As Ventura County's biggest consumer of energy, the U.S. Navy has a lot to gain from adopting energy-efficient practices. The Navy's Energy and Sustainable Design Demonstration Facility (also known as Building 850), located at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, was created as an ongoing test bed for new and emerging technologies. "New ideas are constantly being tried out and revised," says base Energy Manager Tom Santoianni.
The goal of Building 850 is to help shape and influence future building designs to be more energy efficient and to promote sustainable use of natural resources. The building, which houses the base's Public Works Department, also serves as a classroom to promote sustainable technologies to the government and outside community.
Sometimes the hardest things to control are human habits. The building takes advantage of Ventura County's abundant sunshine by aiming to be a 100% "daylit" building. Clerestory windows and reflective "light shelves" bring sunlight into office spaces and meeting rooms, and the high-efficiency fluorescent lights have sensors to turn them off when natural light is sufficient. The sensors, however, have override switches-and the people who work in the building often use them.
"I guess they figure that if the lights aren't on, then nobody's home," Santoianni says. Working with nature includes working with human nature.
Center: "Evacuated tube" solar water heating collectors produce hotter water and are more complex- and more efficient-than flat plate collectors. The hot water from this system is stored in a large 1,000 gallon storage tank and is used for domestic hot water and heating purposes.
Right: Waterless urinals and aerating faucets save water.
Left: Natural (and free) daylight provides plenty of illumination for workspaces in the main hall.
LEED® Gold. In 2004 the building became the first in Ventura County to win a rating under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. Building 850 received a LEED rating of "gold." According Santoianni, all new construction by the Navy is designed to meet LEED standards, although official certification is rarely sought.
Developed in a partnership with Southern California Edison, the project combines a 10,000-square-foot renovation of an existing building with a 7,000-square-foot addition. Renewable technologies include a 27 kW solar photovoltaic system and a solar water heating system for space heating and domestic water. Energy-efficient technologies include fluorescent light fixtures with T-8 lamps and light-sensing controls. Environmentally sustainable features include the use of zero-VOC paints, efficient plumbing fixtures including waterless urinals, paving bricks recycled from other locations, and sustainable (native and drought-tolerant) landscaping.
The building's energy performance is approximately 55% more efficient than California's 1995 Title 24 Energy Efficiency Standards. It is oriented along an east-west axis to maximize daylighting and natural ventilation is provided by operable windows. Other energy-wise upgrades include extra insulation and a reflective white finish on the roof to reduce solar gain.
