OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN EMPLOYING ENERGY ANALYSIS EARLY IN THE INTEGRATED DESIGN PROCESS

Abstract

This paper takes a case study approach to outlining the pursuit of early design energy analysis on two National Park Service (NPS) projects. ‘Early design energy analysis’ here refers to analysis during programming and schematic design with inputs based on reasonable assumptions to obtain results that guide the rest of the design process.
Case Study 1: The proposed 17,000 gross square feet visitor center at Castillo de San Marcos National Monument (CASA) in St. Augustine, FL, is required by federal regulations to achieve energy performance that is 30% better than an ASHRAE 90.1-2004 baseline (a codified version of the Architecture 2030 challenge).
Case Study 2: The proposed 60,000 gross square feet Marine Research and Education Center in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, is being designed to achieve net-zero energy performance and Living Building Challenge certification. Adaptive comfort based design aids in integrating passive survivability, cooling-load avoidance, natural ventilation, and onsite renewable energy generation.