New building energy savings thoughts?

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dduffee260

dduffee260

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Location
Texas
Ok, so it looks like we may be putting up a new building. We are talking about 2 story 18,000 sq ft with 5000 sq ft office space and 13,000 sq ft shop space. The upper level deck will be used for light fixtures and lamps storage. We are going to be the EC on the project. This is going to be our offices, classrooms and warehouse.

What items, ideas or thoughts do any of you have for energy savings, green energy, insulations, lighting controls, etc. I have almost determined that the shop area will be FBays with the T-5 lamps with maybe some lighting controls that regulate the shop lights as needed, such as Walmart has. I also am taking a look at LED parking lot lighting. The office will probably be a mix of indirect with flourescent down lights or LED. Maybe some types of LED track lights in a few offices.

We are also looking into photovoltaics, maybe a wind generator and other sources of energy along beside the POCO transformer.

The service will be a 208/120 400 amp 4 Wire service. I really did not want to put in a 480/277 then have to step down with a transformer. We are going to have a test bench and I think we will be better off to step up voltages at the bench for 480/277 testing.

Just as much as this will be our office we want to showcase all types of lighting, energy savings, energy sources and what ever else we can to show the public what is out there and how well it works.

Any thoughts from anyone here will be a great help. Tell me your ideas no matter how simple, complex, right or wrong you think they may be. If this was your shop what all would you put in it? What lighting, power, heating and a/c set up (we are looking into geothermal), insulation and the such. For the record this shop will be in the West Texas area.

I know with this site I am bound to get great ideas and tons of help. Thanks to all the knowledge on here.
 
iwire said:
If your starting from scratch and your thinking of PV then make sure the architect is aware of this and orients an area toward the south for maximum gain of the PV array.

In your case you may want to make the array a focal point rather then hiding it.

Don't forget that a lot can be gained from 'passive solar' design.


http://www.southface.org/web/resour...chnical_bulletins/PSD-Passivesolar 00-790.pdf
Click to expand...


Actually a well thought out plan of blending it in can be a much better selling point, as people, who have the money, don't like things sticking out, they tend to go for the aesthetics more then then the function of equipment, like those who don't want to see receptacle outlets and switches in view?

as far a Eco lighting, take a look at some of the stuff Ruud has to offer, and for outside lighting, stay with pulse start metal halide, but leave room for LED if they can get them off the ground to preform better.

For warehouse lighting I use the Ruud 6 bulb T-5 fixtures with the mirror reflectors, as they give you much more light down at the work area.
 
hurk27 said:
Actually a well thought out plan of blending it in can be a much better selling point, as people, who have the money, don't like things sticking out, they tend to go for the aesthetics more then then the function of equipment, like those who don't want to see receptacle outlets and switches in view?
Click to expand...

I can see that point of view as well but if your using the PV array to advertise that you are 'Green' and can do the work it could make sense to show it off.

Besides making something a building focal point does not necessarily mean some ugly solar rack protruding from the building, it could be used as design element.

I am consulting on a PV install at a new public library where two PV arrays face the front side of the building and look good.

This early artists rendition does not do it justice, the basic shape is the same but it looks much more traditional then the original design.


http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps...090327/NEBULLETIN/904010330#STS=g0y2xjy2.21mj
 
Here are some spend some money aspests!

Here are some spend some money aspests!

Ask your existing people for their individual input!

Define the Critical Path!

Install an ice machine?

MPO, Do not Design Build, get a good Architect and have them hound the GC along with the other professional services on site to inspect their own spec’s as there services is installed. The GC will be a minimalist if you go B/D…

Make sure there is an elevation drawing showing all your service elevation, IE: switches, exit sign, F/A. speakers, pull stations, etc., all to ADA / Code, with clear and concise dimensions based on block work, think in 8” increments!

Buffer the building with a planter or five foot apron to not allow parking next to building, install a side walk and curb and gutter with parking stops. Install bollard at all service entrances, and various outside structures. Drain water rain off to catch pond or drum tanks.

Block seems to be used out there a lot, make sure it is specified to be both rod installed and filled.

Pass key or digital pads or wand card everything on battery back-up. Computer interface to know who is coming and going!
Isolate passages to proper personal.

Have a separate room for your phone and security, period! Lock down power to Comm room, period!
Make the electrical room larger as to not overlap any working space.

Have an entrance and a keyed door at reception desk to stop walk troughs. You might also consider 3’-6” doors maybe even 4’-0’’s in certain places.

Interior camera’s on when someone enters building, eye ball cameras in crew service ways, tool bins, truck bays, maybe more +, etc.

Multiply tool bins, large / small and supply all separate. Coordinated to work in with freight deliveries, and truck resupplying. Loading docks, truck levelers?
continual elevations?

If exposed bar joist in class rooms or garage than use skylights.

Wi-Fi your building, but I’m really more of a “wired guy” but it might help your people in the AM as there getting ready to go, broadcast some…

Use the new membrane roof and no rocks as ballast to hold it down.

Time clock all heat and A/C install one temporary button for the late night people.
Push button once get one hour of heat or A/C of service. If you a split service areas like one per an operationol area, install more.

Take whatever power you have available, make sure all the same power is in your Service Area/Tech. room, you might also consider a meter inside if you have to test stuff over night to apply toward service charges.

Your display room, make sure it is insulated on four sides and might consider all deep metal boxes for multiply switches with insert slots for dimmers. I’d make it as large as or even larger than a Living Room, incorporate it as your conference room! The crew likes seeing their work too… I know I do :)

Are you going to do truck and or car servicing in your garage? This will change your building classification, and the type of all construction in this area. Not only do you have to remember to be above the 18” AFF but with Hydrogen Car’s the ceiling come into play as well.
 
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Well heres something make the electrical rooms larger and if you have two electrical rooms stack them so your piping is straight up less copper and use kr rated energy eff transformers .

On the lighting side use them new low voltage sw relay types with the occ sensors in each room to save on you power bill . They have photosensors in each room that adjust the lights during the day time to give you less or more light automatic adjust your lighting .

Increase all you feeders to the next size up save watts .

Dont forget the radioactive exit signs .
 
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Great ideas, thanks guys. We already have an architect involved and we have in budget alot of items which are mentioned. The PV setup will be on the roof on the South side. This building will not be in a crowded metro area but will be in the middle of a 5 acre lot with parking around it. We can just about install the PV grids anywhere we desire. It will be a metal type building with brick and EFIS on the front to around the side a little ways for looks. We do have sidewalks and aprons around it. We also have a seperate 6" thick concrete drive for the large trucks to drive to the shop area.

There is also a 6 ft deep pond out back that they made when they moved the dirt to made the building pad. We may look at diverting some of the rain water to this pond for a sprinkler system. Water is really becoming a rare commodity in this area lately.

Has anyone ever worked with the photo sensitive lighting such as Walmart. The ones that add light only as light is needed. I have to go work on a Walmart parking lot this week, I guess I should take a look while I am there. They control the parking lot with Novar but we do not want to use a service, we will control everything in house or maybe a web based setup that we could control via the net.

I will be sure and keep everyone posted as things develop. Also we may have a camera set up on site during the construction phase for security and so other people can see how things go up. Thanks again for the help !
 
Outside Lighting

Outside Lighting

A local convenience store nearby installed Beta LED fixtures for all exterior lighting. They have wall packs, pole lights and gas canopy fixtures. It's very impressive. We do all their maintenance and have not had one call for service yet.
 
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