SOLAR TODAY - May 2011

that employed south-facing glazing, colored concrete;floors,;extensive;interior;exposed;wall mass;and;overhangs.;These;not;only;provide heating advantages but also contribute to lighting the space.

The;measured;annual;daylighting;contribu-tion,;excluding;any;associated;cooling;benefits,;is 17,705;kilowatt-hours;(k Wh),;or;the;equivalent of;8,021;Btu;per;square;foot,;per;year.

Efficiency. In addition to the daylighting and passive design strategies, the key building design elements included ultra-efficiency mea-sures.;These;include;high;insulation;values;for the;exterior,;high-mass;masonry;and;stone;walls, roof;assemblies;with;radiant;barriers;;low-E;glass in;the;low-view;windows;;operable;windows;to take advantage of the many days that the facility could;benefit;from;natural;ventilation;;a;light-colored roof membrane and an airlock entry into the main visitor center.

Geothermal. A geothermal heat pump sys-
tem, employing 13- to 300-foot-deep (4- to
91-meter-deep);wells,;provides;the;heating;and
air conditioning for the main building. To over-
come;the;potential;loss;of;energy;from;the;exten-
sive;toilet;exhausts,;the;facility;includes;energy
recovery ventilation systems.

A Model of Sustainability

The sustainable technologies and design techniques employed at the Northwest North Carolina Sustainable Visitor Center are all readily available options. Yet the results are remarkable.

For comparison, an ASHRAE base case building, excluding the extensive site lighting and other outbuildings, would consume 87,975 Btu per square foot per year. The 7,734-square-foot;(719-square-meter);visitor center/rest;area;building,;also;excluding;non- building;loads,;consumes;46,785;Btu;per;square foot;per;year;—;a;47;percent;reduction.;See;a breakdown;in;the;table;on;page;35.

The;real;benefit;of;this;facility;won’t;be;the 47;percent;savings,;however.;The;real;benefit will be derived from the tens of thousands of visitors to this facility every year, most not initially even knowing or caring about the sustain-able;features,;who;will;be;exposed;to;opportu-nities they can incorporate today in their own homes and businesses. When describing the facility’s;biggest;return;for;the;state,;Jimmy;Par-rish,;NCDOT;representative;for;the;project, didn’t;need;to;consult;the;financials.;Certainly, he said, it was the net effect from visitors seeing firsthand;how;they;could;“apply;the;technolo-gies;to;their;own;lives.”;ST

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