Page 220 - Solar Power in Building Design The Engineer's Complete Design Resource

190 LEED—LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

■ Engineered structural members are urea-formaldehyde-free.
■ Synthetic gypsum boards have 95 percent recycled content.
■ Ceramic tiles have recycled content.
■ Carpet is made of sisal fiber extracted from the leaves of the Mexican agave plant.

Green energy operating system

■ One-hundred percent of the electric power for lighting is provided by an off-grid
polycrystalline photovoltaic solar power system. The system also includes a 3- to
5-day battery-backed power storage system.
■ To balance the electric power provided by the sun, all lighting loads are connected
or disconnected by a load-shedding control system.
■ Heating and cooling are provided by a thermal absorption cooling and heating
system.
■ Windows open to allow for natural ventilation.

Green water system

■ All the wastewater is treated on-site without a connection to the public sewer
system.
■ Storm water is kept on-site and diverted to a water-quality treatment basin before
being released to help recharge groundwater.
■ Two-stage, low-flow toilets are installed throughout the center.
■ The building only uses 35 percent of the city water typically consumed by compa-
rable structures.

TriCom Office Building

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This project is a commercial and industrial-use type building, which has 23,300 ft of
building space. The TriCom Building incorporates three commercial uses of space,
namely, executive office, showroom, and warehouse. The project was completed in
2003 at a cost of about $3.3 million. It was designed by Caldwell Architects and was
constructed by Pozzo Construction. The solar power was designed and installed by
Sun Utility, Solar Company.
The TriCom Building has received LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building
Council, and it is the first certified building in Pasadena. It is a prototype for Pasadena
and was undertaken with the partnerships of Pasadena Water and Power, a local land-
scape design school, and other entities.
The project site is in the expanded enterprise zone of the city of Pasadena, which
was part of the redevelopment project. To promote alternative transportation, the
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building is located – mile from nine bus lines and – mile from the light rail. A bicycle
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rack and an electric vehicle charger are on site to encourage additional alternative
modes of transportation.