Presenters:

Craig Briscoe, ZGF, Portland, OR

John Breshears, ZGF, Portland, OR

Paul Glenney, Aerovironment (AV), Monrovia, CA

Convener:

Rob Fallow, Fortis Construction, Portland, OR

A look through any recent architectural journal will reveal numerous renderings of projects showing the intention to install wind turbines on buildings, but no actual built examples of the technology. The interest is understandable: building integrated wind turbines have an obvious application in zero-energy buildings and afford unique aesthetic opportunities with their kinetic action. The dearth of real-world installations may reflect the dynamic nature of wind itself, a resource with many variables that makes wind energy far less predictable than other onsite renewable energy technologies.

Wind turbines affixed to a building will add both static and dynamic loads to the building structure. Building form, surrounding buildings and even geographical features affect wind flow. The right location on a building may increase the output of a wind turbine significantly; the wrong location may result in a turbine installation that produces no power at all.

In this program panelists will share their research on, and experiences in, integrating wind turbines into both high-rise and low-rise buildings. The session will conclude with a hands-on exercise exploring wind resource assessment and site-specific wind generation feasibility studies.

*Due to technical difficulties, podcasts for this educational session will not be available.

Presenter Bios

Craig Briscoe
Craig Briscoe is a LEED® AP with 10 years of architectural experience in large and mid-size institutional projects. Craig serves as a member of ZGF’s Sustainable Design Team, consulting with project teams on technical issues in sustainable design. Among his varied experience is the construction administration of a 140,000 square foot LEED Gold rated lab building at Portland State University. Briscoe is currently engaged in numerous projects including a Biorenewables Laboratory Complex at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa and a new research lab at the Stanford Institutes of Medicine.  Craig has been instrumental in the ZGF research into building integrated wind turbines for the new Twelfth and Washington high-rise, which is currently under construction and will house ZGF’s Portland, Oregon offices.

John Breshears
As both an architect and mechanical engineer, John Breshears specializes in creating healthy, environmentally friendly, and high performance buildings. His broad background enables him to integrate architectural intentions, engineering metrics, evidence-based design data, and a host of other design concerns into facilities of outstanding quality. John’s numerous built projects include the Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8 Headquarters in Denver, CO, aspects of which were awarded an Architect Magazine R&D Award in 2007.  John is currently engaged in design assistance on such projects as the new Li Ka-Shing Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences, at the University of California Berkeley, and the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences at Duke University in Durham, NC. John headed up the ZGF research in building integrated wind turbines for the new Twelfth and Washington high-rise, which is currently under construction and will house ZGF’s Portland, Oregon offices.

Paul Glenney
Paul Glenney is the Director of Clean Energy Technology for AeroVironment at their Energy Technology Center in Monrovia, California. He joined AV in 2004 where he currently oversees the Architectural Wind business. Paul's experience encompasses management positions in marketing, sales and engineering primarily in the power electronics industry and solar photovoltaics. AeroVironment was founded by Dr. Paul MacCready, designer of the Gossamer Albatross airplane which made history by crossing the English Channel in 1979 powered only by the pilot. Dr. MacCready is known for urging his collaborators at AV to "do more with less," a sentiment as applicable to aeronautical engineering as it is to green building. Since 1977, AV has maintained a continuous presence in wind power technology, conducting more than 250 sponsored projects and investing in, developing, owning and managing wind farms. AV's new Architectural Wind product is a small, modular wind-turbine system that provides an attractive clean-energy generating technology for use in both urban and suburban environments.

Rob Fallow
Rob Fallow is a LEED-accredited building professional who has worked in construction for 12 years. Currently a Project Manager for Fortis Construction, Inc., Rob has managed construction projects that range from small office tenant improvements to a multimillion-dollar college campus project, the Lewis & Clark Residence Halls project, which is expected to achieve LEED Silver Certification. Rob has spoken about green construction and LEED projects on many occasions, including to the ASPE (American Society of Professional Estimators), at the ASC College Conference, at the City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development ReThink series, and at the OHSU LEED Conference. Rob holds a degree in Civil Engineering from Santa Clara University.