Extremely Low-Energy Design for Army Buildings: Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facility

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Construction Energy Research Laboratory (CERL), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) worked together to explore the potential to reach the 2015 energy performance goal of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007: to reduce fossil fuel-generated energy consumption by 65% for five common military construction building types (U.S. Congress 2007). This report covers the analysis, approach, and results examining energy performance for the Army tactical equipment maintenance facility. Starting with a previous project by CERE and NREL that explored 30% energy savings for the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (U.S. Congress 2005), the current project was able to achieve 40%-63% site energy savings (depending on climate zone) compared to a baseline building model, and 51%-76% source energy savings compared to Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey 2003 (EIA 2008) data for a similar building type. Recommended energy efficiency measures include passive house insulation standards, demand control ventilation strategies in the maintenance repair bays, radiant floor heating, transpired solar collectors, reduced lighting power densities, daylighting, and lighting control strategies.