The Inside of Green

Natural wood, stone floors, low-e windows are all the glitzy aspects of green.  But what about the inner workings of a LEED certified building, the things that contribute daily to energy and costs saving?  It may not be as pretty, but the operating systems are very important to true sustainability.

TCC entrance

We were given a chance to tour the Tarrant County College Trinity River Campus (formerly Radio Shack), a LEED Silver project.  While the entrance and foyer are quite impressive, we were able to see how it all works in a behind-the- scenes tour.  The campus is made up of almost 1 million square feet and was purchased by TCC for $260 million.  Radio Shack's headquarters continues to occupy one of the three buildings.  The college has done a good job of adapting the space to their needs, but it is easy to see by all the luxury finish out that this is not your ordinary community college campus.

 
 The chiller system was the main focus of our tour and was cutting edge technology when it was installed.  The premise of the system is to run cooled water through out the building under the raised floor (see right).  The air is dispensed through the floor with the intake near the ceiling.  The system is run on an automated system running only when necessary. The air is constantly monitored for temperature and CO2 levels to maintain the right temperature and air quality. 

We started by visiting one of the many air handlers.  Each air handler handles the cooling for half of its floor and the floor above it.  The handlers move the air through dense filters dramatically improving the air quality.  The pipes in the back are heavily insulated to help reduce heat transfer, a characteristic of the entire system.  We then headed to the basement where the air chiller is housed.  There were two things immediately noticeable when entering the mechanic room - the loud noise and how clean and comfortable it was.  This is not the hot and steamy "boiler room" you see in the cartoons.  Instead, it was climate controlled and very clean.  The water travels into the chiller where it is cooled to about 42 degrees and then sent out through insulated pipes.  The building primarily uses body heat to heat the building, with no formal heating system.  The entire system is powered by a computer "brain" that checks the system regularly and alerts the maintenance team when there is a problem.  They also have consultants that help electronically when the problem is more complex.  In addition to the energy saving (about 50%) this has also saved them in staffing costs.

A building's major energy use is through its HVAC system and this building has dramatically reduced its carbon footprint through upgrading their system to a sustainable system.  While the TCC campus also has many of the more visible aspects of sustainable building in place, it is important to note that often the most important and effective aspects of a green building are hidden deep within the building.

Green to the Core

"We are green to the core.  BRIT lives our commitment to long-term sustainability - beginning with our building." - cover of BRIT brochure

The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) has just opened its new facility in Fort Worth next to the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens and in a word - WOW!  They are seeking platinum level LEED certification, "the highest level of green" and have done an impressive job of creating a beautiful facility that meets their needs while accomplishing this goal of sustainability.  Their dedication to preserving our natural world is complimented by their commitment to educating the public on how they can contribute to this global initiative.

Richard Smart, Head of Public Programs at BRIT, gave us an after-hours tour of their new campus.  His enthusiasm was contagious and the pride he felt in being part of this project was evident throughout the presentation.  Here is a quick (and incomplete) look at the sustainable qualities of this new facility:


Entrance and vegetative roof

 Water: Water conservation and use is a core element of BRIT's sustainable mindset.  From its two 5,000 gallon cisterns to store runoff water to pervious walkways, BRIT has looked for ways to minimize runoff and create opportunities for rain water to soak back into the earth.  They have incorporated bioswales into their landscaping and installed low to no water usage fixtures in their bathrooms.  One of the greatest water conservation qualities is the vegetative roof, made up of native plants and offering a research laboratory as well as helping to cool the building and reduce run-off.   The hope is that the irrigation will be operated exclusively using run-off and bioswale water and that the green roof in essence erases the footprint of their education building. 

Energy:  BRIT has looked for ways to both reduce their energy use as well as harness renewable energy.  The use of natural light, light harvesting sensors, and motion detectors minimize the use of light in the building.  They have also built a geothermal system that should reduce their heating and cooling energy use by over 50%.  Solar tubes on the roof of the archive building collect solar energy from 360 degrees, maximizing the sun's energy for use on the campus.



sinker cypress wall



Sustainable Material:  BRIT's commitment to sustainable building extends to the materials they selected - looking for recycled, reclaimed, or sustainably farmed materials whenever possible.  The result is a beautiful blend of natural products such as sinker cypress, bamboo ceilings, and wool carpet combined with rubber-based floors made from recycled tennis shoes and tires.  BRIT also used over 20% recycled materials such as steel and ceiling tiles made from recycled sheetrock and recycled over 90% of the materials from the existing building, substantially reducing their contribution to area landfills.

Extra Touches:  One of the things that make this building so special is that BRIT looked for ways to go beyond.  The outdoor theater/meeting place is built using area rocks stacked in geologic order, creating a wonderful learning opportunity on the history of Fort Worth soil.   Wires on the sides of their archive building will help vines grow into a vertical garden and aide in the cooling of the building and provide a visible reminder of the importance of blending with environment.  The learning opportunities in the form of exhibits and classrooms include the treehouse room that showcases a 100+ year oak tree they saved during construction.  BRIT has also created wonderful literature not only sharing when they did to be sustainable, but challenging visitors to seek answers to the question "What can I do?"

The new BRIT campus is amazing and it will come as no surprise that it was also very expensive.  At $45 million for 70,000 square feet it represents a standard out of reach of most individuals and organizations.  The encouraging thing is that this project was financed by people who believe in sustainability and the work of BRIT.  While many donations were substantial, there were no doubt many people who contributed $10 or $25 to this initiative as a way to be part of something significant. . . and beautiful.

Green is Growing

The green building initiative is growing and as a result green support businesses are sprouting up everywhere.  Here is a look at a few:

Green Commissioning: Commissioning is the process by which someone makes sure the end product of a project (in this case a building) performs the way it was intended it to.  It comes from the historical process of commissioning a ship and allows someone to take their project from idea to reality.  This is not just for new construction, but it is also a growing trend with retrofits.

Green Project Profitability:  One of the challenges with selling green buildings and retrofits is monetizing the potential profit or gain.  While most people agree that the intangible benefits of sustainability are important, there need to be economic incentives for the initial investment.  While initial payback in the form of reduced energy bills is one way to determine profitability, the challenge is gathering enough data to support the long term gains.

Green Lending:  Lending institutions, such as E3 Bank,  that focus on green or sustainable projects are faced with the challenges of monetizing profitability if they choose to qualify projects in a traditional manner.  Currently public funding in the form of grants and refunds is a primary financial source.  Hopefully, as we gather more information about the long term benefits of sustainable construction, there will be increased benefits to property owners, companies, and builders seeking loans for sustainable construction

Interior of a green office building

in Cambridge, MA.

(image: greenbuildingelements.com)


Green Insurance:  There is no question that green buildings are unique and, as a result, they present a unique insurance challenge.  A few insurance companies, such as Fireman's and Traveler's, offer green insurance.  These policies take into account the added expense of green buildings as well as the need to replace them up to current sustainability in the event of a disaster, even offering LEED certified claims adjusters.

 

Green Leasing:  Once the property owner has invested in constructing or retrofitting a green building, policies need to be in place to help insure the building operation supports and maintains its green status.  Enter the green lease.  This lease addresses everything from specific finish out materials to mandating recycling.  As the number of green buildings increase, so will the need to allow property owners to have leases in place that support this initiative.

LEED standards provide guidelines for construction and consistent and credible benchmarks for other support industries and businesses.  Sustainability is here to stay in the building industry.  As the inventory of green buildings increases, companies that have positioned themselves to meet these changing needs will thrive. 

Sealing the Envelope

iranalyzers.com

One of the areas of consideration when "going green" is evaluating and improving the building envelope.  These are the parts of the building that separate the interior space from the exterior.  This shell includes the foundation, exterior walls, windows, roof, exterior doors, and floors.  When you think about energy efficiency, this just makes sense.  When it is cold outside, we want to be warm.  When it is hot, we seek the cool interior.  Any transfer between the inside and the outside results in greater energy use for us to be comfortable. 

The two main action areas of closing the envelope are sealing and insulating - the main goal being to separate the inside and outside air.  If you are going for a specific certification, you need to be sure to solve these issue up to their code, but to seal a building you can use materials as simple as caulk and as advanced at OwenCornings new Energy Complete sealant. 

The roof and windows are two important considerations.  The options for roofs range from green roofs, which can be as simple (see left) or complex (see below) as you choose, to the installation of solar panels - a great way to create your own energy.  Green roofs also help prevent the heat island effect in urban areas - an extra plus!  Windows also have insulation and coating that helps let light into the building while reducing heat/cold exchange.  These low-e windows are increasingly common in all types of construction and are even part of many building codes.

Doors and the efficiency of the HVAC system  play a huge role in helping to seal the building envelope and keep the occupants comfortable and healthy.  One interesting consideration when sealing a building is managing CO2 content.  Again, there simple and complex solutions.  Opening the windows and allowing for a cross breeze refreshes the inside air.  There are also CO2 sensors that work with the HVAC system to take in outside air when a specified level of CO2 is detected.

When considering "going green" it is important to realize that there are many steps, considerations, and options - sealing the envelope is just one.  Determining your goals at the onset can help you focus your attention and resources in a way to achieve maximum results and help take another step toward sustainability.

... and so it begins....

We have completed class one in a two week marathon on Sustainability.  Monday through Friday, 6 - 10 pm we will be at the UTA Santa Fe campus learning about the importance of sustainable development, the real meaning of going green, and how all of that plays into the world of real estate and construction.  While many people think this is a new trend, the truth is it has been around for decades.  There has been a recent surge of interest and media attention that has helped people see the wide stretching impact of the choices we make today on future generations.  Being green is no longer for a select few, it is mandated by government, promoted by companies, and is a very real part of our present culture.