High Performance Buildings
and the Advanced Buildings Benchmark Design Guide
Lee DeBaillie, P.E. - Energy Center of Wisconsin
What is High Performance?
Human
Needs
Optimize
Low
Environmental
Impact
Economic
Reality
High Performance/Green/Sustainable
www.ecw.org
What is High Performance?
90% of time indoors
ASHRAE 62.1 and 55
35% Total Energy
65% Electricity
35% US CO2
ASHRAE 90.1
Human
Optimize
Environmental
Economic
High Performance/Green
www.ecw.org
$228 Billion Energy
$450 Billion US GDP
ASHRAE 90.1
What’s out there
Standards, Codes, Rating Systems, Guides…
Advanced
Buildings
Reference
Guide
International Energy
Conservation Code
Advanced
Buildings
Benchmark
ASHRAE
Standard 90.1
ASHRAE
Advanced
Energy Design
Guide Series
State Energy
Codes
ASHRAE GreenGuide
Net Zero Buildings
ASHRAE
Standard 189P
Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED)
Energy Star
Buildings
www.ecw.org
Energy Policy
Act of 2005
What’s out there
Standards, Codes, State Codes - Energy Efficiency

ASHRAE 90.1



Standard for Energy Efficient Design
International Energy Conservation Code

International Code Council

Easier to enforce, less flexible, allows 90.1
State Energy Codes

WI: IECC2000/90.1-1989/+Wisconsinisms

IL: IECC2000+01/90.1-1999 (effective 4/8/06)

IA: IECC2004/90.1-2004 (4/1/06 begin interim
period; mandatory Oct 1st)
www.ecw.org
What’s out there
Reference Guides…Energy Efficiency



ASHRAE GreenGuide

Targeted to HVAC designers

Classic energy efficiency approaches
ASHRAE 90.1 User’s Manual

Detailed background on standard
requirements

Application guidance, fundamentals
Advanced Buildings Reference Guide

www.poweryourdesign.com

Targeted to all building systems
www.ecw.org
What’s out there
Design Guides…Energy Efficiency


Advanced Buildings Benchmark

Mid-Sized Commercial Buildings

15%-30% over 90.1-2001

Simple design criteria, integrated design
ASHRAE Advanced Energy Design Guide Series

Small Office: 30% over 90.1-1999, <20,000ft2

Small Retail soon: 30% over 90.1-1999, <20,000ft2

Medium Commercial in works: 30% over 90.1-2004

One page of recommendations, integrated design
www.ecw.org
www.ecw.org
What’s out there
Miscellaneous…



Energy Star Buildings

Energy Efficiency Rating System
www.energystar.gov

Actual performance
Energy Policy Act 2005

$1.80/ft2 tax deduction – commercial

Commercial buildings 50% over 90.1-2001

In service between 2006-2007

Many details, see: www.efficientbuildings.org
Net Zero Buildings

The future…
www.ecw.org
What’s out there
Rating Systems…Sustainability

Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED)


Sites/water/energy/materials/IEQ
ASHRAE/USGBC/IESNA Standard 189P:

Standard for the Design of High Performance
Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential
Buildings

New Committee – available in 2007

“Code ready”…minimum performance

Baseline for High Performance Buildings

Borrows from LEED…LEED will drive higher
www.ecw.org
What is Advanced Buildings?

A program to promote High Performance Buildings
through training, tours, guidebooks, and website.

Developed by the New Buildings Institute and Energy
Center of Wisconsin.

Sponsored by a group of 20 utilities, efficiency
organizations, and public benefits programs around the
country.

Program is used by utilities for energy efficient new
construction programs (but any firm can use resources in-house).
www.ecw.org
Focus of Advanced Buildings

Encourage and simplify the design of high
performance buildings.

Focus on mid-sized commercial buildings
(20,000-80,000 ft2).

Common types: office, education, retail,
clinic, & storage.
www.ecw.org
Attributes of Mid-Sized Commercial Buildings

Designed fast, built fast

Standardized designs, proven technologies

Too small to justify detailed energy studies,
large enough to use lots of energy.

Discrete design among disciplines.

Owner or tenant occupied, or speculative shell.
www.ecw.org
Website
www.poweryourdesign.com
www.ecw.org
Training, Tours, Virtual Tours
www.poweryourdesign.com/trainingresources.htm
www.ecw.org
The Guidelines

Benefits Guide - (Why do it) Making the business case for high
performance buildings to owners and developers.

Benchmark - (What to do) Design guidelines.

Reference Guide - (How to do it) Detailed information on the
design guidelines, recent research results, cost estimates,
further resources.

LEED Guide - Relationship of Benchmark to the LEED rating
system.
Free at www.poweryourdesign.com
www.ecw.org
Benchmark
Design Guide
www.ecw.org
USING THE BENCHMARK
What to Do
When to do it
(Prescriptive Requirements)
(The delivery process)
1. Pre-Design
• Documentation
2. Schematic
Design
3. Design
Development
• Commissioning
• Envelope
4. Construction
Documents
• Mechanical
5. Construction
• Lighting
6. Post-Occupancy
• Power
High Performance
Building
Coordination
www.ecw.org
(Integrated Design)
Benchmark
Follows the ideal sustainable design approach…
On-site generation
Commissioning
Improve System
Efficiency
Reduce Loads
www.ecw.org
Benchmark
Integrated Design
www.ecw.org
TRADITIONAL PROCESS
INTEGRATED DESIGN
STRATEGY
Owner
Architecture
Architect
Engineer
HVAC
Owner Needs
Contractors
Owner
www.ecw.org
Site
Lighting
Benchmark & Reference Guides
Integrated Design


The Reference Guide provides an overview of integrated
design from pre-design through acceptance. For each
design phase there is a:

Design Process Flowchart

Checklist of design issues

Discussion of important activities

Documentation requirements
The Benchmark maps each performance requirement to
the point in the design process where it needs to be
addressed and by whom. This provides a ready list of
technical issues to be resolved at each stage of the
design process.
www.ecw.org
Benchmark
Prescriptive Requirements

Efficient Systems

Provides design
criteria such as: RPrescriptive Criteria
values, kW/ton,
(10% to 30% beyond
ASHRAE 90.1)
W/ft2, etc.

Also goal setting,
documentation, and
commissioning.
Basic Criteria
All Projects
plus, either
Simulation Criteria
(30% and 50% beyond
ASHRAE 90.1)
Extra Credit Criteria
Acceptance Testing
www.ecw.org
Basic - AIR BARRIER
Air Barrier •Must be continuous
•Air-tight
•Connected to:
Foundation and walls
Walls and windows/doors
Wall and roof
Wall and floor
•Penetrations sealed
www.ecw.org
Prescriptive - Windows
www.ecw.org
Prescriptive – Lighting Power
www.ecw.org
Benchmark Economics

The Benchmark is based on cost-benefit
analysis of energy savings measures across:

Mid-sized commercial building types such as office,
big box retail, schools, supermarkets, etc.

All U.S. climate zones

National range of energy costs
www.ecw.org
Top Number: Increased Capital Cost
Bottom Number: Annual Energy Savings
Office Building Economics
$1.07/sf
$0.39/sf/yr
$.98/sf
$0.38/sf/yr
$1.03/sf
$0.38/sf/yr
1.06/sf
$0.38/sf/yr
$1.06/sf
$0.38/sf/yr
$1.07/sf
$0.38/sf/yr
$1.00/sf
$0.37/sf/yr
$1.07/sf
$0.39/sf/yr
$0.91/sf
$0.39/sf/yr
$0.91/sf
$0.40/sf/yr
$0.67/sf
$0.41/sf/yr
www.ecw.org
$1.03/sf
$0.40/sf/yr
$0.73/sf
$0.41/sf/yr
Economics - Office
Result
Construction Cost Premium [$/ft2]
Energy Cost Savings [$/ft2]
Simple Payback [years]
Electric Savings [kWh/ft2]
Total Energy Savings over ASHRAE 90.1-2001
LEED Credits
Low
$0.69
$0.22
1.2
3.6
11.3%
11
High
$1.15
$0.61
4.8
4.1
24.0%
14
National Average - All building types, climates, utility rates
Saves $0.40/ft2 in energy costs annually (relative to ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2001)
For an additional $1.00/ft2 in capital cost.
www.ecw.org
Benchmark and ASHRAE 90.1

Benchmark is simple – only 21 criteria must be satisfied.
ASHRAE 90.1 must be more flexible (and hence more
complicated) to handle more building types.

Benchmark shoots higher. Total energy savings exceed
ASHRAE 90.1-2001 by 15-30 percent.

Benchmark provides information on how to do things.

Benchmark provides support for an integrated design
process: when things should be considered and by
whom.

Benchmark addresses additional energy systems such
as plug loads and refrigeration.

The Reference Guide provides background, research,
design, and cost information on implementing the energy
savings measures.
www.ecw.org
Benchmark and 90.1
Office Building Prototype
DHW
Fans
Pumps
Tower
Benchmark
Cooling
90.1 Base
Heating
Plug Loads
Area Lighting
0.00
5.00
10.00
kBtu/sf/yr
www.ecw.org
15.00
20.00
Point Distribution
Indoor
Environmental
Quality
Sustainable
23%
Sites
22%
Materials &
Resources
Water
20%
Efficiency
Energy &
Atmosphere
27%
www.ecw.org
8%
www.ecw.org
Benchmark and LEED

Similar situation in LEED-NC v2.2 - now earn
automatic point under EA for Benchmark compliance –
can avoid building simulation.

The LEED Guide provides detailed information on
mapping the Advanced Buildings requirements to
potential LEED points.
www.ecw.org
The Future…

Future Improvements to the Benchmark

Update to exceed ASHRAE 90.1-2004

Provide more case studies

Provide more on HVAC and controls

Provide more field research results

Merge with ASHRAE Advanced Design Guide
Series…?
www.ecw.org
The Future…

Sustainable design market is opening to
those who:

Can cross discipline boundaries.

Approach the building as an integrated system.

Can quickly evaluate and quantify design options
and new technologies at an early stage of design.

Can manage the risk of new approaches.
www.ecw.org
www.ecw.org
www.ecw.org
www.ecw.org
www.ecw.org
Advanced Buildings
www.poweryourdesign.com
High Performance Building Case Studies
www.advancedbuildings.net
More on the tax credits
www.energytaxincentives.org/TIAP_commercial-position_11-14-05.pdf
Lee DeBaillie, P.E.
Energy Center of Wisconsin
ldebaillie@ecw.org
608-238-8276 x111
www.ecw.org