LACCD Harbor College in Wilmington, CA is a 105,805 square feet Higher Education building. The building consists generally of both laboratory spaces and general instructional spaces, as well as office suites. Laboratory spaces normally require an intensive use of energy and it is a particular challenge for a building with such spaces to approach ZNE performance. Even though the program is a mix a laboratory and non-laboratory space, the design team recognized that at 70,000 gross square feet of total building floor area, a cost-effective building-integrated PV system would not be adequate for ZNE performance—some site solar PV would be required in the renewable energy accounting. Nevertheless, the design team adopted effective energy-efficiency measures to reduce significantly the energy use of the building.
Why It's Green:
Sun-shading of the south façade with the solar PV panel installation;
Exterior wall consists of standard construction metal studs and R-19 insulation;
Natural ventilation - In the Science Building, these spaces are served by dedicated 100% outside air air-handling-units (AHU), which are equipped with energy recovery coils;
Vast array of solar PV panels located on canopy structures above the three parking lots to the west of the campus and above the west parking structure;
Onsite renewable energy
Check out the
ZNE-Case-Study-Commercial-Buildings-Volume-3 to learn more about this project
Los Angeles Harbor College's Science Complex achieved LEED Platinum certification, the highest level of certification for sustainable design. Putting science on display, the building serves as a living laboratory in which students can track its energy production and usage.
Apart from earning high LEED marks, the facility also integrates a number of sustainable strategies helping it achieve net-zero energy use. Other strategies include:
42.0% improvement on baseline building performance rating;
12% onsite renewable energy & 35% green power purchase use of building-integrated photovoltaic panels (BIPV) connected to the campus;
PV systems; occupancy-sensor lighting, natural ventilation, abundant daylight, integrated building systems that respond to weather conditions, an energy-recovery system that converts exhaust air into energy, and exterior corridors and outdoors classrooms that reduce energy loads;
50% FSC-certified wood products
75% of occupied space has daylighting
90% of occupied space has quality views
50% reduction in potable landscape water use
20% reduction in baseline indoor water use
Check out the LEED Scorecard here:
http://www.gbig.org/activities/leed-10293094/dashboard
http://www.schoolconstructionnews.com/articles/2016/02/2/los-angeles-harbor-college-building-achieves-leed-platinum1111 Figueroa Place, Wilmington, CA 90744