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Achieving Labs21 Pilot Project Goals in NREL's Recently
Completed Science and Technology Facility
Nancy Carlisle, AIA, and
Otto Van Geet, P.E., National Renewable Energy
Laboratory
Michael Medici, SmithGroup
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), located in Golden,
Colorado, is the nation's primary laboratory for renewable energy
and energy efficiency research and development. As NREL builds out
its campus, it is committed to use each new building as an opportunity
to demonstrate and showcase to other Federal, private and academic
research campuses both how to plan for and significantly reduce
conventional energy usage.
The latest addition to our campus, completed in June 2006, is the
71,000 sq. ft. Science and Technology Facility (S&TF). Designed
by the SmithGroup of Phoenix, AZ, and built by M. A. Mortenson Company
(Mortenson), NREL set LEED® Gold as a design goal for this laboratory
building and designated the building as a pilot project under the
DOE\EPA Laboratories for the 21st Century (Labs21) Program. NREL
modeled the building's energy performance against three reference
standards including an ASHRAE 90.1 1999 base case (LEED 2.1), the
LEED-AGL energy performance modeling guidelines and the ASHRAE 90.1,-2004
standard, appendix G (LEED 2.2).
Building energy efficiency is a key driver for NREL's approach
to achieving the goal of LEED Gold. Reducing energy use in laboratory
buildings is especially important because typical lab buildings
use four to six times more energy per unit of area than typical
office buildings and the energy use for operating a conventional
lab is now running in the range of $6.00/sq. ft./year of floor area.
The objective of the paper is to discuss the design approach, technologies,
and strategies chosen to meet the LEED Gold design target and the
goals that NREL set as a Labs21 Pilot Partner and discuss the results
of the energy modeling.
Labs21 Connection:
NREL used a holistic approach to the design of the building. Strategies
used in the building include:
- Contextually and climate responsive architecture features including
minimized footprint, orientation, and the integration of building
orientation, window placement, shading, interior finishes and
lighting controls to optimize daylighting performance.
- Various engineering strategies including variable air volume
supply and exhaust systems for laboratory and office areas, fan
coil units in laboratory spaces, low flow chemical and laminar
flow fume hoods, staged exhaust fans that are brought on according
to building exhaust needs, exhaust air and process cooling water
energy recovery, indirect/direct evaporative cooling, adjacent
building central plant expansion with high-efficiency chiller
and boiler, lighting controls, and underfloor air distribution
system in the office area with demand-based ventilation using
carbon dioxide controls.
- Landscaping designed to detain water flow and to use excavation
soil to reclaim an adjacent disturbed part of the site.
- Aggressive construction waste management program coupled with
other efforts to use local and recycled materials.
- Via the Building Management System, the building will be monitored
for energy consumption including chilled water, tower water, heating
water, process water, electricity, and environmental conditioning.
Biographies:
Nancy Carlisle, AIA, is the Federal Energy Management Program
(FEMP) Group Manager at NREL in Golden, Colorado, and a licensed
Architect in the state of Colorado. The NREL FEMP program has employed
up to 17 full-time staff and has had a $4 million budget. At NREL,
she led the development of NREL's 25 year Master Site Plan for both
campuses. The plan provides a framework to develop NREL's campuses
in a sustainable way. She leads NREL and FEMP's renewable program
that involves working with Federal agencies to meet their Federal
goals for renewable energy use at their sites. She has been a core
member of the Labs21 technical program since its inception. She
has worked at NREL over 25 years, in research, analysis, design
and outreach activities that promote the design of sustainable low
energy buildings. She is a LEEDaccredited professional and recognized
as a Fellow in the American Solar Energy Society. She holds a Masters
degree in Architecture (University of Colorado), a Masters degree
in Urban Planning (University of Arizona), and a Bachelors degree
in Economics with a concentration in Environmental Studies. (Colorado
State University).
Otto Van Geet, P.E., is a Senior Engineer
at NREL, working in the Federal Energy Management Program. Prior
to this assignment, Otto was the Senior Mechanical Engineer in the
Site Operations group at NREL, and a Mechanical Engineer at Sandia
National Labs. Mr. Van Geet has been involved in the design, construction,
and operation of energy-efficient R&D facilities for microelectronics,
photovoltaic, thermal, and biological research, as well as office
and general use facilities. Mr. Van Geet has been involved with
the Labs21 program since its inception and provides technical guidance
for the program. His experience also includes passive solar building
design, use of design tools, photovoltaic (PV) system design, energy
audits, and minimizing energy use. Mr. Van Geet is a Registered
Professional Engineer, a Certified Energy Manager, a LEEDAccredited
Professional, and a Project Management Professional. Otto is also
a member of ASHRAE and ASES and has a Bachelor of Science degree
in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Mexico.
Michael Medici, AIA, is President
of SmithGroup's Phoenix, Arizona, office and is a member of the
firm's Board of Directors. Mike has over 25 years experience in
architectural management and design and has been with SmithGroup
since 1980, President since 1989, and a member of the Board of Directors
since 1990. He graduated from Lawrence Technological University
with both a Bachelor of Science Degree and a Graduate Degree in
Architecture. In 2004, Mr. Medici was the recipient of the University's
Distinguished Alumni Award.
Mike has remained active in managing several of the firm's past
and current key projects, including: Science and Technology Facility
for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Phelps Dodge Headquarters,
TGen, Arizona Biomedical Collaborative, University of Arizona Medical
School, Central Park East and Apollo Development at Riverpoint Center.
The recent completion of two SmithGroup projects includes the USDA
Arid Land Agriculture Research Institute in Maricopa, AZ and Drachman
Hall, University of Arizona, where they began holding classes this
past January. Mike is a leader in SmithGroup's overall Sustainable
Design Philosophy. SmithGroup designed the first LEED Platinum-rated
building the United States, the Phillip Merrill Environmental Center,
Chesapeake Bay.
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