New design guide for zero-energy office buildings released

by sadia_badhon | July 3, 2019 3:43 pm

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A new publication provides direction for designing and constructing zero-energy office buildings in all climate zones.

The Advanced Energy Design Guide for Small to Medium Office Buildings: Achieving Zero Energy was developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers[2] (ASHRAE), the American Institute of Architects[3] (AIA), the Illuminating Engineering Society[4] (IES), the U.S. Green Building Council[5] (USGBC), along with the U.S. Department of Energy[6] (DOE) through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory[7] (NREL).

“This guide provides a pathway to zero energy and presents design teams with strategies for achieving energy-saving goals that are financially feasible, operationally workable, and readily achievable,” says Paul Torcellini, project committee chair.

This guide offers user-friendly directions for the construction of new, low-energy, small to medium office buildings and also applies to retrofits of existing structures, depending on the depth and breadth of the project. Strategies for reaching zero, including energy-efficient targets and how-to recommendations can also be found throughout the guide.

Additional features include:

• practical advice for owners and designers to successfully achieve a zero-energy building;
• information on how every design decision can move a project toward zero energy;
• specific energy targets for office buildings by climate zone;
• recommendations for conceptual phase building planning and siting;
• strategies to reduce and eliminate thermal bridging through the building enclosure including architectural detail drawings;
• plug-load control and management plans to reduce energy consumption;
• recommendations on lighting configurations, including controls for better lighting quality and energy benefits;
• information on sizing and designing HVAC systems to achieve maximum energy savings;
• strategies for balancing energy efficiency and renewable energy generation including the effective use of roof space;
• pointers on how to apply the guide to retrofit building projects; and
• bonus information on using energy efficiency as a strategy for resiliency and grid alignment.

Source URL: https://www.constructionspecifier.com/new-design-guide-for-zero-energy-office-buildings-released/

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