Radiant Glass Industries provides the glass for an exciting new project for Golisano Institute for Sustainability:
Golisano Institute for Sustainability marks two significant building milestones
Fuel cell connection and green wall installation help ready building for April 12 dedication
March 8, 2013
by Rich Kiley
As the new building for Golisano Institute for Sustainability nears next month’s dedication, the world-class building likened to “a living lab” reached two more important milestones March 7 with the connection of the fuel-cell power unit and the installation of the nearly 40-foot-tall green wall.
While the fuel cell plays a vital role as the 84,000-square-foot Sustainability Institute Hall’s primary energy source, it was the arrival of the massive sections of green plants that drew crowds and even spontaneous tours on Thursday, according to Nabil Nasr, assistant provost for academic affairs and director of GIS.
“People were very excited to see the green wall go up … it’s extremely impressive,” Nasr says. “There has been a lot of anticipation for its arrival, and now that it is here, you can really see and understand why.”
The massive green wall spans 8 feet wide and 38 feet tall near the building’s west entrance, containing 1,776 green plants that contribute to air quality as well as aesthetics.
Meanwhile, after making primary connections of the UTC Model 400 Purecell System to the building’s microgrid, workers will bring the fuel-cell power source fully online over the next couple of weeks, according to Nasr.
The fuel cell—partial funding for which was made possible by a New York State Energy Research and Development Authority incentive to its manufacturer, United Technologies—produces 400 kilowatts of continuous electric power. In addition, heat generated as a by-product of electrical generation will help warm Sustainability Institute Hall and other buildings on the RIT campus. Any excess electricity goes into the campus grid. The fuel cell will contribute significantly to the building’s energy efficiency, which is expected to be more than 50 percent higher than a conventional structure. It also significantly reduces the building’s emissions.
“Innovation through public-private partnerships is critical to Governor Cuomo’s vision for the state’s energy future. NYSERDA is proud to partner with the Golisano Institute for Sustainability and UTC Power in support of the purchase of advanced fuel cell technology that will assist in lowering the greenhouse gas emissions of this extraordinary facility,” Francis J. Murray Jr., president and CEO, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
The microgrid system will take variable power inputs from all sources—including the building’s vertical wind turbines near the entrance as well as its solar panels—and will store energy in a battery bank to provide 50 kilowatt-hours of power. This will power some of the building’s lights and electrical outlets as well as charging stations for electric vehicles. Microgrid technology is a research area at GIS.
Sustainability Institute Hall was designed and built to exceed Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum standards of the U.S. Green Building Council—the highest standard that can be achieved.
The building’s ribbon-cutting and dedication is scheduled for noon Friday, April 12.
The Golisano Institute for Sustainability was established in 2007 with a $10 million gift from Paychex Inc. founder and philanthropist B. Thomas Golisano. It houses one of the world’s first Ph.D. programs in sustainable manufacturing and industrial development, as well as master’s degrees in sustainable systems and sustainable architecture. The Institute conducts leading research in alternative energy, remanufacturing, nanotechnology and sustainable production.
Partners and affiliates include Staples Inc., Caterpillar Inc., Eastman Kodak Co., Xerox Corp. and Rochester Midland Corp., with program support from the Henry Luce Foundation. Visit www.rit.edu/gis for more information.
____________________________________
Case Study of the Golisano Institute for Sustainability at RIT
Mark Maddalina, AIA, SWBR Architects
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) provides world-class education and conducts research in Sustainability. The Golisano Institute for Sustainability (GIS) is a multidisciplinary academic research program with its major focus on research of sustainable production, energy, and mobility as well as ecologically neutral information technology systems. The new GIS building, completing construction in April 2013, will house cutting-edge research labs, classrooms and office space to support the programs.
RIT established a LEED-Platinum Goal for this fast-track design-build project. Life Cycle Analysis, iterative energy and cost models helped to drive the design. The building's architecture includes complex, high-performance facades that integrate advanced glazing technologies, custom sun shading, superior insulation and multiple glazing types, including new radiant glazing technology, in order to minimize energy demand. This envelope, coordinated with efficient & appropriate systems design, delivers significant energy savings (greater than 50% over a baseline building). Specific strategies and challenges regarding the optimization of the building's performance for daylight, energy and occupant comfort will be presented. The building's mechanical systems were carefully right-sized to coincide with the robust building envelope. The systems utilized include chilled beams and radiant floor heating which both contributed to a higher energy savings level.
A unique building microgrid will manage a network of advanced energy and mechanical systems, including multiple fuel cells, a geothermal well field, multiple types of photovoltaics and urban-scale wind energy in concert with the steam, chilled water and electrical power campus systems.
Representatives from SWBR Architects will summarize the design, process and results with the support of RIT.
Our project is finalizing its LEED submission. Preliminary analysis indicates excellent performance for the envelope and systems. With the benefit of this building's feedback loops and publicly displayed energy dashboard technology, key performance data will be shared at the conference along with lessons learned.
Biographies:
Mark Maddalina is a Senior Associate, Registered Architect and Manager of Sustainable Design for SWBR Architects in New York State. He has been with the firm for 8 years. Mark specializes in sustainable design projects for Colleges and Universities and served as Project Architect for the Golisano Institute for Sustainability building. He has certified several LEED Buildings including RIT's College of Applied Science and Technology (LEED-Gold) and, as Manager of Sustainable Design for SWBR Architects, he educates project teams, coordinates educational outreach efforts and has written the firm's Sustainable Design Process Guidelines. Mark is currently on the Board of Directors for the New York Upstate Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council and has been a guest lecturer for many professional and student organizations as well as educational institutions the topic of sustainable design.
FOR INFORMATION ON RADIANT WINDOW SYSTEMS CALL: 610.896.3608
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.