ABSTRACT
This new, 8,200-gross-square-foot office and assembly space located in the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (CMBG) was constructed for $3.2 million excluding the PV system. The CMBG first opened in 2007 and its popularity created a demand for an educational center. The organization saw an opportunity to use the new building as a teaching tool about resource and energy conservation. A donor challenged the CMBG to make the planned building perform as net zero energy. The building opened in July 2011 and was documented as performing for a year as net positive energy at the end of October 2013. It is also certified as LEED Platinum. (See Box 7.1 for a summary of project details.) Box 7.1: Project overview https://www.niso.org/standards/z39-96/ns/oasis-exchange/table">
IECC climate zone
6A
Latitude
44°N
Context
Rural 248-acre (1,003,620 m2) campus
Size
8,628 gross ft2 (802 m2)
8,200 ft2 (762 m2) conditioned area
6,668 ft2 (619 m2) footprint
Height
1 and 2 stories
Program
Office, education, and assembly
Occupants
9 FTE, 6 PT or seasonal employees. The education wing can accommodate up to 200 visitors.
Annual hours occupied
2,600
Energy use intensity (November 2012–October 2013)
EUI: 19.2 kBtu/ft2/year (60.6 kWh/m2/year)
Net EUI: –4.3 kBtu/ft2/year (–13.6 kWh/m2/year)
National median EUI 1
Social/meeting hall: 45.3 kBtu/ft2/year (143 kWh/m2/year)
Office: 67.3 kBtu/ft2/year (212.5 kWh/m2/year)
Demand-side savings vs. ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007
50%
Certifications
LEED BD+C v3 Platinum
Energy Star Portfolio Manager benchmark for site energy use intensity