Page 226 - Solar Power in Building Design The Engineer's Complete Design Resource

196 LEED—LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

VALUE

The Green Distribution Center (Green DC) has been successful in bringing more
sustainable business practices into its facilities. The payback on its investment at
the Rochester location, after rebates and accelerated depreciation, is approximately
12.6 years. The remaining system output will produce energy for 7.5 years, producing
$60,000 in value at today’s rates in Rochester. It is important to note that in areas
where the avoided cost of peak power is higher than $0.10/kWh, this return of invest-
ment can drop to under 6 years, meaning that in those areas the facility would enjoy
free peak power from the solar PV array for at least 14 years after the investment is
returned. This equates to a $112,000 benefit at today’s rates.

Water and Life Museum,

Hemet, California

The Museum of Water and Life was a collaboration between architects Michael B.
Lehrer FAIA and Mark Gangi AIA and electrical and solar power design consultant
Vector Delta Design Group Inc. The project was designed as a sustainable campus,
located within a recreational park at the entrance to Metropolitan’s Diamond Valley
Lake and is an example of a LEED-rated sustainable project.
The project consists of a large composite plan of six buildings, including the Center
for Water Education Museum, Western Center of Archaeology and Paleontology
Museum, Museum store, Museum café, and two conference room buildings, which are
sited to produce a series of outdoor spaces from grand to intimate. A Grand Piazza,
a Campus Way, and various courts strategically placed between buildings, give a civic
sense to the campus.
The project was conceived as a LEED-designed campus in the platinum category,
a designation reserved only for the most energy-efficient green buildings.

LEED DESIGN MEASURES
Solar Power Cogeneration The Center for Water Education’s solar system is one
of the largest private solar installations in the western United States. The system, com-
posed of 2925 solar panels, also includes custom-designed building-integrated photo-
voltaic (BIPV) panels manufactured by Atlantis Energy Systems that cover the loggia.
These panels are not only highly efficient, they are beautiful and add an architectural
detail found nowhere else.
Part of the incentive to install such a large solar system was the generous rebate pro-
gram provided by the California Energy Commision. At the time of purchase, The
Center invested $4 million on the design and installation of the solar system.

Electrical engineering energy conservation design measures In the process
of designing an integrated electric and solar power system, special design measures were