With an increasing demand for energy-efficient buildings, the Bonneville Power Administration’s (BPA) new “Energy Smart Design” program reaches out to building owners looking to incorporate high-performance design during the design stage. 

BPA created the Energy Smart Design program for building developers and tenants that can’t afford to follow the increasingly popular Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program administered by the U.S. Green Building Council.

BPA and Clark County Public Utility District (PUD) are collaborating with Schlecht Construction to build a prototype Energy Smart Design office building at 157th Plaza in downtown Vancouver, Wash. BPA estimates the 26,000-square-foot building’s energy-saving measures will yield a 15 percent reduction in overall building mass and energy use, resulting in an estimated annual savings of $8,000. Moreover, building owners that participate in the Energy Smart Design program receive a check from their utility—in this case, Clark County PUD—equal to 50 cents per square foot.

Materials selection and temperature control

“The vast majority of all conditioning costs go toward cooling,” says Bryan Halbert, vice president of Schlecht Construction. The company plans to break ground on the building at 157th Plaza in March 2008. “Most office buildings produce a ‘heat-island’ effect, which raises the surrounding temperature about 10 degrees.”

He notes building materials typically contribute to the heat-island effect; therefore, making substitutions in building materials would reduce the building’s overall heat gain by 90 percent.

For example, the use of a tar-sealed roof absorbs so much heat that additional power must be dedicated to cool it. Under guidance from the Energy Smart Design program, Schlecht Construction instead used white thermal plastics that can be installed with an adhesive strip. The elimination of tar combined with the white roof would significantly reduce the heat-island effect, Halbert says.

The Energy Smart Design program specifies that windows are not to exceed 30 percent of the building’s overall surface. South-facing windows in the 157th Plaza building are equipped with specially designed sunshades that reduce solar loading while reflecting natural light into the building. Windows are coated for a higher R value, which, combined with the sun shades, would reduce solar loading.

The building will be constructed of concrete blocks, which speed up the construction process and moderate temperature swings between day and night, according to Halbert.

Value of integrated design

The building’s integrated technologies, such as a DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) and an HVAC monitoring system, would cut energy costs by 20 percent, according to BPA.

Each lighting fixture in the 157th Plaza prototype office building is designed to be equipped with a five-wire ballast (three-wire is the norm), which can be connected to a remote monitoring system. The system can be programmed for maximum light harvesting and can allow for off-site maintenance, according to Halbert. The system is so advanced, it can light a path based on a particular employee’s route, he adds. Clark County PUD rewards building owners 50 cents per lighting ballast installed.

Similar to the lighting system, the building’s HVAC is designed to make use of what is already available. If, for example, the building is overheating and the air outside is cooler than the air inside, the monitoring system has the capability to realize the discrepancy and pump in air from outside. To qualify for the Smart Energy Design program, a building must include an energy-efficient HVAC system for at least 70 percent of conditioned space.

Beyond dollars and cents

Of course, it’s not all about cost savings. BPA has expressed confidence that buildings such as 157th Plaza have the potential to “create a sense of place.” There is a growing concern in Vancouver that the flow of jobs “over the bridge” is detrimental to the local economy, says Colleen McCormack of Clark County PUD. The 157th Plaza building may draw business owners with a focus on sustainability back to the area, McCormack says.

Beyond energy efficiency, Schlecht Construction is taking additional measures to minimize the building’s overall environmental impact. The parking lot is made of a permeable concrete that allows water to flow into the soil without creating the need for a runoff system. The material, a concrete-fiberglass mixture, is currently used in some areas of Lake Oswego, Ore. The concrete absorbs chemicals and is easier to repair than asphalt; its gray color reduces heat absorption, which in turn keeps the building cooler.

Building tenants will not have to pay a premium for office space at 157th Plaza, according to Halbert. When utility bills are factored in, tenants will pay about $24 per square foot versus $26 per square foot in a LEED-certified building, Halbert says. 

To be eligible for the Energy Smart Design program, developers must be planning new construction or an addition, or undergoing a major renovation. The program is targeted at small office buildings up to three stories and smaller than 100,000 square feet.

Energy Smart Design is aligned with the 2005 Energy Policy Act lighting tax deduction, Advanced Building Core Performance Guidelines and the LEED prescriptive track, and should qualify for an Energy Star label, according to BPA.