An Analysis of the University of Kansas’s Current Design Standards

Green Shelters for Green Students: An Analysis of the University of Kansas’s Current Design Standards with Recommendations for Additional Green Building Practices.. Purpose and Goals O

Green Shelters for Green Students:

An Analysis of the University of Kansas’s Current Design Standards with

Recommendations for Additional Green Building Practices

By

Michael Draper, Ryan Walsh, Patrick Kelly, Lucas Kirchhoff, Martin Farrell

Table of Contents

I Introduction

A.) Purpose and Goals

B.) University Energy Use

C.) Materials and Resources

II Materials

A.) University Background

B.) ASHRAE & LEED

C.) Other Universities

III Results

I Introduction

A.) Purpose and Goals

Our project is to create recommendations for the university’s building and construction standards in order to create more sustainable buildings Buildings constitute a large percent of our university’s energy consumption, so by reducing their energy needs we could significantly lower energy expenses and save the school money This issue can easily be addressed by

identifying possible improvements early in the construction process Therefore, we are hoping to add standards and requirements for new campus constructions

B.) Energy

The use of coal is Kansas’s primary fuel source Coal-fired power plants supply about three-fourths of the Kansas electricity market, and the single-unit Wolf Creek nuclear plant in Burlington supplies almost all of the remainder.1 Westar is the current power plant that supplies 85% of KU’s campus electricity While the reaming 15% comes from KU’s west campus which

is produced through a distribution system that is owned and operated by Kansas University.2Westar has three power plants across Kansas that use coal as their fuel source The power plant

KU receives its electricity from is Westar’s Lawrence Power Plant The coal this plant receives is from Arch Coal, Inc based out of Wyoming.3

The use of coal as a fuel source undoubting results in greenhouse gas emissions One 500-MW coal-fired power plant produces approximately 3 million tons/year of carbon dioxide (CO2).4 The Lawrence coal fire power plant produces 770 MW a year 5 According to Cap-KU 52% of the GHG emissions come from purchased electricity as seen in Figure 1 This compared

to 44% seen at similar institutions.6

Figure-1 Greenhouse gas emission percentages of the University of Kansas

Breaking down the purchased electricity an estimated 29% is used for lighting another 48% for ventilation, cooling, water heating, and space heating Based on this analysis 77% of purchased electricity accounts for 40.04% of GHG emissions are associated with electrical use in building system 7This is shown in Table 1

Table-1 Electrical use compared to GHG emissions in percentages

7

Cap-KU

Based on these alarming statistics, it is crucial for the university to adopted higher

building performance standards to lessen or mitigate the environmental impacts of our energy consumption at the university

LEED Energy Criteria

A review of 60 LEED buildings compared to conventional buildings found that on

average green buildings were 25-30% more energy efficient, lower electricity peak consumption, and were more likely to be able to generate renewable energy on site.8 Depending on the level

of certification the energy efficiency level changes this is seen in figure 2

On average, green buildings are 28% more efficient than conventional buildings and generate 2% of their power on-site from photovoltaices (PV) (See Figure 2.) The financial benefits of 30% reduced consumption at an electricity price of $0.08/kWh are about $0.30/ft2/yr, with a 20-year NPV of over $5/ft, equal to or more than the average additional cost associated with building green.9

C.) Materials and Resources

The materials and resources used in constructing new buildings are of major importance when considering energy efficient, sustainable, and green building practices Regional materials,

stronger materials, fewer materials, and a reuse of materials all should be emphasized in green building design and construction

Many of our new buildings built in our community use materials that must be harvested, extracted, or produced a great distance away from the University of Kansas In a globalized economy, it is not uncommon to have lumber and other building materials shipped abroad We encourage the use of locally collected and transported materials that save green house gas emissions generated in transportation, while also providing a boost to our local economy Our oldest buildings on campus, for instance, are made of limestone Limestone is one of the most abundant resources in our area, and is much stronger than wood In fact, the Great Pyramids of Giza were built mostly of low-grade limestone for the core and fine white limestone as the outer casing 10In addition to using local materials, the University of Kansas sits in the central part of the nation, allowing a comfortable radius for materials to be shipped from halfway across the country in any direction.11 If local and regional materials within a 500 mile radius cannot be used, as required by LEED’s Material and Resources category12, then there is no reason why nationally domestic materials cannot at least be obtained and used for construction in new buildings

When looking at the maps below, we can conclude that because of the limited forest resources in our immediate region, local harvested wood is not an option However, there is some urban wood waste that can be used in nearby Johnson County, Wichita, and Kansas City,

The quality of our materials is very important in considering green building Stronger, high quality materials may cost more money up front, but they are likely to last much longer than

the cheaper, mass-produced materials many American designers and builders decide upon We believe that if we build buildings to last hundreds of years, rather than 50 years, more money will

be saved in the long term The new buildings will be more resistant to high winds, warping, erosion, and other weather-related events that may increase with climate change Regardless of climate change and its effects, cheaper materials wear out faster and must be replaced more frequently The poor materials and design used to build much of our infrastructure during the Cold War era is already showing signs of failure The Minnesota bridge collapse is a prime example of a relatively young bridge failing because of poor design and materials.14

Using fewer materials may very well offset much of the cost that comes from using stronger materials Many of the extra materials used in the interior of our buildings and in our ceilings are unnecessary Often times these materials are used to fulfill a desire for an aesthetic interior design and may or may not be attractive to its occupants Using more materials not only requires greater pressure for extraction, but it also increases the amount of GHG emissions via

transportation, continually rising the cost of the material both monetarily and environmentally Carpeting is one particular material that can be reduced or eliminated The glue and toxic fumes from installation are known to have a significant, negative health effect on the indoor air quality and on those who are installing it.15 By eliminating this material the university can decrease potential health lawsuits that could rise from users and installers

The reuse and recycling of materials from older buildings should also be applied

whenever possible It is extremely wasteful to deconstruct a building and send the remains to a landfill while buying new supplies to use in the construction of a new building We strongly encourage using older materials in the new construction of a building if at all possible This will save the unnecessary transportation pollution and cost of new materials, allowing the designers and builders to spend more money on reusing materials or at least recycling them for the use of another builder or company.16 Even waste products can be used as a strong building material Cenocell, for instance, is made from left over coal ash and can be used to replace concrete It can withstand pressures of up to 7,000 pounds per cubic inch.17 This could count as both a reuse of materials, use of stronger materials, and use of a local material The nearby Westar coal power

plant may be an environmental blight in many ways, but we could take advantage of its waste, coal ash, as a strong building material to substitute for concrete

III Materials

A.) University Building Process

Design and Construction Management starts out the process of a building project by creating a building program, a high level basic description of what the University wants

including the function of the building, how it will be used, number of classrooms and so on

Tom Warchter, current Assistant Director of Planning & Programming, is responsible for working with the department which the building will serve in order to write the program He listens to their needs pertaining to a future building, consults the university Master Plan and then writes a program The building program is thus, mostly a description of functions the building users expect Not all building programs are the same but each will included very brief

descriptions of building requirements, site requirements, a description of building spaces, the project budget and schedule, funding, operation and maintenance, design for energy

conservation, design standards and code requirements This is by no means a total report of mandatory elements (that will be given later); it is an introduction to the projects needs For the most part, the program does not exceed fifteen pages

Figure 1 shows two pages from the program created from a current building project at Edwards Campus The highlighted section is the “Design for Energy Conservation” While it is does not give specific instruction, it does rise the point that energy conservation is an aspect of design which KU will seek

Figure 1

It is vital for additional thought of sustainability to also be included in the initial program

of the project A section similar to “Design for Energy Conservation” ought to be added into each project’s program to insure attempts for sustainable design that does not harm, pollute or disrupt the environment in a major way Below is a sample of what the section would potentially cover

“Design for Sustainability

The University of Kansas is committed to designing and constructing design for environment facilities by means of implementing aspects of environmentally-friendly design to create a sustainable structure Firms will take into consideration the processing and manufacturing of building products, materials innovation and

disposal/recyclables These firms and their consultants shall initiate a design process and provide ways to incorporate practices which emit minimal CO2 emissions during construction and life of the building

During the design phases of the project special attention shall be given to materials, energy consumption, reuse/refurbishment, product lifetime and life cycle assessment It

is vital to eliminate negative environmental impact

It is also expected that the consultants review green building guides, ASHRAE, the International Green Construction Code and LEED certification criteria and make evident during the schematic design process.”

The program written by Design and Construction Management is then sent to competing design firms who will reply with their ideas and design concepts Once a design firm is chosen

by Design and Construction Management the project will move into a long phase of schematic design work This is the most crucial phase of the entire process because this is the time when various parties are able to voice their needs, opinions and desires Throughout a number of meetings, specific department members of the university will meet with the architects and

engineers to discuss specific aspects necessary for the design For example, at this time Scott McVey, university energy conservationist, will explain KU’s energy efficient expectations and modeling guidelines for the project Architects and engineers use these guidelines to create a number of sketches to be potentially incorporated in the overall design

By adding a “Design for Sustainability” section, schematic designs for future projects would consider the university’s sustainable effort by displaying designs that are feasible and ones that may be excessive Having building designs that use state-of-the-art systems, materials and features will showcase all possibilities even if it they are not economically viable so that university officials will at least be informed of them This will help influence the project at hand and future projects to becoming more sustainable

Additionally, according to Scott McVey it would be helpful to have a specialist on green building design techniques and systems to assist the Design and Construction Management team The specialist would assist during the schematic design phase and offer expertise on the subject

He/she should be very knowledgeable about ASHRAE standards, LEED certification and the International Green Council Code He/she would also be responsible for writing a guide to green building for the university to consult during the design process

A Guide to Green Building

A guide to green building is a tool to help architects, designers and owners create high performing, energy-efficient buildings The guide’s primary purpose is to stimulate discussion on the building and its relationship to the environment, addresses the benefits of green design, and displays a desire for performance goals Furthermore, a green building guide will stimulate conversations regarding sustainable building techniques during the schematic design phase in which each party of the design team is present to formulate a final design The guide itself would contain questions to ask regarding day lighting, energy goals, building envelop and local

material If created, its use should be mandatory during the schematic design process and

enforced by requiring a check list, signed by each party, of applicable discussions to be

submitted to the Green Building Specialist and project financer Reference the State of

Vermont’s “High Performance Design Guide” for an example

University Current Standards

In regards to energy use, the university’s Design and Construction Management has adopted the goal to reach 30% better efficiency than ASHRAE 90.1 This means that not only will new buildings meet the standards of 90.1, but they will exceed predicted savings by 30% In order to verify this, Scott McVey asks for energy modeling documentation to be submitted after each design phase but it is not mandatory, it is a guideline to follow showing compliance

Mandatory standards addressing energy efficiency that are in place are as follows:

Insulation: Buildings need well-insulated walls, “preferably beyond minimum industry

standards” A specific standard of a minimum of 2.0 pounds per cubic foot for Expanded Polystyrene (Division 7, p 2)

Doors & Windows: General standards for use of thermal-break frames, double-pane

insulating glass, and tinted low-E coatings on windows are included (Division 8)

Mechanical: General standards for mechanical systems (mainly HVAC) with a list of

operational guidelines to be used “in completing projects with opportunities for energy

conservation” (Division 15, p 17) Appendix 15.1 for this section requires buildings to be connected to the Building Automated Control System (BACS)

Electrical: Energy conservation is referenced with regard to the use of energy efficient

lighting and motion sensors (Division 26)

It is easy to identify the lack of a formal standard that insures sustainable practice, energy

efficient systems and a concern for the environment

B.) ASHRAE & LEED

Building Council, the programs USGBC provide have three distinguishing characteristics in that

they are committee-based, member-driven, and consensus–focused Cooperative changes

throughout the building industry are obtained by a committee based structure that includes a wide variety of input from the many members This enables a forum for many different

organizations to come together and create cooperative solutions for new building standards The open membership aspect of USGBC is important in that it allows balance and helps carry out programs and activities 18 It also enables the USGBC to target issues and conduct an annual review that allows the USBBC to “set policy, revise strategies, and devise work plans based on members’ needs.” 19 The consensus-focused aspect of the USGBC allows it to settle differences

in the building industry and work together with a variety of industry members to green buildings and in the most efficient manor and at the lowest cost 20

Soon after formation, the USGBC began to create a system to measure “green buildings”

or buildings that were built and operated in a way that reduced energy use and had a commitment

to a more environmentally sustainable future A committee was created that included architects, environmentalists, building owners, real-estate agents, lawyers and other industry

representatives This committee took the many factors within each profession into account and soon created a system to both define and measure green buildings This system known as

LEED—for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design—was launched in 1998 and has been updated almost annually ever since These updates have evolved LEED from a simple rating system for existing buildings into many different rating systems throughout the building industry within many different sectors and scopes The specific LEED rating system we are interested in for this project, however, is LEED for New Construction 21

According to USGBC, all LEED rating systems are “voluntary, consensus-based, and market driven….based on existing and proven technology, they evaluate environmental

performance from a whole building perspective over a building’s lifecycle, providing a definitive standard for what constitutes a green building in design, construction, and operation.” 22 The LEED rating system for New Construction is divided into 5 separate environmental categories These include: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality In addition to this a 6th category, Innovation in Design, is included to address other categories not listed in the 5 main categories Within each category, there are specific construction practices, building design measures, and building

operation practices that are worth a certain amount of points Each individual category has its own final point value which depends on the sustainable measures and practices currently

available 23

The LEED for New Construction 2009 rating system has 100 base points possible with

10 bonus points allotted for points in Innovation in Design and regional bonus points that take local factors into account Each credit is worth at least one point without fractions and are always positive numbers Every project that wishes to utilize the LEED rating system have to use the exact same scorecard The point system is weighted by the potential positive environmental impacts and benefits for humans for each individual credit These weights are defined by the