Calibrating As-Built Energy Models for Net-Zero Buildings

AIA CREDIT: 1.0 ABSTRACT: The Walgreens Company, a global retail pharmacy brand with over 8,000 stores, set out with a vision to create a showcase for innovative, sustainable, high-performance design at a retail location without altering the operational characteristics of the building in order to make it as highly-scalable as possible, and to share this information with the sustainability, architecture, and retail communities in a completely transparent fashion as a means of encouraging the adoption of green building practices wherever reasonably feasible. With the building enclosure in mind, this session sets out to tell the story of how the Walgreens Net-Zero Energy Store at 635 N. Chicago in Evanston, Illinois, was designed to accomplish this vision through state-of-the art design techniques, high-efficiency equipment, advanced control strategies and superior indoor environmental quality, and how the measurement and verification process is using calibrated energy modeling to track performance. The project has been designed to achieve Net-Zero Energy, and has been awarded ASHRAE Engineering Award of Excellence, LEED Platinum Certification, US EPA Green Chill Platinum and Green Globes among numerous other accolades. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1. Provide information related to energy modeling and how it was calibrated to as-built conditions. 2. Review the strategy of building forming to the design performance. 3. Discuss thermal bridging and how that was accomplished. PRESENTER BIO: Benjamin Skelton, P.E. serves as the Founding Principal of Cyclone Energy Group, a high-performance building consulting firm he established in 2012. Today, he focuses on executive account management, strategic growth and technical direction. Benjamin’s experience in high-performance buildings from concept through operation gives the firm in-depth insight and vision for each project. This synthesis of practical and academic knowledge has been applied to real projects, resulting in a track record of success. Benjamin earned a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University. He is the former President of the Illinois Chapter of ASHRAE and current Regional Vice Chair for Membership. He is also a member of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, and the USGBC. RSVP: For BEC Chicago members, an RSVP invite will be sent out approximately 7 to 10 days in advance. For non-BEC Chicago members interested in attending, you may contact jdiqui@stocorp.com to request an invite. The invitation will include a link to RSVP.