The first facility in the country dedicated to the research, development and megawatt-scale testing of critical transmission and distribution-level components of future electrical supply and demand systems, the Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo., is LEED Platinum certified.
The $135 million, 182,500-square-foot ESIF houses 200 scientists and engineers working together to transform energy infrastructures in 14 highly sophisticated high-bay laboratories, a high-performance computing data center and an ultra-green workplace. The center focuses on conducting research and development of integrated energy technology systems into the electricity grid.
SmithGroupJJR, Phoenix, was teamed up with JE Dunn Construction Co., Denver, in a design-build competition for the EIFS facility. Mark Kranz,AIA, NCARB, LEED BD+C, vice president, design principal at SmithGroupJJR, says the firm has a long history with the NREL, and has been working on the bleeding edge of sustainable design for many years. “Because this was such a complex research facility with pretty audacious energy goals, it was a great match for us and our mission,” he says.
Cutting-edge Design
Metal was chosen in response to the campus’ myriad of metal-clad buildings. “Aluminum composite material (ACM), zinc and galvanized applications were prevalent amongst adjacent buildings and we wanted ESIF to feel like one of the family,” Kranz says. “We took cues from this palate to highlight the three different elements of ESIF: the office building, data center and highbay lab.”
Five separate wall and soffit panel profiles for exterior and interior applications were utilized, including 90,300 square feet of 24-gauge Galvalume, two colors of 0.8-mm natural zinc and 24-gauge stainless steel in custom-fabricated 12-inch concealed fastener wall and soffit panels. Umicore Building Products USA Inc., Raleigh, N.C., supplied the VMZinc, which was fabricated into panels by Phoenix-based Rollfab Metal Products, along with the Galvalume and stainless steel. Rollfab, together with Gen3 Architectural Wall Systems, Denver, created a custom fastening system to meet the required shapes and reveals. Additionally, Elward Systems Corp., Lakewood, Colo., fabricated 15,600 square feet of Alucobond dry panel system with Alucobond ACM by 3A Composites USA Inc., Statesville, N.C.
When fabricating the panels, Rollfab utilized advanced metal folder technology, creating panel profiles that maximized coil use and virtually eliminated any waste. A 21-foot folder was used to custom manufacture the numerous profiles to fit the structural and design needs of the project, explains Steven Tetreault, general sales manager at Rollfab. The folding machine’s custom forming capability allowed them to place design bends in the metal panels and match that design to the coil module to eliminate any waste.
“The size and frequency of breaks in the panels reduced the required gauge of the panels and therefore the material usage while serving the dual role of self-shading the exterior of the building and reducing the solar heat gain and cooling loads on the building,” Kranz adds.
The north and south façades, as well as the soffits of the office building section features 24-gauge Galvalume and 0.8-mm natural zinc. ACM panels are employed on vertical facias to provide a clean transition and installation at the building corners. ACM is also used in the wrapping of the diagonal “W” columns at the arroyo and entry breezeway, Kranz says.
The data center and social hub feature dark 0.8-mm natural zinc and polished 24-gauge stainless steel, while the highbay lab features 24-gauge Galvalume panels. Kranz explains that the polished stainless steel and dark zinc allowed them to metaphorically create a “black, blinking box” to house the black blinking box of the super computer. The combination of bare Galvalume and grey zinc panels also gave the architects a composition that accentuated the horizontal thrust of the office building and its cantilever, allowing the building to meet setback requirements from the adjacent arroyo and natural habitat.
“The patterning in the panel composition was a combination of wanting to create a façade with depth and ‘mobility’ while reinforcing the horizontal thrust of that element of the project,” Kranz says. “We were also working with the fenestration, both vision and clerestory, which drove the composition of the façade because of interior daylighting requirements. Finally, we were working to express the need for expansion joints within the overall face that integrates glazing, shading elements and a variety of panel profiles.”
Metal panels also perfectly complement the facilities mission of conducting cutting-edge futuristic energy systems integration research. “Two finishes of zinc and a bare Galvalume material with a variety of panel breaks combined with accents of cleanly detailed aluminum composite paneling creates this modern cutting-edge aesthetic for the project,” Kranz explains. “The variety of metal panels on the exterior are carried into the interior of the circulation lobbies, giving identity to the different programmatic spaces of the facility and continuing to reinforce the cutting-edge research mission of the ESIF.”
Sustainable Research
ESIF is one of the most sustainable research facilities in the world, and is built to very specific and demanding performance criteria. Operating at 23.6 kBTU/SF/yr, Kranz notes that the high-performance computing data center (HPCD) contains a petaflop scale supercomputer capable of large-scale modeling and simulation. “Not only will it be the fastest computing system dedicated to renewable energy technologies in the world, it will also be one of the most energy efficient data centers in the world,” he says. “Operating at a power usage effectiveness (PUE) of 1.06 or better and using 100 percent evaporative-based cooling, it features warm water liquid cooling and return water heat capture for re-use in the labs and office.”
The ultra-energy-efficient workplace consumes 74 percent less energy than the national average for office buildings. It also offers natural ventilation through operable windows, daylighting, LED lights with lighting controls, and radiant heating and cooling.
The ESIF has been awarded the Arizona Public Service Energy Award, Best Project: Government/Public Building-Merit Award, the Salt River Pima Sustainable Award, and was named the 2014 Lab of the Year by R&D Magazine.
Energy Systems Integration Facility, Golden, Colo.
Completed: April 2013
Cost: $135 million
Square footage: 182,500 square feet
Owner: Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Architect: SmithGroupJJR, Phoenix
General contractor: JE Dunn Construction Co., Denver
Fabricators: Elward Systems Corp., Lakewood, Colo., and Rollfab Metal Products, Phoenix
Metal installer: Gen3 Architectural Wall Systems, Denver
ACM material: Alucobond by 3A Composites USA Inc., Statesville, N.C.
Curtainwall: Kawneer Co. Inc., Norcross, Ga.
Light shelves: Hunter Douglas Contract, Norcross, Ga.
Zinc: Umicore Building Products USA Inc., Raleigh, N.C.