Governors Island Project – Building 555 Green Building Tools & Technologies

December 7, 2011

•445 students plus faculty and staff are transported from

the five boroughs to The Harbor School on a daily basis

•Trip time can be nearly two hours each way for some

students

•Vessel used to transport from Manhattan to Governors

Island burns a significant amount of fuel

The Problem The Problem…

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The Problem Solution

•Convert adjacent building (555) to a dormitory to

accommodate students during the week

•In line with the Harbor School’s philosophy, seek LEED

Platinum certification

Solution

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Site Location

N

Governors Island

Geographic Location 40°41'27.76"N

74° 1'14.86"W

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Site Location

N

Building 555

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Sustainable Dormitory

1. Radiant Concrete Floor

2. Insulated Windows

3. Modlet Adapters

Throughout

4. Maximize Natural Light

5. Energy Efficient Lighting

6. Occupancy Sensors

7. Efficient Water Fixtures

8. Reclaimed Wood Furniture

9. Rainwater Collection for

Potable Water

10.Black/Grey Water

Treatment for Process Water

11. Greenhouse Provides

Oxygen/Water/Climate

Control

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Water

Key Objectives:

• >36% improvement in existing building performance with

efficient fixtures and radiant heating/cooling

• Produce electricity and heat on-site with DG/CHP system for

school during day and dorm at night

• >9% on-site renewables with solar panels for selected uses

and potential biofuel augmentation

• 1% renewables = Regional Priority 1.4

• Enhanced Commissioning + Student training/education

Energy:

Efficiency, Cogeneration and Renewables

Energy Sources

•Co-Gen System to run partially off of biofuel from algae

and will be used to heat water and in absorption chiller

•Solar for vehicle recharge

•Aqua heat-pump from harbor 8

DG/CHP Systems

•Distributed Generation (DG)/Combined Heat and Power (CHP) will provide power

to the dorm at night and school during the day

• Waste heat from the DG/CHP system will heat water and be used in absorption

chiller for cooling

•System will run partially on biofuel 9

On-Site Energy Use

•Process Use:

• Radiant floor heating/cooling with water source heat pump

• Waste heat capture from DG/CHP for hot water heating

• Water source heat pump

•All Energy Star appliances

•Building management system to control mechanical systems

•Efficient Lighting

• Occupancy sensors

• Program specific lighting

• Daylighting solutions (light shelf, light walls and flooring)

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Energy Monitoring/Control

•Centralized portal to monitor and manage energy usage

•Competitions amongst the pupils to minimize usage,

prizes to be funded through energy savings

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• Helena Building (601 West 57th Street, NYC)

• Direct Generation/Combined Heat and Power; Efficient fixtures

• Epler Hall, Portland State University

• Natural ventilation and lighting; shading; Efficient fixtures

• The Schwab House (11 Riverside Drive, NYC)

• Shared Savings Program to minimize risk for DG/CHP (3rd party owns/operates equipment)

Inspiration

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Energy Sources

•Co-Gen system can run on either Diesel (with biodiesel blend - B20 or B100) or

Natural Gas (non-renewable but more common/standard practice)

•Methane recapture from compost if NG Co-Gen turbine is used

•Wind Turbine (http://www.tradewindturbines.com)

Energy Options

Conservative estimate for expected LEED EAc2 points

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Water

Key Objectives:

• Strive to furnish 100% of the building’s water need

with on-site wastewater treatment and rainwater

collection

• Treat 100% of the water and wastewater from the site

• Present water as a commodity to have value much

greater than the current price

Water:

Managing Stormwater and

Wastewater

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On-site Use

•Facility Use

• Toilets

• Faucets

• Showers

•Process Use

• Radiant floor heating

• Energy capture from CHP

• Water source heat pump

•Irrigation

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Inspiration

•Sidwell Friends School in Washington D.C.

•Yale School of Architecture New Haven, Ct

•Oberlin College “living machine” Oberlin, Ohio

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Water Sources

•Rain harvesting

•Wastewater and grey water reuse

•Humidity from greenhouse

•Harbor water (for water source heat pump) 17

Water Budget

•Defines sizing for rain harvesting and collection area

•Demonstrates that showers are the greatest source of

water use – more than 4 times the next highest use

•Sets a goal for rain harvesting and reuse

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Rain Harvesting

0

500000

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

Gal

lon

s o

f W

ate

r /

year

Collection Area (square feet)

Water Harvested

Needed:

65,250 sf collection area

1,513,000 gallons/year

Current: 10,000 sf roof area 23,880 gallons/year

- More than 6 times the current roof area

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Water •Collection

•Conveyance

•Storage

•Treatment

•End-use

Rain Harvesting System

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Water •Collection

•Conveyance

•Storage

•Treatment

•End use

Collection Area

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Water

•Treat harvested, rain water for potable applications

• Faucet

• Shower

• Kitchen

• Washing machine

•Treat wastewater and grey water for irrigation and

gardening

Treatment and Reuse

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Water

• Low flow faucets and showerheads (0.5 and 1.75

g/min)

• Low flow toilets (0.8 gpf)

• Pint urinal (men’s WC only)

• Closed loop radiant floor heating

Fixtures and Equipment

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Water

• Drip irrigation is efficient

• Water only the necessary area at a low flow

rate (drip irrigation) opposed to intermittent

inundations

• Synergy with treatment

• Plants can treat water and remove particles,

metals, and pathogens

Irrigation

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Water

• Importance and value of water

• The cost savings should be indicated to the students

• Infuse value in conservation

• Make it interactive

• Testing

• Operations should be visible and components

should be marked and have descriptions to explain

Teaching Moment

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Water

Key Objectives:

• Grow fruits, vegetables, and grains to feed

students, staff, faculty, and Island workers

• Infuse School and Dormitory with enriched air

• Provide recreation and activity space where

students learn about and actively participate in

the production of their food

Greenhouse:

Food and Environment

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•Organic waste from dorm and school is converted into

compost

•Oxygen-rich air is circulated throughout the

dorm/school

•Humidity is converted into water and captured for reuse

•Heat transfer system for climate control in building 555

On-site Use:

Influence on Building(s) Process

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•Glass houses and greenhouses in northern Europe

•Modern approaches to urban farming in New York and

around the country

Inspiration

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Siting

•Situated between the Dormitory and School

• Further study needed on sizing

• Possible implementation strategy to navigate

historic district requirements is to classify as

temporary structure

• Great opportunity for partnership with urban farm

organizations

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Partnership

• Promote urban Sustainability Science + Education

• http://nysunworks.org/

• Drexel Smarthouse

• http://www.drexelsmarthouse.com/

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Summary of LEED Credits

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• LEED Platinum New Construction and Major

Renovation

Recap

2 points 10 points 2-3 points

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Questions?

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