Empirical Energy Performance Evaluation of a High-Performance Office Building in the U.S. Midwest

摘要

Many innovative energy-saving strategies have been implemented in energy-efficient and sustainable building design to reduce overall energy use and operational cost. However, measurement of the actual energy usage and verification of implemented energy-saving design and strategies are also required to ensure the building performs as expected. This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of the energy performance at the Iowa Utilities Board and Office of Consumer Advocate (IUB-OCA) building by examining annual detailed submetered data. The IUB-OCA building is located in Des Moines, Iowa. It has two stories with a total gross area equaling 44,460 ft~2 (4130m~2).The buildingfeatures many low-energy and sustainable designs, and is certified as ENERGY STAR~® 100 rating and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED~®) Platinum rating. The one-year energy performance evaluation shows the building total energy use intensity is only 21.5kBtu/ft~2·yr (67.7kWh/m~2·yr). The study also examines the performance of the building major components, including the building envelope; operable windows; HVAC system, including geothermal heat pumps and energy recover ventilator; lighting and daylighting; plug loads; and the photovoltaic system. A postoccupancy survey was also conducted and the occupants were generally satisfied with their work environment.