This is the first in a series of two articles about using proven planning strategies to enhance operating efficiency and lower energy costs in research facilities. This article discusses the first five of 10 design principles that can make a significant difference in the operation of a research facility.

“According to research from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, there may be as much as $1 billion to $2 billion of energy cost savings possible in labs per year using existing technology,” notes Joe Collins, a partner at Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership in Portland, Ore. “Research institutions looking to reduce their operating budgets and their environmental footprint need to know what design strategies are going to get them the best returns.”

With skyrocketing energy prices and an explosion in the construction of research facilities, there is more pressure on institutions to implement sustainable design features. Collins and Paul Mathew, a staff scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, have created a list of Top 10 strategies intended for use by building owners, architects, and engineers to affect cost savings and energy efficiency.

The strategies are already being used with success at facilities throughout the United States, including Portland State University, Oregon Health and Science University, Duke University, Oregon State University, and the University of California at Berkeley and Santa Barbara.

Collins and Mathew are including their strategies in the design of the Li Ka-Shing Center, a $150-million biomedical research laboratory building which will be constructed at the University of California, Berkeley beginning in the spring of 2008. It is imperative to include these strategies during the early design stages because it is nearly impossible to implement them after a building is constructed.

Focus on Programming

The first strategy involves programming, which represents the initial opportunity to influence operating costs. Each program has unique opportunities to explore potential energy savings in areas such as program grouping/consolidation and heat recovery.

“We can be smarter about the buildings we design and we can achieve a more sustainable outcome just by asking a few extra questions during programming,” says Collins. “Ask about the different types of spaces and which will have similar hours of operation, similar utility requirements, and similar need to access daylight. We can then group spaces together that have similar requirements so we can be more efficient in our design.”

The planned Earth Systems Science Center at Oregon State University is an example of how programming can be used to boost energy efficiency in other aspects of the facility. The facility’s massive data center, used to conduct oceanic and atmospheric research throughout the world, will produce a tremendous amount of heat. This energy will be used to heat other areas of the building, such as the perimeter around the windows. The facility will also include large water tanks for testing remote submersible vehicles. A heat exchange process will allow heat to be stored in the water tanks and then used elsewhere when necessary.

The Biomedical Research Building at Oregon Health and Science University also illustrates how effective programming can augment energy efficiency. Due to a steeply sloping site, most of the mechanical systems are located underneath the animal facility, which is on the first floor. Process wastewater from the cagewash and other lab uses flows by gravity into a heat recovery tank and then passes through a heat exchanger to preheat the incoming water for domestic hot water and lab hot water.

Layout Rationally

It is crucial to think about the layout of services and the utility needs of a building with just as much effort that goes into the architecture or structure of the building. Systems and architecture should be designed together to allow for efficient ductwork, piping, zoning, and flexibility. Proper layout is especially important because the configuration impacts space and operations.

The architectural form of the Engineering Unit Two Building at the University of California, San Diego reflects how fresh air is brought into the building, moved through the labs, and then exhausted.

“If systems are designed rationally and there is enough room for them, it creates the possibility for tremendous energy savings compared to buildings where the systems are just hammered into a preconceived form,” says Collins.

Heat recovery technology, or capturing heat from the air that would normally be exhausted outside and using it to preheat the air coming into the building, also requires proper planning.  The two most common types of heat recovery systems are the heat wheel and run-around coil technology. The heat wheel requires the supply and exhaust points to be located in close proximity to each other, which can result in larger duct shafts. The run-around coil system, on the other hand, is more flexible because the supply and exhaust points can be horizontally or vertically separate from each other. If handled properly, this arrangement allows for a “nesting” of ductwork in smaller shafts, thereby creating more floorplate for research.

Zone Appropriately

In order to appropriately zone a facility, it is critical to separate the lab spaces from the non-lab spaces and then set levels of conditioning and control accordingly. The non-lab spaces represent opportunities to condition and ventilate more efficiently.

“Non-lab spaces can re-circulate air and labs can’t. If you jumble them, it is impractical to design systems to treat each differently,” says Collins. “If these areas aren’t zoned differently, more energy is required. There is also the potential to isolate heavy heat load program elements on a process chilled water loop in order to avoid designing the entire supply air system for a unique point load.”

A very clear distinction is noted between the lab areas and the non-lab areas in the design for the Li Ka-Shing Center at UC Berkeley. In particular, the lab ventilation requirements are decoupled from the cooling requirements. The design also takes into consideration the comfort of occupants while providing a safe working environment.

The Northwest Center for Engineering, Science and Technology at Portland State University displays a noticeable distinction between the different functional areas of the building. For example, in a stairwell area, a stack effect is created where cooler air comes in at the bottom and warmer air is exhausted at the top to take advantage of natural ventilation.

Zoning appropriately came easy at the Marine Sciences Building at the University of California, Santa Barbara where the building occupants want to be connected with the outside environment. In their offices and some other non-lab areas, researchers prefer operable windows and the natural ventilation afforded by the building’s design.

Push the Envelope

“As architects, we want to think carefully about the enclosure of the buildings we design and make sure we are capitalizing on climatic forces and what nature provides,” says Collins. “For instance, we want to look at the sun and how it affects the building in terms of where it might provide high heat load and how the orientation and massing of the building can help overcome that.”

It is essential to utilize strategies that will reduce electrical load, as well as create visual and thermal comfort, especially when 90 percent of operating costs are directly related to staff. Glare control and control over radiant energy from the envelope can be accomplished through effective exterior wall design, which maximizes natural ventilation and daylighting in the appropriate zones. The UC Santa Barbara, Bren School of Environmental Science and Management uses exterior screening devices to provide shading and to help direct natural breezes.

The design for the Li Ka-Shing project utilizes a corridor as a buffer zone between the high western solar loads and the research space.

Other environmental considerations include air quality—how clean or dirty is it—and its corrosive effects. Facilities at the University of California, San Diego and Santa Barbara must consider materials to deal with the effects of salt in the air.

“There is this romantic idea of being one with the environment,” says Collins. “As designers and engineers it is our job to make a building actually work with the environment and not cause additional problems to any extent possible.”

Structure for Daylighting

The exterior walls should be designed to take full advantage of available daylight. Higher window head heights make deeper daylight penetration possible, requiring less artificial lighting for ambient illumination. Adjustable interior shading devices can be used to control glare.

“We use a rule of thumb of about two to 2 ½ times the height of glass on the exterior wall as the effective depth of penetration for daylighting,” explains Collins. “Lighting can be eight to 20 percent of the total electrical load. If you look at the total cost of owning and operating a building over its lifetime the capital cost to build it is about two or three percent. Most of the money goes into what it takes to pay people to live and work in that building. If you can achieve a 15 or 20 percent increase in efficiency or retention of staff, that pays big dividends and access to natural light is a significant part of that equation.”

Ceiling height, the location of main duct runs, and the structure on the building’s exterior must be considered when designing to optimize use of daylighting. If ducts can be moved to the center of the building where the ceiling height is lower and the perimeter beams can be turned up, thereby allowing high fenestration for the story below, it is possible to achieve the same level of daylighting with lower floor-to-floor heights.

The labs at the Leichtag Center at the University of California, San Diego are flooded with natural light admitted through full-story glazing and a ceiling that slopes upward to receive it. Exterior screening is utilized on the south facade to control glare. An atrium at Stanley Hall at UC Berkeley provides plenty of natural light into the heart of the building. Adjustable natural wood louvers and shading are used to manage glare.

“If we are going to be good stewards of the environment, we have to take a more holistic approach in designing buildings,” says Collins. “As designers who are serious about designing sustainable labs, we need to hit energy efficiency really hard.”

Next in the Series

In Part II of this series, Paul Mathew, a staff scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, will discuss the remaining five strategies for achieving maximum energy efficiency by including specific design features in the planning of academic science buildings.  The article will discuss scrutinizing air changes, using low-pressure drop design strategies, avoiding the unnecessary oversizing of systems, steering clear of systems that require simultaneous heating and cooling, and commissioning the building to ensure it is operating as intended.

By Tracy Carbasho

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