Enter Description & Energy Estimates

FLEX Spreadsheet AutomaticallyCalculates Key Reserved Areas

For each Design Challenge

Designate Reserved Areain Construction Diagrams

Enter Narrative Descriptionof Integration Strategy

Save Worksheet File

Created and produced by DanBihn.comWork funded by the U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Governors Office, and the Colorado State Forest Service

Flex Energy Workbook (Rev 3.1 6/20/2010) 1

You directly fill out this electronic worksheet on your computer, save it and e-mail it to your team members. Since design is an iterative process, you and your team can update and use this worksheet at several points along the way. (You can save the worksheet using a unique name that reflects both the project name and the process phase – e.g., NewCoolSchool-Charette.pdf.)

1 Enter the high-level project description and the current estimate for energy usage esti-mates. This estimate should improve with time as you near completion, but can start out

as simple as using your team’s targeted energy usage per square feet.

2 The FLEX Energy Worksheet will automatically generate ballpark estimates for several key-space consuming energy technologies – the Design Challenges.

Note: these estimates are intended to serve as high level design guidelines - so your team can run “what if ” scenarios, etc. They are not intended to replace proper engineering estimates or detailed design data. If your team chooses to invest in more detailed engineering, those numbers can be used instead.

3 For each of the Design Challenges, you and your team fill out the corresponding Work-sheet, unless you will be actually implementing the Challenge. Each Challenge is meant to

be considered independently – to keep things simple. If your team wants to explore combina-tions you feel will be important, please do this.

4 Most Design Challenges have you add a “future location of…” designation are on your construction documents – typically an area on the site plan or roof plan showing where

the Design Solution would be located.

Designing buildings that adapt to the changing shape of energy in the 21st century

Flex Energy for Buildings

Here’s how it works...

DISCLAIMER: Calculated estimates are to be used as guidelines for early-stage planning purposes only, and cannot be used in place of the services of a professional engineer.

Flex Energy Workbook (Rev 3.1 6/20/2010) 2

FLEX Energy Worksheet Description & Anticipated Energy DemandBriefly describe your building project (primary use, location, etc.):

General

Building Area:

Annual Electrical Intensity:

Electrical Targets

Heating Targets

Cooling Targets

Swimming Pool

Number of Parking Stalls:

Roof Area:

Sq. Ft.

Sq. Ft.

Peak Electrical Demand:

kWh / Sq. Ft.

kW

Peak Cooling Demand: BTU / hr

Peak Heating Demand: BTU/hr

Swimming Pool Area: Sq. Ft.

Mechanical Equipment Room: Sq. Ft.

County (Climate Zone):

Occupancy: People

Building Type:

Percentage Available for PV:

Percentage Available for EV:

%

%

PV Annual Contribution: %

PV Generation Efficiency: kWh/kWp/Year

Use Co-CHPS Requirements

Sq. Ft. / Ton

%Solar Thermal Contribution:

Hours of Peak Ice Storage:

Flex Energy Workbook (Rev 3.1 6/20/2010) 3

FLEX Energy Worksheet Rough Calculations for Planning

To meet % of the annual electricity usage of your project of kWh, you will need to generate

kWh each year. So you will need a kW PV system that requires about sq. ft. of

panels (assuming a 15% panel efficiency). At least sq. ft. must be roof-mounted assuming % of the roof

area is usable. The remaining sq. ft. can be on covered parking or stand-alone structures. Inverters for a system of this

size will need roughly sq. ft. inside your electrical room.

A vertical loop field (bore field) for a building of sq. ft. in climate zone will need roughly sq. ft. if

you install an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV), or roughly sq. ft. if you don’t use an ERV.

Centralized chip-fired biomass boiler systems between 1,000,000 and 5,000,000 BTU/hr take at least sq. ft. Chips for

these systems are typically delivered in an 56’ semi-trailer truck. If your building has a smaller demand, pellets can make sense. You

will need pellet boilers @ 200,000 BTU/hr each, requiring a mechanical equipment room roughly sq. ft.

near a potential pellet delivery and storage location. Pellet delivery trucks are often between 25’ and 35’ in length.

The peak cooling load for your buildings is BTU/hour. An ice thermal energy storage (TES) capable of

storing thermal energy to cool your building for hours at 100% of the peak design cooling load, about

BTUs, will need roughly sq. ft. of ground-level area (these systems are very heavy).

A parking lot with electric cars being simultaneously charged (assuming 3.5kW per car) will have a peak electrical

demand of about kW.

PVG

SHP

TES

Biom

ass

EV

M.E

.R.

Pool

A typically Colorado pool needs a solar thermal sys-

tem of approximately sq. ft. to provide

% of the annual heating demand.

Doubling the mechanical equipment room

area will require adding an additional

sq. ft.

The building design includes a PV system large enough to provide 100% of the annual electrical demand.

Flex Energy Workbook (Rev 3.1 6/20/2010) 4

Design Challenge: Adding Photovoltaics (PV)

The location of at least sq. ft. roof-mounted PV ( % of the roof area).

The remaining sq. ft. can be on covered parking or stand-alone structures.

Will the roof support 5 pounds per square foot on the shown roof areas?

Show:

How will the panels be connected to your electrical system? Where will the inverters be located? Have you added any conduit to your build-plan?

Tell:

What aesthetic considerations have you made for adding PV? Do you think your building with PV added with be acceptable to your community?

The above is shown on these construction documents:

The location of at least sq. ft. for the inverters that connect the building’s mains. Ideally, this should be inside an electrical equip-ment room.

Flex Energy Workbook (Rev 3.1 6/20/2010) 5

Design Challenge: Adding Ground-Source Heat Pump (GSHP)

The location of a sq. ft. vertical ground loop field if you have an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV).

Describe how a GSHP will be integrated with your existing HVAC system and what changes will be needed in the mechanical equipment room and distribution system:

Show:

Tell:

Describe changes needed in the occupied space to accommodate heat-pumps throughout your building:

The location of the piping between the ground loop field and the mechanical equipment room.

The building design includes a GSHP system that provides at least 80% of the heating and 100% of the cooling demand.

The location of a sq. ft. vertical ground loop field if you don’t have an ERV.

The above is shown on these construction documents:

OR

Flex Energy Workbook (Rev 3.1 6/20/2010) 6

Design Challenge: Adding Thermal Energy Storage (TES)

Identify a sq. ft. area on your site plan for a BTU ice thermal energy storage system, which is needed for

hours of a peak cooling demand of BTU/hr.

How will the TES system be integrated into your existing design?

Show:

Tell:

Additional comments and ideas:

An ice TES system capable of storing at least BTUs of cooling energy is part of the buildings design.

The above is shown on these construction documents:

Flex Energy Workbook (Rev 3.1 6/20/2010) 7

The location of a sq. ft. area for a wood chip biomass boiler system.

Describe how biomass boiler system interface with your building’s HVAC system:

Show:

Tell:

Discuss other issues related to adding a biomass boiler system:

The access route, usable during normal business hours, for a 69’ semi-tail deliver truck with a turning radius of 31’.

The building design includes a biomass boiler that provides more than 80% of the annual heating demand.

Design Challenge: Adding a Biomass Boiler System

The location of a sq. ft. area for a wood pellet biomass boiler system in a new or existing mechanical equipment room.

The above is shown on these construction documents:

OR

Flex Energy Workbook (Rev 3.1 6/20/2010) 8

Design Challenge: Adding Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations

The future location for underground wiring from EV stalls to your site transformers, and the location of an additional transformer capable of providing kW of additional electrical service.

What changes to your electrical service will be needed to meet the additional kW of demand?

Show:

Tell:

The design includes Electric Vehicle charging stations for at least % of the parking stalls.

How will you install charging stations for at least parking stalls? How might this impact the aesthetics of your project?

The above is shown on these construction documents:

Flex Energy Workbook (Rev 3.1 6/20/2010) 9

Design Challenge: Adding a District Energy Connection

The location district energy pipes (hot and chilled water) that could connect your mechanical equipment room to a likely service entry point on the property boundary.

Describe how hot and chilled water from the district energy system interface with your building’s HVAC system:

Show:

Tell:

Describe other design issues you have considered:

The design includes a connection to an existing district energy system.

The above is shown on these construction documents:

Flex Energy Workbook (Rev 3.1 6/20/2010) 10

Design Challenge: Adding Solar Thermal for Swimming Pool

The location of a sq. ft. area needed for a solar thermal system to heat your pool.

Show:

Describe how a solar thermal hot water heater will integrate with you existing system:Tell:

A solar thermal heating system capable of providing more than % of the annual heating needs of the pool is included in the final design.

There project does not have swimming pool.

The above is shown on these construction documents:

Flex Energy Workbook (Rev 3.1 6/20/2010) 11

Design Challenge: Doubling Mechanical Equipment Room Area

The location(s) of a sq. ft. area adjacent to existing mechanical equipment room(s) available for future expansion.

Describe how the room(s) will be doubled (wall removal, etc.):

Show:

Tell:

Existing mechanical equipment room area can be doubled without new construction.

The above is shown on these construction documents:

Flex Energy Workbook (Rev 3.1 6/20/2010) 12

Design Challenge: Innovative Idea to Share

The area needed to implement this idea has a shown reserved area in the construction documents to alert future planners so they don’t inadver-tently use this area for other purposes.

Describe the basic idea.

Show:

Tell:

What should other design teams consider to keep from inadvertently designing-out this idea or make adding it more difficult than necessary.

The design incorporates this idea.

The above is shown on these construction documents: