HI-02-20-5 -- Early Performance of a Green Academic Building PDF

The energy performance for the first 24 months of occupancy of Oberlin College’s Adam Joseph Lewis Center, a recently constructed, 13,600 ft² (1, 263 m²) green academic building in northeastern Ohio is described. The building, advertised as a model of sustainable construction, boasts an impressive list of green technologies, including a 4,700 ft² (435 m²) rooftop photovoltaic (PV) array. Data are presented for building energy consumption and for energy generation by the PV array. The annual energy consumption is shown to be three times higher than originally projected and three to four times the amount produced by the PV array. The building’s combined on- and off-site energy consumption is no better than that for a comparable, conventional building. Details of the building design are presented and examined. Results of heating and ventilation simulations based on these details are presented that are consistent with performance data. Major HVAC problems are identified and changes proposed, which simulations suggest will significantly lower energy consumption. Various lessons learned are discussed.

Units: Dual