Tech Session 2: High Performance Building Design Strategies

ASHRAE Region VI CRC Paul A. Torcellini, Ph.D., PE May 8, 2009 www.highperformancebuildings.gov

NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC

Procurement

Creating the RFP Example:

Office Building Datacenter Library Conference/Meeting Space Fixed budget $64M (just building) Design Build

Project Objectives

1. Mission Critical 2. Highly Desirable 3. If Possible

Project Objectives

1. Mission Critical
Safety LEED Platinum

Project Objectives

2. Highly Desirable
800 staff Capacity 25kBTU/sf/year Architectural integrity Honor future staff needs Measurable ASHRAE 90.1 Support culture and amenities Expandable building Ergonomics Flexible workspace Support future technologies How to manual Real-time PR campaign Secure collaboration with outsiders Building information modeling Substantial Completion by 2010

Project Objectives

3. If Possible
Net zero design approach Most energy efficient building in the world LEED Platinum Plus ASHRAE 90.1 + 50% Visual displays of current energy efficiency Support public tours National and global recognition and awards Support personnel turnover

Energy Consumption Goal

25,000 BTU/sqft Includes everything, even the datacenter. Credit for additional space utilization Credit for additional datacenter capability (beyond the building) Penalty for using electric resistance Assumed condensing boilers and good chillers (to avoid calculation from our central plant) Methodology document done before RFP issued

Substantiation
Show that building as-built is consistent with energy models Will be shown at time of turn-over No commitment on the operation sidealthough we will monitor and understand actual performance

Risk and Reward (from the designer)

Risk
Design competition 50% of Phase 1 fee at risk

Energy performance requirement LEED Platinum requirement Guaranteed maximum price

Reward
High profile project Design fees (within GMP) Award Incentive Fee

Risk Management
Design-Build partnership Share risks Ability to control decisions

It is Really About the Details

Combinations of lots of little things that cause buildings to use energy Conceptually, low-energy buildings can be donefail on the details Difference between expectations and actual operation?

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Major Components
Envelope Windows Lighting Systems (Including Daylighting) HVAC Systems Electrical Systems Plug Loads Photovoltaic Systems

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Building Form
Set the Energy Goals with the program of the building
Form will follow the function and the goals Many times the form is really historical in context

Typically want no more than 60 foot width Long East-West Access East and West windows a problem

Envelope
As building become low energy, the envelope becomes more important (percentage-wise) Reduce the glass
Cannot engineer around it Design for views and daylighting (more on that later) Is low-e the answer (or high-performance glass)

Reduce Thermal Bridging

Detail books Insulated panels Spray foams Ground losses

Lighting Energy
One of largest end uses
Up to 40% of total end uses

One the top of the list for meeting energy savings

Inexpensive and offer rapid payback Helps to reduce cooling loads

Lighting Systems
Separate daylighting fenestration from view glass Design the daylighting system to provide enough, but not too much daylighting Daylighting must be superior to electrical lighting
Provide lighting needs or 50% to 75% of occupied hours

Allow for reductions in A/C load because of overhangs and daylighting Help design teams understand the integration of pieces Get the controls right

Toplighting
Daylighting for top floor or single story North or South facing clerestories

Sidelighting

Sidelighting with Toplighting

Tubular Daylighting Devices

Daylighting Hints
High ceiling heights
Greater than 10

Eliminate direct beam penetration

Exterior shading Light shelves Diffusing films Baffles

High reflectance on ceiling surfaces Dimming controls High visible transmittance for daylighting fenestration
Greater than 60%

Daylighting Design
Slight over design needed
Never as bright as predicted Darker colors common issue Occupant perception Do not over glaze (especially lower windows)

Screens on operable windows Frame areas Glass typeerrors? Glare control

NREL Pix 09226

Daylighting control
Enable daylighting where ever possible
Default on some sensors is no daylighting

Central controls easier to calibrate

Retrofit on some projects

Minimize photocells Minimize occupancy sensors Manual control is not effective Overrides for special functions

NREL PIX 05171

Lighting Design
Lower levels acceptable in most cases
Effective task lighting allowed lower ambient levels Daylighting augmented spaces; allowed for lower levels at night Circuiting

NREL PIX 09217

Emergency Lighting
Wall packs worked well for egress lightingminimal parasitic load Integral battery ballasts are a parasitic hog. 24-hour lighting
can be large part of lighting loads motion sensors daylighting control

NREL Pix 09229

LED Outdoor Area (Parking Lot) Lighting

Why LEDs make sense for commercial parking lots
Save energy
Enhanced luminaire optical efficiency Better total system efficacy (lumens per watt) Control capability, e.g., dimming

Reduced maintenance costs Improved uniformity

Timing for common specifications

Retailer Energy Alliance working group established in April 2008 Specifications completed in 2009

Metal Halide Parking Lot

LED Parking Lot

Average: 3.5 Maximum: 9.0 Minimum: 0.9 Max : Min: 10.0

455W MH

Average: 2.8 Maximum: 5.2 Minimum: 1.2 Max : Min: 4.3

218W LED

Lighting Design
Put Lighting Power Densities on space plans by zone Set goals for LPDs 0.6 W/sqft for offices 0.8 W/sqft of retail Also look at kWh/sqft annually (or BTU/sqft) Watch lamp efficacy Spend the resources to do it correctly.

HVAC Systems-Natural Ventilation

Natural ventilation
Occupants dont want to interact with building (somewhat different than residential)should they? Automatic windows worked well
Set-up issues Interface with EMS Open area (screens, window distance) Hardware failures May be better to use relief dampers

Control strategies More limited than economizer

Energy Recovery Ventilators

Balance air flows Design exhaust through ERV Allow for bypass (or no recovery option)
Dont sacrifice economizer ability

Oberlin analysis: effective below 60F Integrated control logic

140,000

120,000

Energy Recovered (Btu/hr)

100,000 Before filter change After filter change

80,000

60,000

40,000 Energy Required To Operate ERV-2

20,000

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Outdoor Temperature (F)

Ground Source Heat Pumps

Watch backup mechanism
Electric boiler backup Controls

Well capacity Watch temperatures

verify loop capacity

HVAC
Look at system efficiency and not just components useful stuff divided by what you pay for More water, less air Separate ventilation air from heating and cooling Good zoning

Control Systems
Mixed feelings: Only as smart as the operator Flexibility important to tune building Probably the biggest success factor Well thought out algorithms Demand management
Set points, setback, control to goals and comfort

Staff to program
All systems from case studies were reprogrammed from original sequencing

Controls
Simple programmable T-stats Push button overrides Include plug loads on same system Keep it simple On-off control of lights or good diming control Manual on Manual off Auto off Controls can only make the design (and the related equipment) work to its potential

Plug Loads (Turn things OFF!)

Night Plug Power Density (W/ft2)

Day Plug Power Density (W/ft2)

Annual Plug Load Energy Use Intensity (kBtu/ft2)

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Minimize Plug Loads

Timers for all plug loads Minimize water coolers Energy Star equipment (computers/copiers, etc.) Consolidated printing via network
Document processing equipment Minimize (no?) fax machines

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PV Systems
Work well for UPS systems Parasitic loads (isolation transformers) Roughly 1 kWh/watt installed capacity Inverter trips Inverter programming

Techniques
Daylightingminimize the lighting load Efficient lighting (less than 0.7 W/sqft)
Minimize the type of lamps (T-8) CFLs are not a substitute for area lighting Minimize decorative lighting Wall pack egress lighting, no emergency ballasted fixtures

More insulation (R-25 walls, R-40 ceilings, R-10 below grade, including slab) Appropriate amounts of glass Operable windows for natural ventilation Plug loads on timers Appropriate zoning of HVAC Hot water heating Should have minimal cooling loadtarget 1000 sqft/ton

Techniques
Set specific/measurable goals early Use simulation to engineer the building Envelope to provide HVAC&L Use daylighting within (15-ish feet) of exterior surfaces Use standardized metrics for reporting Dont delete economizers (especially with heatpump based systems)

How to Achieve ZEB Summary

Envelope and Orientation to Reduce Loads
Well Insulated roofs, walls, floors, windows (with shading)

Envelope and Orientation to Meet Loads

Daylighting Passive Solar Heating, Trombe walls Natural Ventilation

Lighting design to match daylighting Plug loads

Design vs. owner loads

Climate specific HVAC designed for the remaining loads Commissioning (making sure the building works) Metering and evaluation Make it Simple Site Specific Renewable generation within footprint, site, off-site Small amounts of RECs
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Questions?
www.highperformancebuildings.gov

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