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Climate impact and building resilience strategies

November 12, 2014

Speakers

Scott Schuetter, PE, LEED APSenior Energy Engineer

Saranya Gunasingh, LEED AP BD+CEnergy Engineer

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Today’s webinarWelcome

Climate Change

NASA Research Study

Reserve at Glenview

Conclusions

Background

Courtesy NREL/NASA

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Climate ChangeBackground

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/time-series/us

Climate ChangeBackground

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Climate Change and Building ResilienceBackground

• Buildings account for 40% of the annual energy consumption in the U.S.—$400 billion in energy costs.

• We must therefore understand climate impacts on building energy performance and ways to mitigate it.

Building climate resilience is not merely sandbagging to prevent flooding.

NASA Research Study

This presentation presents work supported by NASA

under grant number NNX12AG01G

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Stennis Space CenterCharacterization

Climate Dependence – DemandCharacterization

Minimal dependence Strong dependence

Climate Independent Base Load

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SSC Energy ConsumptionCharacterization

Climate Dependent

• Only 7.5% of SSC energy consumption is from natural gas.

80% ApproachModeling Approach

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CalibrationEnergy Modeling

Building Energy Model

2011 Measured Climate Data

2011 Measured Energy

Consumption

Calibration Algorithm

Calibration ResultsEnergy Modeling

1:1 line

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Calibration ResultsEnergy Modeling

1:1 line

NASA Research Project -CLIMATE DATA

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NARCCAPClimate Data

Stennis Seasonal Temp IncreaseClimate Data

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Low Impact - Climate DataClimate Data

High Impact - Climate DataClimate Data

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NASA Research Project -MODELING RESULTS

Climate Change ImpactsEnergy Modeling

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Primary and SecondaryAdaptation Strategies

Primary Strategies DescriptionRoof Insulation Add additional roof insulation, minimum R-20

Cooling Equipment Upgrade to high-efficiency centrifugal chillers; minimum 0.639 kW/ton, 0.45 kW/ton-IPLV

Energy Recovery Ventilation

Install enthalpy wheel energy recovery systems on exhaust with bypass and modulation control; 70%+ latent effectiveness, ~0.7” ΔP

Secondary Strategies DescriptionWall Insulation Add additional wall insulation, 2” continuous insulation

High Performance Windows

Replace existing windows with low conductivity glass and thermally-broken frames; maximum Assembly U-Value of 0.35

Tighter EnvelopeInstall continuous air-vapor barrier using spray on air barrier or spray foam to seal all roof penetrations (piping, ductwork, electrical) at both the top and the deck level

Heating Equipment Upgrade to condensing gas-fired boilers; 90%+ thermal efficiency

Reserve at Glenview

Thank you to Christine Kolb and Focus Development

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Reserve at GlenviewProject Overview

Reserve at GlenviewProject Team

Role OrganizationDeveloper Focus DevelopmentContractor Focus ConstructionArchitect BSB DesignMechanical Engineer GHCElectrical Engineer LE TechPlumbing Engineer Norman MechanicalLEED Consultant dbHMSComEd NC Energy Modeling Energy Center of Wisconsin

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Reserve at GlenviewModel Development

17%

Reserve at GlenviewModel Development

$0.20 / ft2

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Reserve at Glenview -CLIMATE DATA

Chicago Seasonal Temp IncreaseClimate Data

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Low Impact – Climate DataClimate Data

High Impact – Climate DataClimate Data

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Reserve at Glenview –MODELING RESULTS

Climate Change ImpactsEnergy Modeling

Electric Consumption

Natural Gas Consumption

Peak Electricity Demand

Annual Utility Cost

Baseline

Proposed

2.1%

2.2%2.3%

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Proposed DesignAdaptation Strategies

Proposed Design Description

High Performance Windows

Specify windows with low conductivity glass and thermally-broken frames; maximum Assembly U-Value of 0.29

Ventilation Controls Install CO2 sensors to reduce ventilation during low occupancy periods. Variable speed MAU fans.

HVAC Efficiency Upgrade split system, RTU, and MAU cooling efficiencies, upgrade to condensing furnaces; 90%+ thermal efficiency

Fan Power Reduction

Implement strategies to reduce fan power. In rooftop unit and makeup air units, implement premium efficiency direct drive, use high efficiency filters; oversize any ductwork, and limit AHU face velocity to 350 fpm or less. In split systems, use electrically commuted fan motors.

Climate Change Impacts - CostEnergy Modeling

Annual Utility Cost ($/ft2)

Baseline

Proposed

$0.05 / ft2

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Climate Change Impacts - EUIEnergy Modeling

Energy Utilization Index (kBTU/ft2)

Baseline

Proposed

1.7 kBTU / ft2

Future considerationsAdaptation Strategies

Future Considerations Description

Tighter EnvelopeInstall continuous air-vapor barrier using spray on air barrier or spray foam to seal all roof penetrations (piping, ductwork, electrical) at both the top and the deck level

Energy Recovery Ventilation

Install energy recovery devices to recover heat from exhaust air

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Climate Change ImpactsEnergy Modeling

Electric Consumption

Natural Gas Consumption

Peak Electricity Demand

Annual Utility Cost

Baseline

Proposed

11.8%

6.5%10.4%

Climate Change Impacts - CostEnergy Modeling

Annual Utility Cost ($/ft2)

Baseline Proposed

$0.13 / ft2

$0.05 / ft2

Annual Utility Cost ($/ft2)

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Climate Change Impacts - EUIEnergy Modeling

Energy Utilization Index (kBTU/ft2)

Baseline Proposed

3.9 kBTU/ft2

1.7 kBTU/ft2

EUI (kBTU/ft2)

CONCLUSIONS

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Final thoughtsConclusions

• Energy consumption of buildings is significant and growing.

• Climate change will increasingly impact building performance.

• It is important to begin including climate resilience analysis in our building designs and retrofit projects.

• Identify the most beneficial technologies and design approaches in specific regions

• Climate resilience design guidelines for building owners and design teams

• Strengthen existing energy efficiency policies

• The methodology we have developed is an important first step, but there is still room for improvement.

• Climate Change Information– ipcc.ch

– climate.gov

• Climate Change Data– narccap.ucar.edu

• ECW NASA research study– ecw.org/nasa-research

– ASHRAE Journal, “Future Climate Impacts on Building Design”

Additional resourcesConclusions