Digging Deeper: Net Zero Energy Labs

Eric Soladay, Integral Group

Any Net Zero Energy lab building must target a 60% to 70% reduction in annual energy use compared with a typical, code-compliant lab building. This savings can be realized through the use of a high-performance building envelope with building systems that at minimum incorporate all of the I2SL sustainable best practices, as well as reach beyond these measures and incorporate local climate benefits, synergies between end uses and unique opportunities presented by each project.

The project team must be as integrated as the building, systems, processes and users to achieve energy reduction goals and performance requirements to deliver – and operate – a truly Net Zero Energy building. All stakeholders must contribute to the process of developing the project – from facilities, administration and maintenance; to users, occupants and process systems; and architects, engineers and contractors. These integrated project teams not only can deliver the lowest energy buildings, but also ones that outperform other projects in capital investment, ease of maintenance and flexibility to adapt to the changing needs of science.

The latest developments on lab code requirements, airflow safety and effectiveness, fume hood turn down minimums, dual occupancy sensor overrides, exhaust stack wind monitoring control and other advanced lab specific system features will be reviewed for cost impact and benefit. Many of these systems require a low cost investment – and can reduce other system infrastructure costs – but also require increased commissioning and maintenance commitments.

Lab equipment plug load reductions are essential to meeting net zero goals. Truly, no system or component can be left in isolation to reach lab building energy use of 30 to 50 kbtu/sf-yr – a common energy density range for net zero labs. (As compared to 10-20 kbtu/sf-yr for many net zero office buildings.) Commitment by end users, and inclusion in the design and project development process, is essential to achieving significant energy reductions in lab equipment. Examples ranging from computational server power reductions and waste heat reclaim, to mass spectrometer cooling, to efficient vacuum pump specification, and highly efficient direct liquid cooling approaches will be reviewed.

Project examples will be used to illustrate general approach strategies, including the J. Craig Venter Institute, a net zero carbon/net zero energy and LEED® Platinum new 45,000-square-foot laboratory; the St Croix Marine Research and Education Center which includes a net zero energy humidity-controlled laboratory space; and the Caltech Linde+Robinson Lab for Global Environmental Science, which included a 50% reduction in lab equipment energy use.

Biography:

Eric Soladay is an innovative, collaborative and goal-oriented mechanical engineer responsible for the procurement, management, and design of building engineering system projects. With a focus on architectural and social significance, sustainable and efficient systems, and cost- and maintenance-conscious designs, Eric brings a calm and reliable creativity to the art of engineering the built environment. Eric has led several significant projects, including the first LEED Platinum certified retrofit of a historical laboratory building for the Linde+Robinson Lab at Caltech, the most energy efficient data center in North America with a PUE of 1.05 for the Energy Systems Integration Facility at the National Renewable Energy Lab, and the net zero energy headquarters building for the Packard Foundation. Eric has managed projects for such clients as: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, National Renewable Energy Lab, and National Institute of Standards and Technology.

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