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IDeAs Z Squared Design Facility
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IDeAs is building a new headquarters designed to meet 100% of its net energy requirements using renewable energy from photovoltaics. The project is transforming a commonplace building—a 60’s era concrete, windowless bank—into something extraordinary for our times. It’s one of the first commercial buildings in the United States to be designed to a “Z2” energy efficiency goal; that is, net zero energy, zero carbon emissions.
Taking on the design of its own headquarters, IDeAs is demonstrating how application of a full complement of sustainable design techniques can simultaneously achieve ultra high energy efficiency and high comfort for occupants. The building will be fit with a fully integrated, grid-tied, net-metering, photovoltaic system sized to provide 100% of the net energy requirements, allowing it to make zero contribution to global warming.
Among the other tactics applied in support of this goal are
- harvesting daylight to reduce electric lighting energy consumption,
- providing outside views for building occupants,
- use of occupancy sensors to turn off lights in unoccupied spaces,
- using high efficiency, (plug in) office equipment and innovative automatic controls to minimize plug loads,
- providing a high efficiency HVAC system featuring radiant heating and cooling in the floors and a ground-source heat pump,
- installing better insulation,
- installing monitoring equipment to gather data on the energy performance of all building systems.
Located in San Jose, California, the site is about 34,000 square feet and includes a large parking that was removed and replaced with water efficient landscaping. The building space covers 7200 square feet, with half of that area built as a single story, and the other half two story.
The IDeAs Z-Squared Design Facility is shaping up to be a great working environment for our team. Particularly due to its self-monitoring system, and areas where construction is left exposed, building exists as a learning lab for young professionals who want to understand how sustainable buildings are constructed and function. Moreover, it’s offered as an inspiration for those involved in commercial building across the country who want to move to more sustainable, energy efficient concepts.
Design Team:
Architect: EHDD Architecture
Electrical Engineer/Lighting Designer: IDeAs
Mechanical Engineer: Rumsey Engineers
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