Architecture Commons^™

Led Street Light Research Project, Donald K. Carter, Stephen Quick

Stephen Quick

The City of Pittsburgh planned to replace its existing 40,000 street lighting fixtures with LED fixtures and engaged the Remaking Cities Institute (RCI) to investigate the full range of potential benefits of a replacement program in business districts. The study team investigated the technological potentials offered by LED lighting, best management practices (BMP) in LED lighting and lessons learned from cities where LED lighting has been installed, as well as the place-making and aesthetic impact of LED lighting and associated technologies. The team also investigated issues raised by the use of LEDs as the light source and issues of replacing …

A Life Cycle Comparison Of Light-Frame Wood And Insulated Concrete Form Building Envelopes: Energy Use And Green House Gases, Sherman Authur Matthews

Masters Theses

Given the building sector’s substantial contribution to global energy use and green house gas (GHG) emissions, it is of great importance that only the most effective building envelopes are utilized. Conventional light-frame wood building envelopes are highly popular due to their ease of construction and building economy; however the life cycle performance of the building envelope is often overlooked when this selection is made. Although insulated concrete form (ICF) building envelopes generally require a substantially higher embodied energy input, it should be considered that improvements during a building’s operation phase can offers significant energy returns, ultimately reducing the building’s life …

An Environmental Economic Analysis Of Green Building And The Leadership In Energy And Environmental Design Rating System, John A. Manna

Honors Theses

Buildings account for over 70% of U.S. energy consumption and produce 30% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. With growing concerns over future energy prices, the green building industry and the LEED rating system have made it their goal to produce better performing, more efficient buildings. LEED projects have been implemented in all 50 states, with 46 implementing LEED into public policy. In this study we evaluate the environmental and economic benefits of the LEED certification process. A cost-benefit analysis provides a framework for assessing the life cycle of a LEED building, incorporating both energy and cost savings, as well …

Improving The Energy Efficiency Of Fero House Home Of Alpha Delta Phi, Matt S. Stankiewicz

Honors Theses

As our country continues to grow and prosper we are faced with a growing number of environmental issues. While many of these issues were ignored in the pursuit of economic growth, we are now facing the harsh realities of our unmitigated expansion. The continual mining and use of fossil fuels has scarred our landscapes, polluted our air, and contaminated our waterways. Our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions are higher than ever and contributing heavily to global warming. With the United States’ population constantly on the rise and projected to hit 350 million in little over a decade1, it appears that our …

Geothermal Emancipator, Brygida Michon

Architecture Senior Theses

"Today as the factors determining nation’s independence are changing, Poland has a chance to decide on its political future and avoid the

involvement in the foreseen energy wars. It can happen through an appropriate utilization of its renewable energy resources on a larger scale,

which can ensure its nation‘s energy demand stability and therefore political concord.

The types of renewable resource that can best support the energy economy vary in different countries and climates. The choice of renewable

technology to be applied in a location should be supported by existing site conditions in order to determine which has the best …

Tribes As Essential Partners In Achieving Sustainable Governance, Prof. Elizabeth Burleson

Prof. Elizabeth Burleson

Indigenous peoples have modeled sustainable development around the world. Incentivizing the innovation and instillation of wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources can come in the form of public funding, including renewable portfolio standards, feed in tariffs and green tag programs. This article analyzes ways in which tribal communities are helping to expand cooperative good governance.