Sizable Sustainability at the Science and Engineering Laboratory Building

Robert Shea, BSA LifeStructures

The Science and Engineering Laboratory Building is a three story building which totals 71,400 gross square feet and combines both research and teaching laboratories in a collaborative environment. The building was completed in 2013 and was designed to achieve a minimum of LEED Silver and continue the effort to improve sustainable performance of laboratory buildings on campus.

The design team worked collaboratively with the university to reduce the site consumption of the building to a projected level of 239 kbtu-sf/yr. Overall energy reduction was 29% based on cost and 32% based on consumption when compared to the LEED baseline. Utilizing energy modeling and CFD analysis, the team implemented active chilled beams in the laboratories, enthalpy wheels, run around heat recovery, heat pumps, low velocity AHUs and several other concepts in achieveing the design goals.

The presentation will discuss the process for energy modeling and selection of the concepts including the approach for chilled beams in the laboratories. The discussion will also focus on the operational impacts and concepts that were studied but ultimately not selected (i.e fan coil units). The presentation will also show the first five months of actual energy consumption of the facility as compared to the design basis and document lessons learned from the construction process and initial occupancy of the building.

Learning Objectives

  • How to apply four pipe active chilled beams in a laboratory environment and lessons learned from this application including results of CFD analysis and energy modeling.
  • How to approach design selection and energy modeling for concepts such as heat pumps, enthalpy wheels, low velocity AHUs, and condensate heat recovery including actual energy data and metrics.
  • How to use metrics such as Watts/CFM for fan energy, Watts/SF for lighting, and % recoverable energy to guide and develop design concepts including metric comparisons and lessons learned.

Biography:

Bob Shea is Senior Director at BSA LifeStructures. Bob has over 23 years experience in the design of science and research facilities including design concepts and post occupancy energy analysis.

 

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