Page 227 - Solar Power in Building Design The Engineer's Complete Design Resource

WATER AND LIFE MUSEUM, HEMET, CALIFORNIA 197

undertaken to significantly minimize the long-term operational cost of energy consump-
tion. They consisted of significantly exceeding California Title 24 Energy Conformance
minimum standards.

Lighting control automation In order to exceed the earlier referenced energy
economy standards, the electrical engineering design incorporated a wide variety
of electronic sensing devices and timers to optimize daylight harvesting and zone
lighting controls. Specifically, lighting control design measures incorporate the
following:
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■ All buildings over 5000 ft have been divided into lighting control zones that are
controlled by a central computerized programmable astrologic timer. Each lighting
zone is programmed to operate under varied timing cycles, which enables a sub-
stantial reduction in lighting power consumption.
■ All campus lighting fixtures used throughout the project are high-efficiency fluo-
rescent fixtures.
■ All office lighting is controlled by occupancy sensors or photoelectric controls.
■ All lights adjacent to windows are controlled by dedicated switches or photocells.
■ Lighting levels in each room are kept below the minimum permitted levels of
California Title 24 Energy Compliance levels.
■ Outdoor banner projectors use light-emitting diode (LED) lamps, which use a min-
imal amount of electric power.
■ All feeder conduits and branch circuit wires whenever warranted have been over-
sized to minimize voltage drop losses.

Solar power cogeneration design measures One of the most significant
energy-saving design features of the Water and Life Museum is the integration of pho-
tovoltaic solar power as an integral component of the architecture. A 540 kW dc solar
power system consists of 2955 highly efficient Sharp Electronic solar power panels
that cover the entirety of the rooftops of the two museum campuses, including the
Water and Life Museum, Anthropology and Paleontology Museum, lecture hall, cafe-
teria, and gift shop buildings. Figure 7.9 depicts Water and Life Museum roof-mount
solar power system.
At present, the power production capability of the aggregate solar power cogenera-
tion system is designed to meet approximately 70 percent of the calculated demand
load of the net meter which is effectively 48 percent above the 20 percent maximum
qualification requirement for USGBC 3-point credit.
From the April 2006 commissioning date, until December 2006 while the project
was under construction, the solar power system generated over 550 MWh of electric
power, which translates into approximately 8 percent of the net invested capital. With
50 percent of the CEC solar power rebate received and the projected escalation of elec-
tric energy cost, the solar power cogeneration system investment is expected to
recover its cost in less than 5 years.
In view of the 25-year guaranteed life span of the solar power panels and minimal
maintenance cost of the system, the power cogeneration system in addition to saving