Rating System

LEED BD+C: New Construction

Rating System Version

v2 - LEED 2.0

Inquiry

IN 101.2 - INNOVATIVE ENERGY EXPORT Is the following approach to energy conservation acceptable as an innovation credit? Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a DOE facility located at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is constructing a new research and support complex that includes the 375,000SF East Campus Private Development (ECPD), a 52,000 SF Joint Institute of Computer Science (JICS) and a 50,000 SF Research Support Center (RSC). The buildings are grouped around a central pedestrian oriented quadrangle that will serve as the new campus entrance and visitor\'s center. Original schematic designs for the ECPD facility did not include the possibility of utilizing a central chilled water and heating hot water plant for supplying multiple surrounding buildings. Design and construction of the JICS and RSC buildings were being completed by other architect/engineer sources. Incorporation of those buildings into the ECPD central energy plant design posed several obstacles, the most formidable being DOE lease/legal challenges and coordination of the JICS and RSC architects and engineers into the ECPD design equation. It was determined that with slight equipment and pipe modifications, several surrounding buildings could be feed with chilled water and heating hot water and a reduction of energy usage could be realized. ECPD energy plant was then redesigned to include the other two buildings HVAC utility needs. This innovative approach will conserve green space and construction materials by not duplicating mechanical space in all buildings and will also reduce energy consumption. Had each of the buildings contained independent cooling systems, the aggregate size of the cooling systems would be larger, the combined efficiency would be much lower (even if all buildings met ASHRAE 90.1 - 1999) and the combined impact on the energy use of ORNL campus would be larger. It is expected that less air pollutants will also result from reduced demand at regional electric power plants. SUBMITTALS: Demonstrate that the design operating electrical demand for the JICS and RSC will be at least 15% lower than for independent cooling systems that meet ASHRAE 90.1 - 1999 requirement.