High Performing Buildings - Summer 2012 - (Page 26)

g R e e n S b u R g W i n d Fa R m The Greensburg Wind Farm consists of 10 1.25 MW wind turbines that supply 12.5 MW of renewable power to the town — enough to power every house, business and municipal building in Greensburg. The town uses only about one-quarter to one-third of the power generated to reach its “100% renewable energy, 100% of the time” goal. Excess power is placed back on the grid and offered as renewable energy credits for other Kansas Power Pool and NativeEnergy customers. environment, promoting productivity and well-being. The building envelope, orientation, lighting and sun-control systems for the school buildings minimize heating and air-conditioning loads. Structural insulated panels (SIPs) with an R-value of R-40 Rebuilding gReenSbuRg After 95% of Greensburg, Kan., was destroyed or severely damaged by the massive tornado that struck on May 4, 2007, residents decided to rebuild the city as a sustainable community, rather than relocate. City leaders, business owners and residents worked with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to identify ways to incorporate energy ef ciency and renewable energy technologies into the town’s new buildings. Greensburg also passed an ordinance that all city-owned buildings more than 4,000 ft2 must be designed to the USGBC’s LEED Platinum rating. The result so far is 13 Greensburg buildings saving a combined total of $200,000 in energy costs per year. These include ve LEED Platinum and two LEED Gold buildings, as well as one LEED certi ed building. One of the LEED Platinum buildings is the rebuilt John Deere dealership, a 33,000 ft2 pre-engineered building. Another is the 5.4.7 Arts Center. The 1,670 ft2 LEED Platinum building for community arts takes its name from the date of the tornado. Source: http://tinyurl.com/nrel-greensburg 26 HIGH PERFORMING The central courtyard and shared learning space is a hub of activity for gathering and play. Its location at the heart of the school’s two wings ensures a connected community environment. © Assassi Water Strategies Greensburg’s low annual rainfall of 21 in. made reducing water use vital. Much of the community’s water is drawn from the Ogallala Aquifer, which has been withdrawn from excessively in the last decades for agricultural use. A variety of strategies are used to achieve long-term water saving goals of reducing the potable water demand and the burden on Summer 2012 A 50 kW wind turbine adjacent to the school occupies the indigenous landscape where bioswales, walking trails, and constructed and restored wetlands process rainwater. municipal waste water systems. Reduction strategies include ultralow-flow plumbing fixtures, dualflush valves and waterless urinals. All lavatories are 0.5 gpm and have sensor controls. Showers use low flow heads. Dishwashers, pre-rinse spray valves and clothes washers and BUILDINGS © Assassi reduce thermal loading and create a high performing building envelope. A rain screen cladding system improves resistance to moisture infiltration and reduces thermal loading. White and metallic silver roof finishes further reduce thermal loads. In conjunction with high efficiency chillers and modular air handlers, these strategies have resulted in substantial savings (65%) over an ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2004 baseline building. Beyond the design, continuous monitoring equipment tracks performance of the systems and equipment to verify performance throughout the life of the building. Source: “Rebuilding It Better: Greensburg, Kansas; High Performance Buildings Meeting Energy Savings Goals.” April 2012. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. http://tinyurl.com/nrel-greensburg http://www.tinyurl.com/nrel-greensburg http://www.tinyurl.com/nrel-greensburg

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of High Performing Buildings - Summer 2012

High Performing Buildings - Summer 2012
Commentary
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High Tech High Chula Vista
Kiowa County Schools
Northwest Maritime Center
La Reunion’s ENERPOS
Wilfred Uytengsu Sr. Center
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High Performing Buildings - Summer 2012