Commercial Projects

Summary:

Completed in July 2010, the four story, 12,228 SF building is LEED Platinum certified and has achieved a 6 Star Green Star Design rating, the highest rating awarded by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA). The building's array of façade panels reduces solar heat gain along with a full-height glazed curtain wall. Heating/cooling is supplied through an underfloor air displacement system fed by a thermally active radiant slab system in ceilings. Additionally, an absorption heat pump generates hot or chilled water for heating or cooling, respectively.
The building's vacuum-flush toilet system feeds into an anaerobic digester, which collects solid waste to produce methane gas that can be used for heating domestic hot water. Electricity is provided by a combination of fixed and tracking solar PV panels, totaling 6.45 kW and three 1.5 kW vertical axis wind turbines.

Summary:

Three, single-story buildings totaling 12,000 SF. Functions as classroom, meeting room, exhibit hall, library, workshop, and offices. Net zero energy and carbon neutral building. Energy efficiency at 70% below code. First carbon-neutral building LEED Platinum certified. The 39.6 kW PV system generates 60,000-70,000 kWh of electricity annually, which is 10% over projected energy consumption. Ground source heat pumps for heating/cooling and earth tubes for ventilation. Additional winter heating provided by wood-burning stoves and fireplaces, using on-site wood.

Summary:

The 22,240 SF office building, completed October 2012, is Phase 1 of 4 of Conrad N. Hilton Foundations new 70 acre campus. A thin floor plate running east/west maximizes passive solar design and daylighting. A passive downdraft HVAC system with no fans uses thermal buoyancy to drive ventilation into raised floor plenums where it is either moved over cooling coils or heated, then exhausted out through digitally controlled clerestory windows. There is a water cooled chiller system with a cooling tower and a solar thermal heating system with 1,000 SF of evacuated tubes and a 3,000 gallon storage tank. All domestic hot water and 70% of hot water heating are generated from this system supplemented by a backup electric boiler. An 11,000 SF solar PV array provides 115 kW of electricity annually. Electric car charging is provided as well. The building has daylight sensors and an active exterior shading system on the southwest façade that raises or lowers when outside air exceeds 80° F.

Data on building performance will be available Fall 2013.

Summary:

Completed in 2009, the 13,600 SF building that houses the library and a technology classroom is LEED Platinum certified. The building is a passive solar design with strategically located overhangs, low-e glass and deep louvers, and operable windows and skylights allowing passive ventilation. A solar chimney facilitates stack-effect cooling. A greywater system includes a 15,000 gallon cistern below-grade that pumps water through an in-floor radiant cooling system. A roof-mounted evaporative cooling tower supplements the radiant system. In addition, a 95.5 kW PV array lines the roofs of classroom buildings to provide electricity for the LRC. A digital energy-monitoring system is used as a teaching tool and incorporated into the school's curriculum.

Data of the LRC's performance is expected to become available in Spring 2013.

Summary:

Largest planned ZNE development in the United States. 130-acre site will house 3,000 students, faculty and staff in 662 apartments and 343 single-family houses. Includes 42,500 SF of commercial space and 75,000 SF Community College Center. The development is being built in phases. Energy efficiency of all completed buildings is 50% below code. Passive solar energy design with roof overhangs and sunshades specific to solar exposure of each building. A 4 MW solar PV system on roofs and parking canopies is expected to meet all remaining energy needs for the entire development. Biodigestion is being explored to satisfy additional energy needs as the final phases of the project are built out.

Smart energy monitoring and controls through web portal and smartphone apps. Rent includes a fixed amount of electricity and water with added fees for excess usage.

One third of the project was completed fall 2011, with 800 residents in 315 apartments. Phase I of the Community College Center opened January 2012, at 20,000 SF accommodating 2,000 students for classes.

Summary:

Completed in April 2012, the 2,200 SF center that houses the city Environmental Services division offices and recycling drop-off center is 48% below code for energy use and has applied for LEED certification at the platinum level. It is daylit with 16-foot clerestory windows and occupancy sensors. Energy-saving features include a dual-zone heating system and a TPO cool roof. Electricity from a 10 kW PV system provides all electricity for the office building and 30% of the site energy.

Summary:

The ETC at Sonoma State University is a 2200 SF building used by faculty, students, and community members for academic study, research training, and collaboration on environmental projects. The building is 50% below code for energy use. Daylit and naturally ventilated with skylights, clerestories, and manually operable windows. Structurally insulated panel (SIP) construction. The building uses passive solar heating/cooling, a trombe wall, and thermal mass provided by concrete masonry units. Awnings, shades, and a living-canopy trellis cool the building in summer. A 3 kW rooftop PV system provides electricity. Hydronic radiant heat provides backup heating.

Summary:

The IDeAs Z2 Design Facility is a renovation of a 6,560 square foot 1960 building that is net zero energy with zero carbon emissions. Z2 is fossil fuel free for heating, cooling and electricity. Energy consumption is ~60% below ASHRAE 90.1. This low energy use is achieved with daylighting, automatic lighting controls, occupancy sensors, high efficiency office equipment, and a high-efficiency HVAC system featuring radiant floor heating and cooling and a ground-source heat pump. The building has an integrated, net-metered, grid-tied roof mounted 30-kW PV system that provides more than 100% of energy used. Other features include: electrochromatic glass that darkens automatically, a photocell in the East windows, and a PV sunshade on the South windows to reduce summertime solar heat gain. Water consumption is reduced through waterless urinals, dual flush toilets, high-efficiency faucets, and drought tolerant landscaping.

As of 2012, the facility is achieving net zero energy use.

Summary:

CIRS is a 61,000 SF building with spaces for teaching, learning and research. Occupied September 2011, it is projected to have energy efficiency 63% below code. Passive design strategies allow regularly occupied spaces to be completely daylit and naturally ventilated. A seasonally varying vegetated screen covers the western side of the building to help control glare and heat gain. Remaining sides use a curtain wall with solar shades, which support a 25 kW PV system that is expected to provide 10% of the building's electrical needs.

Mechanical heating/cooling is provided by heat recovery coils attached to the lab exhaust of the neighboring Earth and Ocean Sciences (EOS) building, heat recovery coils located in the CIRS exhaust air stream and ground source heat pumps. A 430 SF evacuated tube array supplements the heat pumps to provide water heating. Actual operational data will be compared to energy model output after one year of data is available.

Summary:

The 222,000 square foot Research Support Facility on NREL's campus is designed to be a zero net energy and LEED platinum office building with 880 employees and a large data center. Completed summer of 2010, it was designed to be 50% more energy efficient than an office building built to commercial code. The building, through a power purchase agreement, supports a 1.6 MW rooftop and carport photovoltaic system designed to generate 32,000 Btu's per square foot per year to meet RSF's energy needs. Additionally, it incorporates transpired solar walls to preheat incoming air. Energy efficiency is achieved first through the design- long narrow floor plates with south facing windows to maximize daylighting. An under-floor air distribution system, radiant and evaporative heating and cooling water piping, natural ventilation, precast insulated panels and an energy efficient data center are other energy efficient strategies.

Taking advantage of the local soil and weather conditions, they constructed an underground concrete thermal labyrinth to capture daytime heat or nighttime coolness and store the energy to warm or cool down the building. In the winter, the labyrinth will draw and store heat from the computers in the building's data center and from warm air produced by the transpired air collector. Evaporative chillers running cold water backed up as needed by a central chilled water plant will cool down RSF's green data center. This system uses water and doesn't need to use mechanical heating, cooling or chemical refrigerants. RSF was constructed for $259 per square foot -- a comparable price among area commercial projects.

As of 2011, energy performance is meeting projections and net zero energy is expected to be achieved as solar sources (such as on a parking garage) are built out.

Summary:

Home to Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Kroon Hall was designed with the goal of being carbon neutral. The LEED Platinum certified 69,000 SF building contains commercial offices, classrooms, an auditorium, and an Environment Center. Its long, narrow envelope and building mass with southern exposure is designed for maximum daylighting and solar gain, with energy use 60% below code. A 105 kW, roof-mounted PV array provides ~25% of the building's electricity. Hot water is provided by an evacuated tube solar hot water system. Heating demand is met by four geothermal wells. Other energy efficient features include low-e glass, occupancy and daylight sensors, heat recovery ventilation and evaporative cooling. A color-coded notification system prompts occupants to open operable windows when efficient for natural ventilation.

As of 2012, Kroon imports energy to meet net zero, purchasing renewable energy credits (RECs) to offset associated emissions for the building, depending on the annual budget.

Summary:

Restoration of the 1805 Meeting House and new construction of the conference center (2,864 SF total) was completed in 2009 and is 50% below code for energy use. The meeting house has Passive solar design with high efficiency foam insulated walls and structurally insulated panel (SIP) roof achieving R-30 walls, R-48 roof. It has a closed-loop ground source heat pump and tankless water heater. A 12 kW roof-mounted PV array meets the building's electricity needs.

The project was awarded the Zero-Net Energy Award in 2011 by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA).

Summary:

The 3,600 SF visitor complex houses offices, support areas, and a multi-purpose space to be used for conferencing, displays, and education. The building is LEED Platinum certified and a 2007 AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Project for its passive design strategy that dramatically reduces the need for electrical power. Energy efficiency is 80% below code. Occupied spaces are entirely daylit with lighting fixtures controlled by occupancy sensors used in the evening. Through passive thermal chimneys, heated air is exhausted through stacks while fresh outside air is pulled into the building from a underfloor plenum and drawn across cooling coils, filled with deep-pumped seawater. This system eliminates the need for a mechanical air conditioning system. Electricity is provided by a 20 kW rooftop PV system.

As of 2012, the building's annual electricity production has been 110-115% of its annual electricity usage since monitoring began in 2007.

Summary:

The 6,000 SF facility, which includes classrooms, conference rooms, and a workshop, has achieved both LEED Platinum and Living Building Challenge (LBC) certifications. It is among the first three LBC certified projects. LBC certified projects are both zero net energy and zero net water, certified only after one year of performance data documenting that the modeled goals are met. This passive solar, naturally ventilated building has automated window louvers and uses a Tropical 3 Pitch Roof that cools outdoor spaces and captures cool air for indoor ventilation. There is also a radiant cooling system tank below grade instead of air conditioning. Electricity is supplied by a 26 kW PV system comprised of 3 types of panels on the roof and as an awning. Annual electricity generated by the system is 38,994 kWh while the facility uses 19,090 kWh/yr. Excess electricity is delivered to the school's grid to provide electricity for other buildings. Students monitor energy input and output information as well as CO2 and other variables from 480 sensors that feed into a lab control room.

Summary:

The 2,400 SF passive solar design building was completed in April 2009. High-performance windows and foam insulation creates a tight building envelope, achieving R-25 walls, R-35 roof. A thermal slab floor and ground source heat pump meet heating demand. Additional features include a solar hot water heater, solar light tubes for daylighting, and occupancy sensors. An 8.9 kW roof-mounted PV system meets electricity demand. The library's website features a "Sunny Portal" which users may use to view instantaneous updates of electricity usage and yield from the PV system.

Summary:

Completed in 2010, the 72,285 SF insulated concrete form (ICF) construction building is 75% below code for energy efficiency. The building is daylit with clerestory windows and light shelves, solar tubes, and skylights. Heating is provided by a geothermal system. A 300 kW roof-mounted PV array meets electricity demand. Students can monitor the system's geothermal and solar PV performance as well as water conservation and quantity of materials recycled from school computers and gauges.

As of 2012, the building is performing at net-zero.

Summary:

Electricity use in the 363,000 SF building was reduced by 55% through an overhaul of lighting and air-handling systems. This included HVAC upgrades and energy efficient conveyors with motion sensors. Lighting costs were cut by 75% through installation of energy efficient interior and exterior lights coupled with occupancy sensors. A leased 1.8 MW rooftop PV system is owned and maintained by Constellation Energy. A solar services agreement with Constellation provides electricity at a fixed cost less than market rates.

Between February 2011-February 2012, the solar arrays have met the building's electricity demand and produced an excess of 16,000 kWh.

Summary:

The 1,690 SF building is used as an experiment facility, classroom, and special event space for the Science Museum of Minnesota's outdoor science park. Passive solar design with energy efficiency 60% below code. Daylit and naturally ventilated with spray-foam insulation levels of R-25 walls, R-35 roof. Ground source heat pumps provide heating/cooling and domestic hot water. An 10.2 kW PV system provides electricity.

From 2004-2010, total energy production exceeded consumption. Usage data is not yet available for 2011-2012.

Summary:

The 2,968 SF passive solar design building, completed in 2009, is certified under the Living Building Challenge (LBC). LBC certification is granted after one year post-occupancy data is submitted that includes zero net energy performance. The building generated 22,983 kWh and used 21,291 kWh. Building design includes orientation and overhangs/awnings to limit solar gain and 100% daylit spaces. Enhanced building insulation, high efficiency window glazing, efficient lighting with photo and occupancy sensors, energy efficient equipment and low plug loads minimize energy use. Variable volume air handling with heat recovery, demand control ventilation, and operable windows. A 20.3 kW PV system includes roof collectors and two horizontal trackers.
The school's curriculum for summer programs uses building features as teaching tools. Live solar outputs can be viewed online.

Summary:

The 3,400 SF renovated industrial building is LEED Platinum certified and has earned Petal Recognition for energy, beauty and equity from the Living Building Challenge. This project generates energy for its use and for the adjacent neighborhood. The gut rehab includes cellulose insulation, passive ventilation through operable windows and vents and motion sensors and dimmers on lighting. A ground-source heat pump provides heat. A 20.2 kW roof-mounted PV array provides electricity. Excess solar electricity is used to pump well water through the surrounding neighborhood's geothermal loop, which offsets the HVAC energy needs for 77 homes. Energy monitoring equipment measures and displays the building's total consumption, PV production, and individual circuit loads. The building has been net zero or net positive energy since 2010.

Summary:

The 150,000 SF school became operational in August 2011. The building is well insulated and daylit, supplemented with light shelves, automatic dimming features on light fixtures, and motorized roller shades used to manage heat gain. It has high efficiency glazing, rain water collection and grey water harvesting. Heat is provided through ground source heat pumps. A 550 kW solar PV array paired with 2.4 kW wind turbine meet electricity needs. Computers are all laptops with a wireless network. The school is used as a teaching tool physically and with the energy and water systems data captured on an on line monitoring system. As of 2012, energy monitoring shows the school produces as much energy as it consumes.

Summary:

16,800 square foot field house of a college preparatory boarding high school was occupied November 2009 and is LEED platinum certified.

Energy usage is designed to approximately 45% below Vermont Energy Code. There are 36.8 KW of solar-tracking photovoltaics in field next to building. Energy features include: super insulated envelope, detailing to avoid air infiltration and thermal bridging, triple insulated, low-e, operable windows, sky lighting for approximately 40% of floor area, occupancy, daylight and CO2 sensors, automatic natural ventilation ( windows on night time flushing) and air to air heat pumps. Energy monitors will display energy use and generation to students and faculty.

In its first year the Field House used 48,374 kWh of electricity, nearly 3,000 fewer kWh than the PV system produced. As of 2012, the building has been operating slightly better than net zero, producing an average of 5% more electricity than it uses on an annual basis.

Summary:

US DOE Database of Commercial NZEB's:

- Aldo Leopold Legacy Center, Baraboo, WI (see photo)
- Audubon Center at Debs Park, Los Angeles, CA
- Challengers Tennis Club, Los Angeles, CA
- Environmental Tech Center, Sonoma State University (CA)
- Hawaii Gateway Energy Center, Kailua-Kona, HI
- IDeAs Z2 Design Facililty, San Jose, CA
- Oberlin College Lewis Center, Oberlin, OH
- Science House, St. Paul, MN

Summary:

The six-story, 50,000 SF office building designed to be carbon neutral features a public resource center on energy efficiency and urban sustainability. It is designed to be 83% more efficient than similar high rise office buildings in the area using techniques including daylighting, positioning office desks within 30 FT of windows, sealing the building with a liquid-applied air barrier, limiting elevator access while providing a staircase with views, metering down the socket-level and no on-site parking. Tenants are given an energy and water budget to fulfill zero-energy and zero-water goals. A 14,303 SF rooftop solar PV array is expected to meet electricity demand by producing 240,000 kW hours annually. A kiosk with real time performance information is featured in a public exhibition space. The Bullitt Center is seeking Living Building Challenge certification after one year of occupancy (May 2014) verifying its performance at zero net energy and water.