Technical Notes – window coverings, green roofs, pipe insulation

BC Hydro – Effective July 5, BC Hydro and the British Columbia Transmission Corporation (BCTC) became a single organization.The merger is a result of the province’s Clean Energy Act.
Pipe insulation – The Thermal Insulation Association of Canada (TIAC) is hoping to gain more attention for  the energy efficiencies that are possibly simply by having insulation around pipes, ducts, tanks and other building equipment. In an article in  Natural Resources Canada’s July Heads UP CIPEC newsletter, the association points out, as just one example, that installing a simple, removable valve cover for a 30-centimetre valve operating at 204 degrees C can save approximately $3,000 in annual energy costs with a payback period of less than one month. Yet, TIAC points out, insulation is often removed from pipes during maintenance and repair and often not re-installed.
Green Roofs – The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has accepted RP14 Wind Design Standard for Vegetative Roofing Systems. The document is a design and installation reference to help eliminate wind uplift. The stndard was developed by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities and the Single Ply Roofing Industry. For more details, click here.  
Window Shading – The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has completed guidelines for selecting and operating residential window solar shading devices. The modelling done to develop the guidelines showed that exterior insulating roll shutters and exterior close-weave screens were the most effective in reducing heating and cooling power demand. They were also the most effective for reducing the risk of moisture condensation inside windows and for reducing thermal discomfort conditions near windows. The research found that exterior roll shutters can reduce the annual heating energy use by 7%, the cooling energy use by more than 40%, and the on-peak cooling power demand by 30% for older houses with conventional double clear windows. For the full report, click here.