part vii renewable energy case studies

Re-Arch: The Initiative for Renewable Energy in ArchitectureRenewable Energy in Commercial BuildingsDesign Guidelines for Integrating Renewable Energy in Commercial BuildingsBy Loren Abraham, AIA, LEED AP

Part VIIRENEWABLE ENERGY CASE STUDIES

• Federal Express Facility Video

• U.S. Department of Energy Building Database

• Minnesota Renewable Energy Success Stories

• NREL Case Studies

• Innovative BiPV Examples

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Re-Arch: The Initiative for Renewable Energy in Architecture

Video: Federal Express Shipping Facility

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U.S. Department of Energy Building Database

• 4 Times Square –The Conde Nast

• 20 River Terrace –The Solaire

• Alfred A. ArugCourthouse

• Science Museum of Minnesota

Goto the DOE High Performance Building Database

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The Conde Nast Building at Four Times SquareOverview:• Location: New York, NY • Building type(s): Commercial office, Retail • New construction • 1,600,000 sq. feet (149,000 sq. meters) • Project scope: 48-story building • Completed January 2000• Total project cost (land excluded):

$270,000,000Photo credits: Kiss + Cathcart Architects

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The Conde NastBuilding at 4 Times Square

Energy Design

• Computer simulation tools used in order to optimally design HVAC and building envelope.

• Urban orientation rather than solar orientation generated the building form.

• The DOE-2 model calculated amount of energy consumed by floor or group of floors

Photo credits: Kiss + Cathcart Architects 1CASE STUDY

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The Conde Nast Buildingat Four Times Square

• Two 200 kW fuel cells are located in the 4th floor

• Integrated "thin-film" photovoltaics were used in spandrel glass on the south and east facades of the top 9 floors.

Total Annual Building Energy Consumption

Fuel Cost MMBtu kBtu/ft2 $/ft2

Total Purchased TBA 102,000 63.8 TBA

Grand Total TBA 102,000 63.8 TBA

View of the Photovoltaic Spandrel Glass on the South facing sideof the building. Photo credit: Kiss + Cathcart Architects

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Photo credit: Kiss + Cathcart Architects

The Conde Nast Buildingat Four Times Square

• Direct-fired natural-gas absorption chiller/heaters

• Individual floor-by-floor fan units operate only when occupied.

• Energy-efficient, fiber-optic outdoor signage atop building.

• Occupancy sensors and high-performance fixtures reduce building's energy use. 1

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20 River Terrace – The SolaireOverview• Location: New York, NY • Building type(s): Multi-unit

residential • New construction • 357,000 sq. feet (33,100 sq.

meters) • Project scope: 27-story building • Completed August 2003• The project was delayed due to

its proximity to the World Trade Center site.

• Rating: LEED-NC, v2 Gold 2CASE STUDY

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20 River Terrace – The Solaire

Area Map

Cost Data:• Total project cost (land

excluded): $114,500,000 • Property cost: $20,000,000 • Soft cost: $34 per sq foot• professional fee: $12 per sq foot • management fee: $8 per sq foot • finance: $13 per sq foot • Hard cost: $248 per sq foot• construction: $247 per sq foot• PV System: $375,000 ($1 per sf)

Floor Plans

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20 River Terrace – The Solaire20 River Terrace – The Solaire 2CASE STUDY

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Environmental Aspects• Green Roof• require 50% less potable water than a conventional,

residential high-rise building. • Rainwater Harvesting – water used in cooling towers• Multi-level humidification and ventilation systems

supply filtered fresh air to each residential unit.

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Environmental Aspects• designed to consume 35% less energy • reduce peak demand for electricity by 65%, • an integrated array of photovoltaic panels generates

5% of the building's energy at peak load • Daylighting was maximized • High-performance casement windows • programmable digital thermostats, • Energy Star Appliances • occupancy sensors and daylight sensors

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20 River Terrace – The SolaireEnergy Performance

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Re-Arch: The Initiative for Renewable Energy in ArchitectureDesign Guidelines for Integrating Renewable Energy in Commercial Buildings

The Science House is located along the Mississippi River in downtown St. Paul,Minnesota. The building was designed to be a net “Energy+ Building.” The structure behind the Science House is the Science Museum of Minnesota. The sloped roofing consists of BiPVthin film Amorphous Silicon standing seam metal roofing.

Science House at the Science Museum of Minnesota

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Site Plan for the Science House at the Science MuseumCASE STUDY

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The Science House at the Science Museum of Minnesota

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The Science House at the Science Museum ofMinnesota

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Other Minnesota Commercial Building Renewable Energy Success Stories

• The Green Institute• Flannery Construction• Como Park Conservatory• Audobon Center in the Northwoods• Skally Management• Venberg Solar Shop• Intelligent Nutrients• Izzy’s Ice Cream Parlour• RENew Northfield – Carleton College Wind Turbine• Macalaster Wind Turbine

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Green Institute2801 21st Avenue SouthMinneapolis, MN

Overview• 34 kW photovoltaic array• Approx. PV Cost: $150,000• Geothermal heat pump• Use of extensive passive solar

strategies• Solar tracking skylights• Extensive use of recycled and

salvaged building materials• Rainwater catchment system• Green Roof

Photo credits:

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Flannery Construction2801 21st Avenue SouthMinneapolis, MN

Overview• 1,120 sf of solar thermal panels

on 2 story commercial building

• Application: solar assisted in-floor hydronic heating loop and SDHW

• Est. Cost: $ 130,000

Photo credits:

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Como Park ConservatorySt. Paul, MN

System Components• 20,000 square feet of custom PV

laminated Glass• 11.5 kW total power output• Glass Fabricator: Atlantis• Est. Cost:

$ 150,000

Photo credits:

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Audubon Center of the Northwoods54165 Audubon DriveSandstone, MN

Overview• 3 sets of 16 solar electric panels on trackers

totaling 8.4 kW PV• 2 (4' x 10') flat-panel solar collectors• Closed, vertical-loop geothermal heat pumps

with thirty 208-foot-deep wells• Hummingbird wind generator - 5 kW• Recreational vehicle converted to run on used

vegetable oil (bio-diesel)Photo credits:

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Skally Management622 Grand AvenueSt. Paul, MN

Overview• 8 roof-mounted 4' x10' solar

thermal panels on low-rise multifamily residential building

• Application: SDHW• Cost: $25,000• 2 120-gallon storage tanks with 1 flat-plate

heat exchanger• Controller turns the system on automatically

Photo credits:

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Venberg Solar Shop1101 15th Avenue SEMinneapolis, MN

System Components• 4 (6.5 x 4') solar thermal panels• Photovoltaic-powered pump• Apricus 22 evacuated tube array• Rainwater catchment• Radiant in-floor heating• Seasonal solar domestic hot water• 75% salvaged/recycled materials• daylighting• Living roof

Photo credits:

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Intelligent Nutrients983 East Hennepin AvenueMinneapolis, MN

• 1.1 kW PV Solar electric shingles• Sunny Boy 1100U inverter• Transmission line to utility grid

Izzy's Ice Cream Café2034 Marshall AvenueSt. Paul, MN

• 200 43-watt B.P. PV panels (8.6 kW)• Outback inverter• 3 controllers

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RENew Northfield and

Carleton College Wind Turbine• 1.65 mW Wind Turbine• 280 foot tower

Macalaster College Wind Turbine• 55 kW Wind Turbine• 90 foot tower

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NREL Renewable Energy Case Studies

• Chesapeake Bay Foundation Philip Merrill Environmental Center, Annapolis, Maryland

• Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies, Oberlin College

• Zion National Park Visitor Center Complex, Springdale, Utah.• BigHorn Home Improvement Center, Silverthorne, Colorado • Cambria Office Building, Ebensburg, Pennsylvania • NREL Thermal Test Facility (TTF), Golden, Colorado

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The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Philip Merrill Environmental Center

Overview• Location: Annapolis, MD • Building type: Commercial office, Interpretive

Center, New construction • 32,000 sq. feet (2,970 sq. meters) • Project scope: 2-story building • Suburban setting • Completed December 2000 • Rating: U.S. Green Building Council LEED-

NC, v1.0--Level: Platinum• Owner: The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is

an environmental advocacy, restoration, and education organization.

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The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Philip Merrill Environmental Center• The Chesapeake Bay Foundation Headquarters building is recognized as one of the "greenest"

buildings ever constructed. • It was the first building to receive a Platinum rating through the U.S. Green Building Council's

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Rating System, version 1.0.

The CBF headquarters uses only 10% as much water as a comparable building. Rainwater storage tanks are shown in this photo. Photo by Prakash Patel, courtesy of SmithGroup

The exterior of the CBF headquarters is shown in this photograph from the southwest. Photo by PrakashPatel, courtesy of SmithGroup

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4.3 Description of Photovoltaic SystemA 4.2-kW, thin-film PV system is mounted on the south side of the building. The panels are inclined at an angle of 30° and face approximately south. Three inverters feed the energy into electrical panels on the second floor (Figure 4-6.) There is no storage or net metering because loads connected to these panels immediately use all the electricity generated. The building structure and conference pavilion partially shade the PV panels during the summer, which reduces the system production (see Figure 4-7).

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Re-Arch: The Initiative for Renewable Energy in ArchitectureThe Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Philip Merrill Environmental Center

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Re-Arch: The Initiative for Renewable Energy in ArchitectureThe Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Philip Merrill Environmental Center Natural Ventilation

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Re-Arch: The Initiative for Renewable Energy in ArchitectureThe Chesapeake Bay Foundation’sPhilip Merrill Environmental CenterEnergy Use

The CBF lobby is shown in this photograph from the second floor. Prakash Patel, courtesy SmithGroup 4

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Re-Arch: The Initiative for Renewable Energy in ArchitectureChesapeake Bay Foundation’sPhilip Merrill EnvironmentalCenter

Mechanical Systems

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Re-Arch: The Initiative for Renewable Energy in ArchitectureThe Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Philip Merrill Environmental CenterMechanical Systems

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Monitoring and Evaluation

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Monitoring and Evaluation

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The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Philip Merrill Environmental Center Performance

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Recommendations1. Design passive ventilation for a different air flow direction.2. Install PV panels where they will not be shaded.3. Use different models when designing GS loop heat

exchangers.4. Reprogram the EMS to run heat pumps based on demand.5. Reduce receptacle loads during off hours.6. Provide second-floor interior with high-reflectivity finish.7. Install new lighting controls in open office and light switches in closets.8. Monitor and design a system to minimize glare issues.9. Revise GSHP system heat exchanger capacity & controls.10. Refit the air system to allow economizer operation

& desiccant wheel system.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Philip Merrill Environmental Center Study

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Recommendations (cont.)11. Examine exterior shading options - add shading where

beneficial.12. Add sensors to record the temperature of fluid in the

GS loop returns.13. Add flow sensors to record the flow rate of fluid in the

GS wells.14. Reinstall outdoor weather station.15. Record data from the energy management system.16. Instrument domestic hot-water system.17. Instrument natural ventilation system. 18. Develop monitoring to measure horizontal infrared radiation.19. Complete an as-built EnergyPlus model.20. Model natural ventilation systems further. 4

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Conclusions• Site energy use savings 24.5% compared to

code-compliant (CC) building. • Source energy savings is 22% compared to CC building. • Energy cost savings 12% compared to a CC building. • During cooling season, returns from GS heat exchanger

are too warm. • Daylight is not harvested as well as it could be on the second floor. • The Merrill Center is a good candidate for follow-up research. • A long-term monitoring effort can collect data for energy use and

weather for evaluating energy performance. • Significant differences were found between the actual energy

performance and predictions made for rating purposes. 4CASE STUDY


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Oberlin Center for Environmental Learning

Overview• Location: Oberlin, OH • Building type: Higher education,

Library, Assembly• New construction • 13,600 sq. feet (1,260 sq. meters) • Height: 2-story building • Completed January 2000

The Lewis Center is visible in this photograph beyond the constructed wetland. The main atrium is located in the taller, left-hand section. The greenhouse and Living Machine are housed in the right-hand, glassed-in section.

The photovoltaic panels in this photograph cover 4,682 ft2 (690 panels)of the building's south-facing curved roof.

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Environmental considerations -Questions posed by David Orr:• Is it possible to power buildings using

current solar income? • Is it possible to create buildings that purify

their own wastewater? • Is it possible to build without

compromising human or environmental health elsewhere or at a later time? In this photo, biology professor David Benzing

stands amidst the plants in the Living Machine which processes all wastewater from the Lewis Center sinks and toilets. Photo: Robb Williamson 5

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The auditorium, shown in this photograph, showcases a number of materials used in the Lewis Center. The chair fabric is biodegradable, the carpet is a product of service that will be cycled back into carpet as it wears out, all wood is FSC-certified, and the acoustical panels are made of agricultural waste products.Robb Williamson,

The Lewis Center is located at 122 Elm St. The building was designed to fit into the site. On the east (the left in this photograph, is residential town area, so this side of the building is primarily brick and of a relatively conservative design. The north side of the building is buffered by a productive garden as well as an immature orchard. A constructed wetland, visible on the right half of the photo, wraps around the south and east sides of the building. Oberlin College,


2CASE STUDYArchitect: William McDonough + Partners

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This photograph shows the Lewis Center's open atrium. FSC-

certified wood can be seen in the ceiling and doors. Robb Williamson,

The classroom shown in this photograph is located on the second floor. Large exterior and interior windows for daylighting combine with daylight-sensing fixtures to ensure ample lighting. Desks, chairs, and carpeting are made of recycled materials. Low- or no-VOC materials combine with natural ventilation to provide a healthy indoor environment. Robb Williamson


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• Designed to be an energy producer and a teaching aid for students.

• Houses classrooms, offices, and an atrium.

• Sustainable Features include:– Passive solar design– Daylighting– Natural ventilation– An enhanced thermal envelope– Geothermal heat pumps for

heating & cooling. – A roof-integrated PV system

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Oberlin Energy Performance Evaluation

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Oberlin Center for Environmental LearningPV Systems

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Oberlin Center for Environmental Learning Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE)

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Oberlin Center for Environmental Learning Results

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Oberlin Center for Environmental Learning Center PV Performance

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Oberlin Center for Environmental LearningLighting and Daylighting Analysis

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Recommendations1. Replaced the hydronic electric boiler with two 8-ton

ground source heat pumps.2. exhaust fan control changes are recommended in the

wastewater treatment area including controlling the exhaust fan motor with a variable frequency drive.

3. Investigate scheduling, control changes, and lighting technologies of the parking lot and sidewalk lights.

4. Energy-efficient PV system isolation transformers are recommended

5. Replace the installed ARI-320 heat pumps with appropriately rated ARI-330 ground source heat pumps.

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Recommendations (cont.)6. Developing a demand limiting strategy that

integrates on-site generation with HVAC controls.7. Provide advanced controls that allow the

temperature of the building to float based on instantaneous consumption and production..

8. Adjust and optimize enthalpy settings, economizer controls, CO2 sensors, etc.

9. Add Daylighting controls in the atrium.10. Optimize and tune the daylighting and occupancy

sensor control integration.11. Rehang the blinds in the classrooms so they do not

cover the top row of glass and install prismatic glass to redirect this light to the ceiling. 2

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Conclusions• This evaluation process working with various stakeholders was

extremely beneficial. • The building Energy use Density dropped from 47.5 kBtu/sf to

27.5 kBtu/sf per year during the first three years of operation.• During the third year the energy savings were 48% less than

the base case (ASHRAE 90.1 2001 code building.)• It is believed that this will improve to 64% savings with 85% of

the building load met by PV.• The Living Machine made a large impact on the overall energy

use of the building at about 23% of the total load.• If the Living Machine is ignored the site energy use intensity

would be 22.5 kBtu/sf per year with PV production meeting 76% of the load.

• The lighting systems are operating at a high level of performance - evident in the low lighting energy intensity of 1.9 kBtu/ft2•yr - 72% less than the base case model.

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Summary of NREL Studied Buildings

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NREL Report Selected Best Practices• Use an integrated design process to system-engineer the building • Use computer simulations to guide the design process; these help designers analyze

trade-offs and examine the energy impacts of architecture and HVAC choices • Simulate and measure the building’s energy performance at design, construction,

and occupancy stages • Set specific, quantifiable energy performance goals • Design the building envelope to meet or minimize as many HVAC and lighting loads

as possible • Size HVAC and lighting systems to meet loads not met by the envelope • Use daylighting in all zones adjacent to exterior walls or roofs• Install highly reflective surfaces in all daylit zones, especially ceilings • Monitor and evaluate post-occupancy energy performance • Implement standardized measurement procedures using standard metrics • Carefully design and implement the use, control, and integration of economizers,

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Innovative BiPV Examples

• British Pavilion

• German Reichstag

• Discovery Museum

• Operable PV Louvers and Panels

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The British Pavillion, Seville, Spain

Architect: Nicholas GrimshawS-shaped photovoltaic shading panels

West wall is water wall – pumps are powered by PV

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GermanReichstag

Renewable energyDesign Features

• Solar Reflectors and louvers are PV devices

• When daylight is not harvested for lighting electricity is produced

• Elaborate Natural Ventilation Scheme

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GermanReichstag

Renewable energyDesign Features

• Solar Reflectors and louvers are PV devices

• When daylight is not harvested for lighting electricity is produced

• Elaborate Natural Ventilation Scheme

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Discovery Museum

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PV Louver Solar Control Device

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PV Glass Solar Control Devices

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part vii renewable energy case studies

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