Sustainable and Net-Zero Buildings on the NREL Campus

The 182,500-ft² LEED Platinum Energy Systems Integration Facility features 14 laboratories, an Insight Visualization Center, a High-Bay Control Room, and the world's most energy-efficient super computer.

Energy Use

The facility features:

• Office space designed to have an energy use intensity of 25 kBtu per square foot, per year
• Non-data center space designed to perform 30% better than ASHRAE 90.1 2007 standards
• Natural ventilation through operable windows
• Daylighting in about 80% of regularly occupied spaces
• Open office design and a narrow floor plate of 60 ft
• LED lights with a lighting control system
• Radiant heating and cooling.

Sustainability

About 27% of building materials contain recycled content.

Water Conservation

Water-saving features include:

• Dual-flush water closets
• Low-flow fixtures, including toilets, urinals, showers, and faucets
• Thermosyphon cooler, which significantly reduces the need for data center cooling tower water use.

Awards

2014 R&D Magazine Laboratory of the Year Award

2014 R&D Magazine Editors' Choice Award for the HP Apollo 8000 System

2014 DOE Sustainability Award

2014 Finalist for Project Management Institute's Project of the Year Award

2013 LEED Platinum Award, U.S. Green Buildings Council

The 362,055-ft² Research Support Facility is an award-winning model for LEED Platinum, net-zero, and high-performance building design that incorporates the best energy efficiency and environmental performance technologies and practices in a large-scale commercial office building.

Designed to be a net-zero building, the 1,660-ft², LEED Platinum South Site Entrance Building provides security services as an entry/exit point.

Energy Use

The building features:

• Daylighting
• Natural ventilation, including a 35-ft wind-catch tower and under-floor air distribution system
• 16.1-kW roof-mounted photovoltaics
• Geothermal water-to-water heat pump
• Radiant heating and cooling
• LED lights with a lighting control system.

Sustainability

• More than 35% of building materials contain recycled content and 2.5% are rapidly renewable.
• The building features low-emitting building materials.

Award

2013 U.S. Green Buildings Council Platinum LEED Rating

The 71,347-ft² Science and Technology Facility was the first federal LEED Platinum building.

Energy Use

• The building was designed to provide a 41% reduction in energy cost compared to a standard laboratory building.
• Roofing materials are ENERGY STAR® certified.
• The building design exceeds ASHRAE 90.1 1999 requirements for energy efficiency.
• Windows on the north and south facades provide natural lighting.
• Energy is recovered from exhaust air to temperature-condition fresh air.
• Displacement ventilation is used for the offices.
• A high-efficiency chiller saves energy for both the Science and Technology Facility and the adjoining Solar Energy Research Facility.

Sustainability

• About 27% of the total building materials were manufactured within a 500-mile radius.
• No chlorofluorocarbon-based refrigerants are used in heating, refrigerating, and air-conditioning.
• About 80% (by weight) of the construction, demolition, and land-clearing waste was recycled or salvaged.
• At least 25% of the total building materials were composed of 20% post-consumer waste recycled content.

Water Conservation

• Storm water collects on the butterfly roof and flows into a series of ponds used to irrigate the landscape.
• The building features low-flow fixtures, such as ultra-low-flow (0.5 gallon per flush) urinals.

The 27,000-ft² LEED Gold Integrated Biorefinery Research Facility features a high-bay biochemical conversion pilot plant that handles up to 1 ton of dry biomass per day, multiple stand-alone fermentation systems, and compositional analysis laboratories.

Energy Use

The facility features:

• Natural ventilation through operable windows
• Daylighting
• An open office design
• LED lights with a lighting control system.

The 12,140-ft² LEED Platinum cafeteria holds 250 occupants and uses about 25% less energy than a cafeteria built to current commercial code.

Energy Use

Building features include:

• An energy use intensity of 150 kBtu per square foot, per year
• Daylighting and tubular skylights to achieve uniform light distribution across the main dining area space to limit the use of electric lighting
• ENERGY STAR-certified appliances and other high-efficiency equipment
• A kitchen ventilation system with demand-controlled exhaust hoods
• Cutting-edge duct grease sensors to monitor build-up and alert the operator when cleaning is necessary
• LED lights with occupancy sensors in the walk-in refrigerator, freezers, and hoods that turn on and off automatically.

Water Conservation

Water-saving measures inside and outside the building include:

• Dual-rinse, water-conserving dishwashers
• Methods for recycling stormwater
• Low-flow, pre-rinse water valves.

Award

2013 U.S. Green Buildings Council Platinum LEED Rating

NREL's parking garage is designed to LEED Platinum standards and is expected to perform 90% better than a standard garage built to code. The 578,320-ft² structure has 1,800 parking spaces and 108 electric vehicle charging stations.

Energy Use

The garage's energy-saving features include:

• Daylighting and translucent skylights
• Natural ventilation
• 1.2 megawatts of facade- and roof-mounted photovoltaics used within the energy boundary of the Research Support Facility
• LED lights with a lighting control system.

Sustainability

The garage's sustainable features include:

• Bird-friendly glass
• Electric vehicle charging stations
• Incentive parking for high-occupant vehicles and low-emitting vehicles
• Recycled content in about 35% of the building's low-emitting materials
• Recycling drop-off center for paper, plastic, glass, batteries, and electronics.

Water Conservation

A drainage swale encourages ground infiltration of stormwater and snowmelt.

Built in 1994, the 6,459-ft² Education Center displays technologies that can save energy, create jobs, and generate clean electricity and fuels from plentiful domestic, carbon-free sources.

Energy Use

The Education Center's energy-saving features include:

• A Trombe wall that lights and heats the exhibit hall
• A direct evaporative cooling system
• LED lights with a lighting control system
• An energy management system that monitors temperature, humidity, and occupancy.