Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | October 16, 2023 | Worcester Business Journal 7 508-757-3311 www.sgllp.com WORCESTER • FRAMINGHAM S&G is proud to recognize the achievements of this year's remarkable honorees, as well as all the other women in Central Massachusetts who play such a critical role in the regional economy. We stand with you as you continue to inspire, teach and leave your mark on the business community. Trust S&G to help you grow your business, create wealth and build business value. Contact us today for a no obligation initial consultation. 2023 Women in Business Honorees: CONGRATULATONS! S&G congratulates you for your strength and dedication.Your positive leadership in our community is inspiring. Continued on next page Feasibility for lab developments Weaver has no problem with requirements for the building envelope to be properly sealed or that build- ing be constructed electric-ready. His contention is using current technology electric HVAC systems can- not do their job in a lab under the standards imposed by the specialized stretch codes. Biotech space, for safety reasons, must cycle out 100% of its air every 10 minutes. Weaver said a building's temperature can be maintained when the outside temperature is down to 20 degrees, but below 20 degrees, the building needs a gas-powered system. He said having systems that can maintain interior temperatures down to negative 4 degrees could add 10% to 15% to a project's cost. "e way the code's written," said Weaver. "It's just asking for a technological standard that's just not ready yet, and there's going to be some casualties in the period until that technology advances." e Massachusetts Biotech- nology Council, which is a nonprofit group advocating for life sciences companies and de- velopment, said meeting stretch code requirements is not always feasible for life sciences. "Our members always have sustainability on their minds, including energy efficiency," MassBio spokesman Ben Bradford said in an emailed statement. "at said, the nature of their life-saving work requires energy consumption that may not yet be feasible through renewable energy resources." While stretch codes developments have the option to be gas powered, they must make an effort to add so- lar power to the development. at is something that Weaver says is difficult because the HVAC require- ments on the roof leave little space for solar panels. e Mass. Department of Energy Resources does not allow for individual municipalities to make car- veout for life sciences or any other industry. However, the codes do have different standards for high-ven- tilation buildings like labs and hospitals, where the efficiency requirements aren't quite as high. Odell said developers can get an exemption if solar is too much of a hardship, but Weaver contends that exceptions are not easy to come by, as they tend to be reserved for external factors like another building casting a shadow on the new construction. Odell sympathized with Weaver, but says there is a path forward to sustainability which need not be costly. "It's a concern that's very real," Odell said, "But, there are options that won't break the bank and will allow companies to meet the indoor air quality standards." Odell said a piece of machinery called a dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) operates in conjunction with a building's HVAC system to precondition air using energy from the building's exhaust air before it gets to the HVAC system, reducing the demand. e effectiveness of these systems have increased from 40%-50% three years ago to about 75% effective today. At this point, a DOAS system is standard on build- ings with high-ventilation requirements, said Adam Jennings, a partner at AHA Consulting Engineers in Burlington. Recapturing exhaust energy is key to conserving energy. He added a newer technology, an exhaust-source heat pump, is also proving valuable in saving energy in buildings that move a lot of air. Cost of building in a developing market Weaver is concerned about controlling costs be- John Odell, chief sustainability officer for Worcester

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