The Influence of Integrated Design Processes on Energy Performance in Laboratories
Eric Soladay, P.E., Integral Group
When Natural Resources Canada chose to relocate its CANMET Materials Technology Laboratory operations from Ottawa to Hamilton, Ontario, the decision was made with the motivation of reducing its environmental footprint by setting up operations in closer proximity to the steel and manufacturing sectors it serves through metallurgical research and testing. Among the largest research centers in Canada, with more than 100 technical staff, the building, which spans 160,000 square feet, recently completed its first year of operation, and is on track to receive LEED® Platinum certification.
In order to assure that the client's goals were met, the project featured an integrated design process with all the primary consultants on board and present throughout the initial design phases. This series of initial charrettes lead to the development of a building charter, a document that enabled the team to continually assess sustainability measures against the goals and objectives set out at the beginning of the process.
A fully integrated energy model was created in order to simultaneously analyze thermal comfort, energy consumption, air flow, and daylighting. As a result, the team was able to fine tune architectural and engineering elements seamlessly with the functional program requirements, resulting in an estimated 70 percent improvement in energy efficiency over the Model National Energy Code of Canada standards.
Following the basic principles in laboratory design for energy use reduction, the team worked on the incorporation of architectural and engineering measures focused on passive to active technologies, including:
- External shading features
- North-facing skylights
- Green and reflective roofs
- Façade and functional program layout optimized for daylight penetration and glare reduction
- Renewable energy technologies integrated into building façade/envelope
- Exposed thermal mass integrated with heating and cooling system
These proven architectural features directly influenced the building energy footprint, resulting in optimized engineering system sizing and selection. Complementary features include the following:
- Ground source heat pump system
- Hydronic radiant slab heating and cooling
- Displacement ventilation
- Variable flow laboratory exhaust system
- Daylighting and occupancy controls for lighting
- Ventilation and process energy-recovery technologies
- Solar hot water and passive solar outdoor air renewable energy collectors
- Solar thermal energy production
- Renewable energy collectors
The presentation will provide a summary of lessons learned as they pertain to the assessment and cost-effective implementation of sustainability measures. The speakers will explore alternative approaches with respect to optimizing the integrated design process as it pertains to the laboratory environment.
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 sustainable and efficient systems, and cost- and maintenance-conscious designs, Mr. Soladay brings a calm and reliable creativity to the art of engineering the built environment. As associate principal and science and technology team manager, Mr. Soladay is responsible for the design of critical environment projects. As project manager and mechanical engineer of record at Integral Group, he has led several significant projects, including the first LEED Platinum certified retrofit of a historical laboratory building for the Linde + Robinson Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology; the Energy Systems Integration Facility at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the most energy-efficient data center in North America with a power usage effectiveness of 1.05; and the net zero energy headquarters building for the Packard Foundation.