Page 122 - Designing for Zero Carbon - Case Studies of All-Electric Buildings

CASE STUDY NO. 5
SFUSD CLAIRE LILIENTHAL MIDDLE SCHOOL
Post Occupancy: Observations and Conclusions
The post-occupancy period has been dominated by reaction to the Covid19 pandemic, which caused the school to close shortly after opening in the fall of 2019. Occupancy resumed in the fall of 2021, the new submetering system was recently installed at that time and the solar PV system will be operational in 2022. The set of lessons learned is in progress at the time of this case study. However, there are a number of observations that can be made in the early post- occupancy period.
Post Occupancy: Design Standards (EUI, ZNE)
The studies that preceded the beginning of the work mandated by Proposition A and that resulted in the SFUSD energy/carbon design standards and procedures proved very beneficial to both the District and the A/E teams. SFUSD had a road map for the future projects that would save time and money, and that would produce the optimal designs for each type of school building. The A/E teams were given a well-defined process and the benchmark targets for the design. Zero net energy and zero carbon (all-electric) design goals were pre-established with a process for achieving them.
Post Occupancy: Data Metering
The post-design / post-construction process was not so well defined. No provision was made for submetering the new building and obtaining the performance data for each energy sub-system. Careful performance monitoring of these systems and post-occupancy evaluation was not pos- sible. This has been corrected by the installation of a separate data metering system for the new building. The data measurement is both an important check of the early-stage energy modeling and a verification that the project goals were in fact achieved.
Post Occupancy: HVAC Systems
The systems installed in the new building are highly energy efficient but also unusual for stan- dard school building applications. The newer technologies involved in this new equipment are relatively unfamiliar compared to those previously installed and maintained in these buildings. The District maintenance staff has experienced a “learning curve” in the process of routine main- tenance and troubleshooting issues. This was not unexpected and required a certain amount of staff training as a result.
Post Occupancy: Daylighting
Teachers generally report satisfaction with the daylighting provided by the tall classroom win- dows and control of natural ventilation. Some daylighting analysis was performed by the archi- tects for the classroom and by the manufacturer of the translucent panels for the gymnasium, but no design adjustments were reported as a result.
Post Occupancy: Embodied Carbon Assessment
The Middle School building was designed in 2017 before analytical tools for embodied carbon assessment were widely available. The SFUSD development of energy/carbon design standards for school buildings prior to that likewise did not include a standard for evaluating embodied car- bon. The client and design team therefore did not carry out such an evaluation as is customary for buildings designed today. The consensus among the members of the project team is that this embodied carbon assessment would now be included in the District design standards and the required design studies on specific projects.
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Designing for Zero Carbon: Volume 1