Track 6: Design Innovation
Presenter | Terry Autry
Session Title | Designing a World Leader in Data Center Energy Efficiency
Session Description:
Through an alliance between the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, the University of Wyoming, the National Science Foundation, and other partners, one of the worlds most innovative and energy efficient supercomputing data centers is being designed for a site in Cheyenne, Wyoming. This groundbreaking facility will house some of the worlds fastest supercomputers tasked with providing the university and teaching communities with computational resources for advancing the sciences of atmospheric chemistry, climate, storms, and cloud physics. To meet the aggressive goals of building a world-class scientific supercomputing facility that does not compromise on energy efficiency or sustainability, the project development team has pushed the boundaries of conventional data center design to new and unprecedented energy use lows. The team designed a cooling system based on adiabatic (evaporative) processes for cooling the liquid-cooled computers which significantly reduced energy loads. Heat recovery was employed to reuse the computer heat in other portions of the building. This "deep green" approach will result in the NWSC facility having a power utilization effectiveness (PUE) rating, an industry standard for measuring datacenter energy consumption, in the top 1% of energy efficient data centers in the world.
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Presenters | Brad Tomecek and Christopher Herr
Session Title | Designing with Alternative Building Systems : Eco-Panels, Shipping Containers
Session Description:
The Alternative Building Systems lecture explores the relationship of Studio H:T's design philosophies with interests in unconventional building materials and construction processes. These systems are then overlaid with explorations of project specific green design strategies. The projects includes: a factory built, LEED certified, urban infill single family home an off the grid, wood burning, green roofed shipping container house an imported German eco-panel residence targeting LEED Platinum and a 39,000 square foot, factory built, multifamily townhome project targeting LEED Silver At the heart of the work lies the principle that design is an imperative - we must create with intent in order to avoid the poor results of creation by accident. The translation of idea into architecture and energy efficiency is an area of constant fascination for us. The possibilities that come from advances in software technology, and the consequent direct links to hardware, hold the promise of a new way of making. We are in the midst of an unfolding set of events that drive our passion for the work.
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Presenter | Elizabeth J. Constantineau and Ian Doebber
Session Title | Net Zero Energy Building Design: Fire Station Design
Session Description:
A Net-Zero-Energy Fire Station for the community of Nazlini, Arizona has been designed in partnership with BIA, NREL, and WHPacific. A net-zero-energy building is one that, on an annual basis, uses no more energy from the utility grid than is provided by on-site renewable energy sources. A photovoltaic grid-tie system with electric utility net metering was identified as the renewable energy source. The system does not use battery backup, therefore no additional space, containment and ventilation is required. Natural gas is available at the site and will provide a minimal amount of radiant heating in the apparatus room, supplemented by passive heating through clerestory windows. The office area is served by a high efficiency split system. Occupancy sensors for building lights provide additional energy savings. The building envelope and roof system have an insulation value of R=35.7, while the windows have a value of R=10. A cold storage design concept, in which the building is sealed from both the inside and outside, minimizes energy loss. System Commissioning will be conducted during construction of the fire station. A weather station will be provided to monitor ambient conditions as well as to verify the energy efficiency of the building and energy usage.
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Presenter | Victor Olgyay
Session Title | Understanding a method for evaluating a building’s life cycle carbon footprint
Session Description:
A worldview is emerging that shows nature as the limiting factor to economic growth. Tools need to be used to help designers of the built environment remain within this ecological constraint, which, in the case of carbon emissions, is necessarily moving design toward carbon neutrality. Designers must integrally consider operational emissions, embodied emissions of construction, emissions from the permanent change in amount of on-site vegetation, and other sources. These emissions sources (which have seen varying degrees of interest among designers) can be presented over several years of the building lifetime to provide a comprehensive view of the carbon footprint in an understandable way. RMI’s new Green Footstep (a free online tool) is now available for this purpose. Green Footstep provides a more comprehensive view of a buildings carbon footprint, and its interface shows in real time the sensitivity of life cycle carbon emissions to variable design targets such as building energy use intensity, building size, on-site renewable energy, on-site native vegetation, and percent reduction in embodied emissions of construction. Carbon offsets and clean power purchasing can also be taken into account. Green Footstep is an interactive tool that informs design decisions in the context of an ecologically constrained.
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Presenters | Tom Hootman and Sarah Rege
Session Title | Design for One Earth
Session Description:
This highly visual presentation will explore a sustainable design framework that expands on the triple bottom line of environmental, economic and social priorities by identifying twelve design values and measures that define sustainable lifestyles and built environments at all scales with the goal of designing within the limits of one earth. After all, one earth is the ultimate sustainable design metric. The framework encourages holistic design and innovation through the application of systems thinking and a global perspective. The framework also emphasizes that the core of sustainability is about creating an enduring and abundant future and uses future-casting as a technique for positioning projects and clients for prosperous and resilient futures that are designed for one earth. This is a great big picture level presentation designed to inspire and elevate our collective thinking.
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Presenter | Renee Azerbegi
Session Title | Carbon Neutral Buildings in Colorado
Session Description:
In order to meet Colorado's Climate Action Plan and reduce our carbon footprint by 20% by 2020 compared with a 2005 baseline energy usage, all of our new buildings should ideally have zero carbon impact. . This session will provides insight into carbon neutral and carbon positive buildings being designed and constructed in the state of Colorado with a focus on commercial buildings. It will discuss how we are currently doing with our climate goals, where we need to be, and how we might get there. It will define all the options for the definition of zero energy. It also will provide valuable tools and resources for starting the path of designing to net zero. There are only a handful of commercial buildings that we know of pursuing carbon positive or carbon neutral today in Colorado. This presentation will provide an in-depth look at what technologies and strategies are being used, what energy targets and energy savings are anticipated, and how the various project teams are planning on measuring and verifying performance. Although Ambient Energy is only working on one to three of these of these project case studies, we will still provide detailed information on all the commercial applications. We anticipate there will be 5 to 8 case studies with two to four slides per case study. We anticipate the rest of the slides to be on process. We hope that this presentation will encourage others to design carbon neutral buildings.
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