworking/Printer Maker Spaces
  - MOVE stat into space to trend before and after they move in - Joe help
  - Or could be data logger if stat not able to be moved
- Check weather for Altherma Direct to Radiant Floor Heating Experiment - schedule multiple readings over varied OA conditions
- Rooftop Farm data collected last week

Food for Thought

Session Work
- Finish 2012 Recalibration of the Labs discussion
- Labs Session planning for rest of year/first quarter
  - Nov 30 - Water bill investigation
  - Dec - Waste tracker graphic/chart
  - Dec - Tracking print maker space conditions
  - Dec - Altherma experiment pending trend logging capabilities
  - Jan - Building Operations Dashboard - what we are tracking and how we are doing
  - Jan (portion of each session) - Labs "as-built" Wiki pages for 2011-2012
  - On-Going (through winter) - GG Rooftop Farm pre-conditions

Hands-On Activity
- Monthly meter reading / tracking energy usage

Next Steps
- Labs Session 11/30/2012 at 2:00 p.m.

Labs Session - Nov 23, 2012

VACATION

Next Steps
- Labs Session 11/30/2012 at 2:00 p.m.

Labs Session - Nov 30, 2012

Labs Updates
- Schedule trend log training?? - Joe
  - Need for Altherma Direct Heating to Floor experiment
- Annex Space Temp/RH Trend Logging - Printer Maker Spaces
  - According to Danielle, no specific temperature or humidity is required for their print activities.
  - Should close door when running electric heater. Otherwise, can leave door open unless generating noise or odors.
  - Gather first 2 weeks of data from loggers.
  - What is status of additional floor coverings??
- Check weather for Altherma Direct to Radiant Floor Heating Experiment - schedule multiple readings over varied OA conditions
  - Still too warm. Check next week again.
- Rooftop Farm data
  - Collect additional data and add to on-going spreadsheet
  - Review/analyze next week

Food for Thought

Session Work
- Final 2012 Recalibration of the Labs
- Water bill investigation

Hands-On Activity
- Weekly meter reading / tracking energy (electric) and water usage
- Add tabs to trash tracker
- Monthly reconciliation with bills

Next Steps
- Labs Session 12/7/2012 at 2:00 p.m.

Labs Session - Dec 7, 2012

Labs Updates
- Trend Logging (not yet)
- Annex floor coverings (not doing this, painted floor instead)
- Weather outlook for Altherma direct to floor experiment (Need a day with a forecasted high of 30F or lower)
- Shop supplemental heater operating guidelines

Food for Thought

Session Work
- Waste tracker graphic/chart

Hands-On Activity
- Review and analyze Rooftop Farm data
- Review print shop data

Next Steps
- Labs Session 12/7/2012 at 2:00 p.m.

Labs Session - Dec 14, 2012

Labs Updates
- Trend Logging (no change)
- Weather outlook for Altherma direct to floor experiment (Need a day with a forecasted high of 30F or lower; look at first of January)
- Shop supplemental heater operating guidelines (Joe may adjust the temp knob to limit it in some way)
- Waste tracker graphic/chart (Plan to correlate to number of businesses for reference)

Food for Thought

Session Work
- Initial discussion/organization on Labs As-Builts efforts
- Review water scan info from Tom

Hands-On Activity
- TBD

Next Steps
- Labs Session 12/21/2012 at 2:00 p.m.

Labs Session - Dec 21, 2012

Labs Updates
- Trend Logging (no change)
- Weather outlook for Altherma direct to floor experiment (Need a day with a forecasted high of 30F or lower; look at first of January)

Food for Thought

Session Work
- Initial discussion/organization on Labs As-Builts efforts
  - Start with March 2012 to continue.

Hands-On Activity
- The Long Awaited Solar Panel Flow Verification

Eyes-On Activity - Time Permitting
- Solar Info Find

Next Steps
- Labs Session 12/28/2012 at 2:00 p.m.

Labs Session - Dec 28, 2012

Labs Updates
- Read meters and record (Water, Electric)
- Trend Logging (no change)
- Weather outlook for Altherma direct to floor experiment (Need a day with a forecasted high of 30F or lower; look at first of January)

Food for Thought

Session Work
- Rooftop Farm Documentation

Hands-On Activity
- TBD

Next Steps
- Labs Session 1/4/2012 at 2:00 p.m.
- January 2013 - Building Operations Dashboard - what we are tracking and how we are doing
- January 2013 (portion of each session) - Labs "as-built" Wiki pages for 2011-2012
- Heat exchanger performance trending plan (deferred from Winter 2011-2012)
- 3-way valve limit trending plan (deferred from Winter 2011-2012)

Resources

Commissioning Design Center
Labs Highlights
Labs Help Wanted
Current Labs Summary
Labs Idea Bin
Labs Tool Box
Labs Experiment Template - Wiki outline of individual Experiment
Experiment Tracker - summary of all experiments & experiment project management
Experiment Workbook Template - report template for actual conducting of experiment

TO DO

Plan / Do / Check / Act / Repeat

Labs Sessions - Q4 2012

Contents

Labs Sessions - 4rd Quarter 2012