SOLAR TODAY - May 2011

The Cost-Efficient Zero-Net Office Building

Finished Research Support Facility with racking in place for 1.6 megawatts of photovoltaic modules.

By setH Masia

Using off-the-shelf technology, NREL’s new LEED Platinum facility makes as much energy as it uses.

When;the;National;Renewable;Energy;Lab- oratory;(NREL);set;out;to;build;a;new Research Support Facility — basically, a set of administrative offices — the goal was to;move;the;staff;of;825;out;of;existing;con- ventional office buildings using energy at the;rate;of;91,000;Btu;per;square;foot;per;year;—;expressed as 91 kBtu/ft2/yr (979 kBtu/m2/yr).;The;goal:;cut;energy use;by;65;percent,;to;32;kBtu/ft2/yr;(344kBtu/m2/yr),;and make that energy with renewable technologies, right on site. In;theory,;a;new;zero-net-energy;office;building;might;save;the Department;of;Energy;something;like;$80,000;a;year;in;heat- ing, lighting, air-conditioning and data-center power costs.

Further, the new building was to use off-the-shelf technol- ogy;and;come;in;for;a;total;budget;of;$65;million,;including design;work;and;furnishings.;The;design-build;contract;went to;a;partnership;of;RNL;Design,;an;architectural;firm;with offices;in;Los;Angeles,;Denver,;Phoenix;and;Abu;Dhabi,;and Haselden;Construction,;of;Centennial,;Colo.

Seth Masia ( smasia@solartoday.org) is deputy editor at SOLAR TODA Y.

50 May 2011 SOLAR TODAY solartoday.org

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY / NREL

When;the;LEED;Platinum;project;came;in;on;schedule and;on;budget;last;fall;at;222,000;square;feet;( 20,650;square meters),;finished;cost;worked;out;to;288;per;square;foot ($3,096;per;square;meter),;roughly;15;percent;less;than;the cost;of;the;LEED;Silver;Commerce;City;Civic;Center,;built 18;miles;away;in;2007.

Shanti;Pless,;LEED;AP;and;senior;research;engineer;at NREL,;has;been;monitoring;the;building’s;performance;since the;first;staffers;moved;in;in;October;2010.;The;addition;of a;small;server;farm;—;it’s;the;data;center;for;several;NREL buildings;—;bumped;the;total;energy;budget;up;to;35;kBtu/ ft2/yr;—;but;Pless;reports;that;midwinter;performance;is;on target;for;net-zero;energy.;Before;the;summer;cooling;season, the;1.6-megawatt;photovoltaic;system;will;be;complete;and ready;to;drive;the;ventilation;load.;Pless;is;confident;the;net-zero;goal;will;be;met;year-round.