Argent Green – System Replacements

• High-Efficiency HVAC Equipment and Systems Installations

• High-Efficiency Boiler (water systems) Installations

• High-Efficiency Tankless, In-Line or Water Heater Heat Trap Installations

• Domestic water heaters

• Domestic water makers

• Instantaneous water heaters gas and electric

• Radiant floor / radiant wall / radiant ceiling

• Free standing radiators

• Multi-zone dampering systems

• Remote access to control systems via computer or laptop

• Geothermal heating and cooling systems

• Water source heat pumps

• Space Pak high velocity ducted systems

• Ductless mini-split heating and cooling systems

• Multi-zone ductless mini-split systems

• Hot water boilers / gas and oil

• Modulating hot water boilers

• Gas piping

• Oil to gas conversions

• Solar hot water systems  

Argent Green – Renewable Energy System Replacements

• Geo-thermal System Installation  

• Solar Electric (PV) System Installations

• Solar Hot Water Installations

• Geo-thermal System Installation

Argent Green – Indoor Air Quality and Comfort Products

• Media air filters  

• Electrostatic air filters  

• Electronic air filters  

• Hepa Filters

• Carbon filters  

• Ultra violet lamps

• Bi polar ionization (AtmosAir)  

• Power humidification  

• Steam humidification  

• Central station dehumidification systems

• IAQ Monitoring Systems (Air Advice – www.airadvice.com)

Argent Green – Ventilation Products

• Heat recovery systems

• Air to air heat exchangers

• Energy recovery ventilators

• Whole house ventilation

Argent Green – Specialty Items

• Towel warmers

• Snow melt

• Kick space heaters

• Wall convectors

• Remote access to control systems via computer or laptop

Sustainable Design and Its Role in Residential Development

Sustainable or green design has taken the Washington DC market by storm.  There is very little doubt that going forward, green is here to stay and will become the standard against which buildings are valued and discounted.  The question is: how do we cost-effectively implement these advances in the residential market?

As standards such as LEED for Homes, Green Advantage, EPA's Energy Star, and Earthcraft begin to take root in the metro region as guidelines for residential development, we are faced with the task of integrating those standards into the design and construction practices under budget and valuation constraints unique to the residential market. 

The challenge for architects, engineers and associated trades is the integration high performance, sustainable elements into the design that meet these standards.  We at Argent are committed to providing a solution to this challenge and to implement high performance heating, ventilating and cooling systems while working within the practical constraints of the residential homebuilder.

Effective Integration

After more than 10 years of sustainable development throughout the U.S. , three facts about "building green" have emerged with regard to cost and value:

• Change orders created the majority of cost premium for green buildings.

• Integrated design that involves all stakeholders from the beginning allows design and materials to be specified and worked into the first estimate, anchoring costs and avoiding the surprises.

• Integrated design that involves return-on-investment analysis to guide selection of sustainable elements maximizes the value of the project beyond "cost-based" implementation of the sustainable standards.

The reality is not simply that green is here to stay; green will be differentiated by best practices that implement designs focused by careful, project-specific options chosen by examining market demand, cost, sale premium, and overall function.  "Value" replaces "cost" as a guiding principle, and is a moving target that requires a full complement of architectural skills and creativity to successfully achieve the goal. 

The Iterative Process

Based on the collected experience of our design team at Argent, we believe firmly that earlier is better. The best approach involves participation of the HVAC team at the beginning of design, modeling loads and working up preliminary duct sizing and layout, allowing the architects to see precisely the impact of the envelope and fenestration on the mechanical, and in turn the impact of the mechanical requirements on the interior design.

This iterative "give and take" allows the architect to maintain control of the project and work with the most complete information, allowing the budget to be most accurately projected at schematic stage.  In this way, the costs can be evaluated and controlled at the earliest moment while the sustainable elements are fully integrated into the design.  With this level of forethought, the build process holds fewer surprises and thus allows contingency costs to be minimized.  It also allows the owner to focus on which high value elements will be included, allowing them to align and execute the sales and leasing strategy very early in the process.

Emerging Technologies and Cost-Effective Value Creation

Another aspect of sustainable design which tends to be side-lined are "high performance" systems.  Typically understood as premium upgrades, systems such as high-efficiency furnaces, Energy recovery ventilators, high-grade filters and biological control (UV) lamps are relegated to up-selling scenarios in the luxury market.  

Given the emerging Green standards and the growing public awareness of health and air quality issues, air quality measures such as these will move into the standard practice repetoire.  Developing a strategy that allows for efficient implementation of these advanced designs can also yield a market advantage to those firms that are taking leadership positions on the core issues of green, including air quality and thermal comfort.