Presentation on mainstreaming net zero energy for commercial buildings given at the ULI Fall Meeting 2012 in Denver, CO with Shanti Pless (NREL)

1. Shanti Pless, LEED AP Tom Hootman, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
NREL, Commercial Buildings Research Group RNL, Director of Sustainability

3. WHO IS PURSUING
NET ZERO ENERGY?

4. 1 1
1
1 2
1 1 1
6 1 1 1
1
New Buildings Institute
Getting to Zero 2012 Status Update: A
First Look at the Costs and Features of
2 Zero Energy Commercial Buildings
(March 2012)

5. 1 1
1
1 2
1 1 1
6 1 1 1
1
New Buildings Institute
Getting to Zero 2012 Status Update: A
First Look at the Costs and Features of
2 Zero Energy Commercial Buildings
(March 2012)

6. 1 1
1
1 2
1 1 1
6 1 1 1
1
New Buildings Institute
Getting to Zero 2012 Status Update: A
First Look at the Costs and Features of
2 Zero Energy Commercial Buildings
(March 2012)

7. California PUC 2030
Massachusetts 2030
Federal / EISA 2030
ASHRAE Vision 2020
2030 Challenge
Living Building Challenge

8. 13 11 19 5
1K-5K 5K-10K 10K-25K 25K-50K
8
50K-100K
4
>100K
New Buildings Institute
Getting to Zero 2012 Status Update: A
First Look at the Costs and Features of
Zero Energy Commercial Buildings
(March 2012)

9. NREL – RESEARCH SUPPORT FACILITY NREL – RESEARCH SUPPORT FACILITY II
SMUD – CAMPUS OPERATIONS SINGAPORE – CASE STUDY

11. DOE / NREL: Client
Haselden Construction: General Contractor
RNL: Architecture, Interiors, Landscape, Lighting
Stantec: MEP Engineering, Energy Modeling
KL&A: Structural Engineering
Martin/Martin: Civil Engineering
AEC: LEED, Daylight Modeling, Commissioning
Namaste Solar: Solar Consultant

12. Federal Office Building $64M Firm Fixed Price
222,000 SF $57.4M Construction
822 Occupants Complete June 2010

15. Project objectives
Absolute energy target
Risk / reward / control balance
Substantiation
Incentive award fee

16. I want a green building
Design a LEED <rating> building
Design a building to use 30% less
energy than ASHRAE 90.1-2004
Design a building to use less than
25,000 BTU/sqft
Design a net zero energy building

17. PREDICTIVE MODELING
(Absolute energy target)
VERSUS
COMPLIANCE MODELING
(Percent better than ASHRAE 90.1)

18. New Buildings Institute
Energy Performance of LEED for New Construction Buildings
(March 2008)

24. Cost per Square Foot
Gold
Silver
Other
$-
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
Certified
Platinum
Heifer International Center
NVCI Cancer Research
Kitsap County Admin Building
The Signature Centre
Great River Energy Headquarters
Ft. Carson Brigade/Battalion HQ
NREL Research Support Facility
International Fund for Animal Welfare
RSF Cost: $259/SF
Omega Center
Chevron Office
Bremerton BEQ
University of Denver Sturm College
Naval Facilities
Ft. Lewis Barracks and Dinning
Dillard University
EPA Region 8 Headquarters
Fernald Visitors Center
Average Cost: $334/SF
Commerce City Civic Center
Leo Trombatore Office
ASU School of Journalism
ASU College of Nursing & Health
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Leprino Building
San Joaquin Admin Building
Las Cruces Courthouse
NASA Sustainability Base
Applied Research & Development
Aircraft RSF
National Association of Realtors
Oregon Sustainability
Fort Bragg Forces Command HQ
San Joaquin Comm. College
DC Federal Building
Source: DBIA Project Database

26. Net Zero Site Energy Building
Net Zero Source Energy Building
Net Zero Energy Emissions Building
Net Zero Energy Cost Building

27. Demand-Side:
Reduce site energy though low-energy building
technologies
On-Site Supply:
Renewable energy within building footprint
Renewable energy within site
Off-Site Supply:
Renewable energy off site to generate energy on site
Purchase off-site renewable energy sources

28. Baseline Energy Use Passive Design Reduced Energy Use

29. Dramatically Reduced
Efficient Systems Energy Use Renewable Energy

33. Energy driven form Conventional form
115,000 SF 65,000 SF

35. <30% >70%
Window to Wall Ratio Window to Wall Ratio

38. Ambient lighting with
daylight sensors for 25 fc
Ambient daylight
6 watt task light
50 fc

51. Source: NREL, “Reducing Plug and Process Loads for a Large Scale, Low Energy Office Building: NREL’s Research Support Facility”

56. RSF II
RSF
RSF Staff Parking
RSF Visitor Parking

57. New Building = 35 kBtu/SF/year
Leased Building = 133 kBtu/SF/year
Annual Energy Savings = $275,590

58. 20 Year NPV = $4.4M or $20/SF
30 Year NPV = $6.0M or $27/SF

61. Measured Versus Modeled Monthly and Cumulative EUI
4.5 36
The PV system is sized
for an annual EUI of
35.1 kBtu/ft2.
4.0 32
3.5 28
PV
3.0 24
Data Center
Annual EUI (kBtu/ft2)
Mechanical Systems
Plug Loads
2.5 20
Monthly EUI (kBtu/ft2)
Lighting
Heating
2.0 16 Cooling
Model Annual EUI
RSF Annual EUI
1.5 12
1.0 8
Credit: Chad Lobato/NREL
0.5 4
0.0 0
RSF
RSF
RSF
RSF
RSF
RSF
RSF
RSF
RSF
RSF
RSF
RSF
Model
PV
Model
PV
Model
PV
Model
PV
Model
PV
Model
PV
Model
PV
Model
PV
Model
PV
Model
PV
Model
PV
Model
PV
Note: The annual EUI values
are demand side values
and do not include the
61 Innovation for Our Energy Future

62. October 2010 – September 2011 Lighting Power Density
0.35
0.33
0.30
0.28
0.25
Model Average
October 2010
0.23
November 2010
Power Density (W/ft2)
0.20 December 2010
January 2011
0.18 February 2011
March 2011
0.15
April 2011
0.13 May 2011
June 2011
0.10 July 2011
August 2011
0.08
September 2011
0.05
0.03
0.00
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
Credit: Chad Lobato/NREL Time of Day
Innovation for Our Energy Future

63. October 2010 – September 2011 Plug Load Power
Density
0.65
0.60
0.55
0.50
0.45
0.40
Power Density (W/ft2)
0.35 Credit: Matthew Luckwitz/NREL
0.30 Model Average
October 2010
0.25 November 2010
December 2010
0.20
January 2011
February 2011
0.15
March 2011
0.10 April 2011
May 2011
0.05 June 2011
July 2011
0.00 August 2011
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 September 2011
Credit: Chad Lobato/NREL Time of Day Note: The elevators are included in the plug loads
Innovation for Our Energy Future

65. WHAT ARE THE
BEST PRACTICES?

66. 1 Performance-based procurement
2 Predicting energy use
3 Passive architecture and load reduction
4 Low energy active systems
5 Integrated renewable energy
6 Zero energy operation

67. WHO IS PURSUING
NET ZERO ENERGY?