Real Estate Journal — Owners, Developers & Managers — Architects & Engineers — July 29 - August 11, 2016 — 11B
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A rchitects & E ngineers
well designed ware- house, manufacturing or distribution facility By Bruce Pollock, AIA, RSSC Architecture Maximizing the triple bottom line with energy efficiency & daylighting in warehouse facilities A tures in urban areas. After optimizing the build- ing envelope, the next consid- viding daylighting throughout the building. While maxi- mizing the light levels from
combination of daylighting and LED lighting significantly reducing the time needed to inspect flooring samples produced at the facility. At Karndean, employee morale has increased in the new facil- ity and everyone is able to do their job better. Bruce Pollock, AIA is a principal at RSSC Ar- chitecture, an innovative architecture firm located in Pittsburgh, Pennsyl- vania. For more informa- tion contact the author at bpp@rsscarch.com or visit the website www. rsscarch.com. n
difficult. To realize the full potential of the daylighting strategy, the skylights should be cou- pled with energy efficient LED lighting, photo cell sensors and a lighting control panel to reduce the light output of the electric lighting as the light level from the sunlight in- creases. At our recently com- pleted facility for Karndean International in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the daylight- ing strategy resulted in a 49% lighting energy savings. Employee productivity also increased due to the improved color rendition provided by the
contributes to the triple bottom line of the com- panies that own and op- erate these facilities by reducing the operational
“Every effort should be made to reduce the amount of energy used to heat, cool and light the interior of the building. This will not only reduce the impact of the building on the environment but also reduce the operational costs of the building”
eration is to choose a daylight- ing strategy. For buildings with large low slope roofs where the majority of the floor area is more than 25 feet from the windows, toplighting through the use of skylights is a cost effective method of pro-
daylighting is important, it is critical that the daylight- ing strategy minimize glare within the space. Skylights with prismatic lenses provide an even diffuse light without bright spots or deep shadows that make task performance
Bruce Pollock
costs of the building; minimiz- ing the environmental impact of the building; and providing a healthy and comfortable en- vironment for the employees working in the building. When planning a new ware- house, manufacturing or dis- tribution facility, an impor- tant consideration is reducing the energy use intensity of the facility. Every effort should be made to reduce the amount of energy used to heat, cool and light the interior of the build- ing. This will not only reduce the impact of the building on the environment but also re- duce the operational costs of the building. The building en- velope, i.e. the walls, roof, win- dows and doors of the build- ing, should be designed to minimize the transfer of heat. The R-value of the insulation in the walls and roof should be maximized to reduce the flow of heat through these assem- blies. The building envelope should be carefully detailed to reduce thermal bridges where conductive building materials allow the flow of heat to by- pass the building insulation. A continuous air barrier should be provided to minimize the uncontrolled flow of air along with the energy used to heat and cool that air through the building envelope. In temperate and warm cli- mates, choosing roof materials with a high Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) will reduce the heat load on the building. Ma- terials with a high SRI reflect a high percentage of the solar energy that falls on them and also rapidly emit any energy that is absorbed by the mate- rials before it is transferred into the building. Buildings with high SRI roofs will have lower internal temperatures in the summer increasing the comfort of the building occupants and reducing the need for mechanical cooling. In urban areas, buildings with high SRI roofs also reduce the heat island effect that results in higher summer tempera-
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