Page 98 - Zero Net Energy Case Study Buildings-Volume 1

CASE STUDIES NO. 5 AND 6
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, MERCED
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Zero Net Energy Case Study Buildings: Volume 1
Low-Energy Building Design Strategies at UC Merced
To reach the low-energy use targets, the University established a set of design strategies that could be applied to all new buildings at the campus, taking advantage of the site microclimate and making the buildings as adaptive as possible. Architecturally, these design strategies neces- sarily affect the character and style of the campus environment, as is typically the case when integrating energy efficient design practices in the initial design phases.
The UC Merced 2009 Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) specifically calls for a “unique architectural identity for the campus by employing passive environmental systems” and clearly indicates that all new buildings should employ certain low-energy design strategies that are ef- fective in this microclimate to create this identity. This idea is picked up and expanded upon in the Physical Design Framework document6, which establishes specific principles for building plan- ning and design features that support the goal of distinguished architecture that can ultimately be part of a zero-net-energy performing campus.
These design strategies and building features common to all UC Merced buildings are:
• Sunshades to protect glazing and exposed building walls but to maximize daylight avail- ability to interior spaces;
• Pedestrianarcadesalongsouthandwestfacadestoshadewallsandwindowsspecifically for those orientations;
• Separate entrances to building spaces on the ground level rather than a single building entrance with internal corridors; this minimizes internal conditioned space while activating shaded outdoor spaces.
• Highinsulationlevelsforwallsandroof,airtightbuildingenvelopeandflatroofstoaccom- modate future solar photovoltaic system installation.
These low-energy design strategies were employed as required for the two case study buildings in this publication and the commonalities of the two projects will be obvious. The additional strat- egies used as well as the programmatic differences distinguish them from one another.
Energy Supply: Central Plant Hot & Chilled Water Supply and Renewable Energy Sources
The long range plan for the campus to have a 100% renewable energy supply by 2020 requires the gradual introduction of these energy sources, which consist of arrays of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, wind turbine generators, biomass systems and geothermal systems. The LRDP
6 Physical Design Framework, UC Merced Physical Planning, Design and Construction (PD&C), 2010